Swim diapers in Carnival pools/splash zone

[jimbug]

I start this post with trepidation, knowing that I will likely get flamed...but please hear me out before you start pointing fingers... :D

 

I cloth diapered my daughter for the first year of her life. After that, well, we know what toddler doo-doo is like, so we went back to disposables. The only cloth that remains in our stash is her Bummis Swimmis swim diapers. They contain a mess like no other...they are impenetrable (the modern equivalent of rubber pants), so no poo and/or icky particles can escape into the pool water. They are allowed at my local health club pool and YMCA...in fact, they are required for non toilet-trained children. No disposable swim diapers allowed.

 

I completely, no, COMPLETELY understand why Carnival bans disposable swim diapers in their pools. They are gross, they don't contain the mess, and they allow particles to flow freely in/out of the diaper. (Ewwww.) If I keep my 2-year-old in her cloth swimmi under her suit, will they notice or enforce it? Yes, I realize this is a blatant "violation" of the rule. But in this case, the rule is to protect the health and sanitation of the pools (as much as possible--they're still pretty ick). The cloth swim diaper will keep everything contained and preserve the sanctity of the pool, if you will.

 

I guess what I'm asking is how strict are they on swim diaper patrol? Do they stop and question? Do they leave it alone as long as it's not blatantly obvious? The cloth swimmis are thin and fit close to the body, like underwear, so it would not be noticeable unless you knew what to look for.

 

Thank you! (putting on flame proof suit!)

[cb at sea]

You're wrong...the "mess" may be contained, but any bacteria in the fecal matter will flow through the diaper and the "mess" and into the pool. The "swimmie" is just like a tea-bag....the particles may stay in, but the "essence" doesn't. Ewww is right!

 

Ship pools are small and are not equipped with the filtration and chemicals that land-based pools have. Therefore, putting a non-potty trained child (or adult!) in a ship's pool can truly cause illness in some people. Don't do it.

 

You can bring a small blow-up tub for your child to "splash" in....fill with a bucket and empty into a floor or shower drain. Your child can swim at the beach, if you do that on your shore days.

[jimbug]

You're wrong...the "mess" may be contained, but any bacteria in the fecal matter will flow through the diaper and the "mess" and into the pool. The "swimmie" is just like a tea-bag....the particles may stay in, but the "essence" doesn't. Ewww is right!

 

Ship pools are small and are not equipped with the filtration and chemicals that land-based pools have. Therefore, putting a non-potty trained child (or adult!) in a ship's pool can truly cause illness in some people. Don't do it.

 

You can bring a small blow-up tub for your child to "splash" in....fill with a bucket and empty into a floor or shower drain. Your child can swim at the beach, if you do that on your shore days.

 

Have you seen a Bummis Swimmi? I ask that in all honesty, because they are not like a tea bag at all. A disposable swim diaper would be like a tea bag. A Swimmi is made of a non-penetrable, non-porous material. Much like rubber, just thinner. Bacteria and fecal matter particles do not flow freely.

[MrShake]

We cloth diaper and know exactly what your talking about... but to describe them as non-penetrable would be wrong.

 

Your right, they do contain much better than a disposable, but they are not water-tight. Water will not pass through the fabric, but it will pass through the waist and leg holes of the diaper.

If you've ever taken off the swimmi after swimming and had any water in the diaper (which you would have), then you've seen the evidence of liquid and waste being able to get out.

 

And a swimmi or any diaper cover/system would be quite apparent under a swim suit. I would not recommend trying to skirt the rules, you still stand the chance of closing down the pool for everyone else.

[mjkacmom]

No swim diaper is perfect - heck, no regular diaper is! Looking at reviews, some folks did experience poop leaks. There were no disposable swimmers when my oldest was little - reusable swim diapers work better than disposable, but they can leak. And it's not pretty.

[carygirl]

It seems like the current policy pushes newly potty trained kids to go diaper-less, just so they can go in the pool. I'd really like to see the ships just upgrade their facility so it can handle kids / swim diapers. But in lieu of not having that...

 

Two questions for the group:

1. How (if at all) is the swim diaper policy enforced on ships?

2. Do many people blatantly put the kids in swim diapers in the pool anyways?

[kandjrolls2]

Because of posts like this, I will not step foot in the family pool on my next disney cruise! My daughter IS potty trained but I don't want to swim with kids who parents think of only themselves. Seriously, nothing is completly water tight. Nothing. I cd for 18 months. My daughter was completely potty trained at 2. I waited until she was potty trained to take a cruise. There are thousands of people who can get sick.

