Cruise ship hot tubs - safe or not?

[Jimbo]

2 hours ago, Tapi said:

Get a stateroom with your own hot tub. We did! It was absolutely awesome!

 

Not only did we have the hot tub all to ourselves, but we could sit there and watch as the ship arrived and departed at each port. It was also pretty awesome to use it late at night. 
 

I would guess that even that hot tub is not properly ever cleaned between cruises.

[marci22]

38 minutes ago, Joseph2017China said:

Good news everyone......hot tubs are optional just like the swimming pool.  

There's only so much we can say about D+ clawbacks and 1 dinner only. Got to think up more topics. This one hasn't been around in awhile.

[Tapi]

16 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

I would guess that even that hot tub is not properly ever cleaned between cruises.

When first arrived in our stateroom, the hot tub was empty. Our cabin steward asked if we wanted it set up. By the time we returned from dinner, it was filled and running. It did look impeccably clean and sparkly, with zero grime. It looked much cleaner than the way some people keep their hot tubs back home. 
 

I cant imagine it being any dirtier than the public hot tubs on the ship 😂

Edited March 29, 2023 by Tapi

[Jimbo]

10 minutes ago, Tapi said:

When first arrived in our stateroom, the hot tub was empty. Our cabin steward asked if we wanted it set up. By the time we returned from dinner, it was filled and running. It did look impeccably clean and sparkly, with zero grime. It looked much cleaner than the way some people keep their hot tubs back home. 
 

I cant imagine it being any dirtier than the public hot tubs on the ship 😂

So you think just emptying it and refilling it is cleaning it?  Okay if you think like that.

[Tapi]

43 minutes ago, njsmom said:

I would love to be able to do this. It looks very expensive tho!

On MSC, you may be pleasantly surprised. They have a category of entry level suites that have their own whirlpool tubs. 
 

Between MSC’s loyalty match program (where they match your loyalty status on a any other cruise line for an additional discount), and other promotions they offer like “kids sail free”, having your own whirlpool tub may be more affordable than you think. 
 

To give you an idea, here’s some sample pricing straight from their website for a cruise we have booked on the MSC Seashore (one of their newest ships) for June 2024:

[Tapi]

15 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

So you think just emptying it and refilling it is cleaning it?  Okay if you think like that.

Obviously, there’s more to cleaning a hot tub than just emptying and refilling it, and no matter where I go, I’m never under the illusion that everything gets cleaned properly. 😂

 

But looking at the condition of the hot tub in our stateroom, it definitely received much better treatment than the ones on the public decks. The entire suite was impeccably clean.   

Edited March 29, 2023 by Tapi

[shipgeeks]

I would be interested to hear from Cheng what the policy/practice is re sanitation in hot tubs.

[PompeySailor]

3 hours ago, Tapi said:

Get a stateroom with your own hot tub. We did! It was absolutely awesome!

 

Not only did we have the hot tub all to ourselves, but we could sit there and watch as the ship arrived and departed at each port. It was also pretty awesome to use it late at night. 
 

We just booked one of the only two  Owners Suites on MSC World America

Bookings opened up an hour ago 😎

You might want to check out the OS RS and Duplex Suites

 

YC prices are really good 👍🏻 

 

You might want to check out the equivalent cabins on MSC World Europa

[ARandomTraveler]

3 hours ago, Tapi said:

Get a stateroom with your own hot tub. We did! It was absolutely awesome!

 

Not only did we have the hot tub all to ourselves, but we could sit there and watch as the ship arrived and departed at each port. It was also pretty awesome to use it late at night. 
 

I'd be willing to bet a private hot tub has way more bodily fluids in it than a public one, given the guest can get into it naked...and do things in it.

[Tapi]

14 minutes ago, PompeySailor said:

We just booked one of the only two  Owners Suites on MSC World America

Bookings opened up an hour ago 😎

 

Thanks! I’ve been pricing out ALL the categories since the announcement was made that bookings had opened up, 😂.
 

Very good pricing in my humble opinion, specially for a brand new ship of this size and caliber. Obviously competing head on with Royal’s Icon, which will also be departing from Miami on Saturdays as well. I wonder if that will bring the prices on the Icon down a bit. 
 

