Closing pools for "accidents"

[starvenger]

Number 2.

Hmm...I guess there might have been a better way to phrase that.

Perhaps, but there isn't a more perfect way to phrase it. Hilarious!

We have been on 6 cruises with DCL and I am pretty sure the kiddie pool was closed at least once on every cruise except for our first that was only a 3 day. It has been closed for blood, vomit, and stool on various occasions. Lucky us.

I think on my one DCL cruise at least one of the pools got shut down for a period every non-rain day.

 

[minniemouse1]

On mine it was a drain, clean, and refill kind of shutdown with the workers in the white suits doing the job and sometimes the life guards were pretty open with info letting you know what had happened. I have seen the goofy pool closed with just the ropes and no cleaning happening so maybe that is for a life guard "break" or something or a blast of chemicals.

 

[bumbershoot]

How do the DCL staff know if a person pees in the pool? Is there some chemical that makes the water turn color when it gets pee in it

As others have said, that’s not a thing.

Or do they close it if someone poops in it?

Yep. Or, as has been mentioned, if someone bleeds or barfs.

We’re at the YMCA a lot and they constantly have to close one pool or the other because humans don’t always stay home when sick, or hit the face on the side, etc. just a part of having a public pool.

 

[DisneyPiPhi]

On our December cruise from Galveston, each pool closed at least once per day for various cleaning issues. I chatted with a couple lifeguards about it (in a way that made it clear that I was NOT upset with them but merely curious about why it kept happening.) They said that on most days, the closures were actually due to kids vomiting in the pool. One lifeguard specifically said that unlimited poolside pizza and ice cream were probably the contributing factors.

That said, on our first sea day, I witnessed a mom putting a swim diaper on her child in one of the restrooms, and instructing him not to tell anyone he had it on or he wouldn't be allowed to swim anymore.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

They don't care about pee. Blood, vomit, poop...those will close pools.

I don't think I've been on any DCL cruise where there wasn't at least one closure of the kiddie pool for cleaning.

 

[Dug720]

They don't care about pee. Blood, vomit, poop...those will close pools.

I don't think I've been on any DCL cruise where there wasn't at least one closure of the kiddie pool for cleaning.

Yep. And in a lot of the cases the use of quotation marks around accidents is correct. Because parents are putting kids in who they KNOW are not trained and just hoping for the best.

 

[Catvondita]

Don't read this if you want to keep that innocence...


Ok, you were warned. It's very simple: if there is a child in a pool then there is pee in that pool. If there is an adult in a pool then there is probably still a little bit of pee in the pool. The thing is, urine is sterile when it first exits the body. And in a properly sanitized pool it reacts almost instantly with the chlorine or bromine to break down in to benign salts. So people who run the pools just track the chemical levels as required, and they recognize situations where they sometimes should check a bit more often

Oh, and the concept of a chemical that turns color when someone pees in the pool is a myth. I guess years of being told that by lifeguards and camp counselors has worked wonders, a lot of adults still think such a thing exists. I bet someone reading this is even convinced they saw it demonstrated (spoiler: it was leak detection dye in his swim trunks). But as I pointed out, a bit of urine in a properly managed pool is not a problem so ignorance is bliss.

As far as #2: just know there is a very tiny amount of fecal matter in every pool that has a person in it up to their waist, but again the chlorine makes short work of the nasties in it. Really a "code brown" is more for the mental health of people, showing that something is being done about it, than for physical health.

Annnnnnd now I'm never going in any pool ever again. Thanks for destroying my innocence! Lol. I don't k now why I ever assumed adult pools were in the clear. Ahhh to be naive

 

[kenthanson]

One our trip on the fantasy they closed for blood one time and got everyone out of the pool to clean it out, turns out it was just some chips that got into the pool and not stoll.

We also witnessed a lifeguard have to duvr into the bugger pool to help a girl who was having difficulties catching her breathe.

 

[Dug720]

Annnnnnd now I'm never going in any pool ever again. Thanks for destroying my innocence! Lol. I don't k now why I ever assumed adult pools were in the clear. Ahhh to be naive

You have clearly never seen the people swimming to the bar (Dream Class you can - or at least stay in the pool) and drinking and never getting out.

You don’t even want to think about hot tubs...

 

[Catvondita]

You have clearly never seen the people swimming to the bar (Dream Class you can - or at least stay in the pool) and drinking and never getting out.

You don’t even want to think about hot tubs...

Ahhhhhhh. You are killing me! I am deceased.

I've been to the Dream swim up bar but got my drink and went over to the hot tub. Whoops! lol. Maybe next time I'll just treat the bathtub as a pool

 

[dcassetta]

Are you saying we should be concerned about this in the pool also?

 

[pezgirlroy]

You have clearly never seen the people swimming to the bar (Dream Class you can - or at least stay in the pool) and drinking and never getting out.

You don’t even want to think about hot tubs...

Yes I remember going to an all inclusive in Mexico once where there was a swim up bar. I saw a group of guys that were in that pool at that bar the entire day. I chose to not go in that pool that day.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Are you saying we should be concerned about this in the pool also?

Yes!

Although, truly, I just keep thinking of that one scene in Caddyshack through this whole discussion.

 

[Starwind]

FWIW, the CDC has an information sheet about dealing with fecal incidents in pools: https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/pdf/fecal-incident-response-guidelines.pdf

Among other things, it notes: "Hot tubs/spas, and some water playgrounds, can have much smaller amounts of
water. In response to formed or diarrheal fecal incidents in small-volume venues,
it might be more efficient to completely drain as much water as possible from the
venue and associated plumbing; scrub and clean all accessible surfaces in contact with
contaminated water ; replace or clean filter media when appropriate, and refill with
uncontaminated water from an approved source (for example, municipal water system)."

 

[mousefan73]

When we were boating we’d jump in the lake to pee. Holding the beer can in hand while relieving oursleves. Totally natural. You have fish pooping/ dying in the water. Sterile urine won’t hurt anyone

 

[sweetpee_1993]

When we were boating we’d jump in the lake to pee. Holding the beer can in hand while relieving oursleves. Totally natural. You have fish pooping/ dying in the water. Sterile urine won’t hurt anyone

LOL! Found my people! Hubby hates drinking water. He used to say, “Do you know what fish are doing in water??”

 

[st0nehedge]

Pee is (as close as it'll be to) sterile IN your bladder, not outside of it... contrary to popular belief

 

[_auroraborealis_]

When we were boating we’d jump in the lake to pee. Holding the beer can in hand while relieving oursleves. Totally natural. You have fish pooping/ dying in the water. Sterile urine won’t hurt anyone

Moana says: FISH PEE IN YOU!

 

[st0nehedge]

Moana says: FISH PEE IN YOU!

ALL Day!!!!

 

[cariann77]

On our cruise, the main pools were closed more than they were open. I felt so bad for the pool guys. It seems like so much work and then they have to turn around and do it all over again.