Camp Carnival or Dining Room

[bmloftis]

So what do most people do at dinner time. Do you take your kids to the MDR or camp carnival. Does camp carnival feed them dinner or do you have to worry about getting them fed and everything before taking them to camp carnival. My daughter is 5 years old.

[cb at sea]

Of course folks take their kids to dinner...the dining room is very welcoming of kids! But, you can do what suits you best. Not sure how Camp Carnival handles dinner with the kids, but some folks (especially if they have late seating) will feed the kiddies at the buffet, drop them off at camp, and then the parents will eat in the dining room. It's really up to you and your family's needs.

[Warm Breezes]

We always took our kids to dinner with us.

[Bird in Jersey]

So what do most people do at dinner time. Do you take your kids to the MDR or camp carnival. Does camp carnival feed them dinner or do you have to worry about getting them fed and everything before taking them to camp carnival. My daughter is 5 years old.

 

On our last cruise, we ate dinner together as a family because my mom was with us(3 generations) and we got to talk and enjoy each others company. There was listing for dinner at camp carnival, but I do not believe it was every night. If i am not mistaken, it was geared for the younger crowd(pizza, chicken fingers).

Figure out what you want to do. If your 5 year old does not like to sit long, then dinner in the MDR may not be for her. If she loves to dress up and can sit through the courses-so that you can enjoy your meal, then MDR is fun. My daughter is older, but last year, she tried food that she would have never tried by eating in the MDR. She loved camp carnival too. On the other hand my nephew who is 15(parents were home) had eaten non stop all day and wanted to hang out with newly met friends and getting him to stay in the MDR after the second night was a challenge. He made up every excuse under the sun to leave-stomach ache, did not change his clothes to dinner clothes. Grandma rule was that we eat dinner together. He was punished one morning, he had to hang out with us, until we said it was okay to hang out with his friends.

[gerif]

DGS was six on his first cruise. It was never even a thought but that he would eat dinner with the family.

[Bird in Jersey]

I wanted to add to the last post. I found the cruise activity schedule for camp carnival and dinner is every night, except the first night. Food ranged from pasta, burgers, quesadillas,chicken nuggets, mac and cheese. so it is food that a child would love. Dinner time was 6-6:45 with activities that started right after dinner up to 9:45 pick up time. At 10PM babysitting service until 3AM that you pay for or a party to midnight that you pay for.

I hope this is helpful.

[Cruisin' Chick]

It's been a while (10 years) since we've been on Carnival, but I seem to remember that they expect you to take your kids to dinner before dropping them off at Camp Carnival (I don't think they want food to be eaten there). The staff would take your kids to lunch on port days if you sign them in (supposedly that was if you were leaving the ship. When you return, you're supposed to pick them up).

 

If your child isn't feeling up to dining in the MDR, you can take them to the buffet. That's what we did with our daughter if she didn't want to eat there. We would take her to the buffet and then drop her off in the kids' room and then go to our seating.

[NJfoodie]

We did a mix w/ DS who was 2 when we sailed on the Carnival Glory last year. We were hoping for anytime dining but were assigned to the 6pm seating. Most nights, we would bring DS to the dining room. The kids club had the option of dinner in the buffet with the camp counselors with a 6pm drop off, and the kids would be escorted back to the camp area at 6:40. The main club was not open until they returned from the buffet, sign in was all done at the dinner area. DS ate with the kids club the night we did the Chef's table for dinner, and there was one night when we decided he was not in any mood to handle a 2 hour formal dinner. He was hyper and wanted to run around so he did much better having a short meal w/ the kids club and being allowed to play w/ the other kids.