[JLC@SD]

....these things are not watertight......:rolleyes:

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=pd_sl_5lrr56eqyo_b?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Abummis+swim+diapers&keywords=bummis+swim+diapers&ie=UTF8&psrk=Bummis+Swimmis+swim+diapers

[jimbug]

It seems like the current policy pushes newly potty trained kids to go diaper-less, just so they can go in the pool. I'd really like to see the ships just upgrade their facility so it can handle kids / swim diapers. But in lieu of not having that...

 

Two questions for the group:

1. How (if at all) is the swim diaper policy enforced on ships?

2. Do many people blatantly put the kids in swim diapers in the pool anyways?

 

I agree with this - I would bet there are far more parents just putting their kids in the pools diaper-less, as opposed to trying to do the responsible thing* and using diapers that actually contain fecal matter. Honestly...if my local swim club, wellness center, and YMCA all require these types of diapers (NOT the disposables), they are reasonably safe. They are water-tight, whoever said they weren't. They do not absorb urine, because there is no absorbent material...but as long as the leg gussets and waistband are fitted properly (and ours are, and have been put to the test many times), there will not be any poo particles floating in the pool. My kid's are fitted so well that when she does pee in them, there is a "bubble" of pee in the diaper because nothing leaks out. Gross, but true. And don't tell me there's not pee in any public pool, because you know there is.

 

* I realize that the MOST responsible thing is not to take my child in the pool/splash zone at all. But honestly? I have a 22-month-old who has never blown through a swimmi before. Not even close. She's gonna get some splash zone time unless a Carnival employee enforces the rule and tells us otherwise. And NO, we will not be contaminating the splash zone for the rest of you.

[carygirl]

Exactly, at the YMCA kids can go into the pool with swim diapers and a waterproof cover. If the YMCA pool can do it and make it safe, why can't these multi-million dollar mega-ships?

 

To answer the OP. I think the rule is probably enforced if other parents complain. From the thread here, I imagine some would if the diaper is noticeable. According to RC website the Baby Splash Zone is okay for swim diapers http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&pnav=5&pnav=2&faqSubjectName=Onboard+Policies&faqId=3100&faqSubjectId=333&faqType=faq.

[gerif]

I agree with this - I would bet there are far more parents just putting their kids in the pools diaper-less, as opposed to trying to do the responsible thing* and using diapers that actually contain fecal matter. Honestly...if my local swim club, wellness center, and YMCA all require these types of diapers (NOT the disposables), they are reasonably safe. They are water-tight, whoever said they weren't. They do not absorb urine, because there is no absorbent material...but as long as the leg gussets and waistband are fitted properly (and ours are, and have been put to the test many times), there will not be any poo particles floating in the pool. My kid's are fitted so well that when she does pee in them, there is a "bubble" of pee in the diaper because nothing leaks out. Gross, but true. And don't tell me there's not pee in any public pool, because you know there is.

 

* I realize that the MOST responsible thing is not to take my child in the pool/splash zone at all. But honestly? I have a 22-month-old who has never blown through a swimmi before. Not even close. She's gonna get some splash zone time unless a Carnival employee enforces the rule and tells us otherwise. And NO, we will not be contaminating the splash zone for the rest of you.

 

You just don't get it, do you? The rules (set by the CDC) are there for a reason. Those swim diapers may very well contain particles but they do NOT contain ecoli bacteria which can sicken a healthy adult or kill a small child or an adult with immune system issues. Public pools are super chlorinated to avoid this issue (and they don't always as there have been reports of deaths at land-based water parks from ecoli) but the pool water used on ships simply cannot be since they dump it back into the ocean.

 

I would consider it extremely selfish and irresponsible for you to insist on putting your child into the pool knowing this. If it was that important to you, you could have booked on a ship that has a splash zone for the diapered set. You chose not to - so live with it. Will it be enforced, don't really know but I would hope so. You can bet that if I saw it, I would be all over security and insist that the rules be adhered to. They are there for safety reasons not just to inconvenience the "me" generation.

