Most idiotic placement of a children's pool, and pool polici

[Cindy]

I copied and pasted this from my review so I wouldn't have to retype. Fortunately, this was the only thing on our last cruise that seriously annoyed me. We were on The Mercury on Jan 10. Everything else was great, I'd just like to shake the brilliant individual that placed the pool, and the likewise brilliant individual who thought it would be a good idea to drain the pool on sea days. All kiddie pools on every ship we've ever been on have been on the stern, and only drained at night. Counselors are never responsible for kids in the pool, parents HAVE to be there period, so where's the safety issue??????? Read on and you will know WHY Celebrity's hot tubs are full of kids. We travelled with our 2 boys, ages almost 6 and 4, and the stowe away due in May.

My complaint is on the placement and policies regarding the children's pool. I don't in any way blame the wonderful staff, because they like any of us in any job are only following the orders handed down. The children's pool is also extremely adoreable, but placed right outside the fun factory, in full view of the children inside, and only open while the ship is in port. If you plan on taking your children to the beaches, don't expect them to ever play in this nice pool. We skipped the beach in Cozumel and did the pool. We had several little long faces looking at us who couldn't come in the pool since their parents were ashore. I felt sorry for them and the staff having to say no to them. We got kicked out of the children's pool early because there was an activity planned on another deck and the door would have to be locked. Since the fun factory is the only way in/out of the pool, families wanting to spend time with their children there are not even guaranteed to have the whole time in port in the pool. I hope by pointing this out in this review and in the questionaire that somebody with decision making power listens, and changes policy. Safety wise, there is no reason the pool shouldn't be open at sea, given parents HAVE to be there for the children to use the pool, and there's no life guard at any pool, at any time period. Also the 1 foot pool is a lot safer for children to play around than the main pools and hot tubs. When I asked about the pool on the first sea day, I was advised by the children's staff to use the hot tubs with them. Entering the area, there's a sign that children under 16 must be accompanied by and adult in the whirlpools, however right over the hot tubs, there's a sign for "adults only." The last day and finding out I would have only 15 minutes in the children's pool before another outing on a different deck, I caved and took the children in the hot tubs. It was their first time in them and they were in seventh heaven!!! The next time we cruise, I don't know if they will have any interest in the children's pool knowing the joy of hot tubs.

(By the way, they were good in the tubs. No canon balls, splashing etc, but they did laugh at the bubbles tickling them. )

[PapaBill]

I certainly agree with your wanting to get more use out of the childrens pool. What time of year did you cruise and was there a full compliment and staff in the childrens programs. (How many kids were on the ship?) Is it possible that the pool use was restricted as uneconomical because of a very small number of children?
On our Mercury Cruise I never saw a single child use those outside facilities.

[Susan O]

I can understand how frustrating that was. However, let me tell you another side of the story. On the Carnival Pride the children's pool was in a public area of an upper deck and there were unaccompanied adults (i.e. with no children) in the pool ALL the time. My 3-year-old daughter is very shy of adults and would not get in the pool when the adults were sitting in it (which was every time we tried). So she never got to use the kid's pool. I did complain but the staff said there was no rule against adults being in the kids pool and all they could do was ask the people to move to another pool (which they refused to do). Hopefully Carnival will create and enforce a rule allowing only children in the pool.

[Cindy]

We cruised Jan 10 of this year. I did check at the time, and policies are the same year round. This is why you saw no children in the pool on your cruise either. Counselors are allowed to let them play outside on the other facilities, and I certainly hope my kids got more use out of those than the few times we were able to play together there.

Cindy

[LisaK]

hmmm good point, if the kids can't use the adult's only pool, then why should the adult's be able to use the kids pool? sounds like a double standard to me.