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Carnival Cruise Lines' Kid-friendly VacationsWhy sacrifice any of your grownup fun when you can pick a cruise line that is more affordable and will also give your kids have a fantastic vacation? Carnival's expert youth coordinators will take care of your kids nearly every waking hour of the vacation. Your children will have so much fun in the capable hands of the Carnival staff they won't even notice that Mom and Dad are having a fantastic time, too. How the Carnival Youth Program WorksCarnival offers youth programs for kids of all ages, separating them into three different age programs -- Camp Carnival ages 2-11, (further separated as 2-5 year olds, 6-8 year olds and 9-11 year olds), Circle "C" ages 12-14 and Club O2 ages 15-17. There is a limited program for kids as young as 6 months old and organized programs tailored to youngsters, 'tweens and teens from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Babysitting is available from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. nightly. Each group has specific activities designed for their age ranging from arts and crafts, video games, ball games and movie times. Outdoors are kids-only supervised wading pools and, on some ships, elaborate water parks with jet sprays and dancing fountains. All Carnival ships offer the line's signature twisting, turning water slides, some as long as 303 feet. Except for late-hour babysitting services, which vary by age, all youth programs are included in your cruise fare. Various activities are scheduled throughout the day, and parents receive a printed program of the daily schedule when they check in their kids. But children age 9 and older are free to come and go (with their parents' permission), and no activity is obligatory. Click here for more on Carnival Babysitting Services:Breakdown of the Various Age-related Categories:Camp Carnival is for kids aged 2 to 11. Within that program, children are separated into three groups: Toddlers are age 2 to 5, Juniors are 6 to 8, and Intermediates are 9 to 11. Each group has its own supervision and activities daily. Toddlers (2-5) will enjoy age-appropriate activities like finger painting, cartoon time, arts and crafts, and even puppet shows. Toddlers don't have to be potty-trained to take part in Camp Carnival, but parents must provide the necessary diapers, etc. Juniors (6-8) get more challenging and thought-provoking activities like spin art, volcano making and more, along with themed activities and games like bingo with prizes for the winners, water color painting, jewelry making and outside games like mini golf, dodgeball and, on some ships, foosball and air hockey. Intermediates (9-11) get supervised play all day long with camp counselors leading them in dodgeball, pool parties, video games and more. Older children are also taken on expeditions outside the supervised play area for adventures like scavenger hunts. All kids in Camp Carnival will come together for certain activities during the cruise -- like dance parties and talent shows which feature crowd-pleasing, non-embarrassing performances. The kids' facilities include the latest video game consoles, music and video systems and dance floors with flashing lights. Meals are included, of course, with children's menus in the main dining room featuring kid-pleasing favorites like pizza, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, mac 'n cheese and hamburgers. Camp Carnival also offers dinner on Lido Deck for kids 2-11 years of age where they can enjoy all of their favorite foods in the company of their new friends. While Carnival recommends keeping children within their own age-specific groups, sometimes certain siblings are bonded and will prefer to stay together. Carnival has found that kids usually have a better time when they bond with new friends in their own age groups.
Moving Up the Age LadderCarnival knows -- just as every parent does -- that offspring can become very age-sensitive at a certain point. For slightly older kids no longer in the "child" category, Carnival has the Circle "C" club for ages 12-14. These kids are ready for fashion, their own music, and maybe even a dance party. But they also like some things their older siblings may have outgrown. Circle "C" will offer this group activities they like -- games, dance parties, video game challenges and movies - but also lets them mingle with the older kids for certain activities. Top of the LadderFor kids age 15 - 17 Carnival offers Club O2 -- a place for teens to do their own thing. It's a little less structured and more free-form, giving this age group a chance to express their individuality but within a supervised environment. Teens are offered the latest and hottest video games and their own dance club with a live DJ booth, dance floor with professional lighting system, and an audio system that will deliver sounds they prefer at the intense volume they want. Activities include dance parties; real sports like basketball, ping pong; swim parties and more. On some nights older teens might be allowed access to the adult dance club (sans alcohol) before it opens to the general public. At this age, the counselors spend as much time monitoring the activities of the kids as they do leading them. These teen counselors do an excellent job of making sure this adventurous age group is entertained and coordinates a variety of day- and nighttime activities, some into the wee hours.
Late Night ActivitiesSpeaking of the wee hours: Parents want to enjoy the nightlife on their cruise as much as the kids. To make sure the parents get a real vacation, Carnival offers late-night youth activities every night for a small fee. Babysitting services are available for kids from 6 months to 11 years old every night from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. in the Camp Carnival facility. Activities include late night movies, and on some nights, even slumber parties for all ages. On one of the nights during the cruise, 9 to11 year olds have a special party where they get to do all sorts of fun stuff until 3:30 am and will even be escorted by the youth staff back to their cabins. The fee for babysitting starts at $6/hour for the first child and $4/hour for each sibling. To see more details: Carnival Babysitting Summing Up the Carnival Youth ExperienceThe great thing about cruises for kids is that they not only get tons of fun onboard activities, but they also get to meet new friends. Many kids form lifetime friendships on cruises - a good reason to call them friend-SHIPS. We outlined the activities supervised by youth counselors in this article, but every Carnival ship also offers families a chance to bond with each other. There are plenty of fun things to bring families together on all Carnival cruises, such as huge water slides, exciting adventures in port, great meals, gyms, sports facilities and spas. A Carnival cruise is affordable for the entire family and has as much "something for everyone" as any cruise line in the world. From a 6-month-old toddler to great grandparents, the entire family will bond on a Carnival cruise. About the Youth StaffCarnival knows the importance of providing your children with top-notch care and supervision, so youth counselors must meet specific educational and professional standards, and pass an extensive background check. Every youth counselor has a college degree in education, child psychology or youth recreation, or has equivalent professional experience with children, such as teaching or daycare. The Youth Staff members are professionally trained in CPR and can provide basic first aid. In the event of a medical emergency, counselors are instructed to contact the parents immediately, as well as the shipboard infirmary. Click here to read more about the qualifications for the Carnival Youth Staff.
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