• About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Family Travels on a Budget

Travel with kids: theme park family deals, cruise ships for kids and best cruise lines for teens and other cool places to visit, including adult getaways

  • Home
  • Travel guides
  • Cruising
  • Destinations
    • USA
      • Alabama
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Illinois
      • Indiana
      • Louisiana
      • Maryland
      • New York
      • North Carolina
      • Ohio
      • Oklahoma
      • Oregon
      • Pennsylvania
      • South Carolina
      • Texas
      • Utah
      • Virginia
      • Washington, DC
    • World
      • Bahamas/Caribbean
      • Canada
      • China
      • France
      • Mexico
      • Spain
  • Interests
    • Adventure
    • Arts/Culture
    • Beaches
    • Fitness
    • Food
    • Girlfriend Getaways
    • History
    • Kid Fun
    • Romantic Escapes
    • Teens and Tweens
    • Theme Parks and Zoos
      • Disney
      • Universal Studios
      • Other Theme Parks
      • Zoos
  • Reviews
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Products
    • Tech
    • Books
  • Travel Tips
    • Air Travel
    • Budget
    • Packing
    • Planning
    • Roadtrips
  • At home
    • Recipes
    • Shopping
    • Staycations

Home » cruising » Carnival: Fun Ships for Kids

Carnival: Fun Ships for Kids

January 31, 2014 by Karen Dawkins 16 Comments

As an Amazon affiliate, and affiliate with other businesses, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Pin
Share
Tweet

Carnival Fun Ships 1

Carnival Cruise Lines expanded and upgraded kid-friendly activities complement the line’s ongoing Fun Ship 2.0 enhancements. Even the Carnival Fantasy, the oldest ship in the fleet, earned a major upgrade for kids including a putt putt course, water slides, and expanded age-specific clubs. For kids under age two, Carnival offers limited services including stroller rental, family play time and late night babysitting.

Save $53on a Disney World 4-Day Park Hopper! Hop through all 4 parks.

Carnival Fun for Kids and Parents

Putt Putt — Located on the Sun Deck, putt putt was a popular activity throughout my cruise. Even the chilly wind couldn’t keep kids away. A sweet little girl on pudgy preschool legs tried to pull her daddy back to the putt putt course. He explained it was too cold. She blubbered, “But Daddy, it’s fun.” That seemed to be the kid consensus week long.

Waterslides — The entire Carnival fleet offers water slides, much appreciated by kids and kids at heart. On my cruise, the temperature barely reached 70 but it couldn’t keep the kids away. I asked one mom who sat huddled on a lounge chair if the kids like the slides. She cracked me up by replying, “If they weren’t so happy, no one could pay me enough to sit out here. I’m freezing!” Of course, the kids, immune to the cold, climbed the stairs to slide again and again.

NOTE: Children must be 42″ tall, fully potty trained and able to swim to use the water slides.

Camp Carnival Fun for Kids 2-11

Camp Carnival provides kids ages 2-11 a secure play space suitable to younger kids. It’s divided into three age groups:  2-5, 6-8 and 9-11. On the Fantasy, limited available space means 6-11 year olds are often grouped together for activities. Camp Carnival staff stressed that ages are determined by birthdate and that children cannot “join” an older group, no matter how advanced they are.

2-5 Year Olds have their own space on the Promenade Deck (aft) and enjoy fun games and crafts suitable to their skills. The play space is secure and spotless. Equally important, the kids loved it and didn’t want to leave. One mom said that her kids love Camp Carnival and that it far exceeded her expectations.

camp carnival fun ships 2-5

6-11 Year Olds on the Carnival Fantasy are grouped together for many activities and meet in the Conference Room on the Promenade Deck (at least sometimes). Activities offered for this age-group include board games, dance classes, putt putt golf outings, BINGO and “Cruiser Choice” (which from what I can tell is the equivalent of supervised free play). Kids’ reviews of Camp Carnival for 6-11 year olds are mixed.

