No more adult only aft pools?

[cruise_mojo]

after all, royal Caribbean has the royal solarium adults only area on all the ships we've been on, many have food options there, all have a bar handy, and many are covered, hot tubs, movie stars, hills that is, BEVERLY HILLS!

[jimbo5544]

after all, royal Caribbean has the royal solarium adults only area on all the ships we've been on, many have food options there, all have a bar handy, and many are covered, hot tubs, movie stars, hills that is, BEVERLY HILLS!

 

 

..... but do they have granny in a rocking chair?

 

 

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[Computer Nerd]

I often wonder if some folks are born age 70. They seem to forget what the stages of life are about, or they, themselves, didn't have the experience of being 10 or 17 or even 30. They are born old with the crankiness and self righteous attitudes that give "old" people such a bad rap. Luckily as I approach the later years of my life my memory is still intact and I know what it was like to be a child, a teenager, a curious young adult, a parent....basically a normal person.

 

Children, due to the fact that they are children, are energetic and overly enthusiastic. They move a lot, they need to burn off excess energy, they like to play and run and jump, they are curious. They aren't made to sit still with their arms folded and their feet crossed for more than a few minutes...to them that's unnatural and a bit of punishment. Teenagers, by nature and the fact that cause and effect are the last things that develop in our brains, are often loud and obnoxious and somewhat self-centered. This is all normal.

 

Carnival, as has been stated often, has developed a family friendly cruise experience and they work hard catering to kids and young parents because they are the cruisers of the future and will keep the industry afloat for years to come. That has been developing more and more over the last decades, as ships have been designed to embrace them. If long term "older" passengers can't see that then they aren't attuned to Carnival's business plan.

 

Just like on land consumers have an obvious choice....no one is "forcing" them to continue patronizing an establishment that has "changed" over the years to move into a different direction. I can remember cruising when you didn't see but a handful of people under 40 because the ships and their forced "refined" attitude just didn't appeal to the younger set and, face it, people under 40 didn't have the time or the financial means to "cruise" while many retirees did. Now it is different. Families work hard to get and afford vacations and they want vacations that appeal to all members and can provide the services and activities that work within their age groups.

 

Luckily for many "older" individuals (and those that still like their cruises and vacations to be lazy and quiet and adult) there are still ships and lines that cater to them...when was the last time anyone saw a bunch of kids on a Viking experience. Carnival has chosen to update their business plan and move in a different direction as the corporation had acquired more cruise lines. They have pretty much left Holland America for the "genteel" crowd so people who want that experience can have it, and rightly so.

 

As far as parents wanting an adult area on a ship so that they can "get away" from their own kids who they choose to travel with, well that says more about the scope of their parenting. Obviously I was lucky. One vacation a year was about "the kids" and we did that whole-heartedly. The other vacation was about "the adults" and we left the kids home. Worked out beautifully.

 

Nope, kids are not born at age 70. Kids are born as kids and one of the responsibilities of a parent is to teach those kids how to act and behave as adults and to pay attention to what their actions does to others. But as I said, parents no longer want to be parents so kids just run amok. No supervision at home, against the law to get a whooping in school, no consequences in general for kids so they have "learned" that they can do what they want to do and to hell with others. BTW, I'm only 54. I do not, nor would any rational person, consider my desire for folks to act with a bit of decorum in a public setting anything close to being a grouch. Now, if one of those footballs being thrown around in the pool lands near me and I take it and throw it over the side of the ship (yes, I still have a bit of and arm for my football days), then you could call me a grouch.

 

Ah, I love the "no one is forcing you to take a cruise" BS. You are right, no one has every forced me to do anything other than the US military and I know I can take my vacation dollars elsewhere. But do you think Carnival wants to losing "paying" customers because you can't control your kids in a public setting? How about you just teach your kids what's right and wrong in public and then we can ALL enjoy the outside space together. But no, it seems you would rather beat up on someone for wanting a little decorum and you waste your energy on that versus spending your time teaching your child what they should or should not do in public.

 

Go figure. :rolleyes:

[Computer Nerd]

Your post shows a great understanding of Carnival and the cruise industry. What would make it easier for loyal cruisers of Carnival to "move on" to Holland America or Cunard would be if their loyalty status were honoured by the Sister Cruise Lines.

 

 

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It would take a lot more than that for me to sail HAL (I have tried the Veendam before). Outdoor movie screens being the top priority, larger ships, better food, and a couple of other odds and ends.

