And another question (sorry). Babies...pools, what could go wrong?

[amurray88]

Hi all

 

Sorry for another Q. How are MSC for babies being in splash zones/splash areas? P&O were absolutely fine with a 6 month old in pools 😱 couldn't believe it. I know MSC are stricter, just wasn't sure how strict. Thanks!

[showingdiva]

"

 

We have clear and simple rules to ensure pool safety. Babies in nappies are not allowed in the water and children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Swimming caps are optional, but flip-flops should be worn around the pool (and can be purchased in the shops on board).

[amurray88]

I appreciate all responses .. I do, but there's no point in copying and pasting T&C's. I realise they are the T&C's but they're not accurate either, there is a designated splash area for babies so their T&C's and ship designs don't agree.

 

Thank you for your response and time but if anyone has any experience then it would be great 

[Two Wheels Only]

Even in the splash area, diapers/nappies aren't allowed.

 

Very few ships (some Disney, RCCL, for ex.) have designed areas where babies in diapers are allowed.

 

Do people break the rules and jeopardize the health of other guests? Yes.

 

 

[Essiesmom]

They are. It allowed, as posted, even in splash areas.  But you will see toddlers in nappies that are almost hidden by a bathing suit.  EM

[showingdiva]

1 hour ago, amurray88 said:

I appreciate all responses .. I do, but there's no point in copying and pasting T&C's. I realise they are the T&C's but they're not accurate either, there is a designated splash area for babies so their T&C's and ship designs don't agree.

 

Thank you for your response and time but if anyone has any experience then it would be great 

 

Then apologies for wasting both our time.

 

Essentially, if you want to take alcohol on board, swim with your baby in a pool etc, then go for it.    I appear to be looking at these questions from two directions - having cruised out of Southampton on a MSC ship four times in the last three years, and that I work on board cruise ships in my home port including working closely with the rest of the team - security, baggage handlers, ship agents etc.    I would never claim to being always right about anything, but here, I'm also often not wrong.   A decade of experience and training and even more as the child of a captain.

 

Main thing is to enjoy your cruise.   Virtuosa is a lovely ship.   If you can deal with potential consequences, life is too short not to live it.

[amurray88]

12 minutes ago, showingdiva said:

 

Then apologies for wasting both our time.

 

Essentially, if you want to take alcohol on board, swim with your baby in a pool etc, then go for it.    I appear to be looking at these questions from two directions - having cruised out of Southampton on a MSC ship four times in the last three years, and that I work on board cruise ships in my home port including working closely with the rest of the team - security, baggage handlers, ship agents etc.    I would never claim to being always right about anything, but here, I'm also often not wrong.   A decade of experience and training and even more as the child of a captain.

 

Main thing is to enjoy your cruise.   Virtuosa is a lovely ship.   If you can deal with potential consequences, life is too short not to live it.

 

I wasn't trying to be rude all I was saying is:

 

1. The rule is no smoking on balcony's and yet so many people on our last cruise did it.

 

2. The rule is no hogging sun beds with towels.

 

I know the rule regarding nappies in large pool areas but the rules aren't all that clear in terms of the baby aqua park for example which isn't a pool. 

 

I was asking for an experience perspective, who has experienced it and what were the unwritten rules of what was acceptable.

[amurray88]

57 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

Even in the splash area, diapers/nappies aren't allowed.

 

Very few ships (some Disney, RCCL, for ex.) have designed areas where babies in diapers are allowed.

 

Do people break the rules and jeopardize the health of other guests? Yes.

 

 

👌 I have no intention of jeopardising anyone's health. There is also a line between what is strictly written and what is widely accepted. I was just wondering where that line was.

 

On P&O they stipulate dress code and yet let people away with not strictly following it to the letter.

 

On MSC they stipulate only smoking in designated areas and yet did not enforce it.

[Two Wheels Only]

19 minutes ago, amurray88 said:

I have no intention of jeopardising anyone's health.

 

Diapers in a water area where diapers aren't allowed does jeopardize the health of other guests. 

