Pools in Port

[BeachFanBerly]

Do pools stay filled when the Carnival Horizon is in port? We are considering staying onboard one day but want to know what amenities are available. I know the shops and casino are closed but neither of those "closings" worry me! TIA!

[Krazy Kruizers]

The pools will be open while the ship is in port.

[cb at sea]

Always open, unless there is some sort of "contamination"....the buffet is also open....pretty much everything is, except the shops and casino.  Bars may have limited daytime hours, but if there are passengers aboard, they will be there to serve you!

[Hlitner]

The ship absolutely functions when you are in port, there should be an open pool, open bars, and the Lido will be open for lunch :),  You might be amazed at how many cruisers (including moi) like staying aboard ships when they are in some ports.  On Carnival there will not be many folks aboard but you will not be along.  Go on some other lines and you might find more than 100 souls staying aboard.  In about a month we will be taking a 21 day MSC cruise that stops at about 12 ports.  Our current thinking is that we may not bother to get off the ship in any port :).  Why?  Because we have been to all those places (often many times) and we often find the ship the best destination.  Next week we are taking a short 10 day Caribbean cruise that stops at 3 ports and it is likely we will not get off at 2 of those places.  My point is that what you are proposing is not that unusual.

 

What do we do on port days?  If the weather is good we will choose the perfectly located lounger near the ship's pool and relax with our Kindles.  When we want a drink there will be no lines at the bar.  At lunch time there will be relatively few lines.  To us, this is when a ship is at its best.

 

Hank

[OCruisers]

Some bars will certainly be open.  

The pools are normally open.

No gambeling or shopping.

Way less organized activities.  

[mom says]

Do the pools stay filled ????????? Did you think they drained them like a bathtub? And then refilled them when cruisers returned in the afternoon? It happens, if there is a biological solid contamination, but not because the ship is in port. 

 

Gotta say, this is one of the more memorable questions I've seen.

[BeachFanBerly]

Thanks everyone! I couldn't imagine they wouldn't be but my sister asked in order to make a more informed decision on an excursion or not! I have never stayed onboard but am now hitting some locations I am less excited about. Thanks for your answer, Mom says, even in all it's snarkiness.

Edited October 23, 2018 by BeachFanBerly

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, cb at sea said:

Always open, unless there is some sort of "contamination"....the buffet is also open....pretty much everything is, except the shops and casino.  Bars may have limited daytime hours, but if there are passengers aboard, they will be there to serve you!

Yet again, your lack of knowledge of cruise ship operations, provides an inaccurate response.

 

As others have responded, the pools are normally open while the ship is in port.

 

However, you may occasionally experience pools that are closed in port, but the closure may result from many reasons other than "contamination".

[spookwife]

9 hours ago, mom says said:

Do the pools stay filled ????????? Did you think they drained them like a bathtub? And then refilled them when cruisers returned in the afternoon? It happens, if there is a biological solid contamination, but not because the ship is in port. 

 

Gotta say, this is one of the more memorable questions I've seen.

 

 

not an outrageous or silly question at all.  pools must be drained and cleaned sometime, right?   sure, most of the time it happens  during the overnight shift, but  it can also easily be done with minimum  disruption during a port day when most passengers are off  buying overpriced umbrella drinks at Señor Frogs.  on ships with more than one pool, they even rotate  closures  so that there will always be one available.  same with the hot tubs.

[evandbob]

I can remember a Carnival ship that drained its pools during a port stop. Explanation announced on PA was that there were high levels of e coli bacteria in the water where it docked.

 

Carnival pools are filled up treated sea water, so this was a valid safety issue.  Some cruisers remaining on board still grumbled about it though.

[George C]

Love staying on ship when in port , pools are open and not crowded , stay on board more often since we have drink package 😁😁😁

[Hlitner]

21 hours ago, mom says said:

Do the pools stay filled ????????? Did you think they drained them like a bathtub? And then refilled them when cruisers returned in the afternoon? It happens, if there is a biological solid contamination, but not because the ship is in port. 

 

Gotta say, this is one of the more memorable questions I've seen.

The question is really not silly.  At one time, most of the cruise lines would close all their pools when in US Ports.  They did not always drain the pools but simply closed them by putting nets over the top (the normal way pools are closed on ships).

 

Hank