[nybumpkin]

Our kids did both Camp Carnival dinner and dinner with us in the MDR. They actually prefer the dining room; as much as they loved Camp Carnival (the youngest has just aged out - he will be Circle C on our next cruise), they liked being waited on in the dining room and they loved our wait staff, who doted on them. Camp Carnival dinner generally is not available the first night, so you'll have a chance to try out the dining room. There is a kids' menu available; our 16 YO still tends to order from it, while the 12 YO orders from the regular menu - go figure.:rolleyes:

[bmloftis]

We did a mix w/ DS who was 2 when we sailed on the Carnival Glory last year. We were hoping for anytime dining but were assigned to the 6pm seating. Most nights, we would bring DS to the dining room. The kids club had the option of dinner in the buffet with the camp counselors with a 6pm drop off, and the kids would be escorted back to the camp area at 6:40. The main club was not open until they returned from the buffet, sign in was all done at the dinner area. DS ate with the kids club the night we did the Chef's table for dinner, and there was one night when we decided he was not in any mood to handle a 2 hour formal dinner. He was hyper and wanted to run around so he did much better having a short meal w/ the kids club and being allowed to play w/ the other kids.

That is what I will be worried about my 5 year old being able to be good for a 2 hour formal dinner. I would hate to ruin somebody elses experience or do they place you with other families with kids? I was just wondering if there was an option to eat at camp carnival just in case. She loves to dress up and I think she would love doing formal night but maybe not every night.

[bmloftis]

If you choose anytime dining, does that mean you will miss the show at dinner time or is there a certain time to be there in order to see it?

[LOVINCRUIZIN]

We also enjoy having the kids and eating as a family. If we're cruising with a sitter, we often dismiss the kids after dinner and they take dessert back to the cabins and leave with the sitter to avoid the boredom

[LOVINCRUIZIN]

And for shows, most often there are two show times and you;ll be able to work around to see one of them

[QLUVS2CRUZ]

It's been a while (10 years) since we've been on Carnival' date=' but I seem to remember that they expect you to take your kids to dinner before dropping them off at Camp Carnival (I don't think they want food to be eaten there). The staff would take your kids to lunch on port days if you sign them in (supposedly that was if you were leaving the ship. When you return, you're supposed to pick them up).

 

If your child isn't feeling up to dining in the MDR, you can take them to the buffet. That's what we did with our daughter if she didn't want to eat there. We would take her to the buffet and then drop her off in the kids' room and then go to our seating.[/quote']

 

Things have changed a bit. The counselors will now take your kids to dinner at the buffet - usually they have a roped off section just for the kids. On our family cruise, I really wanted the kids to eat dinner with us in the MDR - they have a special kids menu, so they can eat their normal favorites too...but after about the 4th night, and the kids begging to go to CC, we let them go. My kids loved dressing up on elegant night and getting pictures done, but after dinner, they went back to camp.

 

As for port days, technically on Carnival the rule is that if you are on a Carnival sponsored excursion, you can leave your child at CC while you are on the excursion (that's a whole other debate on whether to leave your child onboard while you go ashore)...but I know of people who have left kids at CC even when on a private excursion. I think the reason they want it to be a Carnival excursion only, is because if the excursion is late getting back to the ship, the ship will wait. If you are on a private excursion and you are late, the ship sails without you...don't want your child left onboard while you are watching the ship sail away.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Things have changed a bit. The counselors will now take your kids to dinner at the buffet - usually they have a roped off section just for the kids. On our family cruise, I really wanted the kids to eat dinner with us in the MDR - they have a special kids menu, so they can eat their normal favorites too...but after about the 4th night, and the kids begging to go to CC, we let them go. My kids loved dressing up on elegant night and getting pictures done, but after dinner, they went back to camp.

 

As for port days, technically on Carnival the rule is that if you are on a Carnival sponsored excursion, you can leave your child at CC while you are on the excursion (that's a whole other debate on whether to leave your child onboard while you go ashore)...but I know of people who have left kids at CC even when on a private excursion. I think the reason they want it to be a Carnival excursion only, is because if the excursion is late getting back to the ship, the ship will wait. If you are on a private excursion and you are late, the ship sails without you...don't want your child left onboard while you are watching the ship sail away.

 

I remember that Carnival would have a couple of "kids' dinners", but that was it back then. Princess does have the same deal currently (a "private party" sign goes up on one of the entrances to the Horizon Court, which is a two-part buffet; the other side is open to other passengers), but on the other nights, you take care of getting your kids fed.