CCL - Babysitting Q's

[RizzoLee]

Hey all!

 

My BFF's family and mine will be sailing in April 2010. She has twin 2.5 yo boys, and we're DINKs (hopefully for not much longer though!). :)

 

For Camp Carnival, I realize they close during specific times during the day. Will they babysit during this time (12pm-2pm and 5-6pm) or is absolutely closed? This is DH and my first time cruising with kids, and BFF has never been on CCL with the kids yet. We usually spend a day around the pool with a few drinks on the cruise (one of us will remain responsible at all times), but didn't want to expose the kids to the strong sunlight at lunchtime.

 

Trying to keep everyone happy and healthy. :)

 

TIA!

[Carolin]

This from the Carnival site:

 

Babysitting is provided for ages 0-11, nightly, from 10:00pm to 3:00am. There is a charge for this service (see "Babysitting").

 

Toddlers (Age 2 - 5)

 

Camp Carnival's age-appropriate activities are sure to delight all toddlers. From finger painting to cartoon time, arts and crafts to puppet shows, your little ones are sure to have a blast!

 

Toddlers do not have to be potty-trained in order to be part of Camp Carnival; parents simply need to provide the youth staff with diapers and toiletries for their child.

Other activities for toddlers include:

• Sing-a-longs
  
• Play dough sculptures
  
• Picture Bingo
  
• Story time
  
• Talent shows
  
• Puppet shows
  
• Memory games
  
• Face painting
  
• And more...
  

[serene56]

Camps ARE closed from noon til 2 every day. and most days are closed from 5pm til 7pm so there will be no camps at that time.

 

You can take the kids under 2 to play but a parent must stay with the kids at that time.

 

suggestion--- get the kids for a nap between 12 and 2.

[RizzoLee]

I had thought I had read somewhere that babysitting was available between 12pm-2pm, I suppose I read wrong. We were trying to have 'adult time' then (reminiscing of our last vacations together pre-kids), but I guess a parent will have to leave.

 

What about port days and excursions? Does it still close during the day then? We wanted to do Dunn's River Falls, but I can't picture BFF going if she's rushed.

[Carolin]

Your BFF is going to have a wonderful cruise but it will be a very different kind of cruise from pre-kids. Her twins are going to keep her and her husband busy. The advantage they will have is not having to clean and cook. They will have some adult time if the kids take well to Camp Carnival. They will figure that out the first day. I don't know too many parents who would leave thier kids on the ship without at least one of the parents being on board in case something happens.

[serene56]

I had thought I had read somewhere that babysitting was available between 12pm-2pm, I suppose I read wrong. We were trying to have 'adult time' then (reminiscing of our last vacations together pre-kids), but I guess a parent will have to leave.

 

What about port days and excursions? Does it still close during the day then? We wanted to do Dunn's River Falls, but I can't picture BFF going if she's rushed.

 

I agree with the above poster-- the cruise you have coming up is going to be completly different from the Before kids cruise.

Those kids will be needing naps-- and going to bed early etc.

Port days the camps are opened. But you might want to rethink that part- Suppose if something happened and you cant get back to the ship- those two kids are going to be sailing all alone. (not that stuff happens all the time--)

but camps ask that you pick the kids up by noon.

 

Thats plenty of time to do the falls. (thats a long time to leave 2 1/2 year olds

 

pick late dinner- put the kids in camp from 7-10 and have your dinner and show as adults.

 

(but that late night for kids will make awful cranky kids the next day)

[jam82]

Camp Carnival is totally closed from 12pm-2pm and usually from 5pm-7pm. If your ship has waterworks and the kids are potty trained, you could all hang out in the water works area where the kids could run around and play on the slides.

 

We always get late seating or anytime dining. We love the new anytime dining. When we did late seating, we were always assigned with other families. So even if we took our son to camp carnival, we ended up eating with other children. At least if my son misbehaves, I can give him a consequence. If other people's children misbehave, there is nothing to do but bite my lip. If you get early seating then camp would be closed.

 

On sea days camp is open all day. It depends on the port times, but it is usually open from arrival in port unitl 5:00pm. Then they close from 5-6, have dinner from 6-7 and open up again at 7.

 

We have been very happy with Camp Carnival. If the kids stay after 10pm, it cost $6 for the first and $4 for the second child. Late night is babysitting, so the kids usually play a little and then settle down with a movie. They give them blankets and pillows.

[MamaParrotHead]

Your BFF is going to have a wonderful cruise but it will be a very different kind of cruise from pre-kids. Her twins are going to keep her and her husband busy. The advantage they will have is not having to clean and cook. They will have some adult time if the kids take well to Camp Carnival. They will figure that out the first day. I don't know too many parents who would leave thier kids on the ship without at least one of the parents being on board in case something happens.

 

I agree with all of the above. That's what someone equally as wise said to me about it (that it would be equally as good of a cruise, just different) and that helped set my expectations. The only real difference I noticed was having to remember to go get them on sea days when camp was closing and having to hustle a lot more to get us all ready for dinner.

 

My kids LOVED Camp...BEGGED to go every night after dinner, which was great and gave us a few hours to take advantage of some of the nightlife.

[RizzoLee]

Thanks all, we're well aware this will be a different cruise than others, simply wanted -one- afternoon like we used to have without exposing the kids to too much sun. I suppose SPF 50 will be the rule of the day and shade for the munchkins with lunch if they choose not to nap. They've been on DCL before when they were 18 mo and apparently were very pleasant. :)

 

We're all marked as 'approved' to take the kids out of Camp Carnival, so will be taking turns child-minding. DH and I will also have a lot of our 'own' time as well so they can be together as a family. DH and I may end up doing the falls by ourselves.

 

I got BFF a gc for Christmas to put towards babysitting one night to hit the club. :D We were considering getting a balcony so the kids can nap while we're outside, but BFF chose not to get one and we couldn't justify spending the $ so her kids could nap, lol.

 

Thanks for your help.