Flush with families, Carnival Cruise Line has dropped the adults-only restriction on the aft pool on seven of its ships.
According to postings on social media and cruise message boards, the move has upset some passengers who want a pool experience free from kids splashing and playing around them.
Carnival ended the adults-only pool amenity "because of the high volume of families onboard at this time of the year," Carnival spokeswoman Jennifer De La Cruz said.
The seven ships that have lost their adults-only pools are the Carnival Conquest, Glory, Valor, Liberty, Freedom, Splendor and Victory.
Most of the ships share a similar design. On the Carnival Conquest, for example, the main Sun Pool on Deck 9 is separated from the aft Sky Pool by a buffet restaurant. There is also a smaller Star Pool with a slide on Deck 10.
Carnival is encouraging guests who want a kid-free environment to take advantage of the Serenity areas, De La Cruz said. She said, "We very much appreciate the view of those who like having an adults-only pool option."
Unlike most of the ships scheduled to have their aft pools opened to children, the Conquest does not have an adults-only Serenity area, but it is scheduled to get one in a drydock in October. Some ships, such as the Carnival Sunshine, have elaborate Serenity areas with pools, and most offer a hot tub or some other type of water feature, if not a pool.
Several posters on the consumer site Cruise Critic said they were unhappy with the change, although others said it was no big deal.
"I work with children and was looking forward to the adult-only spots on the ship," wrote a poster who went by the name Shopreh. Another, SMSACE6, posted, "I know Carnival is really trying to draw in the families and market itself as the family cruise line, but they are sure not doing much to draw me back."
An online poll of Cruise Critic readers found that 85%, or 558 of 656 people who submitted a response, said the aft pools should remain adults-only. Another 41, or 6%, voted to make them family friendly, and 57, or 9%, said they didn't have a preference.
Some cruise lines that carry a significant number of families have pool areas reserved for adults.
Royal Caribbean International ships, for example, have an adults-only pool called the Solarium, although it is generally located toward the front of the ship, not aft. On Disney Cruise Line ships, an area called Quiet Cove offers an adults-only pool setting.
Other lines also have adults-only pools on some ships. The Royal and Regal Princess, two late-model Princess Cruises vessels, have the Retreat Pool for ages 18 and over. On the four newest Norwegian Cruise Line ships, an adults-only Spice H2O area toward the bow offers hot tubs and grotto-like waterfall areas, though no pool.
On the MSC Divina, the Garden Infinity Pool is reserved for adults only.
Tina Hammonds, an agent at Universal Travel in Athens, Tenn., said she'd seen criticism about the Carnival change on blogs but had not heard any personally.
"As far as our customers, no one has complaints about it," she said.
Hammonds said she does have Carnival clients who travel without children, but they are satisfied with Serenity areas as an adults-only solution.
De La Cruz said that on many of the Carnival ships, including the Carnival Vista delivered last year, all the pools are already family friendly. The Vista has a pool area on Deck 5 aft, adjacent to the Havana Cabana cabins that is reserved for cabana occupants during the day.
De La Cruz said Carnival will continue to evaluate its plans with respect to the aft pools.