We did the duplex suite on the Meraviglia and we loved the lofty style layout; perfect for our family. The ones on the World America look amazing too. 

Edited March 29, 2023 by Tapi

[chengkp75]

Let's put out some facts about ship's hot tubs, both public and private.

 

The hot tubs are kept at a constant chlorine level of 3-10ppm, much higher than the recommended 3ppm for home hot tubs.  Further, it is maintained at this level constantly, since while the water is being recirculated, it passes a chlorine content meter, and the reading from this meter adjusts the chlorine dosing pump that runs all the time.  The chlorine content of the hot tub is recorded on a chart, and is kept for review by the USPH, when they make their inspections.

 

By regulation, the water in all hot tubs must be changed every 72 hours, but most lines do it nightly.  When the hot tub is drained, it is washed with bleach, and then "super-chlorinated" to 20ppm, and circulated for one hour, before being diluted to normal, in order to remove any "bio-film" anywhere in the piping system.

 

Any time there is a fecal accident, the hot tub must be drained and sanitized using 100ppm chlorine.

 

Individual (cabin) hot tubs must be chlorinated to 10ppm, and circulated for 1 hour, between guests.

 

One thing that can affect how well chlorine sanitizes the water is sunscreen.  This forms an oily layer that coats the surface of the water, and restricts the chlorine's ability to react with the oxygen in the air, limiting the sanitizing reaction.  This is why cruise ships are required to have showers on deck near pools and hot tubs, to rinse off sunscreen before going in the pools/tubs.

[RedIguana]

29 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

One thing that can affect how well chlorine sanitizes the water is sunscreen.  This forms an oily layer that coats the surface of the water, and restricts the chlorine's ability to react with the oxygen in the air, limiting the sanitizing reaction.  This is why cruise ships are required to have showers on deck near pools and hot tubs, to rinse off sunscreen before going in the pools/tubs.

Chlorine as a disinfecting agent in water should not require atmospheric oxygen. It works just fine in our closed municipal systems. I think the issue with sunscreen is the disinfection by-products which can be toxic. Or that it reacts with the sunscreens quickly depleting the available free chlorine (or chloramines is adding ammonia) for disinfection.

[BecciBoo]

7 hours ago, njsmom said:

How did I live for five decades without knowing this? 

How did any of us live for decades period? 😂

[BecciBoo]

Scientifically... your own toothbrush and the kitchen sink in your home are two of the dirtiest things on the planet!  True!  Even more bacteria than the toilet lid!

Just google that and see what comes up...your cellphone and money!!!!!  And that's in your home.

 

We're lucky we have a natural deterrent........epidermis....skin.

[BecciBoo]

Ahhhh Chief:  the voice of reason!  Thanks.

[HappyTexan44]

8 minutes ago, BecciBoo said:

Scientifically... your own toothbrush and the kitchen sink in your home are two of the dirtiest things on the planet!  True!  Even more bacteria than the toilet lid!

Just google that and see what comes up...your cellphone and money!!!!!  And that's in your home.

 

We're lucky we have a natural deterrent........epidermis....skin.

 

Well, there is bacteria and then there is bacteria.    I am not going to get hot tub rash from my toothbrush

 

 

[BND]

I just don't enjoy people soup.  Hot tubs tend to be much more crowded than pools and I've seen people sit in them for long periods of time drinking.  Have to wonder how long their bladders can do that for.  That's particularly common in the Solarium.  But, everyone can decide for themselves.

[bigque]

Anyone that has a pool or hot tub at home knows that you have to properly treat them with chemicals. Because of this I take test strips with me on cruises as well as land base vacations if I plan on getting in public pools or hot tubs. You can purchase these at any pool supply stores. If the water does not test positively for being treated properly I do not get in. But hey that’s just me! 

[Denversail]

3 hours ago, Tapi said:

Obviously, there’s more to cleaning a hot tub than just emptying and refilling it, and no matter where I go, I’m never under the illusion that everything gets cleaned properly. 😂

 

But looking at the condition of the hot tub in our stateroom, it definitely received much better treatment than the ones on the public decks. The entire suite was impeccably clean.   

