Gaprofitt Posted January 22, 2016 #1 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Hey All, We are leaving next week for a cruise.. My 4.5 old son loves the pool. He had this floatation thing that went around his arms like swimmies but it also has a band that went around his waist.. He has outgrown it and i don't like just the swimmies.. Any recommendation? I can't find anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marshhawk Posted January 22, 2016 #2 Share Posted January 22, 2016 No floatation devices are allowed in the pool, since there is no life guard, if your child cant swim, he wont go in. Now, what ship are you on, because if there is a water park on board, like the Fascination, the Fantasy, and others, he wont need a pool! That's a child party central kind of place! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaprofitt Posted January 22, 2016 Author #3 Share Posted January 22, 2016 (edited) No floatation devices are allowed in the pool, since there is no life guard, if your child cant swim, he wont go in. Now, what ship are you on, because if there is a water park on board, like the Fascination, the Fantasy, and others, he wont need a pool! That's a child party central kind of place! Guess i'm a rule breaker, he's going in the pool.. Looking for recommendations, not criticism.. I was thinking one of those swimsuits that has built in floatation.. Edited January 22, 2016 by Gaprofitt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pops, Esq. Posted January 22, 2016 #4 Share Posted January 22, 2016 (edited) No floatation devices are allowed in the pool, since there is no life guard, if your child cant swim, he wont go in. Not exactly true. From carnival.com Floatation Devices: For the comfort of all our guests, rafts, tubes and floatation devices other than those used as life preservers (water wings) cannot be used in the swimming pools on board. As to what form that may take if he doesn't use water wings, that seems to be up to interpretation. But, a small life-jacket would seem appropriate. Not the most stylish pool wear, but it's probably going to keep his head above water. An example.... http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Recreational-Life-Jacket-for-Kids/product/1211011247/ Edited January 22, 2016 by kbanowsky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N2Mischief Posted January 22, 2016 #5 Share Posted January 22, 2016 I have a 4 1/2 year old grand daughter that has out grown the water wings. We just bought a life vest. It's not too bulky and has a strap that goes between the legs to keep the vest from coming off over their head. She has autism and last summer learned to unzip things. She did unzip it in the deep end and came right out of it, but we watch every second as I'm sure you do so we just zipped her in it again and off she went. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShakyBeef Posted January 22, 2016 #6 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Another vote for the recreational life-vest with the buckles and the crotch strap. I suggest you take him to the store and try them on. Look for a snug, but not chest-compressing fit when the buckles are done. And nice, wide arm holes for freedom of movement. These life-vests are excellent for kids his age. Both my DDs used them for years here at home, in the Atlantic and Chesapeake Bay.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaprofitt Posted January 22, 2016 Author #7 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Another vote for the recreational life-vest with the buckles and the crotch strap. I suggest you take him to the store and try them on. Look for a snug, but not chest-compressing fit when the buckles are done. And nice, wide arm holes for freedom of movement. These life-vests are excellent for kids his age. Both my DDs used them for years here at home, in the Atlantic and Chesapeake Bay.:) I could save some cash and just grab the orange one in the room... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chengkp75 Posted January 22, 2016 #8 Share Posted January 22, 2016 I could save some cash and just grab the orange one in the room... Which of course has the ship's name prominently displayed, so you would be asked to leave the ship at the next port. If your son is learning to swim, life preservers or PFD's are not the best option, since they are designed to keep the head upright and out of the water, meaninng a pretty vertical orientation. This is another reason not to use the ship's lifejackets, these are SOLAS type I PFD's which are designed to turn an unconscious person face up, so they tend to tip you a bit on your back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerif Posted January 22, 2016 #9 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Actually, the bottom line is that if a child that age is in the pool THE PARENT MUST BE RIGHT THERE WITH HIM. No two ways about it. For the last few drownings/near drownings I've read about in cruiseship pools, the child was pulled out by another passenger. No sitting on the edge or in a nearby lounger, IN the pool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShakyBeef Posted January 22, 2016 #10 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Actually, the bottom line is that if a child that age is in the pool THE PARENT MUST BE RIGHT THERE WITH HIM. No two ways about it. For the last few drownings/near drownings I've read about in cruiseship pools, the child was pulled out by another passenger. No sitting on the edge or in a nearby lounger, IN the pool. I disagree that that is the bottom line here. The OP was asking for recommendations on flotation devices, not parenting advice. He never implied that he would not be in the pool with the child. Yes, there are horrible parents, ignorant parents, selfish parents, distracted parents, and oblivious parents out there. But do we need to assume that the OP is one of those? