Jogging on board - health & safety issue?

[scottish norman]

In my experience on board jogging tracks are located on sun decks and one has to compete with deckchairs, children and misc stationary people. Progress is akin to running on a dodgem track!

For this reason I prefer to run on promenade decks - few people, wide decks and rarely slippy. Never had any problems.

Have just returned from RCI Explorer of Seas out of New York.

Banned by ship's officer from running on prom deck for health/safety reasons. Said was ship's rule.

Pointed out that nothing posted either on deck or in literature plus had been seen by Ship's Captain the previous day who said hello and nothing about running.

The officer was not impressed so I had to run on jogging track and the inevitable happened - I crashed into a child who strayed onto the track.

If we are talking about health & safety then provision must be made to make jogging tracks fit for purpose and clear of people/objects.

Otherwise running around the prom deck is far safer and entirely legitimate.

Runners have rights - not just sunbathers!

[jwlane]

If we are talking about health & safety then provision must be made to make jogging tracks fit for purpose and clear of people/objects.

Otherwise running around the prom deck is far safer and entirely legitimate.

Runners have rights - not just sunbathers!

To a certain point.

 

Having 35+ marathons under my belt (shoes?), I can sympathize. Unfortunately, there are certain "rules of the road" that apply, whether in the air, on the streets, on the running path; faster yields to slower, controlled yields to uncontrolled, smarter yields to dumber. It really sucks when a kid is zigging back and forth on its little training wheeled bike on a path, but I've got to be the one to take the initiative and ensure a collision doesn't occur. On the ship, one must watch for those that stray into the path and dart in and out. I'm usually running well before anyone is sunning, but if sunbathers stray onto the marked path, one might request assistance from ship's personnel to ask them to move off the path.

[scottish norman]

Thank you for agreeing with me!

[dak_friendly]

Try scheduling your jog when traffic is at its minimum. I've noticed a large number of joggers out in the early AM or evening when sunbathers and children are non-existence. There's always several points in time when you can count less than five people meandering on the sun deck. Just alter accordingly.

 

A good indicator is looking for when the staff typically move all the sun deck lounges into "out of the way" storage mode.

[scottish norman]

thanks.

the key pointsare:

1. joggers should not have to get up at crack of dawn or run late at night.

2. any sensible risk analysis would not permit co-location of running track and active sunbathing area. this is why i prefer the prom deck.

3. chain of command. i have inherent respect for authority so if the captain does not raise objections to a particular activity then his crew should toe the party line and vice versa.

4. if there are rules governing restrictions in activities by passengers then it seems sensible to make them known in advance.

[dak_friendly]

thanks.

the key pointsare:

1. joggers should not have to get up at crack of dawn or run late at night.

2. any sensible risk analysis would not permit co-location of running track and active sunbathing area. this is why i prefer the prom deck.

3. chain of command. i have inherent respect for authority so if the captain does not raise objections to a particular activity then his crew should toe the party line and vice versa.

4. if there are rules governing restrictions in activities by passengers then it seems sensible to make them known in advance.

 

sigh

 

1. I'll agree. If you choose to run during rush hour traffic at home, it is your privelege.

2. I agree. There are to sections that tend to be congested with loungers on the sun deck flanking the pool. Could you do a shorter loop or like the other person said, inform crew member you're going to jog and your concern about obstacles?

3. The captain may not have chosen to enforce the rule nor care to, that doesn't officially make something okay. You should've immediately brought the concern to the captain and had him correct the issue.

4. When in doubt ask, if it isn't posted ... it doesn't make it okay, if informed after the fact ... obey.

 

That said, some cruises I've been on USED the promenade deck for laps for the "Shipshape" dollars. But, if I were running on the promenade deck on my own and a crew member said to stop, though it may make me mad, I'd stop. Crew member outranks passenger.

[Dawniepoo]

1. joggers should not have to get up at crack of dawn or run late at night.

I should not be gaining any weight after eating all the rich food, but thats just how it is;)

Maybe you could wear a bell to warn others of your arrival on the path:D

[cb at sea]

Sometimes the pool deck adjacent to the jogging track gets sooooo crowded that there is no alternative but to spill over onto "empty" space.!!! They pack the chairs on the decks so tightly, that if you don't re-arrange, you can't get to the chair! We try to keep off of the track, but sometimes, it's just too many people, too little space. Sorry!