 

20 minutes ago, amurray88 said:

There is also a line between what is strictly written and what is widely accepted.

 

This seems like you are asking about how strongly it is enforced. That can vary from one cruise to the next so it is impossible to predict. 

 

21 minutes ago, amurray88 said:

I was just wondering where that line was.

 

The line is a "no, not allowed" unless specified.

Certain P&O ships do allow in certain areas. MSC does not. 

 

22 minutes ago, amurray88 said:

On P&O they stipulate dress code and yet let people away with not strictly following it to the letter.

 

A dress code isn't usually a health issue. The fecal matter in swim areas is a health issue. 

 

24 minutes ago, amurray88 said:

On MSC they stipulate only smoking in designated areas and yet did not enforce it.

 

If enough people report it (photos help), it has a better chance of being enforced. 

[Até]

I was on a Seaside sailing where several wives/families of top officers were on board.   They would meet at the One Pool deck on port days after most passengers were gone.   They let their toddlers in swim diapers play in the splash area of the pool.

[amurray88]

10 hours ago, Até said:

I was on a Seaside sailing where several wives/families of top officers were on board.   They would meet at the One Pool deck on port days after most passengers were gone.   They let their toddlers in swim diapers play in the splash area of the pool.

 

Thank you - this is kind of what I meant by rules v acceptance. 

If on a website there is a rule of no babies in pools, then you see the captain and crew coming out with their babies and putting them into the pools then it kind of tells you that although it's written on a website, it's next to worthless.

[amurray88]

12 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Diapers in a water area where diapers aren't allowed does jeopardize the health of other guests. 

 

 

This seems like you are asking about how strongly it is enforced. That can vary from one cruise to the next so it is impossible to predict. 

 

 

The line is a "no, not allowed" unless specified.

Certain P&O ships do allow in certain areas. MSC does not. 

 

 

A dress code isn't usually a health issue. The fecal matter in swim areas is a health issue. 

 

 

If enough people report it (photos help), it has a better chance of being enforced. 

I think we'll need to agree to disagree on this one 👍.

I was asking how rules are enforced - at the end of the day, if there is a rule and it's not enforced at all then it's not worth the paper it's written on surely? If the speed limit is 30mph and for a minute you go 31mph it doesn't mean all of a sudden that you're an awful rule breaker. You just know that within reason what you've done, although not within the rules, is accepted.

[rikitikitavii]

14 hours ago, amurray88 said:

I appreciate all responses .. I do, but there's no point in copying and pasting T&C's. I realise they are the T&C's but they're not accurate either, there is a designated splash area for babies so their T&C's and ship designs don't agree.

 

Thank you for your response and time but if anyone has any experience then it would be great 

Just remember, if there is an “accident”, it ruins everyone’s vacation until the pool can be reopened!

[Two Wheels Only]

26 minutes ago, amurray88 said:

I was asking how rules are enforced - at the end of the day, if there is a rule and it's not enforced at all then it's not worth the paper it's written on surely

 

Keep that same energy when someone puts their bare hands on food in the buffet then puts the food back.

 

If the health of guests is less important than putting a diapered child in a pool where diapers are prohibited, go for it. 🙄

[amurray88]

10 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Keep that same energy when someone puts their bare hands on food in the buffet then puts the food back.

 

If the health of guests is less important than putting a diapered child in a pool where diapers are prohibited, go for it. 🙄

I think you have me down as some sort of bad cruiser. I've been on 15-20 cruises and never had an issue. My question was relating to if what is said on the website is played out on reality. 👌

[Homosassa]

There is a difference between recommendations (ie.,; dress codes)) and rules put in place to protect the health and welfare of everyone on board.

 

The restriction of no diapers  in the children's area  will vary from ship to ship based on the design of the baby area. Some pools are specifically designed to control the contamination of a leaky diaper; most are not.

 

The decision of whether to follow the rule that is in place to protect everyone or not follow it is a personal one and reflects upon one's personal viewpoint of their  place in the universe...