[Computer Nerd]

Wonder where all these "parents" who don't know how to parent correctly came from. They didn't just appear out of thin air. Maybe it has something to do with how they were raised and trained by their parents....you know the baby boomers who came out of a world war, Korea, and Vietnam.

 

There have always been over-indulgent parents, slack parents, up-tight parents, controlling parents...parenting is not a new concept and my grandparents probably had their knickers in a wad watching my parents raise me.

 

This board is famous, or infamous as the case may be, by posting all the negatives they observe and not, often, posting about the good things that go on around them. For every one over indulged child there are a dozen more who have respect for their elders and who "play" by the rules. As others have commented the brazen acts of children's behavior are not always the norm. I have been on spring break cruises with 2000 kids under the age of 18.....and they have been enjoyable and fun and relaxing. But then I have learned a great deal of tolerance over 70 years and a couple of loud mouthed Johnnys and Janes don't ruin my cruise...those same Johnnys and Janes are noisy in the grocery store, can't be quiet at the movies, or run the sidewalks as though they are the only person using them....but then you also see hundreds of kids who have manners at a restaurant, walk sedately in public places, listen to their parents.

 

People would react better to posters who don't generalize in their condemnations...who actually just state their opinions without resorting to the lowest common denominator as their examples. Okay, you may "like" adult only areas...and many people do, nothing wrong with that. But vilifying a whole generation to get your point across isn't the reasonable way to do it.

 

Nope, not thin air. Their parents were lazy, their parents were a little less lazy, and their parents were even less lazy. It's a slope and each generation of lazy parents breeds lazier parents.

[Computer Nerd]

;)And they probably don't want to hang out with you so you would be best served to stay out of areas where they are allowed. Kids can easily sense antagonism in adults. They are pretty smart that way.

 

Too bad they are not intelligent enough to sense anger and know when to shut up or stop doing things that interferes with other's enjoyment of the same space.

[Computer Nerd]

As a parent who travels alone with a nine year old, I'm thrilled about this! My son can't stand the kids club, and enjoys lounging by the pool with a (virgin) daiquiri in his hand. Like mother, like son. [emoji4]. But honestly, I've never been opposed to the adult-only pools. No biggie, but this new rule looks to be steering people away from CCL who clearly can't stand kids. Good for you guys! Go to Sandals or find another line!! I hear Holland America is great for those who prefer less kids.

 

 

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Someone else who just doesn't get it. Huge, and I mean HUGE, difference between kids and unruly kids. Teach your kids not to splash others in a public pool and all is well. Let your kids become little hellions just because they are on a cruise and you are too bothered to supervise them and problem will ensue. No need to go to an inferior cruise line just because you refuse to discipline your kids.

[Oceans100]

So for those that feel kids should have run of the ship as far as the outdoor areas, which is usually at least 2 pools and waterworks, and then also think for those of us that do not agree with this and that adults don't deserve their own pool, as it has been, but should just pick up and go to another cruise line.......how about you go to Disney Cruise Line! And from my understanding they even have adult only pools so my point is why shouldn't Carnival?! That still leaves the main pool and waterworks for kids! And before you say go on a ship with Serenity deck they don't all have one and the ones that do don't all have their own pool either!

 

 

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[SouthCaribbean2017]

Just wanted to re-iterate this fact: I'm a young adult. Unmarried. No kids. And I happen to like the no-kids aspect of Serenity.

 

I'm not in any "older" demographic whatsoever...so let's not suggest the only people who interested in having a no-kids area are older.

[42CruiseCrazy]

With this change I think there are now only three adult swimming pools in the entire Carnival fleet. I'm glad that I'm going on the Pride which has one of them.

 

 

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[nans vacation]

I am not a complainer, BUT changing the aft adult only area to now allowing children is a BIG mistake. That was my happy place, I spend a lot of time there. Security is ok but you have to be quiet . Adults like to have fun without kids around and be able to sit in the hot tub without screaming and splashing kids. This is a BIG deal breaker for me. I have six cruises booked on Carnival but I think I am going to cancel a few of them. I have been looking at other cruise lines.

[Oceans100]

Just wanted to re-iterate this fact: I'm a young adult. Unmarried. No kids. And I happen to like the no-kids aspect of Serenity.

