new2cruising2008 Posted March 3, 2007 #1 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Children's and Family's Programming on board My kids are so excited about Camp Carnival. They love day camp & have no separation issues. I'm looking forward to the family times and the couples times and some alone times! What is good about Camp Carnival? The slumber parties/extended babysitting? I read somewhere about a slumber party for the 9-11yo kids that lasts until 3:30am & then the counselors bring the kid to your cabin for you. Has anyone done that one? I also read that 9-11yos can sign themselves out? I don't want that - can I stop it? How are the counselors with the kids? Did you tip the couselors at the end of the cruise? My kids are of ages that they will not be in the same groupings (10, 8, 4) & they say they are ok with it. But if they aren't when the time comes, do the counselors help with crying or get big sis if needed? Will my kids spend time together in activities at all? In port: Do they have activities or babysitting while in port? Some of the ports don't seem to offer much to kids, or we're there for SOOOO long that I can't imagine my kids will want to be on land all day, or DH and I might want to try an excursion that is not age-appropriate. What are your experiences with slumber party/group babysitting vs. in-room babysitting? We're planning on a Carnival Triumph or Victory cruise in Jan. 2008 Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusinmama06 Posted March 3, 2007 #2 Share Posted March 3, 2007 What is good about Camp Carnival? The slumber parties/extended babysitting? I read somewhere about a slumber party for the 9-11yo kids that lasts until 3:30am & then the counselors bring the kid to your cabin for you. Has anyone done that one? Yes there are slumber parties, you pay $5 per hour after 10pm for this service. I have left my kids there but I always go pick them up when I am ready for bed. They usually outlast me. They have slumber parties for all ages, even the younger ones. They bring milk/cookies in for the party and watch movies. If you don't want your child to sign out, then don't give signing out priviledges. How are the counselors with the kids? Did you tip the couselors at the end of the cruise? Your kids will be in the same big room, just doing different things. The counselors are good, not fabulous. I had some issues with the ones on Elation. I thought they did too much clock watching (you go to drop your child off for the formal dinner at 6:55pm and they will stand there staring at their watch till EXACTLY 7pm before they take your child) Also, my one daughter was yelled at by another child and instead of correcting the other child, my 6 year old was told that she had "exactly 2 seconds to quit crying". They have a group tip jar on the last night of the cruise at the door of the camp. In port: Do they have activities or babysitting while in port? I honestly don't remember the port day hours because we always took our children with us. What are your experiences with slumber party/group babysitting vs. in-room babysitting? You know that Carnival doesn't have in-room babysitting right, only RCCL has that. I prefer the group setting because my kids think of it as one big party, not babysitting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new2cruising2008 Posted March 3, 2007 Author #3 Share Posted March 3, 2007 You really are a cruisinmama! I see your posts everywhere & you have all the 411 I've been asking about. I've read so many brochures and websites that I think I got the in-room & group babysitting mixed up. Thanks for reminding me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusinmama06 Posted March 3, 2007 #4 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Here's some added info you might not have read about. Carnival has a Build A Buddy program (like Build A Bear) that allows your child to pick an animal, stuff it, name it and dress it in a Camp Carnival T-Shirt...makes a great souvenir. The cost is $19.99 The first night on the cruise, instead of chocolates on the pillows, your kids will get smilie cookies. :D There is a talent show that the camp carnival kids put on in the main theatre, it's really cute. It lasts an hour, even the 2 year olds participate. Pick your kids up a lanyard in the gift shop (or one at WalMart before you leave) then your kids can wear their set sail pases around their necks (just like they do at Disney, think pin lanyards) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
citcatt1 Posted March 4, 2007 #5 Share Posted March 4, 2007 My son LOVES camp carnival he has been on 3 cruises and his favorite part of the cruise is camp carnival. He did the slumber party too, but I also picked him up, I was just to tired. The kids had pillows and blankets and they watched a movie on a big screen they had in camp carnival. I also did not let my son sign himself out....I think 9yr olds or even 10 or 11 is to young to sign themselves out. camp carnival is great!:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2krazykats Posted March 4, 2007 #6 Share Posted March 4, 2007 This is a great thread and very timely for us. Please post if you had any experiences with the younger kids and Camp Carnival. I've read so much on this board and gotten great info, I had to make a spreadsheet to keep track of all the offerings from different cruise lines and ships! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachnh Posted March 5, 2007 #7 Share Posted March 5, 2007 This is a great thread and very timely for us. Please post if you had any experiences with the younger kids and Camp Carnival. I just did the Carnival Liberty in January with my 2,4, and twin six year olds. Since you want to know about the younger than five I will tell you my youngest two had a blast! I got a cell phone the first day we signed them in. I only got a call once when Funship Freddy came in a scared the living daylights out of my two year old and she started crying. I took her out for an hour and calmed her down. Then she wanted to go back as long as the couselors promised Freddy wasn't coming back. lol The latest my youngest ever stayed in Camp Carnival was 10pm. That was enough for them. They did fun things like play-doh, t-shirt coloring, prince & princess party, there is something offered every hour. An example of our day in Nassau. We got up and all had breakfast together. I wanted to go pack a bag for the beach. We looked on the capers and told the kids they could come with us to back the bag or go play. They chose to play and my husband and I could pack the bag calmy and grab a cup of coffee outside before we left. We spent the morning 9-1 at the beach (BCH in Nassau was great!) and came back to the ship. We ate lunch and at 2 the kids were begging me to go back to Camp Carnival. They were in from 2-4 while my husband and I lied out by the pool. Ok, so maybe a I had a few Miami Vices too :) Then at four we brought them to our room to get ready for dinner. We had the early dinner. We ate dinner as a famliy then at 7:30 they all wanted to go back to Camp Carnival again. We spied on the 6 year olds in the disco getting dance lessons. It was so cute. At 9:30 we picked them up and got them all down for the night. It was a great mix of family time and alone time. HTH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2krazykats Posted March 5, 2007 #8 Share Posted March 5, 2007 Teachnh, thanks for the post. That makes me feel a whole lot better about Carnival. I'm sure each child is different but I hope my kids will be OK with being there alone. They go to daycare every day so they should be comfortable in a group setting but I'm sure there will be separation anxieties in the beginning. Did the waiters have any issues if/when your kids acted up during dinner? I know on the cruises we've been on, dinner is like just eating at a restaurant and the kids get antsy after 1/2 hour. Hopefully they bring out the kids' food first as ours are always hungry. Elizabeth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachnh Posted March 5, 2007 #9 Share Posted March 5, 2007 The waiters were wonderful. They get a kids menu that has things to color while waiting. The waiter asked us when we wanted the food to be brought out. Our kids wait well for dinner but are DONE when the eating is done so we had them hold our their meals until ours were done. One night they made animals out of towels to entertain the kids while we were waiting for dessert. It was a great experience. For the 2 & 4 year old I brought the Color Wonder tablets to draw on. That way the marker only appears on the paper! For my daughter (2) I also brought a mini Dora doll. My 4 year old son had a few hotwheels with him. Small toys that kept them entertained. The 6 year olds just loved watching everything. The Camp Carnival rooms are so colorful and inviting I didn't have any issues with them wanting to go in. My kids only go to preschool twice a week, besides the first graders. I know next time to let them know my youngest is afraid of Freddy! :) So if your child is afraid of characters at Disney or Chuck E Cheese just let them know!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusinmama06 Posted March 5, 2007 #10 Share Posted March 5, 2007 This is a great thread and very timely for us. Please post if you had any experiences with the younger kids and Camp Carnival. I've read so much on this board and gotten great info, I had to make a spreadsheet to keep track of all the offerings from different cruise lines and ships! My info was for the 2-5 year old crowd, my daughter is 2. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
As You Wish Posted March 6, 2007 #11 Share Posted March 6, 2007 I have to agree that this is a great thread.:D I'm so glad to hear about all the great experiences with kids on a cruise, especially with Camp Carnival. I'm planning a cruise for December on Carnival when my daughter will have just turned two and was a little unsure about what to expect. You all have helped set my mind at ease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitgb Posted March 6, 2007 #12 Share Posted March 6, 2007 I have a four year old and a child that will be 17 months when we are thinking of cruising. What childcare does the Carnival cruise lines offer for the baby? I understand there will be a fee and am fine with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelOfDistress Posted March 6, 2007 #13 Share Posted March 6, 2007 For children under 2 years old : See days : 12pm to 2pm (you can either stay with your child for free or leave them for 6$ per hour) Port days : 7am to 12pm (hours are subject to change on port days depending at what hour the ship arrives to port) (6$ per hour) Every day : 10pm to 3am (6$ per hour) Disembarkation morning : not sure about the hours (6$ per hour, you have to pay in cash since they don't take sail and sign cards on disembarkation day). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegasgirl6 Posted March 6, 2007 #14 Share Posted March 6, 2007 I'll be taking my family on the Liberty for Thanksgiving. My treat for my 60th Birthday. I'm a little disappointed to read that you can't get a baby sitter in the room. My 2 year old grandson will be with us, including mom and dad and my other daughter and boyfriend. I really thought they had babysitting in the room. Any chance that could change? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusinmama06 Posted March 6, 2007 #15 Share Posted March 6, 2007 I'll be taking my family on the Liberty for Thanksgiving. My treat for my 60th Birthday. I'm a little disappointed to read that you can't get a baby sitter in the room. My 2 year old grandson will be with us, including mom and dad and my other daughter and boyfriend. I really thought they had babysitting in the room. Any chance that could change? No, I doubt that will change. I have to say that your grandson would have a much better time at the camp anyway. I swear I couldn't get my 2 year old out of it, even late at night. She wanted me to leave and come back. :rolleyes: On RCCL, they don't have kids club counselors doing the in cabin babysitting...it's just any crew member who volunteers to do it. So availability is limited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachnh Posted March 6, 2007 #16 Share Posted March 6, 2007 No, I doubt that will change. I have to say that your grandson would have a much better time at the camp anyway. I swear I couldn't get my 2 year old out of it, even late at night. She wanted me to leave and come back. :rolleyes: I have to agree with that! My 2 year old loved going. There is so much more for them to do in Camp Carnival! If you bring them after 10 pm you can bring them in their pj's and they will have them asleep for you to carry back to your cabin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowie Posted March 6, 2007 #17 Share Posted March 6, 2007 we're travelling with another family this summer and our daughters are 11 (almost 12) and 13. does anyone think we can get them into the same group? if they're not together then they won't want to go at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusinmama06 Posted March 6, 2007 #18 Share Posted March 6, 2007 we're travelling with another family this summer and our daughters are 11 (almost 12) and 13. does anyone think we can get them into the same group? if they're not together then they won't want to go at all. It REALLY depends. Usually the answer is no. But you can talk to the camp counselors. I've seen parents try to make their case with the counselors to try to keep siblings together. We have 14 kids (so far) going with us in August. All of them under 6. God help those counselors. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegasgirl6 Posted March 6, 2007 #19 Share Posted March 6, 2007 I hope you are right about my grandson wanting to be at the Camp. He's so attached to his mom. I really hope he will like it. Being we are not going until Thanksgiving, that gives him a little time to "detach". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sasha19 Posted March 6, 2007 #20 Share Posted March 6, 2007 I hope you are right about my grandson wanting to be at the Camp. He's so attached to his mom. I really hope he will like it. Being we are not going until Thanksgiving, that gives him a little time to "detach". Over the years that we have cruised, we have seen a lot of parents that were afraid their children would not like camp carnival... what I always seem to hear later is that they cried when they first dropped off and then made so many friends there was no problem at all. They had trouble getting them out. My son is 5 and has been cruising since 3... I cannot get him to leave camp carnival and he is a mommy's boy... they are really good with them and there are so many activities and other children... I think your grandson will have a wonderful time... I am assuming that mom would not be in the room while the babysitter is there and camp carnival gives beepers to reach the parents if he is missing her way too much. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUTUMN SUN Posted March 7, 2007 #21 Share Posted March 7, 2007 "Carnival has a Build A Buddy program (like Build A Bear) that allows your child to pick an animal, stuff it, name it and dress it in a Camp Carnival T-Shirt...makes a great souvenir. The cost is $19.99" Is this only for a certain age group, or can any age child make this? Thanks!:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miss_jevious Posted March 7, 2007 #22 Share Posted March 7, 2007 We have been on 5 cruises and our children are 17, 13, and 12. Since the very first cruise, 3 years ago with them, they LOVE camp carnival. We have to literally drag them out with us for some family time! lol Usually we pass them and they are hurrying around and when we stop them they rush us because they say "we are doing ....." Every year we ask them if they want to do something different for vacation and get a resounding NO, we want to cruise, when is our next one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegasgirl6 Posted March 7, 2007 #23 Share Posted March 7, 2007 Thanks very much for the words of encourgement. I'm hoping the cruise will be fun for everyone. Maybe by November my grandson will not be so attached to mom. I really want him to have fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusinmama06 Posted March 7, 2007 #24 Share Posted March 7, 2007 "Carnival has a Build A Buddy program (like Build A Bear) that allows your child to pick an animal, stuff it, name it and dress it in a Camp Carnival T-Shirt...makes a great souvenir. The cost is $19.99" Is this only for a certain age group, or can any age child make this? Thanks!:) Any age can do this. You can even do it in your own cabin. Just stop by the camp and ask for the build a buddy package. They will give you a package all ready to go back to your room. The buddies even come in their own little cardboard house. This is my 2 year old with her buddy after a day at camp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUTUMN SUN Posted March 7, 2007 #25 Share Posted March 7, 2007 Any age can do this. You can even do it in your own cabin. Just stop by the camp and ask for the build a buddy package. They will give you a package all ready to go back to your room. The buddies even come in their own little cardboard house. This is my 2 year old with her buddy after a day at camp.[/qu HOW CUTE!!!! Thanks so much!:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.