[Mike & Sue]

I am an avid jogger and could not disagree more with the OP. Either get up early or use the treadmill in the work out area. You are clearly in the minority by the time everyone is out and about. As to being told to stay off the Promenade deck, obviously it is their ship and their rules, even if not uniformly enforced. Your responsibility to watch out for kids at busy times or anytime.

[terri23]

cruise ship. not jog ship. you need to work in your work out around other cruisers, IMHO. they may have put promenade off limits to jogging due to a complaint - were you jogging above someone's head at o'dark:30 on vacation? if you buy tix to cruise you have to be aware there are space limitations :rolleyes:

[terri23]

I thought it was silly when joggers were getting huffy because the jogging track wasn't clear as we were sailing away from various ports ... be real.

[runner15km]

Never thought that the jogging track was just for runners and walkers. I get my run in at 7am to avoid any issues.

[rsinj]

>

1. joggers should not have to get up at crack of dawn or run late at night.

>

 

Having a few marathons under my belt as well, unfortunately I'm going to have to disagree with that.

 

You are on a ship with anywhere from 1000 to 3000 other passengers. Unfortunately, the number of runners who want to be out on the deck/track during the day is negligable in comparison. In this case, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. During the day, unfortunately the sun deck's primary purpose is for sunbathing. For sporting activities, you have areas designated for them so as not to cause problems for others.

 

If you do need to run in the middle of the day, when the sunbathers are out, there is always a treadmill in a nice cool health club with a magnificent view.

 

Personally, when onboard, I am up before the crack of dawn doing laps on the track. It is more enjoyable then anyhow - nobody is around to get in your way (you don't have to contend with the walkers), it's cool out, the deck is spotless clean, etc. During the day, I want to be out and about with my family.

 

Lastly, when you need to do so many laps to get one mile in, the treadmill isn't such a bad alternative.

 

>

2. any sensible risk analysis would not permit co-location of running track and active sunbathing area. this is why i prefer the prom deck.

>

 

I'll agree with that - and they should probably make it official what the running hours are. Though if the issue were forced, they'd probably formalize it as something like 10PM to 9AM.

 

It might interest you (if you don't already know), this is exactly what Disney has done. The designated running deck is a couple decks down - same deck as the shuffleboard. I enjoyed that more - because you can run the entire length of the ship - it is a full track - up in to the bow where the anchor is and all the way back to the stern. Less laps to make the mile, but, you're not really out in the open air since it's covered all the way around.

 

 

Howard

[harry0]

Double post

[harry0]

I would not dream of using the track after 10 or 11 unless I was a walker. I use the t-mills or run on a island. We as joggers are the minority and we need to go with the flow or dont go. I don't see why the Promenade deck can't be used during peak sundeck hours.

Harry

[wrp96]

One thing I'm wondering is, how can you jog on the Promenade deck on the Voyager class since it doesn't go all the way around, without having to go up a flight of stairs and then back down a flight of stairs?

[PVDCruiser]

Whenever I do a jog on the ship, I always do it right after I wake up around 6:30 (yes, I do realize I'm one of the three teenagers in the country that likes getting up early). It's cooler and the only people around are other joggers.

[Leejnd4]

Avid runner here too -- several marathons and triathlons. I completely understand how the OP feels, although I don't necessarily agree with everything he said. The thing is, they call the track a "jogging track", so one would assume that that is its main purpose, right? If it was called a "sundeck" then I wouldn't expect anyone to make any accommodations to allow me to run on it. But it is called a jogging track, so I can't really understand why people can't be courteous to the runners on it and allow them to run.

 

On the other hand, I do understand that it's a cruise ship with hundreds of other passengers, and we all gotta try to get along. I'm not expecting everyone to part like the red sea when they see me coming -- but howzabout just some simple courtesy?

 

Every time I've tried to run on the "jogging track" on a ship, I've encountered folks who are really quite rude and unaccommodating. My main pet peeve is when several folks amble slowly along the path all next to each other, completely taking up all the space, so that I can't get past them. Hasn't anyone ever heard of the term "single file"? How about the concept of "sharing"? When I do come across folks that do this, I find that they never quite get it -- they'll begrudgingly move to allow me to pass, but each time I come up to them they are once again taking up every bit of space. HellOOO!!! I am just one little person, not even all that wide, and all I'm asking for is a few inches of space to allow me to actually do what that path is designed for.

 

My other pet peeve is folks who actually SMOKE on a jogging track! Every time I run into a cloud of smoke I end up coughing like crazy. Smokers...when we're running, we're sucking in a heckuva lot of air, and chances are we probably aren't smokers or we wouldn't be runners. It's just inconsiderate. There are numerous other places one can smoke on the ship without foisting your poisonous smoke on our lungs when they are working at their maximum effort.

