Carnival kids club questions...

[2preschoolers]

This is going to be our first family cruise...my girls are 2 1/2 and just turning 4. I have several questions I'm hoping that some of you more experienced can help me out with. Oh and we'll be on the Carnival Liberty....western caribbean.

* What do we do on the first day to sign them up? And is there any opportunity at the beginning of the cruise for the parents to go in there with the kids so that they can warm up to it a bit?

* Is there any way to get a copy of the Liberty's western caribbean capers for their activities?

* I know that they will be in the same group (age 2 1/2 and 4) but will they be mixed with the older kids or do they keep them totally separate?

* Any tips on how to get my younger one to want to go to the kids club?? (We don't plan to use it all day ever day but a few hours here and there would be a God-send!) My older one is very outgoing but the younger one is not so comfortable in new surroundings.

* Anything else we should know about or be prepared for at the kids club???

THANKS!

[cb at sea]

Not sure about the age limits on Carnival, but they will have an "orientation" time, so you can go with the kids and check it out. You won't be allowed to stay once the club is "in session"....

Since your kids will be together, I'm betting the younger one will be fine....someone they know, and all that! Yes, they keep the age groups separate.

Don't try to "talk it up" too much in advance...that seems to make kids more nervous than they need to be....just take them, and let them get used to it! Your older child's enthusiasm may well be contagious to the younger one!

[spinard2000]

Not sure about the age limits on Carnival, but they will have an "orientation" time, so you can go with the kids and check it out. You won't be allowed to stay once the club is "in session"....

Since your kids will be together, I'm betting the younger one will be fine....someone they know, and all that! Yes, they keep the age groups separate.

Don't try to "talk it up" too much in advance...that seems to make kids more nervous than they need to be....just take them, and let them get used to it! Your older child's enthusiasm may well be contagious to the younger one!

 

I did this cruise last Jan with the same itinerary, with a then 4.5 yr old and a 13 month old. I will agree totally with cb at sea. That's the same experience we had. IMO my son liked Carnival's kids club much better than NCL. GOod luck...too bad you're not on the Miracle, we could have playdates!

[jam82]

Camp Carnival will hold an orientation session the first day. You can fill out the forms there. The time for the orientation is usually posted in the capers. However, it wasn't on my last cruise and we missed it, so I registered the first time I brought my son to camp. They will also give you a beeper or a phone in case they have to contact you. If you want to come prepared, you can print the forms off the website and have them filled out when you arrive. The orientaion session is not usually held in Camp Carnival, but they do have an open house time where you can come and view it with the kids. Once the Camp starts, no adults are allowed. They seem to be strict on this.

 

The 2-5 age group is usually kept separate during the day. At night, for babysitting, they seem to combine activities with the older kids. I guess this really depends on what time of year you are cruising and if there are many kids on your cruise.

 

Sorry, we don't have any capers for the Liberty, but if you find capers for any ship for the 2-5 year old group they will all be similar. Someone on these boards is bound to have one posted.

 

We have been very happy with Camp Carnival and their services. My two year old has been on 8 cruises and has spent alot of time there. We are lucky that he loves going. Hopefully your younger one will follow the older one. Sometimes kids cry a little when they are dropped off. I think the best thing to do is leave them. Camp Carnival will call you if it last more than a few minutes. Camp Carnival experiences it all the time and they will work with the ones who are scared.

 

Have a great cruise.

[nybumpkin]

When you board, the Camp Carnival area will be open for tours and there will be a counselor there who can answer any questions you might have. You could stop by that afternoon with your kids so they can see the area with you and meet one of the counselors - I know when we did our first cruise, our youngest son (then 4) was so excited by the things he saw he could do in Camp Carnival there was no question but that he wanted to participate.

[A&Jfamily]

This is going to be our first family cruise...my girls are 2 1/2 and just turning 4. I have several questions I'm hoping that some of you more experienced can help me out with. Oh and we'll be on the Carnival Liberty....western caribbean.

 

* What do we do on the first day to sign them up? And is there any opportunity at the beginning of the cruise for the parents to go in there with the kids so that they can warm up to it a bit?

 

* Is there any way to get a copy of the Liberty's western caribbean capers for their activities?

 

* I know that they will be in the same group (age 2 1/2 and 4) but will they be mixed with the older kids or do they keep them totally separate?

 

* Any tips on how to get my younger one to want to go to the kids club?? (We don't plan to use it all day ever day but a few hours here and there would be a God-send!) My older one is very outgoing but the younger one is not so comfortable in new surroundings.

 

* Anything else we should know about or be prepared for at the kids club???

 

THANKS!

 

My DS has been in Camp Carnival since he was 2 - we are now ready to book his 5th cruise.

 

I don't know if anyone gave you the hours, but on sea days 9-12, 2-5, 6(for dinner @ Lido deck) and 7-10 back in camp. Port days they open early so mom and dad can head into port, without the kids. (We have done this 2 times because we wanted to take my older on an excursion that was no appropriate for the little one - that should tell you how much I trust this programs!) After 10 is a babysitting fee of about $6 per child/hr - we don't use it, so I am not sure of the details. We get a balcony room, so when we pick them up at 10, we can hang out and have a drink or two while they crash. I highly recommend a balcony room if you don't have one - works great at nap time too!

 

You can run a search for the capers for any of the ships - they don't vary all that much from ship to ship. But they will play games, do ABSeas (reading), ExerSeas (physical activity games), make art, have a movie, visit Freddy, have free play - just what you would expect for activities in this age group.

 

As for getting your child excited, if you are excited and relaxed about leaving her, she will probably be fine, especially since big sis is going the same place. Show her the website. The counselors are used to dealing with kids - and are masters at the separation anxiety thing. Occasionally, a child will cry - the best thing you can do is a parent is give a kiss, reassure you will return and head out. Kids do this at day care all the time and 2 min after mom or dad leaves, they are playing happily. And if for some reason, she won't settle, they will beep/page you.

 

Really, they are fantastic. My DS's first cruise, he was not 100% potty trained - and he had an little accident because he didn't make it to the potty in time and got his pants/shirt a little wet. Did the counselors sweat it? Not at all. They called and asked us to bring clean clothes. When I got there, he wasn't the slightest bit upset and they had him in extra shorts and a Freddie t-shirt (that was his to keep!). A quick change and he was back to playing.

 

Having "camp" is what, IMHO, makes cruising an ideal vacation for families with younger kids. Mom and dad can get the alone time they so desparately need when the little ones are small, the kids have a wonderfull time, and you still get plently of family time. Hope you have a great trip.

[MardiGras316]

We just did a Carnival cruise in May 2009 for our daughter's 5th birthday (She turned 5 the day we were at sea). Great experience! Very caring staff. I suggest you fill out the forms online in your Carnival account a week before your cruise. They close the window for filling out paperwork a few days before you set sail. It will be one less thing to do when you get on the ship.

 

Make sure you sign both you and your spouse (and any other adults traveling with you) up to be able to sign the kids in/out. I witnessed a grandmother trying to pick up her grandkids (They were verbal and could tell the staff it was their grandmother) but since she was not on the paperwork the staff would not let her take the kids. The mother had to come and put grandmother on the paperwork (As well as pick up the kids).

 

We never used the babysitting service because we all crashed by 10 each night.

 

I tipped the staff on the last day because they were very professional, very caring, and did a great job. My daughter now wants to cruise all the time because of the fun she had on that ship!