Caleb, 11, said Camp Carnival is too babyish. The little kids whined too much. Instead he recommends the pool and hot tub, dance classes and shows. He also says the food on Carnival Fantasy is really, really good.

Matthew, 11, said Camp Carnival is more for girls than boys. He didn’t like all the crafty things they did and wished he could hang out with the 12-14 year olds instead. (He turns 12 in a few months)

Carleigh, 8, also says Camp Carnival is boring. She said compared to karaoke, the hot tub and the pool, Camp Carnival just can’t compete. Carleigh recommends that kids go to the shows, especially the Motown show, and take the dance classes with the Carnival Fantasy dance team. She also says it’s fun to watch the waves in the pool when there’s no one in the water.

Parents gave Camp Carnival mixed reviews as well. They think a larger space would be better so that younger and older kids can have their own space. One said, “There’s a big difference between a kid who just turned six and one who’s about to turn twelve.” (NOTE: The Carnival Fantasy was retrofitted to create Camp Carnival space from the conference room. This may not be an issue on all ships. Research deck plans before booking if this is an issue for you.)

carnival fun ships camp schedule

Carnival Fun for 12-14 Year Olds in Circle C

Located on the Atlantic Deck (midship), Circle C is Carnival’s recreation “club” for 12-14 year olds. On my cruise, Circle C was packed out every time the doors were open! Clearlyl, Circle C is a big hit. Activities for the 12-14 set include video games, ice cream socials and pizza parties, ship-wide scavenger hunts (really popular — lots of laughs), dance parties, movie nights and more.

Ethan, 12, said that Circle C is loads of fun. That’s about all I could get from him besides a big grin as he ran back to Circle C.

Carnival Fun for 15-17 Year Olds in Club O2

Club O2, on the Promenade Deck (midship), is Carnival’s teen hangout space. Besides games and movies, Club O2 offers dance parties and other themed events.

Bryce, 16, said the Club O2 crew is a lot of fun. He also recommends that 15-17 year olds go to the very first Club O2 event to get to know people right away. “It’s hard to get to know people after they already make friends.” He also said kids should make sure they are there for the group photo which gets added to the Club O2 Wall of Fame.

Brittany, 15, says it’s really important to get involved. Don’t just sit in a corner and hope people will come talk to you. Everyone is in the same situation, the new kid, so meet people and find friends the first day. She also recommends the dance parties, which are “lots of fun.”

Tips for Family Fun

1. Before booking, know which features your particular ship offers. Larger ships offer more amenities and attractions. Do your research and make sure you select both the cruise ship and the itinerary that best meets your family’s desires.

2. Arrive early. The first people to board the ship have the most time to explore it! Board early and get to know the ship.

3. Attend the parent information session. Learn what’s available for kids and get schedules for the week for a great vacation experience.

4. Check kids in for the first event offered! Activities are generally designed to help kids get to know each other the first day, instrumental to kids’ overall enjoyment.

More Changes for the Carnival Fleet

Carnival Cruise Lines is rolling out the Seuss at Sea program beginning in February 2014 with the Carnival Splendor. The Seuss at Sea program will  include special dining options inspired by Seussical foods (green eggs and ham, anyone?), quiet reading space, character interactions and other Seuss-inspired activities. Carnival’s commitment to make cruising “Fun for All, All for Fun” begins with the youngest cruisers and their families.

The Carnival Kids’ Programming surprised me (like most everything on Carnival). How about you? Did you know the Carnival fleet had changed so much? 

 
Pin
Share
Tweet

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Filed Under: cruising, Interests, Kid Fun

Please keep in touch. Our FACEBOOK community is active, and a great place to ask questions. On TWITTER, I share great content from destinations around the world. Follow our adventures on INSTAGRAM — we love to answer questions during trips. And, we’re on PINTEREST saving all sorts of great content from around the web.

Comments

  1. Jessica says

    February 6, 2014 at 4:54 pm

    I didn’t realize Carnival had so many fun things for kids on their ships. I do want to take the kids on a cruise some day!

