Most cruise lines have adults-only pool areas where you have to be at least 18 years of age to use the facilities.
They're a welcome refuge for many passengers, especially on Carnival and Royal Caribbean ships, which can have a lot of children on board. These spaces usually offer a pool, hot tubs, pool chairs, and a bar or at least bar service.
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These areas are sanctuaries, where you can relax without worrying about loud or unsupervised children running around.
Royal Caribbean and its sister cruise line Celebrity Cruises call their adults-only pool areas Solariums. That word suggests "sun," and some Solariums are open-air while others are covered with clear roofs.
The name Solarium does not tell you much about the space, and the vibe in these adults-only areas can vary. On Royal Caribbean ships sailing weekend cruises, the Solarium bars are packed and there's a party vibe. On longer sailings, especially on Celebrity Cruises ships, the vibe is generally quieter, with people sipping drinks and reading books, and more than a few people sleeping.
Carnival's adults-only pool decks have a name that suggests what the atmosphere should be, and one passenger wrote to Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald with questions about that.
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Carnival's Serenity Deck lacks serenity
A follower of Heald on Facebook, Stacy Boogs, made a good point about Carnival's adult-only pool deck.
"Just wondering, is the Serenity Deck supposed to be serene or does it just mean it is a space for those over 21?" she asked.
"Last week on the Pride cruise to Bermuda there was a group of Baby Boomers (obviously with the drink package) who were anything but serene. They were loud, obnoxious, and dropping F-bombs. I ended up leaving the Serenity Deck because of them."
"Thank you, well it is an adult deck only and perhaps it doesn’t have the right name, I don’t know anymore," Heald acknowledged. "It’s a shame that some people do get boisterous but at the same time they are having fun which is well what we advertise so I find this one a very difficult question to answer."
He also offered some advice.
"I do hope that it didn’t spoil your cruise and if it had gotten obnoxious to the point that it was, I hope you would’ve reported it because I definitely would’ve said something," he added.
Boogs did report the issue to the on-site workers.
"None of the workers/pool attendants said anything to the group. They should have asked them to lower their voices," she posted.
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Some people suggested that she should have escalated the incident elsewhere.
"It’s not all crew members’ responsibility to confront passengers regarding bad behavior. If it bothers you that much, you should have reported it to security or guest services," Bob Kissinger wrote.
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