 

A couple comments: about the timing, we can't always go for our runs at the least busy times, due to excursions or other things we have planned. However, I am perfectly okay with knowing I'm going to encounter more obstacles during busy times. All I ask is for some simple accommodation and courtesy.

 

About running on treadmills: it's a completely different kind of run. Your body moves differently when the ground beneath you is moving, rather than you propelling yourself forward. If my intent is simply to burn off some calories, the treadmill is fine. But when I'm training for a race (like I am now, and will be on my cruise coming up in 13 days), I need to run on stationary ground, not a moving treadmill. So that's why I'm out on the jogging track. If they didn't HAVE a jogging track I'd use the treadmill...but they do, so I feel I should be able to use it.

 

There, I feel so much better getting that off my chest! Now, lets all go on our cruise and try to be nice to each other. :)

[critterchick]

On some ships (thinking of Monarch) you aren't supposed to jog or power walk prior to 10:00 am because the Promenade Deck is located above cabins and it wakes up the late sleepers. But it's allowed - I've never heard of anybody not being allowed to jog there.

 

You know, there are road hogs (the people who get into the passing lane only to go exactly the same speed as the person in the slow lane) and there are PD hogs (a new one!). We like to walk a couple of miles and are always amazed that people are irritated when you want to pass them. I've even watched people try to slow us down (and we're only talking 4mph here) by deliberately spreading out as we approach. What's up with that?:confused:

[wraithe]

With all due respect to OP, Grandeur and Mariner were both clearly marked in several places that the promenade deck was off limits to joggers because of slip hazards. The track wasn't an easy run, because you do have to share it, but I ran right after the walk-a-mile and didn't have too much trouble. I used the treadmills, too, since that's my primary device at home along with an elliptical machine (my wife's chosen exercise machine). Didn't have any trouble with waiting on a machine or have anyone wait on me if I was willing to bend a little to exercise outside "normal" busy times in the gym. JMHO, YMMV.

[BubbleCruiser]

Wow, I had no idea we couldn't run on the Promedade deck! On Voyager in 2004, I could swear I saw track lines on that deck for that very purpose...but maybe not. DH and I were looking forward to it because we just started running and remembered that the deck is covered and a bit cooler. Well I guess we'll just get up earlier to run on the higher decks. How far is each lap?

[BubbleCruiser]

Dup post...

[LLindaC]

Yes, it's a lousy design having deck chairs up there. Once when I was running, there were 2 old people in electric wheelchairs going around the track! LOL! Some people don't understand that many runners don't like using a treadmill. I don't, but it's easier than running on the track. And no, I don't run at the crack of dawn- we like to party late. It would be hard to enforce rules on the jogging track, though.

[happy cruzer]

The only health/safety issue that I can see is that maybe the surface that you jog on is different. Both are going to have the oblivions wandering around.

 

If I were as annoyed as you were, I would stop jogging on the promenade go up to the jogging deck. If it is all balled up, I go back down jog on the promenade when the officer came, I'd invite him up to the JOGGING trail and see if he would tell the oblivions about the rules up there.

 

But being easy going, I power walk in off hours when there are fewer people on the jogging track. It is kinda of funny that they normally post walkers to the right and runners to the left and which direction you are supposed to travel. But they don't seem to care about standing or lying down on the trail???

 

I don't jog on the promenade. I think it is intended to be a quiet area for a relaxing promenade or nap in a deck chair.

 

This is another example of how rule non enforcement is very annoying to some folks.

[MGoBlue2]

The only health/safety issue that I can see is that maybe the surface that you jog on is different. Both are going to have the oblivions wandering around.

 

If I were as annoyed as you were, I would stop jogging on the promenade go up to the jogging deck. If it is all balled up, I go back down jog on the promenade when the officer came, I'd invite him up to the JOGGING trail and see if he would tell the oblivions about the rules up there.

 

But being easy going, I power walk in off hours when there are fewer people on the jogging track. It is kinda of funny that they normally post walkers to the right and runners to the left and which direction you are supposed to travel. But they don't seem to care about standing or lying down on the trail???

 

I don't jog on the promenade. I think it is intended to be a quiet area for a relaxing promenade or nap in a deck chair.

 

This is another example of how rule non enforcement is very annoying to some folks.

What rules? No where I know of does it say that the track is to be used exclusively for jogging.