Does anyone use the kids camp on port days?

just curious if this is even possible. i'm not sure how i feel about leaving my kid on board while i'm in port. anyone else face this decision?

We are cruising with our 3 kids this summer on Carnival Valor. They will be 12, 7 and 2 at that time. I would never consider leaving them in Camp Carnival while we did excursions. We are limited on what we can do because of the 2 yr old. But, We vacation with the kids, so we can spend time together.We only plan on taking them to Camp Carnival after dinner so me and my husband can go to the shows or casino's etc.. We dont get much time alone.

We will be cruising on Conquest Feb 12 with our 3 kids 10,7, and 4. My DH and I want to spend time with the kids @ 2 ports, but we are cert. divers and want to dive @ cozumel. Kids cant do that so we plan to leave them @camp carnival for those 4-5 hrs. We would never leave them if they are not comfortable there. So we will see how that goes once we are onboard

I think you have to evaluate your situation. you know your kids and how they handle different situations. I am a stay @ home mom but my kids have always understood the importance of mommy/daddy time.

I left my almost 3 yo (and my 6YO b/c she chose Camp Carnival over the beach) while I took my oldest to the beach in Costa Maya. We went to Costa maya for an hour or two shopping with MIL, FIL and aunt-in-law in the morning. Me nad my oldest went back to the ship, ate lunch, checked on almost 3 YO and invited 6 YO to go to beach and she declined. So we left for an hour or 1.5 hours with kids in camp (DH went to ruins). I don't think I would leave them for several hours while I was off the ship. Another day my DH took 2 older ones horseback riding in Belize and I stayed on ship since they would be gone for 5-6 hours.

When she was 3, we decided to try the in-port babysitting while we were in San Juan on the Paradise. It worked out great. She had fun. We could sightsee without the stroller and use a cab without carting a car seat. We did it again in the Bahamas and after taking her to a beach on St. Thomas, we took her back to the kids area while we explored the port.

Since then, we have looked at each port and decided whether to take her off the ship or not. When she was 7, we included her in the discussion. The last cruise (at 8) she came with us into each port. We did drop her off on the night in Honolulu, but the fun zone was back doing regular activities.

My dd was 11 and loved the kid's club, I did leave here there one port day. She had a blast! Although now she keeps reminding me she wasn't allowed off the ship in Belize. This year she is old enough to do all the adult excursions.

If it was up to my 8 year-old, he would stay onboard all the time. He has missed Grand Caymen and St Martin. He just prefers to hang out and play. Next cruise I will let him skip one of 4 ports.

My DH and I went on a morning shore excursion in the Jungle Canopy in Puerta Vallarta. We left our kids (3 and 5) in the Kids' Club on the Sapphire Princess. We got a chance to do a great adults-only excursion and the kids had a good time. We got back at lunchtime and took them around the downtown area in the afternoon so they did get a chance to leave the ship too. However once we disembarked they kept complaining and asking to go back to the Kids' Club!

just curious if this is even possible. i'm not sure how i feel about leaving my kid on board while i'm in port. anyone else face this decision?

We left our 4yo in RC Adventure Ocean when the ship was in Ocho Rios, and it worked out very well. I did have my cell phone and left my cell phone # with them in case they needed to call.

I wasn't sure ahead of time how comfortable I'd be leaving her on the ship, but after seeing how well run the program was, and how comfortable my daughter was there, I had no hesitation about doing it.

On our cruise my 2 DD's came with us except one day in St. Thomas we were just doing the beach thing and 1 DD (8) wanted badly to stay in the kids Zone (RCCL Radiance). She loved it! My other one came with us and met kids on the beach. Everyone was happy.

We are on the Sun on Feb 25 with our 6yr old and 8yr old. I have planned that they will go on the excursions with us as I have planned excursions that I think they will enjoy. But I am open to leaving them if that is what they want to do. I am certainly hope that they enjoy the kids club because we would really like to have a few dinners in peace. :) We do love doing stuff with the kids but also appreciate our time alone!

Best of luck!

dorothyh,

I will be on RCC in April with 2 sons, 6 and 8. We are traveling the Southern Carribean route to Aruba, Curaoco, St Thomas, and St Martin. What cell phone company did you have at that time because I have been told my phone will NOT work there.

I plan to make my decisions about AO club once onboard, but I have a feeling my kids are going to love it and there are definately some things at port we would like to do with and without our kids. But what if something God forbid something did happen I want to know that I can be reached.

dorothyh,

I will be on RCC in April with 2 sons, 6 and 8. We are traveling the Southern Carribean route to Aruba, Curaoco, St Thomas, and St Martin. What cell phone company did you have at that time because I have been told my phone will NOT work there.

I plan to make my decisions about AO club once onboard, but I have a feeling my kids are going to love it and there are definately some things at port we would like to do with and without our kids. But what if something God forbid something did happen I want to know that I can be reached.

We have Cingular, but we weren't in any of the ports where you will be.

My last cruise was on the MOS with my 10 year old daughter. She LOVED the Adventure Ocean. Toward the end of the cruise she started complaining during shore excursions because she had so much fun there and wanted to go back.

Since we really don't enjoy Nassau, we would leave our daughter on board if she asked, but in other ports we just find excursions that she can participate in.

Last year on Explorer of the Seas, we did a family beach excursion in the morning (St. John) and in the afternoon my 9 yr old stayed at Adventure Ocean while my husband and I went downtown (St. Thomas) to shop. Was a little nervous, but I can say that he didn't even miss us when we returned to pick him up! Don't worry, they run an excellent program...:)

Teresa