Carnival Elation - Warning about Pools

[Baxter]

This may be a useful piece of information for those of you with kids who enjoy the pools. We just got off the 5-night sailing and were shocked to find that the pools closed around 7pm each night, and were not open the day of embarkation. As we were traveling with an 11-month old it made no difference, but once she's toilet trained it will be important! I spoke to quite a few parents who wanted to take their kids for a swim after dinner but weren't able to.

[crusinmama06]

They might have been doing maintenance on it. We were on Elation (and Sensation) and the first thing we did once we got onboard was to head straight to the pools. We stopped at Lido for some food and took it right back to the children's pool.

 

They were definatly open.

 

Now at night, I don't remember them closing that early. Hmmmmm :confused:

[Baxter]

According to the purser's desk, they have to close them due to "liability issues". I don't know if they had someone fall in recently, but they assured me that it wasn't the same on other Carnival ships.

[crusinmama06]

According to the purser's desk, they have to close them due to "liability issues". I don't know if they had someone fall in recently, but they assured me that it wasn't the same on other Carnival ships.

 

Boy has that ship changed since they moved it to the West Coast. :eek: What a shame!

[sandy toes]

I have cruised on some other lines that drain their pools after dinner each night , clean them and refill them. They claim it is a health issue. They are just using sea water to fill the pool, so maybe since there are no chemicals in the water they do have to empty them frequently. I do know that what occurs on one ship in the line does not always occur on the other ones. Sailed 2 ships, same line BTB, one going to Bermuda and one Eastern Caribbean, both did so many little things differently. We laughed about that and made a game of sorts trying to find "things".

[Nana & Poppa P]

This may be a useful piece of information for those of you with kids who enjoy the pools. We just got off the 5-night sailing and were shocked to find that the pools closed around 7pm each night, and were not open the day of embarkation. As we were traveling with an 11-month old it made no difference, but once she's toilet trained it will be important! I spoke to quite a few parents who wanted to take their kids for a swim after dinner but weren't able to.

 

We have never seen one closed on embarkation, we just got off the Valor a few days ago, and the pool and hot tubs were open on until 10:00 PM

[rebeccalouise]

Many cruise lines close the pools if the conditions are rough. That may have had more to do with it.

[adamsmom]

We haven't done a Carnival cruise in a few years, but I do remember the pools always being closed about the time it got dark. They were also empty when we got on the ship and didn't open until the next morning. I was surprised when we did our first non-Carnival cruise that the pools were always open. I can understand them closing the pools at 10pm or so to keep people from getting drunk and drowning or something, but I don't know why they would close them so early.

[SweetAngel]

On my first cruise, Norwegian, the pool was nearly always open ... even though the ocean swells were pretty bad the whole trip. On the rough days, my kids and I loved how the pool water would rock around like one of those wave pools at a water park. The water slide was only open one day because of the swells, but the pools and hot tubs were open late into the night.

 

I thought it would be like that on all cruises and was quite surprised when the pools were often closed on both Carnival cruises. They were closed the whole first and last days on both trips (No big swells to blame either) and closed before 10pm on all other nights.

 

On Carnival Ecstasy, all four hot tubs were also cold (same temp as the pool) the entire trip. I never found out why. At least the slide was open on sea days.

[larronry]

I do remember boarding a ship a very long time ago and the pool was empty and filled after we left port. I, for the life of me cannot remember what ship that was. They empty it when we came back to the home port as well.

 

Last year on Princess with those rough seas that left the dining rooms empty, the crew sick and me bruised from being tossed about in the cabin at least one of the pools was open and was tossing people about like a wave pool. There was no way you could get me in that thing but it was fun to watch.

[2112]

I have never seen a pool closed on embarkation day, but Carnival closing their pools, and more emportantly their hot tubs, so early had been a major issue I have with them. My next cruise will be Carnival since I would like my then 2 year old to get to use Camp Carnival, but after that I don't see myself using them as much. I think overall Carnival offers a fine product for the money, but with the nicer ships that the other lines are offering for only a few dollars more - along with being able to take a hot soak at 11 pm - may just move me off Carnival forever.

[adamsmom]

Yes--we prefer Royal now for several reasons--the late-night swimming or hot tub are at the top of the list.