    Reply
    • Karen Dawkins says

      February 6, 2014 at 8:36 pm

      Jessica,
      I didn’t realize it either! I was quite surprised. And the Fantasy is an older ship — I can only imagine the new ships. How fun!
      I hope you get to take the kids one day!
      Karen

      Reply
  2. Michelle F. says

    February 6, 2014 at 2:54 pm

    Looks like so much for little kids to do. Lots of fun.

    Reply
    • Karen Dawkins says

      February 6, 2014 at 8:36 pm

      Michelle,
      It is a lot of fun. I loved watching the little kids tug on their parents’ arms to play more. Too cute!

      Reply
  3. Savannah Miller says

    February 6, 2014 at 12:06 pm

    I had no clue they offered so much! I have a 3 and 6 year old its nice to know that they would both have things to do and that they would also enjoy the cruise 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen Dawkins says

      February 6, 2014 at 8:37 pm

      I’m sure Mom would enjoy it too! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Sofia says

    February 6, 2014 at 11:25 am

    WOW, kids are sure to have something to do at all times! Love it 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen Dawkins says

      February 6, 2014 at 11:39 am

      And they can meet up with mom and dad for dinner — it really is a relaxing way to vacation!

      Reply
  5. Cococute says

    February 6, 2014 at 9:58 am

    This is a nice place for your kids and also family bonding – I wish I can treat my younger siblings on summer with places like this.

    Reply
    • Karen Dawkins says

      February 6, 2014 at 10:03 am

      Maybe someday! My mom and I took our first cruise together in November to celebrate her 70th birthday.

      Reply
  6. Lalia @ Found Frolicking says

    February 6, 2014 at 9:50 am

    Love the look of the places you showed in pictures!!! I know I would have loved them both as a child, and I am sure when my son is old enough he’ll love things like that, too! He’s only 17 months right now, though. Oh well. Something to look forward to down the road!

    Reply
    • Karen Dawkins says

      February 6, 2014 at 9:55 am

      Lalia,
      Definitely wait until age 3! Then, enjoy yourself. 🙂
      Karen

      Reply
  7. Danielle @ We Have It All says

    February 6, 2014 at 8:49 am

    This looks awesome for kids! We just started talking about doing a cruise for our next vaca.

    Reply
    • Karen Dawkins says

      February 6, 2014 at 9:53 am

      Danielle,
      Check out the cruising tips page for more info. You’ll find it under the Planning Tips tab above. Lots of great helps for family cruising.

      Reply
  8. Susan says

    February 3, 2014 at 7:57 am

    Thanks for this explanation. I want to take my kids on a cruise. They are in the 12-14 category so maybe this would be a good fit for us.

    Reply
    • Karen Dawkins says

      February 5, 2014 at 9:21 am

      You’re welcome. When choosing a cruise line and the right cruise for your family, consider all the amenities on board. What do you enjoy at home? Does your ship offer similar opportunities? Then consider the itinerary — where do you want to go? And finally, price. For Americans on the east coast, Bahamas cruises are generally the cheapest. Eastern Caribbean is generally less expensive than Southern and Western Caribbean.

      Enjoy planning!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Meet Karen Dawkins

An avid traveler, I enjoy discovering new places: history, culture, and adventure. I love it all! Well, not bugs. I don’t like bugs very much, so I probably won’t visit a bug museum.

Read More

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

**This site may contain affiliate links and sponsored posts for which I earn a small commission to help cover the costs of running a blog.**

We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro Theme Theme URI: http://my.studiopress.com/themes/news/ Description: A mobile responsive and HTML5 theme built for the Genesis Framework. Author: StudioPress Author URI: http://www.studiopress.com/ Version: 3.0.2 Tags: black, red, white, one-column, two-columns, three-columns, responsive-layout, custom-menu, full-width-template, sticky-post, theme-options, threaded-comments, translation-ready, premise-landing-page Template: genesis Template Version: 2.0.1 License: GPL-2.0+ License URI: http://www.opensource.org/licenses/gpl-license.php on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in