Royal Caribbean introduce lifeguards at sea.

Royal Caribbean have finally put their customer safety first and are in the process of having  licensed lifeguards around the pools. And that’s not all they are also implementing a new water safety program fleetwide that will  include water safety instruction and ship wide signage.

“We are a family brand,” Lyan Sierra-Caro, Royal Caribbean’s manager of corporate communications, Pool-based fun is an “important aspect of the cruise vacation for all guests, and we are doing everything we can to ensure they have the safest vacation possible.”

licensed lifeguards trained through the line’s partnership with StarGuard Elite, a water risk prevention and training consulting company based in Florida. At least one lifeguard will be stationed at every pool (including the Solarium) during all open hours, and will wear the familiar  bright red and white uniforms you can find on our beaches.  All have been hired specifically as lifeguards and will not serve in any other role onboard.

The program doesn’t stop there; it will have an educational component as well, starting with a 15-minute water safety presentation during the Adventure Ocean open house session on embarkation day. The presentation is for kids and parents. Youth staff will also go over all water safety rules at both the Adventure Ocean Youth Evacuation Plan safety drill on the first evening and during the Teens 411 info session. Even the captain will mention water safety during the muster drill. Child water safety flyers will always be available at the guest services desk, as well as in Adventure Ocean.

Water safety reminders will not stop on Day 1. Cruise directors will mention water safety in their daily messaging, snippets of advice will appear in the daily Kids Compass and families will find colorful notecards in their cabins with safety reminders like “Play smart. Swim smart. Stay safe.” or “Swim vests are best.”

Something i wasn’t aware of was that swim vests are available to use  for kids ages 4 to 12 these will continue to be available, but signage will be added at the pool and in cabins to encourage parents with kids to use them.

Additionally, water safety signage will be reimagined to be more noticeable. Signs will be individualized for the different pools and will be posted at towel stations as well. On ships with poolside movie screens, safety messaging will be displayed off and on throughout the day.

Sierra-Caro emphasized that lifeguards are not meant to replace the watchful eye of a parent. Children under 12 still require a parent or guardian to be present to swim in any pool.

So a definite positive i feel and having a 4 year old myself i’m certainly pleased but as above my little one is never out of my sight but things do happen and it only takes a split second for something un imaginable to happen.

What do you think to this move, should all other family cruise lines now follow in the footsteps and Disney and Rccl?