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerry's Girls Posted January 22, 2016 #11 Share Posted January 22, 2016 I used a life jacket from Target for one of my daughters. She could swim, but many ship pools have no shallow end at all, so she liked having the floatation since she couldn't put her feet down (and I liked her having it when she was playing in the ocean). Nice thing is they don't weigh much in the luggage, though they do take up space. We never had a problem on any ship, though they all ban items in the pools because of space, I'm assuming something the child is actually wearing doesn't count. Best, Mia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MnMomW3Boys Posted January 22, 2016 #12 Share Posted January 22, 2016 (edited) My boys used the swim suits with the built in floatations devices, they would wear swim trunks under it so they could talk them off when not in use. The ones we had were from Costco not sure of the brand. Try a sporting goods store or Amazon you may have to get expedited shipping. Edited January 22, 2016 by MnMomW3Boys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb at sea Posted January 23, 2016 #13 Share Posted January 23, 2016 The pools for kids are shallow...the arm floats should be sufficient! And, there are swimsuit vests that some kids wear... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsrdsrdsr Posted January 23, 2016 #14 Share Posted January 23, 2016 I could save some cash and just grab the orange one in the room... You forgot the smiley to show you qwere joking. I hope. Just in case - emergency equipment is for emergencies only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starflyr3 Posted January 23, 2016 #15 Share Posted January 23, 2016 My daughter uses a puddle jumper. Obviously, I'm in there with her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rala Posted January 23, 2016 #16 Share Posted January 23, 2016 I could save some cash and just grab the orange one in the room... Hope you get the reaction you are fishing for. I just know it will be the highlight of your week!!!:rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ata1976 Posted January 24, 2016 #17 Share Posted January 24, 2016 No floatation devices are allowed in the pool, since there is no life guard, if your child cant swim, he wont go in. ! Yeah, not exactly right. My daughter used a puddle jumper the last 2 years in the pool. There is no shallow end or steps, only ladders on the side of the pool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A&Jfamily Posted January 25, 2016 #18 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Another vote for the vest - it leaves arms free and makes it easier to learn to swim. Also, depending upon the vest, you can remove some of the flotation foam as your kid gets bigger and it helps make a gradual transition to independent swimming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sooner-Cruisers Posted January 28, 2016 #19 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Another vote for puddle jumpers! My lo loves hers, she finds the life jackets with the crotch straps uncomfortable. I saw lots of kids in the pool and ocean with these, they truly are great! If your kid is between 30-50 pounds, I highly recommend them. http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HN94EEY?keywords=puddle%20jumper&qid=1453945352&ref_=sr_1_5&s=boating-water-sports&sr=1-5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N2Mischief Posted January 28, 2016 #20 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Puddle jumpers are great, but my 4 1/2 year old grand daughter is 55 pounds and they became uncomfortable at about 50 pounds. So life jacket for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuCruise Posted January 30, 2016 #21 Share Posted January 30, 2016 We also bought a life vest. My DD is 6.5 years so too big for arm floats or puddle jumpers, but she doesn't swim yet. We'll always be in the water with her but am still more comfortable with her wearing it..especially at the beach. Sent from my ONE E1005 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LilMissScareAll Posted January 31, 2016 #22 Share Posted January 31, 2016 If she has some beginner swimming skills, I would recommend something like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MUATU54/ref=mp_s_a_1_20?qid=1454220194&sr=8-20&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=floatation+device+for+kids&dpPl=1&dpID=51Yc8a6S0uL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1 Or http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00B8ZS2CY/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?qid=1454220591&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX220_SY330_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=floatation+swimsuit&dpPl=1&dpID=41haphuIrFL&ref=plSrch It'll help keep her boyant. But it's not a life jacket, which would roll her to her back to keep her face out of the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prinycesa07 Posted February 8, 2016 #23 Share Posted February 8, 2016 My kids are 5 & 6 and wear the life vests. They are both 43 lbs so the 30-50 lb ones are what they have. I was planning on bringing these on our next cruise, I had never heard beg weren't allowed?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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