Will a 5 Yr Old be bored in Camp Carnival 2-5 Age Group?

[Chan_T]

We are looking at cruise options next year and the Carnival Breeze is currently on our list. I see that the youngest age group is for 2 - 5 year olds. Our DD will be 5...close to 6 when we sail. For those of you who have had 5 year olds in that group, was your child bored? I guess I'm just thinking that the activities and things she enjoys now are very different than those she enjoyed / liked when she was 2 - 3. Thanks.

[cb at sea]

Nope...he will be in the perfect age group! They are really good about the ages/activities! No worries!!

[Chan_T]

Thanks! She did really well in the kids club on the Silhouette and loved many of the activities that they did.

[rolloman]

We are looking at cruise options next year and the Carnival Breeze is currently on our list. I see that the youngest age group is for 2 - 5 year olds. Our DD will be 5...close to 6 when we sail. For those of you who have had 5 year olds in that group, was your child bored? I guess I'm just thinking that the activities and things she enjoys now are very different than those she enjoyed / liked when she was 2 - 3. Thanks.

 

I was recently on the Breeze, the only issue I see is your almost 6 year old may not have as much fun in the 2-5, seemed to me to be a lot of crying babies in there. I know of one family who successfully moved their 5 year old to the next level. They gave a free trial for him and it was successful so he was able to stay in the older group the rest of the cruise. Each cruise is different, survey the situation night one and then go from there. On this particular ship it seems you do have options.

[Chan_T]

I was recently on the Breeze, the only issue I see is your almost 6 year old may not have as much fun in the 2-5, seemed to me to be a lot of crying babies in there. I know of one family who successfully moved their 5 year old to the next level. They gave a free trial for him and it was successful so he was able to stay in the older group the rest of the cruise. Each cruise is different, survey the situation night one and then go from there. On this particular ship it seems you do have options.

 

Thanks! We will definitely keep that in mind. If there are a lot of crying babies in that age group when we travel, then I know she won't be happy.

Edited December 29, 2014 by Chan_T

[4Tacos]

We cruised in February 2014 on a 7 day when my son was 5. He would turn 6 in May. He would have totally been fine in the 6-8 year old group but we didn't make any requests. He stayed in the 2-5 year old group the entire cruise. He was fine but by the end of the cruise he had started to become clingy and didn't want to go to camp. I honestly believe he was just done with all the younger kids in the room. He is our youngest and has an older brother and prefers to do things the older kids are doing. We made it through OK and most kids probably will. I am, however, thankful that on our upcoming cruise he will move into the 6-8 year old group. IMO, the counselors will make or break it for your child. They will make your child feel like a big kid or like a baby. If they treat your child like a baby, then it will probably be a lot harder for your child. Go and see how it goes. I've heard of people getting moves after a request is made. I did not make a request so i don't have that experience.

 

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[Chan_T]

We cruised in February 2014 on a 7 day when my son was 5. He would turn 6 in May. He would have totally been fine in the 6-8 year old group but we didn't make any requests. He stayed in the 2-5 year old group the entire cruise. He was fine but by the end of the cruise he had started to become clingy and didn't want to go to camp. I honestly believe he was just done with all the younger kids in the room. He is our youngest and has an older brother and prefers to do things the older kids are doing. We made it through OK and most kids probably will. I am, however, thankful that on our upcoming cruise he will move into the 6-8 year old group. IMO, the counselors will make or break it for your child. They will make your child feel like a big kid or like a baby. If they treat your child like a baby, then it will probably be a lot harder for your child. Go and see how it goes. I've heard of people getting moves after a request is made. I did not make a request so i don't have that experience.

 

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Thanks for sharing your experience. If we decide on the Breeze, then we will consider making the request for her to move to the 6 - 8 year old group.

[nickykat]

I was wondering the same thing- mine will be 6 just 5 days after we finish the cruise, and he gets along way better with his (will be) 10 year old brother than his 3 year old sister. I asked when booking and they said he would be put in the 2-5 age group.

Edited January 7, 2015 by nickykat

[4Tacos]

I was wondering the same thing- mine will be 6 just 5 days after we finish the cruise, and he gets along way better with his (will be) 10 year old brother than his 3 year old sister. I asked when booking and they said he would be put in the 2-5 age group.

 

From what I've read you may be able to make a request once on board. You just need to talk to the actual counselors on the ship. Another factor will be the time of year you are going. If it is peak season, then they probably will say no but if you are cruising in off months when there aren't as many kids then you may have a chance.

 

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Edited January 7, 2015 by 4Tacos

[A&Jfamily]

We are looking at cruise options next year and the Carnival Breeze is currently on our list. I see that the youngest age group is for 2 - 5 year olds. Our DD will be 5...close to 6 when we sail. For those of you who have had 5 year olds in that group, was your child bored? I guess I'm just thinking that the activities and things she enjoys now are very different than those she enjoyed / liked when she was 2 - 3. Thanks.

 

 

Not at all. My son has a late March birthday and we often cruise a few weeks before due to spring break. He started in Camp Carnival at 2 (just shy of 3) and is taking his 7th or 8th cruise in a couple of months at almost 11.

