Should lifeguards be posted at on-board swimming pools?

[cruisin' chick]

I vote no also. It gives parents a false since of security. Your trusting your child's life to a total stranger. Just because the cruise line hires them does not make them anymore human, and human make mistakes. I'm not saying I'm more perfect, but I'm more sure of me than I am of a stranger whether they are hired help or not. My children are the most important part of my life.

What I think should be implemented is before boarding (in cruise docs), and on embarkation, parents (or adult bringing a child) should have a printed list of all restrictions and rules for the child and their responsibility for them, and be required to sign it at embarkation.

The cruise lines should not be responsible to constantly have to protect these children when in public areas on a cruise. But a few precautions can't hurt and they won't cost much

Thanks Tim for posting this thread! Ever since I read that story yesterday I have been thinking about this subject.

I feel there should be a list of rules the parents of minors sign off on. Just about every cruise, we have seen well-behaved kids because they are involved in the kids' program or the parents are properly supervising them. This wasn't true on our last cruise, even though all the kids causing problems were from the same extended family. The majority of the 250 kids onboard were well-behaved as we saw. But this bunch were running around unsupervised while their parents were elsewhere (the casino, etc., per many of the passengers I've talked to). They hung out on the stairwells, sprawled about so people had to step around them, they caused problems in the hallways (someone on my roll call got runned into by them).

One kid in the pool shoved my daughter in the face. Immediately, hubby and I confronted this kid. So if his parents were around, they didn't seem too bothered by strangers sternly talking to him. Methinks, his parents weren't around at all.

[Ziggy7]

Just to defend allot of parents out there, many of us do know CPR Just about everyone I know does, they are either required by their jobs, or it was offered free through their jobs, or because they have kids, pools or volunteer in a position that requires it.

The majority of parents watch over their kids. It's the ones that do not, that make it hard or cost more for us who do for their stupidity.

I think if we started punishing these parents for neglect and stop covering for them by adding more protection for their kids, then maybe they would take care of their own.

I'm not saying I would never watch out for a child who was unattended or save a child. Because I would on a heart beat. I'm just saying, if they add a lifeguard, it will get worse cause those same stupid people and many more will feel a false sense of security and turn their kids loose.

So the lifeguard sees them and spends all his time chasing them away, un-focused on their real job, which is not policing by the way.

The ship is a cruise line, its not a babysitting service, for kids or adults. People need to be made to be responsible for their actions, not make everyone else do it for them.

Sorry, this is not an attack on anyone, I volunteer, have for the last 30 years for a youth organization and we deal with this all the time.

In fact truth be told, the majority of kids loose out on allot of stuff because of the irresponsible parent And that hurts me because we are serving the irresponsible parent kids and not the responsible parent kids.

Ok I'll stop LOL I hope whatever is done, protects and serves everyone and not just the select irresponsible ones!

[sk8erguy1978]

Ziggy - I know most good parents do the right thing. My parents always knew exactly how to bandage me up until the professionals at the hospital could take over. When I become a parent I will do the same, in fact I do have my certs, I just well... did not take the class too seriously, but could most likely perform if needed.

I personally was just pointing out that many parents do not do the right thing and let there kids run wild. However, I have only seen good kids on cruises so, it is hit or miss.

Now personally I do not want to see a lifeguard at the pool, but with the way some parents behave these days I thought it might not be a bad idea.

However, LuLu came up with a good idea, if the ships security or other elected official (maybe the pool people-DUH LOL) could do more "rounds" of the area, that would be ideal.

[cruisin' chick]

There is a youth security force now on Princess cruises, when there's at least a certain number of kids onboard. They wear yellow shirts and parol about making sure any minors aren't just hanging around unsupervised. The reason, from what I understand, is that Princess started this was because of this same group of kids on my Hawaiian cruise (the year before they were on the same cruise and caused a lot of damage to ship property as well as harass many passengers to the point that they got together and hired a lawyer...in fact, this lawyer had contacted my fellow passenger Kim after reading about her problems on CC).

