Life jacket for Epic slides?

[Jenner9]

Can kids wear life jackets on the water slides on Epic? What about the pools? I am assuming I can bring one on shore excursions, correct? My son will be 7 when we sail but he is still learning how to swim!

[cantw8togo]

I could be wrong, but I don't think life jackets are allowed on the slides as it could be entrapment issue, but the water at the bottom isn't very deep, maybe 12" to 18" deep. When we went, more than one person was allowed to go at once, so you would be able to go with him.

 

I think you are allowed to use your own personal life jacket in a pool or on a shore excursion, but I don't think you are allowed to use the ship's life jackets. They have special features such as lights that come on when exposed to water.

[angelndscz]

Since you are not sailing until Dec-12, why don't you enroll him into a kids swim class? Honestly, my kids would never have wanted to wear a life jacket at age 7. We put them in swim class when they were 4 and 5 years old. It was just a basic survival swim class that taught them how to jump in and swim to the wall, float on stomach and back, with rolling on their backs for air, etc. It made them very comfortable in the water and the rest they learned on their own.

[cb at sea]

Another option for learning to swim....a swim team! My daughter did NOT know how to swim, but wanted to "be on the team" like her big brother.....the coach said if she could make it across the pool on her own, she could join.....scared me to death! But, in she jumped and she struggled/dog-paddled all the way across (drank 1/2 the pool, too!!!)...but they said she could be on the team. Within 2 weeks, the kid was a fish!

Sometimes, just doing it is better than lessons!

[mjkacmom]

Another option for learning to swim....a swim team! My daughter did NOT know how to swim, but wanted to "be on the team" like her big brother.....the coach said if she could make it across the pool on her own, she could join.....scared me to death! But, in she jumped and she struggled/dog-paddled all the way across (drank 1/2 the pool, too!!!)...but they said she could be on the team. Within 2 weeks, the kid was a fish!

Sometimes, just doing it is better than lessons!

 

All of mine got year-round swim lessons starting at 3, but some took to it better than others. One was still struggling at 4 1/2, so she joined our pool club's swim team. I remember her first meet, when she had an instructor walk beside her the whole lap, but she made it (and then found out she jumped in too early, and had to do it over!). By the end of the summer, she was a fish.

[Warmer Climes]

Another option for learning to swim....a swim team! My daughter did NOT know how to swim, but wanted to "be on the team" like her big brother.....the coach said if she could make it across the pool on her own, she could join.....scared me to death! But, in she jumped and she struggled/dog-paddled all the way across (drank 1/2 the pool, too!!!)...but they said she could be on the team. Within 2 weeks, the kid was a fish!

Sometimes, just doing it is better than lessons!

I agree 100%! I started my daughter on a swim team when she was seven because the swimming lessons weren't getting anywhere. Soon not only could she swim but had all her strokes and was swimming meets- and this was after four years of lessons that didn't help her much. She swam on the team for three years and had a lot of fun and now she is an excellent and safe swimmer.

 

Barb

[Jenner9]

Since you are not sailing until Dec-12, why don't you enroll him into a kids swim class? Honestly, my kids would never have wanted to wear a life jacket at age 7. We put them in swim class when they were 4 and 5 years old. It was just a basic survival swim class that taught them how to jump in and swim to the wall, float on stomach and back, with rolling on their backs for air, etc. It made them very comfortable in the water and the rest they learned on their own.

 

He is in swimming lessons and has been since he has been 5 years old. He is currently a Guppy! At his very first swimming lesson he wouldn't even get in the water but now he loves it!! I think I was asking more for my own piece of mind thinking if he is in his life jacket he would be safe!! He will be 7 on the cruise but he is VERY small for his age. He is only 46lbs and 43 inches tall!! I'm sure he will be fine without one on the slides and pools...but what about swimming in the ocean?

[crusinmama06]

I happen to have a picture of the sign from the Norwegian Twister slide - its the yellow slide that is on the ships. I just looked at video of Epic and the three slides on it - none of them empty into a pool - so there would be absolutely no need for him to wear a life vest for the slides. Now the OCEAN - yes, I had my girls wear one until they were confident swimmers and I still don't really allow them out of my reach.

 

[Jenner9]

Thanks!!!

[mitsugirly]

I did not have my little one with us when we were on the Epic, however, she's been with us on the Spirit and the Pearl. Both of those she wore her life jacket (actually it's a puddle jumper) and they didn't have a problem with her having it on when she went down any of the slides. (She was 3 on both of the cruises).

[kj55]

On the Epic it is one at a time down the waterslides. You cannot wear life jackets but I saw one little one wearing a bathing suit that had the floaties in it and that was fine. My son is 4 and cannot swim totally alone. The waterslides are not an issue there is water only at the end that is deep as long as your son can sit or stand up unaided at the end they will be fine without floation devices.