Camp Carnival and toddlers

[KayKay14]

My family and I are going on our first cruise since our son was born. He is 2 and we plan to utilize Camp Carnival for at least a couple hours a day, hopefully.

 

Does anyone have any experience with using Camp Carnival with a young toddler? He is still in diapers - will they change diapers? I'm assuming that if they do we'd drop off a bag with diapers for them to use, right?

 

Any ideas on how many children per counselors that they have in that age group? I'm sure that can vary...

 

What do they provide as far as snacks/meals etc? Would we leave his sippy and snack cups with him?

 

Also, are the kids able to nap there if they want? I'm guessing I'll take him back to our cabin for naps, but just in case.

 

Any info or personal experiences with Camp Carnival are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[brookeq]

I am not sure about the diapers.

 

You will get a phone that they can contact you on at any time. So maybe they will call for diaper changes. Not sure my little girl was potty trained when we just went.

 

They do not take naps. They encourage the kids to participate in the activity they are doing. If they are not participating they will often call you to come get the child. They do let them lay down in the evening.

 

If you use the night owls (paying for watching after 10 pm) they do let them go to sleep.

 

They do not feed them in the camp except for scheduled dinner time.

 

My 2 year old really enjoyed camp. But she was closer to 3.

[Prinycesa07]

Yes they change diapers. I think i read as long as they fit on the changing table otherwise they call you to come back and change them?

 

We sailed last year a couple weeks after my son turned 2. It was a disaster, he hated it and was too young for it (not in general, just him personally). We tried 3 times, they called us within 15 minutes to come pick him up every time. He just wasnt ready to be away from me yet. We are cruising in 2 months and he will be 3 then. Hes definitely ready now. Hes so excited about "kids club". Difference being that now he goes to a preschool program on Friday mornings and also does fine with baby sitters now. Hes much more independent than a year ago. I can leave him somewhere and he will look back at me, wave, smile and say "Bye Mommy!". A year ago he would have needed to been pried off my leg. So, really, its so different with each kid.

 

Yes you can bring a sippy cup. You also bring a bag with diapers and wipes labeled with their name.

[med9114u]

Just do not be disappointed if they do not stay at first...when our daughter was 2 she stayed there about an hour total on the 7 day cruise, but now we cannot get her out of there. Children are different though, so you may not have any issues. Most of your questions have been answered except one that I saw that I've had a different experience...naps, if your child does not want to participate in the activity going on (at 2 that is hard to do), the child can play with toys on their own or with other children that do not want to participate or they can nap if they are tired, they will provide a pillow and blanket.

Edited February 27, 2014 by med9114u

[Mrs CruisinCritter]

My son turned 2 on September 28th and we set sail on the Pride on September 29th. We took him to CC a few times. I've been a stay at home mom so he's never been to daycare or had a babysitter that wasn't a family member so he was very uncomfortable when we dropped him off. When he would start crying we would try to take him somewhere else, but he would start crying harder and beg to go back and "play with kids" as he called CC. He would always cry for a few minutes when we dropped him off. It got to be so stressful when we would drop off that we didn't even try it a couple of the days, but he had a blast when he finally calmed down and started playing.

 

When we took him, there were about 10 kids or so in there at a time and 3-4 counselors depending on the time of day. Be sure to take a sippy cup just in case your little one wants a drink. They don't give them snacks during the day because some kids may have food allergies. The only time snacks are served is when they are having a party like the last night when they decorate tshirts during the free time or if they have a paid activity at night.

 

They will have you bring in a few diapers and a small thing of wipes. We got our son a little backpack leash thingy before we went on that cruise and just put a few diapers and a travel sized pack of wipes in it for diaper changes. They give you a phone to carry around the ship and they will call if there are any issues or your child just gets bored and wants picked up.

 

The best piece of advice that I can offer is to go at your child's pace. If you normally use daycare then it may not take long for your child to adjust to CC. If not then just go at their pace. A lot of stress and anxiety came at drop off time no matter how bad our little guy wanted to go play with the other kids and all of the toys, but we took our time and things went well.

[Spiralshell]

Lots of good advice above.

Also plan on short doses of camp. Try 30 min the first time just to see how it goes. Go longer on subsequent visits if all is well.

My son was 2.5 when we cruised on the Miracle and he was a little overwhelmed by camp at first since it was his first time away from family members. But he warmed up quickly because there were dump trucks to play with :)

I left him but stayed nearby -- reading my book on the indoor promenade a few decks down from camp.

I think the longest he stayed was 1.5 hours at a time. And he was so worn out with walking so many stairs and all over the ship that he fell asleep at dinner every night and never went to night owls!

So be prepared for a different pace cruising with a 2 year old :) He absolutely loved the ship and it was a great family vacation -- stay flexible and you'll have a great time!

 

 

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[AmberTeka]

Lots of good advice above.

Also plan on short doses of camp. Try 30 min the first time just to see how it goes. Go longer on subsequent visits if all is well.

My son was 2.5 when we cruised on the Miracle and he was a little overwhelmed by camp at first since it was his first time away from family members. But he warmed up quickly because there were dump trucks to play with :)

I left him but stayed nearby -- reading my book on the indoor promenade a few decks down from camp.

I think the longest he stayed was 1.5 hours at a time. And he was so worn out with walking so many stairs and all over the ship that he fell asleep at dinner every night and never went to night owls!

So be prepared for a different pace cruising with a 2 year old :) He absolutely loved the ship and it was a great family vacation -- stay flexible and you'll have a great time!

 

 

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I never cease to be amazed at the nuggets of information you find out on these boards. We sail in two weeks + a few days. My granddaughter. Age 3 going on 10..will be with me..Papa. Mom Dad. So we will use Camp Carnival. She is already signed up. I had planned on taking her. Meeting the staff. And then leaving her but staying close. Where? I could not think of anywhere. The INSIDE PROMENADE............with a book...........exactly what I wanted to know. Thank You...........now for the dummy ( me) that would be...........the deck where the Casino is? Or the Ocean Plaza?

 

thanks. She is a very exuberant child...who has been very sheltered. And I don't mean misbehaved. She is just very sunshiny. And bright. She is the apple of my eye, and I cannot stand the thought of her being unhappy. So Granny with a phone.. close by...sounds great. Thank you so much..

[Spiralshell]

Which ship? The spirit class ships (Miracle, Pride, Spirit) have this nice promenade just down the stairs from camp, forward on deck 2 I think it is. But every ship has quiet spots to sit -- I'm sure you'll find a good place! And remember you'll have the camp phone -- they will call if you're needed.

I hope you and your granddaughter have an amazing and memorable cruise!

 

 

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[Freckle53]

Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences with toddlers and Camp Carnival. My youngest will have just turned 2 before we sail. I'm hoping he spends some time there, but I know some little ones have a difficult time leaving mom and dad.

[JinxyB]

Everyone has pretty much said what I wanted to say about cruising with a 2 y/o, but I wanted to suggest going to the Family board on Cruise Critic as there is a ton of info over there! I don't know what ship you are going on, but try to go on one with the mini water slides-my son loved those and they are perfect for little kids...have to be 42' to go on big slides, though