 

I'm not in any "older" demographic whatsoever...so let's not suggest the only people who interested in having a no-kids area are older.

 

 

Exactly! Seems most think those of us that want the adult area must be ready for a retirement community, not even close! LOL

 

 

 

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[nealstuber]

So for those that feel kids should have run of the ship as far as the outdoor areas, which is usually at least 2 pools and waterworks, and then also think for those of us that do not agree with this and that adults don't deserve their own pool, as it has been, but should just pick up and go to another cruise line.......how about you go to Disney Cruise Line! And from my understanding they even have adult only pools so my point is why shouldn't Carnival?! That still leaves the main pool and waterworks for kids! And before you say go on a ship with Serenity deck they don't all have one and the ones that do don't all have their own pool either!

 

 

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Amen.

Those saying "Find another line if you don't like it" fail to realize:

 

WE WERE HERE FIRST!

 

 

 

 

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[LizaMM]

Why couldn't he lounge by the main pool with a Virgin Daiquiri?

 

You and others are missing the point. Not all people who are upset by this hate kids and not all of us are old and want to go to a geriatric cruise line or AI. What we liked up until now was Carnival. The atmosphere, the service, etc. What we don't appreciate is having an option taken away from us.

 

I highly doubt the opening up of one small pool for the kids will sway families to choose a Conquest Class ship (or the Victory or the Splendor) over another cruise line. Waterworks may as that is a real neat thing. But what it appears it is doing is causing adults who wish to have a child free pool to look at other cruise lines which may or may not be under the Carnival Corp umbrella.

 

Carnival was already a family cruise line so anyone who wished to avoid kids altogether was seriously delusional and shouldn't have that expectation. The average Carnival cruiser that is dissatisfied with this change doesn't want to see a kid free line, they want a pool that they can enjoy without the natural excitement of children. This move to a good amount of Carnival's clientele doesn't say "We're even more family friendly,", it screams "Adults don't matter". If they want to cater to kids (and rightfully so) then things like Waterworks is a huge step in the right direction. Let the adults keep their tiny part and they can have the rest.

 

I am not a complainer, BUT changing the aft adult only area to now allowing children is a BIG mistake. That was my happy place, I spend a lot of time there. Security is ok but you have to be quiet . Adults like to have fun without kids around and be able to sit in the hot tub without screaming and splashing kids. This is a BIG deal breaker for me. I have six cruises booked on Carnival but I think I am going to cancel a few of them. I have been looking at other cruise lines.

 

 

 

Yes! This is exactly how I feel.....I very much enjoy hanging out in the aft pool or hot tub with a drink and talking to adults without kids around....I don't hate kids.....raised 4 of 'em and spent a lot of time volunteering with countless children..... I also cruised with my kids when they were young and even sometimes now as they are young adults.....at this point in my life I like to have an adult area....and this is a deal breaker for me as well.....HOWEVER....that does not mean I wouldn't sail Carnival....just not the ship I am booked on for next month unfortunately :( and more unfortunately, this particular cruise will be a B2B to celebrate my big birthday and I specifically picked the Splendor because of how much I loved the Aft pool deck when I sailed her last year :loudcry:

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

Someone else who just doesn't get it. Huge, and I mean HUGE, difference between kids and unruly kids. Teach your kids not to splash others in a public pool and all is well. Let your kids become little hellions just because they are on a cruise and you are too bothered to supervise them and problem will ensue. No need to go to an inferior cruise line just because you refuse to discipline your kids.

 

So only kids with indulgent parents splash in a pool...what about the 18s and over who think, and rightly so, that a pool is intended for "fun in the water" not just standing their with a drink in one hand soaking up the rays or sitting on the side dangling hot toes in the water and heaven forbid fearing that they may actually get wet. I just can't believe how many people who are intent on proving that kids and their parents are the source of all evil. Easy answer...don't want to get wet don't sit by the pool. Don't blame kids for being kids.

 

I'm not saying that the elimination of an infrequently used (for its intended purpose) adult only pool is a good or bad thing. I'm just saying that Carnival, by ownership, has a right to make that decision and that all the "woe is me" on this board won't change that. Maybe Carnival will only "allow" kids during peak family cruises when every inch of a ship needs to be fully utilized. Fewer kids more room for adult only spaces.