[sailinglisa]

I agree with this - I would bet there are far more parents just putting their kids in the pools diaper-less, as opposed to trying to do the responsible thing* and using diapers that actually contain fecal matter. Honestly...if my local swim club, wellness center, and YMCA all require these types of diapers (NOT the disposables), they are reasonably safe. They are water-tight, whoever said they weren't. They do not absorb urine, because there is no absorbent material...but as long as the leg gussets and waistband are fitted properly (and ours are, and have been put to the test many times), there will not be any poo particles floating in the pool. My kid's are fitted so well that when she does pee in them, there is a "bubble" of pee in the diaper because nothing leaks out. Gross, but true. And don't tell me there's not pee in any public pool, because you know there is.

 

* I realize that the MOST responsible thing is not to take my child in the pool/splash zone at all. But honestly? I have a 22-month-old who has never blown through a swimmi before. Not even close. She's gonna get some splash zone time unless a Carnival employee enforces the rule and tells us otherwise. And NO, we will not be contaminating the splash zone for the rest of you.

 

And you are missing the point that the pools/water zones on cruise ships ARE NOT CHLORINATED TO THE SAME STANDARDS AS LAND BASED POOLS! And my cousin used those bummis swimmies and they were properly fitted for her little boy, and guess what? They didn't work nearly as well as advertised.

[mjkacmom]

Exactly, at the YMCA kids can go into the pool with swim diapers and a waterproof cover. If the YMCA pool can do it and make it safe, why can't these multi-million dollar mega-ships?

quote]

 

When my kids were little, the YMCA allowed disposable swim diapers (and yes, they did have to close the pool sometimes). Does that mean that disposable swim diapers contained all poop? We know this isn't true.

 

We belonged to a swim club, and no swim diapers were allowed in the big pool - just the baby (ie piss) pool. It really stunk when I had potty trained kids, and non-potty trained kids. But I followed the rules.

[nwbearcat2011]

Carnival employees do not strictly enforce the policy. Most likely they will not say anything.

 

We cruised with our daughter in 2010 on Carnival. She was 19 months old. We made sure that she had had her "dirty" diaper before going to the Splash Zone area. We also made sure that she had a "wet" diaper. We put her in a swim diaper and asked her often if she had to pee (we were at the beginning of potty training before cruising). Because she was so young she was only in up to her knees anyway and we only stayed about thirty minutes at a time with her. We would go back to our room and change. We never had an issue with her in the Splash Zone.

 

I might add, I would never have put her in the large pools. And for those of you complaining about what a toddler might do to the pool, think about the kids in the pool who are irresponsible about where they pee.

[jimbug]

Carnival employees do not strictly enforce the policy. Most likely they will not say anything.

 

We cruised with our daughter in 2010 on Carnival. She was 19 months old. We made sure that she had had her "dirty" diaper before going to the Splash Zone area. We also made sure that she had a "wet" diaper. We put her in a swim diaper and asked her often if she had to pee (we were at the beginning of potty training before cruising). Because she was so young she was only in up to her knees anyway and we only stayed about thirty minutes at a time with her. We would go back to our room and change. We never had an issue with her in the Splash Zone.

 

I might add, I would never have put her in the large pools. And for those of you complaining about what a toddler might do to the pool, think about the kids in the pool who are irresponsible about where they pee.

 

I probably should have been more clear yesterday, and I apologize for inciting a near-riot with my attitude. I was/am frustrated with the fact that Carnival caters these brand-new ships to young kids, welcomes them aboard, and then doesn't allow them to swim.

 

NWbearcat, I think this is a great idea. Our daughter is also in the beginning stages of potty training, and she is quite, err, regular. I will plan on not taking her until she's gone for the day to reduce the chances of it happening. Also, I would not plan on taking her into one of the deep pools, because well, they are always crowded with adults anyway. Splash zone it is.

[cello56]

OP I must say that rarely have I read such a self centered post. YOU want YOUR non-potty trained child to be able to swim and the h@ll with the rest of us who want to stay healthy. You really don't get it do you? Rules are there for everyone to follow. Adults are expected to read the rules and follow them even when the 'swimmie police' are not present. What kind of example are you setting for your children when you flagrantly ignore the rules that you do not like? Setting an example starts from the very beginning. This is a very sad example of the 'me generation' and their attitude to parenting.

[reallyitsmema]

Exactly, at the YMCA kids can go into the pool with swim diapers and a waterproof cover. If the YMCA pool can do it and make it safe, why can't these multi-million dollar mega-ships?

