camp carnival age groups

[xrayvin]

DH and I are planning our first cruise with DS. I have researched so much that everything seems to be blurring together! We have decided that Western Cruise on the Dream in Jan would be fantastic. My only concern is that DS will be 5 (wont turn 6 till June). I believe that he would have to be placed in the 2-5 group. The difference between 2,3 and 4,5 are so great I can not imagine it being one sided. Are the activities geared mostly toward the younger kids (and then wont the older ones be bored) or do they have activities toward the older kids (too advanced for the younger ones) OR do they offer different activities within this group? We really want this cruise but should I wait till end of 2010 when DS is 6 y/o?

 

We plan to have him with us am or pm and for all meals, but we do want him to enjoy some kid time while we enjoy some adult time! I dont want to feel like we are forcing him to be in the camp.

 

Thanks for any advice you can offer!

[cruisergrandma]

I have a set of Camp Carnival Capers from our Legend cruise in May, 2008. Activities will not be the same but, should be similar. Email me at sjcarr@bellsouth.net and I will scan and send them to you.

[caribsun]

My granddaughter was 5 at the time she went to Camp Carnival. She had a great time so much so she stopped having dinner with us to be with her new friends at the camp.

[Catrin]

My kids have been in the 2-5 group for a couple of cruises.

 

They do a great job in giving the 4-5 year olds thier own table/activities. Those kids seem to have different craft activities, books to read, etc.

 

My son was five on one of our cruises, and had no problems finding lots of fun with others his age.

Catrin

[nybumpkin]

Our youngest son was 5 when we sailed on Conquest. While all the 2-5s stayed in the same space, they were divided into 2-3s and 4-5s for a lot of activities. He had a great time.

 

This same son is going to turn 9 on the last day of our Glory cruise next month. While we probably could put him with the 9-11s, I'm inclined to keep him with the 6-8 group since they can't sign themselves out. On the other hand, he'll be the oldest kid in the group. Any thoughts?

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

Nobody has a choice on which group to put them in. CCL has strict rules for the age groups. Unless their birthday falls during the cruise, the 9 year old will be in the 9 year old group and the 5 year old will be in the 5 year old group. Period. You could try to ask for a switch but don't get your hopes up.

[nybumpkin]

Nobody has a choice on which group to put them in. CCL has strict rules for the age groups. Unless their birthday falls during the cruise, the 9 year old will be in the 9 year old group and the 5 year old will be in the 5 year old group. Period. You could try to ask for a switch but don't get your hopes up.

I'm sorry if you misunderstood my question - my post relates to only one of my kids, and he does turn 9 during the cruise.

[kimmimom]

cruises where there are not that many kids anyway, they are more willing to make changes if a child is almost the next age group, etc.

[ecn81126]

I'm sorry if you misunderstood my question - my post relates to only one of my kids, and he does turn 9 during the cruise.

 

We just sailed on the Imagination in December. My 9 year old son was in the 9-11 age group, and we had the option of whether to allow him to sign himself out or not. The counselors did a fantastic job keeping track of the children!

[aggieastrosfan]

I'm sorry if you misunderstood my question - my post relates to only one of my kids, and he does turn 9 during the cruise.

 

The way the ships generally operate is that your age at day of sailing is the age for the entire cruise. So if he turns 9 during the cruise, he'd still be considered 8, and unless it's offseason and camp is really quiet, he won't be allowed to move up to the 9-11 group.

 

To the OP, we took our 3 year old camp, and they did appear to split the group 2-3 and 4-5 when doing age-appropriate activities. At slow times, and after 10, all the kids are usually together, as there's noting specifically organized.

[nybumpkin]

The way the ships generally operate is that your age at day of sailing is the age for the entire cruise. So if he turns 9 during the cruise, he'd still be considered 8, and unless it's offseason and camp is really quiet, he won't be allowed to move up to the 9-11 group.

That sounds fair. And he'll get one more "Hunt for Funship Freddy.:cool:"

[princessangi]

Does anyone know why Carnival seems to be so strict on the ages? Disney would allow a child to move up to an older group if they were within a year of the group/to keep families together or whatever. They were just not allowed to change their mind after they made the change. Dont' mean to hijack the thread, but my nine year old is going with his eight year old best friend and this will make the cruise very tricky for them.