 

Its amazing when you travel during school breaks, holidays and summers. Kids are everywhere...duh. Other times of year the ratio of adults to kids is probably 10 to one. It makes sense to me that if I want a no kid environment I schedule wisely...whether on Carnival or any other cruise line.

 

The bottom line is that everyone has a choice that accommodates their vacation "wants". This I'm a teacher and my vacations fall during high kid times and I want a break isn't an argument....people choose to be a teacher and that means living with the time constraints of that occupation. Its all about choice as much as some want to deny that fact.

[Computer Nerd]

So only kids with indulgent parents splash in a pool...what about the 18s and over who think, and rightly so, that a pool is intended for "fun in the water" not just standing their with a drink in one hand soaking up the rays or sitting on the side dangling hot toes in the water and heaven forbid fearing that they may actually get wet. I just can't believe how many people who are intent on proving that kids and their parents are the source of all evil. Easy answer...don't want to get wet don't sit by the pool. Don't blame kids for being kids.

 

I'm not saying that the elimination of an infrequently used (for its intended purpose) adult only pool is a good or bad thing. I'm just saying that Carnival, by ownership, has a right to make that decision and that all the "woe is me" on this board won't change that. Maybe Carnival will only "allow" kids during peak family cruises when every inch of a ship needs to be fully utilized. Fewer kids more room for adult only spaces.

 

Its amazing when you travel during school breaks, holidays and summers. Kids are everywhere...duh. Other times of year the ratio of adults to kids is probably 10 to one. It makes sense to me that if I want a no kid environment I schedule wisely...whether on Carnival or any other cruise line.

 

The bottom line is that everyone has a choice that accommodates their vacation "wants". This I'm a teacher and my vacations fall during high kid times and I want a break isn't an argument....people choose to be a teacher and that means living with the time constraints of that occupation. Its all about choice as much as some want to deny that fact.

 

I don't blame kids for being kids. I blame parents for letting kids be kids in a publicly shared venue.

 

And just what are you basing your "infrequent use" on? Every time I've sailed a Conquest class ship the aft pool area has been packed......with adults. How many Conquest class ships have you sailed to see first hand infrequent use over the course of a week?

 

BTW, I'm not a teacher. I am an IT Tech.

[cruisetodayteachtomorrow]

With this change I think there are now only three adult swimming pools in the entire Carnival fleet. I'm glad that I'm going on the Pride which has one of them.

 

 

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Loved the Pride and I was on her before all the dry dock add ons you are sooo lucky!

 

 

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[SNJCruisers]

I had never seen anyone call first-timers "blue cards" until you did. I'm well aware of the fact that you didn't create the term. But neither did Carnival. It's Carnivals marketing department that gives first time cruisers blue cards, so Carnival did in fact invent it.

 

As I said before, there's a lot to cruising that doesn't require 18 cruises over 31 years to figure out. Cruising in general, especially when narrowed down to a single cruise line, is very similar across the fleet. There's a lot of "cookie-cutter" aspects to it, meaning it's practically the same across the board.

Just to set the record straight, it's 18 Carnival cruises and 29 in total over 6 different lines over those 31 years. Back in 1986, there was no Cruise Critic because the World Wide Web was not invented until 1989. So you were lucky to be able to do some online research before you went on your lone cruise, many others were not so lucky.

 

Cruising when narrowed down to a single fleet is not very similar. You can't compare a 4 day cruise on a Fantasy class ship that doesn't even have many balconies or all of the amenities to a 7 day cruise on the Breeze or Vista. Yes, they both provide the minimum essentials of a cruise, but the newer, larger ships provide more choices. And choices is what this thread is all about.

 

22 out of the current 24 ships in the fleet have a Serenity area, with the Triumph and Conquest being the two ships that don't. After her dry dock in September, Conquest will have one and it has been implied on another thread that it will rival and possibly surpass the 3 level one with a pool on the Sunshine. Just give adults a choice to be able to get away from the kids and enjoy adult conversation and beverages in or near a pool. If Disney can do it, and they are certainly more kid friendly than any other cruise line, then why can't Carnival?

[alexmom]

same here. I was pricing cruises for next year, and Celebrity (which also prices in Canadian dollars for us), and included standard beverage package plus wifi, worked out to be just a couple of hundred dollars more than Carnival. I also am wanting to try NCL newer ships with solo cabins. I know Carnival is really trying to draw in the families and market itself as the family cruise line, but they are sure not doing much to draw me back. Sorry for the negative, but is just the way I feel about it.

