Camp Carnival

[TheRobber]

We leave for the Imagination in 21 days! Way too exciting and we are taking the kids. My question is regarding Camp Carnival - I understand this is to give the children a great cruise experience and alone time for the adults. Has anyone ever had a vacation where the kids spent too much time at Camp Carnival and it turned out to not be a family vacation? I am looking forward to spending time with husband and both boys (6 and 9) but I don't want us to be apart the entire time we are on the ship. Thank you in advance for your replies.

[scapino]

We leave for the Imagination in 21 days! Way too exciting and we are taking the kids. My question is regarding Camp Carnival - I understand this is to give the children a great cruise experience and alone time for the adults. Has anyone ever had a vacation where the kids spent too much time at Camp Carnival and it turned out to not be a family vacation? I am looking forward to spending time with husband and both boys (6 and 9) but I don't want us to be apart the entire time we are on the ship. Thank you in advance for your replies.

 

Ports of call and meals are great times to make this a truly family together fest. On sea days and after dinner would be a good time for your kids to meet others in their age bracket, just like you'll do. HAVE FUN

[DqALEX]

It happends to me on every cruise. My kids go to the camp and love it. They also like to eat with the camp and go to the shows with the camp. We spend time together in ports but they tell me they are on vacation too and like to spend it at camp carnival.

[jaddsnana]

A friend of ours had there 7 year old daughter go to Camp Carnival and she loved it. They went to pick her up one night and she didn't want to leave. Your kids will probably love it too. Like the other people on this thread said, you can spend time in ports with your kids and meals. Have a great cruise! :)

[BoooR6]

My daughter will be 2 1/2 years old when we sail in Jan and I have a few questions as this will be our first cruise taking her;

1. Are there highchairs in dining rooms?

2. We have an Inside stateroom(cheapest) what are the sleeping arrangements? Is a small cot there for toddlers?

3. Do they have nap time and meals/snacks at Camp Carnival?

[doctordi]

There are certain times during the day that the camp is closed - such as during lunch and just before dinner.

 

I've found that if the children are happy and having fun, then the parents are happy and having fun. There will still be lots of together time.

[LHP]

We started cruising as a family when our boys were about the same age as yours.

 

Even if both of them stayed at Camp Carnival the entire time, we still had plenty of "family time".

 

The day you embark, there is no Camp Carnival. There is only orientation around 7PM, fill out a sheet of information etc and then a get together with kids AND parents so the kids can get acquainted with the counselors around 9PM.

 

Camp Carnival starts at 9AM the next morning. We would take the boys at 9 and pick them up for lunch at noon. Then we would eat lunch together and swim until 2pm. They would go back to CC at 2 until 5pm. Then we would pick them up for dinner (we had early seating) and take them back to CC at 7 until 10pm. A couple of times we used the babysitting service after 10PM.

 

On port days, we always did "family activities" first thing whether it was a shore excursion or going to the beach etc. Later on in the afternoon, we would come back and swim etc on the ship until dinner. If there was time and the ship was docked (we did not do this when using a tender)...when the boys got older we would take the boys back to CC while we shopped close to the pier.

 

Both our boys have loved CC. They have been on some 12 or 13 different ships (some more than once ) and the CC staff have always been excellent.

 

As the boys got older, they would pick and choose which activities to participate in. Now they are 19 and 16 and the youngest still loves Club O2!!

[nybumpkin]

My oldest son (16) is the one who might be said to have a separate vacation, since he spends so much time with Club O2 and his friends! We generally see him for shore excursions and dinner. Our younger sons (now 11 and 7) love Camp Carnival, but there's definitely lots of family time. Aside from the times Camp Carnival is closed, there are several Camp Carnival activities designed to be family activities - the "build a bear" activity, talent show, sundae making, etc. And aside from a couple of instances where we were in port after dinner, we've always brought the kids on our shore excursions - I think they'd be offended if we docked in a different port and we didn't bring them off the ship;) .

[cruisecruisecruise1234567]

My daughter will be 2 1/2 years old when we sail in Jan and I have a few questions as this will be our first cruise taking her;

1. Are there highchairs in dining rooms?

2. We have an Inside stateroom(cheapest) what are the sleeping arrangements? Is a small cot there for toddlers?

3. Do they have nap time and meals/snacks at Camp Carnival?

 

Yes

No, a bunk up high

Yes,there are snacks but for a child that young, I doubt they will let the staff give it to them.

 

We waited until age 5 to bring the kids.If your child is not fully comfortable being left,you will not be able to leave them,or if you do they could and will page you to get them.This is camp,not daycare. If they are not a happy camper, they won't be going.