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I posted this in the Carnival thread but was asked to come here to....so here are my questions.

 

 

 

Ok...I am thinking of breaking one of my own rules. I am thinking of taking my daughter and her kids (ages 2 & 3) on a cruise in Feb 2011. My daughter really wants to go and there is no one that we would feel comfortable leaving the kids with for that long.

 

So I would like parents or grandparents who have used Camp Carnival (CC) in the past to tell me what you liked about it and what you didnt like. By the time we go the baby will be potty trained (I hope), so there wouldnt be an issue with diaper changes. What type of activties do they have for the little ones. Is CC open while in port? I have read on other threads that its best to leave your stroller behind and rent one from CC. And since I know my grandkids can not behave in a resturant I would not subject the other dinners to them and go to the Lido deck for meals.

 

I also think it would be better to have a inside or a OV cabin. I am afraid my little monkey's would dive overboard. :eek: So what sort of configuration would I need? Would I need a quad or would a triple do?

 

And... The babies birth certifcate does not have a father listed. It was my daughter's decisoin. The father is very rarely in the picture and the kids have always lived with her (and me) here in Texas. The father lives in GA but has NO rights what so ever. The only thing that she did do was get a DNA to prove paternity. Would this hinder her taking the babies on the ship? Since there is no father listed on the BC would the cruise lines still make the father sign off on an agreement?

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If there is no father listed on the BC, then there should be no issue with a letter.

 

The 2 year old will not have to be potty trained as Camp Carnival does change diapers. My 3 year old loved Camp Carnival, by the way. Sometimes, they are open in port and sometimes not.

 

You will need a quad. We generally get oceanviews. They are generally larger than insides, but don't have the issue of someone going overboard via the balcony. :eek:

 

There are plenty of little ones in the dining room on Carnival. Your two wouldn't be the only ones. Of course, you should do what you feel is best for your family. You might consider feeding the little ones at the buffet, taking them to Camp and then having a nice sit down dinner with your dd. Camp also has several nights where they will feed the kids at the buffet. :D

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I'd sure get written confirmation from Carnival about the BC situation. Court papers designating sole custody should also be brought with you. Also, my understanding is that Carnival will allow a 2-year old into the play area at designated times accompanied by a parent/guardian. ??

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I posted this in the Carnival thread but was asked to come here to....so here are my questions.

 

 

 

Ok...I am thinking of breaking one of my own rules. I am thinking of taking my daughter and her kids (ages 2 & 3) on a cruise in Feb 2011. My daughter really wants to go and there is no one that we would feel comfortable leaving the kids with for that long.

 

So I would like parents or grandparents who have used Camp Carnival (CC) in the past to tell me what you liked about it and what you didnt like. By the time we go the baby will be potty trained (I hope), so there wouldnt be an issue with diaper changes. What type of activties do they have for the little ones. Is CC open while in port? Yes they are. You just have to sign up the day before. :) That way they know how many kids they will have in their care. I have read on other threads that its best to leave your stroller behind and rent one from CC. I wouldn't chance it. Not with kids that little. You are going to need a stroller if you take them onto the islands. And since I know my grandkids can not behave in a resturant I would not subject the other dinners to them and go to the Lido deck for meals. :)

 

I also think it would be better to have a inside or a OV cabin. I am afraid my little monkey's would dive overboard. :eek: So what sort of configuration would I need? Would I need a quad or would a triple do? Legaly you will need a quad. It doesn't matter how young the child is they count as a person unlike in hotel rooms where they can let that slide. OV rooms you are not going to go overboard. There is a sealed window. On most cruise ships you can not open this window. (I would double check before you booked.) Your concern would be to have a balcony. Also you might think about sleeping arrangments. There is a difference. 2 and 3 are very small to be up on the bunk beds. If you are able you or your daughter should take one of the bunks and let the kids and ?? sleep on the main bed.

 

And... The babies birth certifcate does not have a father listed. It was my daughter's decisoin. The father is very rarely in the picture and the kids have always lived with her (and me) here in Texas. The father lives in GA but has NO rights what so ever. The only thing that she did do was get a DNA to prove paternity. Would this hinder her taking the babies on the ship? Since there is no father listed on the BC would the cruise lines still make the father sign off on an agreement?

In an uneducated guess since there is no father listed there is no one to make sign a note? I'd double check with the cruise line and an attorney before you left.

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On the Carnival board, the OP stated they had a double-wide stroller. I would NOT advise bringing this type of stroller on board. Too wide for most of the hallways around the cabins and for the elevators.

