Kids Dinner in Camp Carnival

[goofygal531]

This will be the first cruise my boys are both old enough to go in the kids clubs. So I know nothing more than the basics about them! :)

 

Do kids usually stay for dinner?

 

I'm just wondering if we should request early or late dining? DH and I would prefer late, but if the boys are dining with us we'd of course do early.

 

My boys (ages when we'll cruise 6 and 3) are both very social. They'd much rather be with other children than with us :)

 

Any info would be helpful.

 

Thanks,

Mare

[Paumavista]

When we were cruising with our 6 kids last April....the kids area was usually closed from like 4-6pm (don't quote me on the hours but something like that)....then they would open kids dining at 6pm in a "roped off" area of the buffet. Camp Carnival was actually closed during this time....it wouldn't open back up till say 7pm when they walked those who had joined in the kids dinner back down to the camp facilities.

 

Most of our kids enjoyed eating in the dining room with the rest of our family but after the 3&4 year olds tried kids dinner on the 2nd night of the cruise they ended up eating with camp most evenings. They loved getting to pick what they wanted (you could tell the counselor what they should eat I guess...but we let them decide for themselves). You signed them into camp dinner the same as you do for the regular camp facility. Then they went to eat with some of the counselors. Like I said it was a roped off area that they can't leave and other guests are not allowed to enter.

 

We always choose early dining because our other kids prefer it....but until they get a little older most kids get bored with the dinner routine and it was nice for us to eat without watching for spilled milk or crayons all over every night. Again, my little ones loved it and they loved camp overall so it wasn't like we had to sell them on the idea....they begged to eat with their friends!

 

Since you prefer late.....If the kids eat with camp most evenings or even if you just take them to the buffet and sit with them during early dining and then drop them at camp by 7, you'll be able to enjoy a late seating "couples dinner" each evening. (obviously, it might be difficult for the boys to wait for late dining and then sit through a long late meal IF they should decide to join you one evening).

 

have a great cruise,

Judy

[gracie65]

I agree with pretty much all the post of the previous one. Our son too would much rather eat at 6:00 with the camp then to go to the formal dining room with us. They will however take them back to the camp, you don't have to go back, pick them up then sign them back in. We noramlly do the late seating so we can have a few hours to get ready, have a cocktail etc. before our 8:00 dinner. The only thing I haven't liked about this in the past is we get messed up the first night because the registration for us has always been about 7:15-7:30. You don't have to go to this but when it's the first few times you feel like you have to so you can see how many other kids there are. This yeat we're cruising on The Liberty & they have the open seating. We've done it on Princess & really enjoyed it so we're trying it this way. That way if our son ever wants to eat in the big dining room we can adjust our time to go a bit earlier.

The camp also has a time during lunch when they close. If it's open our son would usually rather be there then with us too. We do however always plan our excursions around him. Except for one time in Nassau to go just outside the ship to the strawmarket for a fe minutes we have never left him on board. There are always plenty of fun tings to find to do at the ports that are fun & educational.

[goofygal531]

Thanks! Your both so helpful.

 

Now I'm wondering about pool time. The Carnival Dream has a water park on board. Do the kids have scheduled pool time with camp?

 

Any other tips you have would be helpful. This is all new to me! :D

[gracie65]

Thanks! Your both so helpful.

 

Now I'm wondering about pool time. The Carnival Dream has a water park on board. Do the kids have scheduled pool time with camp?

 

Any other tips you have would be helpful. This is all new to me! :D

 

You may not be able to find out that answer till after The Dream sets sail. The largest Carnival ship we have been on was The Valor. If they did hapen to have any water time it was in the baby pool adjacent to the camp. I can't recall our son ever doing anyting there. Do a search on the Family Cruise thread for Capers. Cruisinmama has posted several age brackets & at least that will give you some ideas about what they do even though it may not be the exact ship. Since The Fantasy & The Sensation has thr waterworks on them you may want to look at the Capers for those ships. I'm pretty sure Michelle has The Sensation posted. Just found the link here it is, it should help: http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb196/cruisinmama06/Camp%20Carnival%20Capers/?start=all

[Paumavista]

No kids club group - either on RC or Carnival ships that we've sailed have ever taken the kids to the pool or swimming areas. I don't know if it's a liability issue or the fact that it would be difficult to "block these areas off" from non-participating kids camp guests.

 

On the few occasions when my kids have left the camp area with counselors we have been notified and given permission ahead of time and they have mainly gone to well contained areas for activities (where they don't "mingle" with guests; or they've been in a very small group with a counselor for a scavenger hunt; or to perform a pirate song for dinner guests).

 

There are some great pool areas now on these ships but we always spent time there as a family; never had them taken with counselors. (this is just my experience on 5 or 6 cruises).

 

Judy

[nybumpkin]

The younger kids (up to age 9) do not get pool time with Camp Carnival, but the 9-11 group may do an evening swim and pizza time one night. The registration form asks about swimming ability for the 9-11s.

[goofygal531]

Thanks!

 

I was just wondering about the small splash/sprinkler areas that the new ships now have. I wouldn't imagine they'd take the camp to the actual pool.

 

I know my boys will want to spend time at the waterpark. Might have to read those Carnival Capers (thanks for the link!) and see when's the best time to send them to the camp and when to plan pool time. Any ideas? What do you all do? Sorry this is now so off topic from dinner! :)