[capriccio]

1 hour ago, amurray88 said:

 My question was relating to if what is said on the website is played out on reality. 👌

 

Reality on one cruise on one ship at a specific time is just a single data point. We know enforcement can vary from ship to ship depending upon the current management.  But if it is in the T&Cs and is violated and you get called on it you don't have a leg to stand on.

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, amurray88 said:

I think you have me down as some sort of bad cruiser.

 

I've made no such claim. 

 

1 hour ago, amurray88 said:

I've been on 15-20 cruises and never had an issue.

 

Your post was related to a health and safety issue. If a cruise ship is inspected and gets a poor grade (like Seaside did), I wouldn't expect MSC's response to be "...well, ...nobody has gotten sick in the past 15-20 cruises...". I'd expect MSC's response to be to correct the issue ASAP. 

 

It's one thing to not know the rule (many don't).

It's one thing to not know why the rule is in place (many don't).

It's a completely different thing to know the rule, know why the rule is in place, know the potential health risk of breaking the rule and figuring "...well...nobody has gotten sick in the past 15-20 cruises...so I'll do it anyway..."

 

1 hour ago, rikitikitavii said:

Just remember, if there is an “accident”, it ruins everyone’s vacation until the pool can be reopened!

 

Not only that, the pool cannot be reopened while the ship is in port. The ship would need to be something like 12 miles out before new water from the ocean can be added, inspected, etc. 

 

1 hour ago, amurray88 said:

My question was relating to if what is said on the website is played out on reality.

 

The reality is that people shouldn't do it. 

What you seem to be asking is that if someone does it, are they likely to get away with it. 

To that question, the answer depends on who is working that day, how many guests complain, etc. 

 

With a great amount of certainty, if there is an "accident" and the pool is closed for an extended period of time, none of the cruisers who were inconvenienced will think that it's "no big deal". None of the cruisers who get sick from fecal bacteria will think that it's "no big deal". 

 

It is impossible to have a germ-free, virus-free, bacteria-free cruise. However, that doesn't give guests a free pass to break rules that are in place for the safety of guests. 

Edited April 26 by Two Wheels Only

[Homosassa]

Karma can be wanton (paraphrased to meet board guidelines).

 

One can put one's little one who is completely potty trained in the water and have a problem when there are others that are breaking the rule with swim diapers or whose parent is especially slick and just skipped the diaper completely.

 

A little one with diarrhea (and maybe fever and vomiting) as a result of swallowing contaminated water will certainly add to the pleasure of the cruise. 

Edited April 26 by Homosassa

[amurray88]

Cool, thanks for all your replies 😅 unreal

[MsTabbyKats]

5 minutes ago, amurray88 said:

Cool, thanks for all your replies 😅 unreal

You're asking people on a forum to condone your decision to break a rule, which could effect 4000 other people.

If you don't want to hear the answers, then don't ask the question.

 

 

[Homosassa]

10 minutes ago, amurray88 said:

Cool, thanks for all your replies 😅 unreal

Our responses are very real and, thanks to the explanations you have received, ignorance can no longer be an excuse. 

 

May whatever the appropriate consequences of any decisions that are made occur, whether they are apparent or not.

 

 

Edited April 26 by Homosassa

[amurray88]

1 minute ago, MsTabbyKats said:

You're asking people on a forum to condone your decision to break a rule, which could effect 4000 other people.

If you don't want to hear the answers, then don't ask the question.

 

 

Ok. 

I've not made any decision.

Also incredible how other people view rules - whilst they themselves break rules in life. 

 

I was asking a question - that. was. all.

[Homosassa]

1 minute ago, amurray88 said:

 

Also incredible how other people view rules - whilst they themselves break rules in life. 

This is an assumption and perhaps a reflection of a personal philosophy.

 

There is another well know cliche about what happens when one assumes....

[amurray88]

Just now, Homosassa said:

This is an assumption and perhaps a reflection of a personal philosophy.

 

There is another well know cliche about what happens when one assumes....

😅 I'm reasonably certain that my point stands - you can call it an assumption, but it is true.