Most kids don't have a problem with them. My girl had friendly discussions with one of them whenever she saw them when she was with us. At our meet and greet, I talked to one of them myself about these kids. He was shaking his head. He approached the father of some of these troublemakers and said his kids are running around unsupervised. The father actually said, "well, I'm on vacation." The guy answered him with a "you're not on vacation from being a parent." Later on after the cruise, I realized I should had gotten his first name and put it on those gone the extra mile cards (whatever they are that you get from Passsenger Services).

This security force isn't there to babysit these kids, but to make sure the kids aren't causing problems. I'm guessing they're not given any real authority (like dragging a kid down to the front desk, etc.). Most kids aren't misbehaving anyway. They having fun in the kids' program (which keeps them from becoming bored) or playing nice at the pool. It's the unsupervised and bored kids that cause problems. Which means it's their parents who are responsible for the problems.

[Planersedge]

No, because it just adds one more person would get stiffed by all the people that remove their tips because they want to tip personally.

PE

[Ziggy7]

There is a youth security force now on Princess cruises, when there's at least a certain number of kids onboard. They wear yellow shirts and parol about making sure any minors aren't just hanging around unsupervised. The reason, from what I understand, is that Princess started this was because of this same group of kids on my Hawaiian cruise (the year before they were on the same cruise and caused a lot of damage to ship property as well as harass many passengers to the point that they got together and hired a lawyer...in fact, this lawyer had contacted my fellow passenger Kim after reading about her problems on CC).

Most kids don't have a problem with them. My girl had friendly discussions with one of them whenever she saw them when she was with us. At our meet and greet, I talked to one of them myself about these kids. He was shaking his head. He approached the father of some of these troublemakers and said his kids are running around unsupervised. The father actually said, "well, I'm on vacation." The guy answered him with a "you're not on vacation from being a parent." Later on after the cruise, I realized I should had gotten his first name and put it on those gone the extra mile cards (whatever they are that you get from Passsenger Services).

This security force isn't there to babysit these kids, but to make sure the kids aren't causing problems. I'm guessing they're not given any real authority (like dragging a kid down to the front desk, etc.). Most kids aren't misbehaving anyway. They having fun in the kids' program (which keeps them from becoming bored) or playing nice at the pool. It's the unsupervised and bored kids that cause problems. Which means it's their parents who are responsible for the problems.

We had these yellow shirts patrol on the Caribbean Princess too but the only time we seemed to see them were evening hours, and they were there to just make sure they didn't cause destruction and not do anything to hurt themselves, the ship, or others. They were really alert and a few times were questioning kids who looked under the age 10, once was at midnight on the pool deck! They asked to see their room cards and called security.

[laser110]

I already posted about this in the post about a 9 year old girl almost drowning on a Princess cruise, but yes I think there should be some sort of guard on duty. On a cruise most people feel secure. The ship is a confined space and people tend to loose their fear that something bad will happen. That being said, I have seen kids at the pool with no parents in sight.

While the parents should be there to watch their kids they don't always do. Even being at the same pool doesn't ean they are always paying attention either. Being a former guard and WSI Instructor, I am always on the look out while at a pool, but I am also on vacation, and don't feel I should be everyone's guard. Should something happen ( and I hope it never does) I know I have the training to react.

Murphy's Law says Sh-t Happens and in my opinion reducing that risk with a guard(s) on duty would benefit everyone onboard.

Scott

[Dave Wojo]

Posting a sign stating "No Lifeguard On Duty" with clearly stated rules of conduct relieves the cruise lines of most all risk of litigation should something happen, especially if the mishap occurs while someone is performing in a manner counter to posted rules. Posting a lifeguard would place a significant amount of responsibility for safety squarely on the cruise lines (not saying this is a bad thing), and increases their risk of litigation should injury occur. Don't hold your breath on seeing Pam Anderson bounding towards the pool any time soon to save the day.

I'm of two minds on what I would prefer...though lean more towards having a lifeguard. It'd be good for the young ones to have a guard to look out for their safety. However, I really don't want to hear that whistle!

[boyconny]

I would say no life guard at the pool, let the parents be responserbale for some thing...

[smitty]

i'm pretty sure that it's mandatory now if you sail either on a french flagged ship or in french waters