 

If you google you will see that they play games, have free play, do movies, read books, do art projects etc, so it really should be fine. There will likely also be other "kindergartners" in the group and there is tons of staff to keep the kids involved.

[Chan_T]

Not at all. My son has a late March birthday and we often cruise a few weeks before due to spring break. He started in Camp Carnival at 2 (just shy of 3) and is taking his 7th or 8th cruise in a couple of months at almost 11.

 

If you google you will see that they play games, have free play, do movies, read books, do art projects etc, so it really should be fine. There will likely also be other "kindergartners" in the group and there is tons of staff to keep the kids involved.

 

Thanks. Did your son visit the camp during each of your previous cruises? If so, has he enjoyed the activities in the various age groups? Thanks.

[A&Jfamily]

Thanks. Did your son visit the camp during each of your previous cruises? If so, has he enjoyed the activities in the various age groups? Thanks.

 

My youngest son has been in camp every year since he was 2, and he is about to be 11. So he has done the 2-5, 6-8 and has now almost worked his way through the 9-11 group. He is athletic by nature so loves it when they play physical games, but he brings back his fair share of art projects, colored t-shirts etc. He is social by nature and is always ready to go to camp at 9 on sea days when they open. When he was younger we would pick him up for lunch (he signs out now and meets us), and then he will usually go back in the afternoon for all or part of the activities depending on what they are; other times, he wants to go the slides, pool or play putt putt. We require both our sons to be back in the cabin an hour before dinner (early seating) to rest and shower and dress. And like clockwork, at 7, he is ready to go to camp until 10 pm; very rarely will he opt to stay with us and go to the show, unless is it say the hypnotist.

 

My oldest started cruising at 8 and is 16.5 now. He went through an awkward phase in his early teens and didn't care much for the 12-14 group; but I truly think that was a combination of him (his dad died when he was 11) and the fact that there are often not a TON of kids with our early spring break. As he has entered the 15-17 group he has had much more fun and makes a friend or two and spends his evenings with the group - sometimes until way late - long after mom and dad are asleep.

 

Port days are an entirely different matter because we are always off the ship and spending good quality family time, and often not back on until late in the afternoon and the boys often just want to chill in the room before dinner. So then, they are really extra excited for camp at night because they have had all the family time they can take!:p

 

I am a firm believer that kids "read" their parents; if mom and dad are encouraging and supportive of something and accept it as the norm, the kid just goes along with it. With that mindset, I have just figured that they go in the group they are assigned and they have never questioned and simply gone and had fun.

 

The 2-5 and 6-8 groups are always in the same general space (sometimes even the 9-11, depending on the ship). Often in the evenings they are all curled up together with pillows and blankets watching a movie by 8 or 8:30. So I would not fret the classification of my late 5 yo - the rules are the rules and unless and until the child complained on their own and it was validated by the counselors, I personally would not chose to rock the ship so to speak and ask for an exception.

[Chan_T]

My youngest son has been in camp every year since he was 2, and he is about to be 11. So he has done the 2-5, 6-8 and has now almost worked his way through the 9-11 group. He is athletic by nature so loves it when they play physical games, but he brings back his fair share of art projects, colored t-shirts etc. He is social by nature and is always ready to go to camp at 9 on sea days when they open. When he was younger we would pick him up for lunch (he signs out now and meets us), and then he will usually go back in the afternoon for all or part of the activities depending on what they are; other times, he wants to go the slides, pool or play putt putt. We require both our sons to be back in the cabin an hour before dinner (early seating) to rest and shower and dress. And like clockwork, at 7, he is ready to go to camp until 10 pm; very rarely will he opt to stay with us and go to the show, unless is it say the hypnotist.

 

My oldest started cruising at 8 and is 16.5 now. He went through an awkward phase in his early teens and didn't care much for the 12-14 group; but I truly think that was a combination of him (his dad died when he was 11) and the fact that there are often not a TON of kids with our early spring break. As he has entered the 15-17 group he has had much more fun and makes a friend or two and spends his evenings with the group - sometimes until way late - long after mom and dad are asleep.

 

Port days are an entirely different matter because we are always off the ship and spending good quality family time, and often not back on until late in the afternoon and the boys often just want to chill in the room before dinner. So then, they are really extra excited for camp at night because they have had all the family time they can take!:p

 

I am a firm believer that kids "read" their parents; if mom and dad are encouraging and supportive of something and accept it as the norm, the kid just goes along with it. With that mindset, I have just figured that they go in the group they are assigned and they have never questioned and simply gone and had fun.

 

The 2-5 and 6-8 groups are always in the same general space (sometimes even the 9-11, depending on the ship). Often in the evenings they are all curled up together with pillows and blankets watching a movie by 8 or 8:30. So I would not fret the classification of my late 5 yo - the rules are the rules and unless and until the child complained on their own and it was validated by the counselors, I personally would not chose to rock the ship so to speak and ask for an exception.

Thank you for the feedback! :)