 

I agree! Do not bring a double-wide. You will have a horrible time on the cruise ship with it. Since there are two adults I would go for two umbrella strollers.

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I'd sure get written confirmation from Carnival about the BC situation. Court papers designating sole custody should also be brought with you. Also, my understanding is that Carnival will allow a 2-year old into the play area at designated times accompanied by a parent/guardian. ??

 

 

There are NO court papers. Why would there be? They were never married. We never thought it would be neccessary for her to establish custody since they have always lived with her and he has only seen his kids 2 times in the past 3 years. There is no visitation agreement, nothing, other then the DNA report showing him as the father.

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On the Carnival board, the OP stated they had a double-wide stroller. I would NOT advise bringing this type of stroller on board. Too wide for most of the hallways around the cabins and for the elevators.

 

 

Yes, that thing is pretty wide. We have one regular umbrella stroller and can always buy another one.

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  • 5 weeks later...

when our son was 4 and we went and used camp carnival they were open on days that you were at port. You could leave the kids in the am session and pm session and you have to take them out for lunch unless you have a carnival excursion booked for the grownups. If you had a Carnival excursion for the adults, the kids could stay on with the counselors during lunch and you can enjoy time without the kiddos.

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No father on birth certificate, then there is no one to get a note from. I have a friend who adopted as a single mother and there is no father listed. No problems getting on a cruise. Have a GREAT time!!! We go in October and I just cannot WAIT!!

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Many things here, but let me focus for a second on the cabin choice question. We sailed in January on Carnival Glory and had an oceanview for the four of us (me, DW, DD age 5, DD age 11 months). It's a good amount of space! The oceanview's interior space is actually larger than a balcony cabin (essentially they take space out of the cabin to give you a balcony!).

 

For us, we had a quad room. We didn't use the top bunk, and had our five year old sleep on the convertable sofa, and they brought a crib for the baby. Would your 2y.o. grandchild still be in a crib? Otherwise, one child might have to end up sleeping on the floor? Or in the bed with you and your daughter?

 

Usually, for a quad, they have one person in a top bunk...I'm not sure I would have been very comfortable having my five year old sleeping up there (short bedside rail, quite high up)...and certainly not when she was three years old!

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  • 4 months later...
when our son was 4 and we went and used camp carnival they were open on days that you were at port. You could leave the kids in the am session and pm session and you have to take them out for lunch unless you have a carnival excursion booked for the grownups. If you had a Carnival excursion for the adults, the kids could stay on with the counselors during lunch and you can enjoy time without the kiddos.

 

Does anyone know if this is accurate? Must it be a Carnival excursion?

 

Anticipating some haters, please don't turn this thread into a "why would you leave your child on the ship..." tirade. Just looking to know if it must be a Carnival excursion. Thanks!

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I do believe that is the rule. My son has spent the day in CC when we had an excursion and they have asked us for our excursion tickets, but not every time. If I had them I was happy to provide them. Other times they don't ask which is nice since we don't always do a Carnival excursion. One time they asked and I told them my husband had them and was already off the ship (the truth) and they told me to make sure I brought them when we came back. Sure enough they asked for them. I was surprised, but glad that I asked for them back from the tour operator since they usually collect them.

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Quad worked recently for my husband and 3 yo twins. My husband slept on the bunk and I pushed the 2 beds together and shared with my twins, plenty of space.

Camp Carnival was open during port days but it was babysitting paying only until noon. Then, after 2PM it was back open for everyone. What I learned is that the hours/activities/closing periods do vary, what I read on here was different from the actual cruise.

I put my twins in the camp for a few hours during the day, whenever they had the best activities and then after we dined at 7 each night. One loved it, we couldn't get her out of there and the other one did not like it -- so I say with caution, it's a crapshoot whether your kids will go and actually stay there. There were many kids on the ship in this age group that wanted to be w/parents instead of staying. Just go with no expectations. We had envisioned loads of free time and it wasn't the case but it was fine, we took a family vacation for a reason!

I agree, do not bring the double stroller. I also took my 20 month old on the trip and he walked all over the ship instead of trying to get a stroller through all the time. It also did not fit through the cabin door so it had to be folded each time we used it. Camp Carnival has simple umbrella stroller for rental if you opt for that.

The camp was amazing! There was a kick off family party the first time with Fun Ship Freddy, princess night, animal towel folding, magic tricks, tons of art projects and circle time. Exceeded my expectations and staff was very good.