 

Thanks for any input.

 

Angi

[Litewait]

We just got off the Paradise for a New Years cruise yesterday. For the first time there was some flexibility in the age groups.. My son is 14 ( and very tall, over 6 ft).

We went to the meet up for Circle C (12-14yrs). The counselor promptly told us that he could move to the Club o2 group ( 15-17yrs) as he was within 3 months of 15. He turns 15 in March. He was very happy as that age group was much more suited to him both socially and size wise.

 

This is the first time we have had this option. And it would have been a bad situation had he not been able to move up. The kids in the Circle C were just a younger group and he would not have fit in. He had a great cruise and made many new friends. He hasn't gotten off the computer much since we got home yesterday chatting with them!

 

I can't confirm that they do it with the younger groups, but the Circle C and Club o2 had that option.

[pjinaz]

I think it is usually difficult to move kids to different age groups, but depending on how many children are on the boat and in a particular age group, they may be willing to let children change their group.

 

We went on a disney cruise a couple years ago and they would not move my younger daughter up, but they did move my older daughter down to the lower age group. This worked out well as there were a lot of kids in the older group.

 

On Royal Carribean they mix the different age groups together a good part of the time, but I have not really noticed this on Carnival. Maybe late at night. If you have a really good reason, are flexible about which child gets moved, and the boat isn't overcrowded with kids, I think you have a decent chance. I would give it a chance first though with the kids in their appropriate age groups, that way if they aren't happy it is easier to request a move to keep everyone happy. Good luck!

[xrayvin]

Thanks for all the advice. Now we just wait and see. Hopefully he will meet a few friends and enjoy his time in the camp. Does anyone know do they stay inside the whole time?

[princessangi]

We'll just keep our fingers crossed. Talked to my best friend, we have decided that with our luck this is how things will fall into place: 17/18 year old girls will be on their own, 13 year old boys we'll only see at dinner, 12 year old girls will be doing thier own thing; but the young 8 and 9 year old boys will be tagging with us the whole cruise! :cool:

We love our children and can't wait to do some fun things with them, but moms need a break sometimes, too. That's why we are hoping to get the boys in camp carnival together...just to give us some down time with our husbands ;)

[pdsocialworker]

We were on Carnival Valor in Feb 08, and my daughter was 5, and they told her she could move up to the older group with her sister (who was 8)if she wanted.

 

She decided to stay in the 2-5 group, and never complained or wanted to go to the older group. She had a blast. The groups do intergrate a bit during the day and night at times....

[A&Jfamily]

We took my son first his first cruise on the Valor a few weeks before he turned 3, and last year on the Legend, just before he turned 4. He's begging to go back, but we're not set to go until August and he will be almost 5 1/2. I LOVE Camp Carnival and think they do a GREAT job dealing with all ages of kids. He will not be bored and will make friends, especially if there are lots of kids on board.

 

As to your question about leaving the room, they will march them around the ship for a scavenger hunt or a parade - it is quite cute. The 9+ can sign themselves in and out of camp as they like - they do everything from pool parties to the arcade etc.

 

The most important thing is to remember to have a good time - after all, this is a vacation!

[xrayvin]

Thanks, I am feeling a lot better! I think DS will be fine (I hope). He will love the scavanger hunt!

 

I was wondering about formal nights do they do anything different for the kids that night...slumber party (without sleeping there all night) kind of thing? Pizza party for that younger group? Do you still pay the extra on these nights? Do you have to sign up for the extra hours ahead of time?

[nybumpkin]

Thanks, I am feeling a lot better! I think DS will be fine (I hope). He will love the scavanger hunt!

 

I was wondering about formal nights do they do anything different for the kids that night...slumber party (without sleeping there all night) kind of thing? Pizza party for that younger group? Do you still pay the extra on these nights? Do you have to sign up for the extra hours ahead of time?

They have a "coke-tail" party before dinner for the Camp Carnival kids on formal night. I don't think all cruises have a slumber party on formal night, but I think I've seen them on some of our cruises - not positive, though. You do pay extra for the slumber parties, and usually they ask you to sign up ahead of time. They'll have sign-ups during Camp Carnival registration, but I've never had a problem registering our sons right up to the day of the slumber party.