Camp Carnival/ Need Tips on Cruising on Breeze w/Toddler!

[cpapa84]

Hi all!

 

My husband and I will be taking our 2.5 year old daughter on the Breeze during the Christmas sailing, and the reason we picked this vacation was primarily because of Camp Carnival. I had no idea it was so impossible to find child care for the under three crowd - resorts, cruises, you name it, so hard to find!

 

I was just wondering if anyone could give us some tips on what to expect. Here are a few specific questions, or if you have any other general tips that would be great too!

 

-How much time do most small children spend in Camp Carnival? I was thinking that we would probably take her with us on 2 port days and leave here there on 2, and then also leave her there for a few hours for dinner/evening fun most nights while we have some adult time. I would love some free time during the day, too, to read a book or something and get some sun, but I don't know if that is pushing it with too much time.

 

-I feel like I am reading conflicting information about the swim diaper issue. My daughter actually was potty trained for about 6 weeks last summer and then it all went to pot when we decided to put her back in pull ups for a disney world trip, to try to prevent untimely accidents. I could probably get her potty trained again by Christmas if necessary.. are there any pools/water play activities/etc that she can go in if she is not potty trained? That will probably determine what I do. I have read in a few places that children must be potty trained, but I also swear I read they had a water area esp. for small children with diapers.

 

-Are there activities for us to do together with our daughter? I assume that they must have some kind of family activities that are not all drop-off related? I keep reading about a Dr. Seuss breakfast but I don't know how to book it?

 

-How do most people handle the dinner situation with small kids? Just eat separately? Try to get her to behave through the early seating?

 

Thanks!!!!

 

-

[serene56]

Camp is not opened all day. Open at 10 and closed at 12:40 for lunch. Open at 2 closed at 5. Open at 7 and fee based at 10:00

 

Activities run in 30 minute increments that are really enforced for this age group.

 

Kids can go to one activity or a few.

Depends on what you want to do. You will not be able to stay with your toddler. There is a closed circuit TV that you can see outside the camp

[serene56]

We sailed with an 18 month old. She did very well at dinner. We packed everything she needed as disposibles

 

We fed her the chilled soups using a straw. After dinner we went down to guest services where there is a door to the outside public deck and let her run some energy off. She wasn't going niwhere. She can't fall off the ship. This running got her somewhat settled to go see the night time show where she always seemed to fall asleep

[amyh13]

We took an extended family cruise when DS was 2.5. I chose carnival because they were the only cruiseline that let kids in the clubs at 2!

 

First night, club wasn't open so he was pretty restless for dinner. We let him eat with the club for the rest of the cruise. When they are under 5 the give you a phone to keep with you (and you can call it from any house phone)!

 

Night 2, they called me to pick him up after about 2 hrs which was fine. We usually picked him up by 9 every night so we had several hours of fun adult time for shows, casino, etc.

 

In the mornings on port days, they had unstructured playtime/cartoons. I would take him after breakfast and go back to the room to pack up for our shore excursions.

 

Between camp and my mother, I went two days without changing a diaper. Now THAT'S a vacation!

 

We always took him with us off of the boat so I don't know about how that works (and you will likely get some opinions on that topic).

 

He will be 9 on our next cruise and DD will be 5. He will have check-in/out privileges YIKES.

 

 

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