The Lollipop Road

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

Camp Carnival isn’t a traditional camp nor is it considered babysitting, although that is available too. Offered to kids ages 2-11, Camp Carnival is Carnival Cruise Lines answer to keeping your kids busy at sea. On the Sensation, it is located on Verandah deck overlooking the pool. This secluded “club” offers activities and sitting for your youngsters from early morning until 3AM. You will have to pick them up sometime as Camp Carnival does close on most days around mealtimes. However, they even offer group meals for the 6-11 age groups, so your kids really don’t have to leave their new found friends and you don’t have to leave Serenity (Carnival’s secluded adults-only retreat).

The programs are broken down into 3 age groups – 2-5, 6-8 and 9-11, each with their own schedule of activities and counselors. With activities that are tailored to their needs and interests, kids can enjoy play time while mom and dad enjoy quiet time. Activities include arts and crafts, painting, games, free play, group dining, music, age appropriate exercise and even Playstation/Wii for kids 6 and up.

Sound too good to be true? Well, it might be – you’ll have to actually get your kids to participate in the program. Although our 4 year-old has participated in the past, it wasn’t without a great deal of tribulation. This time around, he lasted about 10 minutes. Unusual? Nope – the same story can be heard again and again from parents onboard. So, as I always say, you know your child best. Don’t assume that you’ll be able to drop your youngster off for several hours. If you do, you might be in for an unwelcome surprise.

Well, you’ll never know if you don’t try, so go ahead and try. You can enroll them online prior to your cruise, or visit Camp Carnival on sailing day to sign them up. You’ll be asked to provide a bunch of information, including special needs or allergies. At that point, you’ll be good to go. When dropping off you’ll need to sign them in and take a “phone” in case the counselors need assistance with your child. The good news is that they do change diapers, so you’ll be off the hook for that. There are strict safety protocols, so when you pick up your child, you’ll need your cruise card. Your child can attend as many or as few activities as they like, but if you decide to leave them during port babysitting hours or after 10PM, you’ll pay a $6/hr fee for the first child and $4/hr for each child thereafter.

Once they’ve graduated from Camp, they can still participate in Carnival’s Circle C program that is geared toward 12-14 year-olds. Offering mostly evening activities, Circle C provides your young teens with a place to hang out and participate in cool activities like dance contests, a scavenger hunt, an ice cream eating contest and Sensation Idol. Of course, there is Wii, Playstation and a video arcade to keep them busy too.

Older teens have their own place to hang out too – Club O2. A teen disco and hangout, Club O2 gives your teenager a place to socialize and enjoy their cruise their way. The Youth Staff also organizes teen tours in port so that your teen can enjoy an outing with new found friends.

Carnival also offers free play (with an adult) for toddlers under the age of two. These pre-scheduled events occur throughout the cruise and can be a great way to entertain your toddler. Unfortunately, only one parent can attend and siblings over the age of two are prohibited, making it difficult if you have more than one child.

As compared to other programs, Carnival offers a great deal of activities and late babysitting. Unfortunately, the facilities on the Sensation were rather basic and dreary. Facilities will vary from ship to ship, which can make a difference, so be sure to check in advance. The counselors also seemed a bit less friendly than those we’ve encountered in the past. We perceived them to be indifferent and cold at times, which is in stark contrast to our last experience on Celebrity Cruise Line. Nonetheless, there were many happy children and satisfied parents on this cruise, so they must be doing something right.

Camp Carnival has a great deal of potential and certainly offers one of the best kids programs at sea. I mean, where else can you build a volcano…and explode it? I also love the fact that they incorporate exercise into their schedule. It really is one of the most comprehensive programs that I’ve encountered. Check back next week when we’ll be posting activity schedules for our readers to review.

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

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