Hi, I just got off the Getaway in February after sailing a solo. Solo was ok (it was pretty small and storage was a problem) but the food in the MDR was DISMAL. What a boring unimaginative menu, tastelessly prepared ! I buzzed the buffet a couple of dinnertimes but was not impressed. When I ordered RARE steaks (3 times) only 1 was actually cooked properly, 1 was barely edible (med) and the last one was so overcooked there was no pink in it. None. I sent it back and still didn't get a rare steak. The food on Carnival and Princess is MUCH better !

[alexmom]

So only kids with indulgent parents splash in a pool...what about the 18s and over who think, and rightly so, that a pool is intended for "fun in the water" not just standing their with a drink in one hand soaking up the rays or sitting on the side dangling hot toes in the water and heaven forbid fearing that they may actually get wet. I just can't believe how many people who are intent on proving that kids and their parents are the source of all evil. Easy answer...don't want to get wet don't sit by the pool. Don't blame kids for being kids.

 

I'm not saying that the elimination of an infrequently used (for its intended purpose) adult only pool is a good or bad thing. I'm just saying that Carnival, by ownership, has a right to make that decision and that all the "woe is me" on this board won't change that. Maybe Carnival will only "allow" kids during peak family cruises when every inch of a ship needs to be fully utilized. Fewer kids more room for adult only spaces.

Its amazing when you travel during school breaks, holidays and summers. Kids are everywhere...duh. Other times of year the ratio of adults to kids is probably 10 to one. It makes sense to me that if I want a no kid environment I schedule wisely...whether on Carnival or any other cruise line.

 

The bottom line is that everyone has a choice that accommodates their vacation "wants". This I'm a teacher and my vacations fall during high kid times and I want a break isn't an argument....people choose to be a teacher and that means living with the time constraints of that occupation. Its all about choice as much as some want to deny that fact.

You choose to be a teacher, fine. I choose to be an adult, who for her own mental health, requires a splash-free cannonball-free adult zone. The kids have the BIG main pool, kiddie pool and slides. They do not need my cool deep TINY pool. I raised my kids, I babysit my grandkids, I've done my time with loud and rowdy. Cruise time is MY time, where I pull it all together again after 12 months of various stressors, including my kids and grandkids. Pretty cavalier of you to put down the grownups who don't want to be cannon balled. Pretty intolerant too. And judgmental. You don't know us, you don't know what we need or why we need it. Suffice to say, whether in the pool swimming and floating, whether sitting on the pool edge socializing, we are ADULTING. That should be enough !

[Woodfaerie]

Whomever "surveyed" the aft pool and determined it was getting minimal usage didn't survey any of the cruises I have been on. I have always had plenty of adult company floating around with me, with the exception of a trip out of Baltimore in January!! I just love the aft area and find this to the be saddest of all changes thus far.

[Pellaz]

This has been a slow trend. Each ship that gets the updated slides lose the adult only pool. I asked JH about it a couple of years ago, don't remember about which ship. His answer was that they took the kids only pool at the bottom of old slides away with this new upgrade. They really felt that only two pools on a ship, they couldn't make one adult only. It's just finally being realized by cruisers. On conquest last fall and that's the way it was.

 

But Conquest has THREE pools: aft, midships Lido, and the one near to (but separated from) the slide.

 

I've always been surprised that the pool near the slide on ships with that design weren't made de-facto kids' pools. It's near the slide and so there were a fair number of (well-behaved) kids in it on our last cruise in October, but it tended to be less crowded and rambunctious than the main pool.

 

The aft pool stayed pretty crowded during the day, but was fairly empty at night, which I loved...meant I could swim underwater laps without dodging anyone. I should point out that the "main" pool was also not too crowded at night with kids OR adults.

[Mamalocs]

Glad there is still an adult only pool on the Pride. We sail in June. However we sail the Conquest next April. *sigh*

 

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[maldenmusic]

I guess I've never been on a cruise that had an aft only adult pool. But that is a great idea. And they are going to change it?

[mean.green10]

I guess I'd better book the Carnival Miracle while they still have a pool in their aft serenity area. It's filled daily with cold ocean water. The conundrum (for me) is do I go in early while the water is still "fresh" (but cold), or wail until later when it's warmed up, but has turned into a human soup. Oh, and kids are welcome to use it as far as I'm concerned.

 

 

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