 

To answer the OP. I think the rule is probably enforced if other parents complain. From the thread here, I imagine some would if the diaper is noticeable. According to RC website the Baby Splash Zone is okay for swim diapers http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&pnav=5&pnav=2&faqSubjectName=Onboard+Policies&faqId=3100&faqSubjectId=333&faqType=faq.

The YMCA pools "make it safe" by shocking the living daylights out of the water and closing down the pools almost daily because of an "accident". Why do you think the serious lap swimmers swim at 5:30am? The pools are the cleanest then.

 

My son was a lifeguard at our local YMCA for many years and it is not the people here asking questions about pool safety that you have to worry about. The stories he would come home with were incredible. Little Mary had to come to swim class today so she can move up to the next level with her BFF. Who cares if she has been home with a 103 degree fever for the last 3 days, these girls can not be split up!:rolleyes: The Y will reschedule a test if your child is sick, just ask. He had to close down both pools during family swim because a child with a stomach flu had an accident in one pool and another in the other pool 15 minutes later.

 

Depending on the type of accident, the pool will be closed for an hour or up to four hours. If it is within a few hours of closing, they will close it down so they can really shock the water. Luckily, the teenage pool staff is not allowed in the chemical room. They are allowed to test though but are checked by management.

 

Moral of the story, if the pool has been closed for a few hours, go to the park. Don't be the first to jump in once it reopens, your kids don't need to be exposed to heavy chemical levels.

[6rugrats]

OP I must say that rarely have I read such a self centered post. YOU want YOUR non-potty trained child to be able to swim and the h@ll with the rest of us who want to stay healthy. You really don't get it do you? Rules are there for everyone to follow. Adults are expected to read the rules and follow them even when the 'swimmie police' are not present. What kind of example are you setting for your children when you flagrantly ignore the rules that you do not like? Setting an example starts from the very beginning. This is a very sad example of the 'me generation' and their attitude to parenting.

I agree. This swim diaper may hold in most solid waste, but it cannot keep bacteria from passing through the fabric. They are not watertight, as already pointed out.

 

OP accept that fact that until your child is totally potty trained, they need to stay out of the pool. Be thoughtful to others. Do you really want to be responsible for others having their vacation ruined because they became sick, just so your daughter could use the pool? This is the reason I never swim in any public pool. Yuck.

[jimbug]

This is the last I'll say on the subject...

 

If I thought there was a chance that my kid would contaminate the pool for anyone, we wouldn't even go near it. However, by taking a wide range of precautions, including: limiting her to short periods of time in the splash zone (not the actual pools); waiting until after she's "gone" for the day; and using a waterproof, leak-tight swim diaper, we are essentially guaranteeing safe swimming for all.

 

Don't worry about me - worry about the parents who take their kids completely diaperless or the older kids who pee/poop in the pools anyway because they are having too much fun to get out, or have an upset tummy from all those ice cream cones and rich food they've been eating.

 

For those who question my parenting, then I'm sorry that you have nothing better to do besides make assumptions. I realize that some of my comments yesterday may have come across as entitled and frustrated, and for that, I apologize. However, I consider myself an educated, involved parent, and I would not hesitate to put my child in a ship splash area or pool full of other kids her age with parents taking the same precautions. Like I said, it's the ones NOT taking precautions that I am concerned about.

 

One more edit to say that once again, the diaper we are using ARE waterproof/watertight. We've inspected and used them multiple times, and this is what they are designed to do--hold in the bacteria and ick. There are some cloth swim diapers that are not made like this.

[6rugrats]

.

 

One more edit to say that once again, the diaper we are using ARE waterproof/watertight. We've inspected and used them multiple times, and this is what they are designed to do--hold in the bacteria and ick.

No. There is no way you can see bacteria passing through the fabric using your eyes.

 

Most bacteria range from .5 microns to 5 microns in size. Average size of woven fabric is 10 microns; twice the size of the largest bacteria.

 

Besides leaking through the fabric, bacteria will egress through the leg holes and the waist.