You have to keep the chemicals properly balanced or people can get sick. It has been what has stopped me from putting one in at home. I know that we are too lazy to keep up with it which means paying someone else monthly. 🙁

[Denversail]

1 hour ago, bigque said:

Anyone that has a pool or hot tub at home knows that you have to properly treat them with chemicals. Because of this I take test strips with me on cruises as well as land base vacations if I plan on getting in public pools or hot tubs. You can purchase these at any pool supply stores. If the water does not test positively for being treated properly I do not get in. But hey that’s just me! 

When testing the hot tubs on cruises what has been the result?

[Sigyn]

5 hours ago, Tapi said:

On MSC, you may be pleasantly surprised. They have a category of entry level suites that have their own whirlpool tubs. 
 

Between MSC’s loyalty match program (where they match your loyalty status on a any other cruise line for an additional discount), and other promotions they offer like “kids sail free”, having your own whirlpool tub may be more affordable than you think. 
 

To give you an idea, here’s some sample pricing straight from their website for a cruise we have booked on the MSC Seashore (one of their newest ships) for June 2024:

That is amazing. I had no idea. 

[resetjet]

6 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Let's put out some facts about ship's hot tubs, both public and private.

 

The hot tubs are kept at a constant chlorine level of 3-10ppm, much higher than the recommended 3ppm for home hot tubs.  Further, it is maintained at this level constantly, since while the water is being recirculated, it passes a chlorine content meter, and the reading from this meter adjusts the chlorine dosing pump that runs all the time.  The chlorine content of the hot tub is recorded on a chart, and is kept for review by the USPH, when they make their inspections.

 

By regulation, the water in all hot tubs must be changed every 72 hours, but most lines do it nightly.  When the hot tub is drained, it is washed with bleach, and then "super-chlorinated" to 20ppm, and circulated for one hour, before being diluted to normal, in order to remove any "bio-film" anywhere in the piping system.

 

Any time there is a fecal accident, the hot tub must be drained and sanitized using 100ppm chlorine.

 

Individual (cabin) hot tubs must be chlorinated to 10ppm, and circulated for 1 hour, between guests.

 

One thing that can affect how well chlorine sanitizes the water is sunscreen.  This forms an oily layer that coats the surface of the water, and restricts the chlorine's ability to react with the oxygen in the air, limiting the sanitizing reaction.  This is why cruise ships are required to have showers on deck near pools and hot tubs, to rinse off sunscreen before going in the pools/tubs.

10 ppm is total chlorine.  We tested it on a carnival cruise and it had zero free chlorine.  (Unsafe). Really 1 ppm free is unsafe in a hot tub.  If you can smell chlorine it has a high combined chlorine as you are smelling the chloromines.  If you want to be safe.  Get some test strips and check before you get in.  Free chlorine has to be 2 or higher.  Years ago i got a terrible resistant staff infection on day 6 from the hot tub.  The ship dr indicated it had been contracted in the time frame inwas onboard.  1.5 years later,  with scars all over my body from it eating my skin,  we finally found the right antibiotic that would kill it.  I am a certified pool operator and i oversee aquatics at my resort.  Trust me, although you will be safe most of the time,  you wont always be safe.  I love hot tubs but i wont go anywhere near them with that kind of bathing load. Its all good til you end up like me or worse,  ecoli. 

[Denversail]

Yikes

[wreckem2013]

3 hours ago, Denversail said:

You have to keep the chemicals properly balanced or people can get sick. It has been what has stopped me from putting one in at home. I know that we are too lazy to keep up with it which means paying someone else monthly. 🙁

They make these things called salt water generators(aka salt water pools) that make maintaining chlorine levels easy without pucks or liquid chlorine. I only have to add one chemical once a week, about a pint or so of acid to keep the ph around 7.4. It’s easy to maintain a pool even if you use traditional chlorine methods as well. Troublefreepool is a great resource for building and maintaining pools.

Edited March 30, 2023 by wreckem2013

[nimbex1970]

ick factor for me.  I agree with the OP, but I have never gotten into a pool or hot tub aside from my own since growing up. To each their own. Now tell me the poolside showers are contaminated and I am going to barf, I use these to cool off.  Fingers crossed, lol