Camp Ocean Ages Question

We are taking 7 kids on our cruise. Two are 11, three are 13-14, and one is 15. Is it possible for the 11 year olds and 15 yr old to participate in Camp Ocean with the 12-14 year olds? Is the age limit strictly enforced? Thanks!

Camp ocean ends at age 11. The 11 year olds will be together in the kids club. The 13-14 year kids will be in Circle C. The 15 year old will be Club O2.

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So the 11 year olds can't be in Circle C? There is no wiggle room with ages if their friends are a year older?

They have allowed us in the past to have a "trial" in a higher age club if close to a birthday. I don't think they will give permission for an older kid to be in younger club though. You can always ask while you are onboard. The Camp Carnival director will make the call.

So the 11 year olds can't be in Circle C? There is no wiggle room with ages if their friends are a year older?

rare and it depends on when their birthday is vs the sail date.

I can tell you that the Circle C kids tend to hang out with each other vs doing group activities. you will see them hanging at the pools. eating pizza. watching movies.

I say let the 2 11 year old do thier camp its the best on the waters. have the 15 year old drop down in the age and go with the 12-14 year olds.. go the first night orientation. Make it mandatory they stay for ice breakers to meet the kids on the sailing. It gets VERY hard after that

Bottom line is that the staff will make the decision.

So the 11 year olds can't be in Circle C? There is no wiggle room with ages if their friends are a year older?

Doubt it. Circle C is nothing like Camp Ocean. Less supervised and less structured. You may not want the 11 year olds in Circle C. Plus on most ships, these camps are not even close to each other. Sunshine is the exception. All of the kid's clubs are on deck 10 together. Sometimes, depending on the activities, they do things together. Club O2 is always separated and is really just a gathering spot.

So the 11 year olds can't be in Circle C? There is no wiggle room with ages if their friends are a year older?

Now may be a great time for all involved to learn the meaning of “No”.

You can give the 11 year old sign in/out privileges and if the kids have phones they can use the hub app to communicate. Most of the older kids use the clubs to meet up but then are out and about on the ship.

If they are in the clubs, it is very likely they will have to stay in their age group. After all, is it really fair to say other 14 year olds in Circle C who may be Freshman in HS to have to deal with 5th graders who are still in elementary school?

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This is a pretty common questions here, so you'll find several other answers, and they're all different. It will depend on when you're sailing, how many kids are on the ship, and how many sign up. Since you do have the two 11 year old kids, they would at least have each other if they can't move up. The 13 & 14 year old will be together, but the 15 year old won't really be able to be part of Circle C. They will typically move up, but not down. On one cruise, there were just a handful of kids, so the 11 year old sibling was allowed to move up. I couldn't tell you when his birthday was, just that he was 11. On our Alaska cruise, it was summertime and packed, so our son said the only one that was allowed to change was a kid who was with a large school group. The kids were all in O2, except him, he was still 14. So they allowed him to move up. But no siblings or any other kids.

Now, not being familiar with the Camp Ocean for the 11 year old kids, I can't say anything on that. But as someone else said, it sounds like you can give them some freedom privileges. The older ones will all be on their own. It's so important they go on the first night to meet most of the kids. It gives them a chance to find other kids they want to hang out with. While they have schedules, they don't always stick to them. If the group is small, they'll change things. And if they kids don't want to do the activity listed, they'll change. And yes, a lot of times the kids just group off and hang out. Our son would find kids he wanted to hang with and then they would meet up there in the morning (for the day) and then again after dinner. Sometimes they hung out there and played video games, other times they'd go to the pool, etc... He would get lunch on his own, we would find him usually twice a day with no problems. Many parents have their own rules on this. You can use a grease marker to leave notes on the mirror in the room. You can use post it notes. We just saw him, he usually knew where to find us after the first day, and we trusted him. He's earned it, so he gets to have it. He knows that if he gets in trouble or we see him doing things he's not supposed to, he will not be allowed on his own anymore. That's what works for us.

Oh and the Club O2 kids will sometimes mingle with the Circle C kids, just depends on how many and what's going on.

Thank you everyone. The reason I ask is because one of the 11yr olds will have her friend with us that is 13. I would like them to stick together, so if she can't move up, we may just forego the kid programs. Of course we will ask when we get there, but I was just seeing if anyone else has done it.

we are taking a cousin of my grand daughter. both are in different age camps. I told them both they will be going to their age group the first night to see how it pans out. I am not giving them the option of being together just in case it does not happen.

The 13 year old might be able to move down to the 11 year olds camp but like posted i would not want my 11 year old in with the 14 year old .. its just too much of an age difference at that age

They allowed our 11 year olds to move up. They said it was a trial yo male sure it worked out, if no they just go to camp ocean. There were lots of 11yr olds moving up. Middle schoolers want to be with middle schoolers.