[mjkacmom]

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Does not contain #2, June 10, 2011

By

M.C-S. (Okinawa, Japan) - See all my reviews

 

 

 

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Bummis Swimmi Cloth Diapers, Pizzazz, Medium (15-22 lbs) (Baby Product)

So we had high hopes for this swim diaper. Our son is 18.5lbs and wears a M. Unfortunately, the M does not fit too well, it gets all saggy and the other day we had an accident in the wading pool and voila EVERYTHING came out of the diaper. It did not contain anything. If you are looking for something to have more elastic around the legs and something that fits snug try Finis swim diaper or iPlay. Supposedly those work better...this one did not cut it for us. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Would not spend the money on this item., May 13, 2011

By

amanda - See all my reviews

 

 

 

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Bummis Swimmi Cloth Diapers, Turtles, Large (22-30 lbs) (Baby Product)

This product leaks from the leg openings and out the top and is not effective at all. It will NOT hold pee or poop. My son is average build and 27 lbs, so the large diaper fit great appearance wise. I am a cloth diapering parent and have used my pocket diapers minus the inserts for swimming and never had any problems. I have also used disposable swim diapers without any problems. Our community pool director finnally was open to re-usable swim diapers (as long as they were maketed as such), but after 2 poop explosions on the pool deck, I am sure that Bummis Swimmi cloth diapers have ruined it for all. I will be writing to request my money back. If you are looking for a swim diaper - DO NOT BUY THIS ONE! Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

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[nwbearcat2011]

I am just going to say this to those of you who "don't get it"...

 

Have you ever been a parent of a small child on a cruise ship? If you are responding so negatively, most likely not. Take a toddler to the pool and tell them they can't get in because they might poop in the pool. The OP is trying to do her best to make sure that her child has fun and does not contaminate the already contaminated pool. Lay off her! Let her go on her vacation and have a good time with her family. You all are acting like it is a sin to want to let a toddler up to their knees in the pool.

 

And to those of you who think that our "generation" is full of self-centered bad parents... get over it. Our "generation" was raised by you or your kids, so why don't you think about that for a little bit. Just because there are some self centered people does not mean that all of us are.

I am a mother of three at 26 years old. I have two jobs and am a master's student who gets A's. My husband also works full time. My CHILDREN are my life. I have not social life, we spend our money on bills and our kids. Our next cruise will be the first time in two years that my husband and I have gone anywhere without our kids. I know many people who are in similar situations as parents. How does wanting to make sure our children enjoy vacations and have fun make us self-centered or bad parents? (Please go debate that in another thread because I think the OP has had enough of your comments.)

 

If I have offended you, I am sorry. I understand that you are all concerned about your health and safety in the pool, but there are older kids everywhere that pee and poop in the pools. Just because you are on a ship does not mean they will not do the same thing.

 

I will now step off my soap box.

 

Everyone, please just go enjoy your vacations and have a good time.

[BeagleOne]

we are essentially guaranteeing safe swimming for all.

 

...the diaper we are using ARE waterproof/watertight. We've inspected and used them multiple times, and this is what they are designed to do--hold in the bacteria and ick.

 

No, you're not, and no, they're not. Do you seriously think that bacteria and microscopic fecal particles can't get out of those swim diapers? Do you seriously think a ship's pool is equivalent to a highly-chlorinated hotel or community pool? Seriously?

[Kerry's Girls]

Have you ever been a parent of a small child on a cruise ship? If you are responding so negatively, most likely not. Take a toddler to the pool and tell them they can't get in because they might poop in the pool. The OP is trying to do her best to make sure that her child has fun and does not contaminate the already contaminated pool. Lay off her! Let her go on her vacation and have a good time with her family. You all are acting like it is a sin to want to let a toddler up to their knees in the pool.

 

 

Um, yes - my twins were on many cruises before they were allowed in the pool/water areas. The hardest part is telling them "no" when there are others breaking the rules, but I do. It turns out that as a parent, there are a lot of things my kids want to do and I have to tell them they can't. They also want to go dance in the middle of the dance floor and play on those neat machines in the casino (we call it "grown up Chuck E Cheese"). We follow the rules. Even the rules we don't like. No swim diaper can contain bacteria. Period. I can't believe anyone thinks it's worth the slim chance that they could end up closing the area for all children because they want to break the rule for their child. We've had people here who couldn't use the area on a sea day because of contamination.

 

I always tell my kids that we need to feel sorry for the children who get to break rules - they're going to have a hard time of it in this world with parents who teach that they get to choose which rules to follow.

 

Best,

Mia

[6rugrats]

I am just going to say this to those of you who "don't get it"...

 

Let's just stop here. Don't get what? That rules should be followed? That we don't get to do everything we want? That part of being a parent means learning how to tell your child, "sorry, but we can't do that" or even that big bad word, "No"?

 

Most of your post is just details about your life, and is irrelevant to this topic.

 

Thank you Mia for your wise words.