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There are NO court papers. Why would there be? They were never married. We never thought it would be neccessary for her to establish custody since they have always lived with her and he has only seen his kids 2 times in the past 3 years. There is no visitation agreement, nothing, other then the DNA report showing him as the father.

 

One of our really good friends is a single mom, and she has gone on cruises with her son. The caveat is that the boy has a passport.

The child has her last name and was also born out of wedlock. The father, like the one mentioned, is a non-participant with no custodial rights (and no child support... since he's disappeared, and apparently doesn't want to be found)

 

They've gone on vacation out of country, on cruises and all-inclusives without any issues... still, I think the Passport is very important. No question of guardianship with it.

 

The kids love the camp... My kids have especially liked the arts and crafts. They also engage the children in "contests" that earn the kids rewards... and the kids love getting rewards for doing fun things.

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Does anyone know if this is accurate? Must it be a Carnival excursion?

 

Anticipating some haters, please don't turn this thread into a "why would you leave your child on the ship..." tirade. Just looking to know if it must be a Carnival excursion. Thanks!

 

No, I've never had that stipulation on me. I've left my son when he was 5 and just shopped while DH took the other 2 kids to the beach in Cozumel. Then, last year, he was 6 and didn't want to go to the beach in Grand Turk, so we left him in camp and went to the beach and snorkeling with a private provider. They fed him lunch, he played, had a blast. It's his vacation too and that is what he chose!

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Many things here, but let me focus for a second on the cabin choice question. We sailed in January on Carnival Glory and had an oceanview for the four of us (me, DW, DD age 5, DD age 11 months). It's a good amount of space! The oceanview's interior space is actually larger than a balcony cabin (essentially they take space out of the cabin to give you a balcony!).

 

For us, we had a quad room. We didn't use the top bunk, and had our five year old sleep on the convertable sofa, and they brought a crib for the baby. Would your 2y.o. grandchild still be in a crib? Otherwise, one child might have to end up sleeping on the floor? Or in the bed with you and your daughter?

 

Usually, for a quad, they have one person in a top bunk...I'm not sure I would have been very comfortable having my five year old sleeping up there (short bedside rail, quite high up)...and certainly not when she was three years old!

 

Can you tell me more about the crib? Was it clean? Was it roomy like a pack n play or smaller? Did they provide sheets for it? We are sailing in 6 weeks on the Pride and have 2 little ones going (17 & 18 months old).

Thanks for any input you may have.

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We sailed in April on the Carnival Miracle with our two 2-year old boys, our three year old girl and our 8 and 10 year old girl. The 3-year-old DD loved camp and couldn't wait to go. One of the 2 year olds liked it a lot and one less so. We would usually put them in for short streches and they were always having a good time when we came back. The boys weren't (and still aren't) potty trained. Camp Carnival staff would change them.

 

We had balcony cabins on that cruise and there was no way the 3 littles could open the doors on their own. It was nice to have outdoor space while the littles napped.

 

On several occasions, we put them in camp for dinner. They did well on some of those occasions :)

 

The cribs were very clean - we were very happy with them.

 

We're sailing on the Dream in February and we have oceanview cabins. Should be fine.

 

You might want to consider getting adjoining cabins - the price is a little higher, but you can then watch tv in the other cabin (or have the lights on) while the littles sleep.

 

I can't offer any advice on the passport/birth certificate issue. Good luck!

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I have a question - I thought everyone had to have a passport these days? Don't they?

I have taken my son on several cruises and never been asked for a note and we do have differant last names. He has a passport and so do I so I am not sure if that makes a differance? maybe? :confused:

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Can you tell me more about the crib? Was it clean? Was it roomy like a pack n play or smaller? Did they provide sheets for it? We are sailing in 6 weeks on the Pride and have 2 little ones going (17 & 18 months old).

Thanks for any input you may have.

 

Hi there,

 

The crib was a metal crib, and had a plastic covered mattress so it was very clean. The mattress was not as thick as a standard crib mattress, more like a pack n' play mattress but a bit narrower. We brought our own sheets, as I read on here that the sheets provided are standard bed sheets and don't stay in place. We used pack n' play sheets (instead of standard crib sheets) and they fit perfectly. We actually brought our own pack n' play along too as we were renting a condo for a week after the cruise but we never used it on board. The crib was quite clean and comfortable and took up less space in our room. I've tried attaching a picture of it so you can see - in the OV quad, we put it at the foot of our bed so it didn't really take up the main floor space in the room.

 

Danielle (DW of Sensfan11 :))

IMG_0333.jpg.2519fb4d05ec1c804764f93117057664.jpg

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