Can kids "nap" in Camp Carnival?

[carpeperdiem]

I KNOW that we're on vacation.

I KNOW that some kids stay up to all hours (even at home)

 

But my kids (DD almost 9 & DD almost 4) have relatively early bed times (compared to some) and even (especially?) on vacation, they will crash at some point...

 

DD (almost 4) is usually exhausted by 8pm-ish. Can only expect the same if doing a full day of activities in the sun...

DD almost 9 thinks she can make 11pm+, but she repays us (miss crankypants next day) when we let her do late nights.

 

IF mom and dad were to leave the kids at Camp Carnival in the evenings for a couple hours, what happens if they are tired? Are there places that are dark/quiet for nap time? Does the Camp Carnival staff allow the kids to crash?

 

DO kids come to Camp Carnival in their PJs after dinner for evening activities, then if they are tired they can "nap" until mom and dad come get them (obviously, there is a fee after 10pm, right?)

 

Do the younger kids have to do the Night Owl program activities if they simply want to zone out and nap/rest?

 

I'm not talking about leaving them until 1am, but would it be a terrible thing to let the kids do their bedtime routines after dinner, get in PJs and go to kids club, and if they need to "nap" they can rest until we pick them up?

 

Is this a normal and regular thing? Are we being bad parents hoping to have a couple hours of grown-up time on vacation (without the luxury of bringing a nanny/family member)?

 

I have read countless trip reports about parents leaving their little ones in Camp Carnival for evening activities -- but what if the kids just want to (or parents want the kids to) crash?

 

Thx

 

J

[bike1964]

Not to offend you, but it sounds like they may be better off left @ home. Carnival is not responsible for your child's sleep schedule. Camp Carnival is a recreational program, not a day care facility.

[carpeperdiem]

Not to offend you, but it sounds like they may be better off left @ home. Carnival is not responsible for your child's sleep schedule. Camp Carnival is a recreational program, not a day care facility.

 

Do you have kids?

[jbh1993]

Not to offend you, but it sounds like they may be better off left @ home. Carnival is not responsible for your child's sleep schedule. Camp Carnival is a recreational program, not a day care facility.

 

I agree totally with you. If you are concerned with them taking a nap maybe you should pick them up and take them back to the room and call it a night for the whole family:(

[carpeperdiem]

I agree totally with you. If you are concerned with them taking a nap maybe you should pick them up and take them back to the room and call it a night for the whole family:(

 

Do you have kids?

[carpeperdiem]

Respectfully, I asked this question to the other parents here. If you are not a parent that has taken your kids to Camp Carnival, I honestly don't value your input.

[jbh1993]

Respectfully, I asked this question to the other parents here. If you are not a parent that has taken your kids to Camp Carnival, I honestly don't value your input.

 

Yes. I do an 8 year old an 18 year old. And yes, the eight year old has been to camp Carnival and loved it. And will be going back on our fall cruise again. :rolleyes:

[nydney1]

Allot will depend on your kids and you will need to make the final decision. We have two kids now ages 6 & 5 that have been cruising since they were 11 months old.

 

Here is our expeiriece. I can't speak for the 9 yr olds as we have not experienced that yet. Camp Carnival is activity based so there is always things going on for the kids to do. Our kids are ususally in bed by 9:00 PM so staying up is somethimes a challenge for them.

 

In the evening we they either have dinner with us orthey have dinner with ther friends at Camp Carnival depending on the day. Either way they are dressed when we take them. No pj's.

 

They are ususally watching some sort of movie when we pick them up (usually about 10:00 PM) we do not do the late night sitting. There are pillows and blankets available and on more than one occasion I have had to carry one of them back to the room, as they were asleep when I arrived.

 

Cruising can be a great family vacation, sometimes we take the kids sometimes we don't. You can enjoy yourselves either way. We have found that if you take a power nap in the afternoon when you can everyone does better at night. This is true regardless if the kids are with us or not.

 

Enjoy your trip.

[SueG]

Oh for goodness sakes. People never cease to amaze me with their replies in here.

 

Take the kids in their pajamas if you like. I use to see kids sleeping there all the time when I picked my child up. I really do not think the 9 year old will need to go in her pajamas. She may surprise you. My child never took a nap in there at any age. She was always too busy with the other kids.

 

Do not let what other people say in here bother you. Raise your children the way that is best for you. Go and enjoy your cruise and do not think twice about the decision you make on this topic.

[jbh1993]

Oh for goodness sakes. People never cease to amaze me with their replies in here.

 

Take the kids in their pajamas if you like. I use to see kids sleeping there all the time when I picked my child up. I really do not think the 9 year old will need to go in her pajamas. She may surprise you. My child never took a nap in there at any age. She was always too busy with the other kids.

 

Do not let what other people say in here bother you. Raise your children the way that is best for you. Go and enjoy your cruise and do not think twice about the decision you make on this topic.

 

I would not have commented on the subject if I didn't have children.....:rolleyes:

[TheGirlNextDoor]

I took my 4 kids ages 2-14 last year. My 2 year old would not hardly stay in Camp Carnival. The older kids, were in a bright room with loud music and I don't see how anyone could have napped in there. Although kids amaze me and sometimes sleep thru anything. My 7 yeard old son was in a quieter setting with movies and such... He could have easily napped in there. I just don't know if CC offers nap mats or anything. Your kids may be too excited with the other kids to get too sleepy.

[nickel1522]

carpeperdiem...thank you for your post because I had the exact same questions (considering the Night Owl). I do not know about others, but when I take my 2 year old next year I plan on only dropping her off for certain activities and working around her nap time. (I learned on this last cruise that if she does not get her nap, then we all pay later.) So I would maybe try to plan activities around nap, or if you know you will be leaving him or her for more than a couple of hours, try to have down time before. As for the Night Owls, I am sure any child will eventually wind down and 'crash'. Just do what you feel comfortable because you know your child better than anyone else! :)

[tracyanns]

I will try to answer your question as best as I can...they do have mats and blankets and such available in there but I am not sure they are available at all times. They do not have a designated nap area, so if you kids can fall asleep with the other kids running around and the lights and music and TVs on, I am sure they are more than welcome to take a nap.

 

I know one time my daughter was tired and wasn't able to sleep and they called the cabin to see if someone could come get her. My other daughter happened to be in the cabin when they called so she was able to go get her, not sure how they would handle it if they couldn't get a hold of you.

 

I HATE to say this, and yes I have 2 girls, but if the sleep is that much of a priority and is important to them, you really should just take them back to the cabin when they are tired.

[TriciaEMTB]

Do you have kids?

 

 

I don't have children of my own, but am very active in raising my "nephew" (cousin's kid.) so I am not inexperienced with children. I am not simply a babysitter, I am with him more than his mother is some weeks, take care of him when he's sick, do school activities with him, put him to bed, wake him up, etc etc.

 

When children are tired, being around other kids, loud noises, etc is NOT a good thing. It stimulates a tired and cranky kid which makes them MORE cranky and tired because they refuse to sleep.

 

If your children's sleep schedules are so important and fragile, you'd be best taking them to the cabin to sleep once they're tired. Maybe that means you have to reel in your activities early, but when you're a parent with young kids, that's what you do.

[carpeperdiem]

Thanks for the replies!

I didn't know they had mats and blankets... useful information.

I know that every family has different parenting priorities: a colleague let his then 3yo son watch violent R-movies and stay up past midnight on school nights -- 12 years later the kid is honor roll and a total mensch -- so there are no hard and fast rules. We have found that good sleep = happy girls. That's just us.

 

My DW asked me about this... just looking for some experienced parent cruiser real-world stories.

 

My soon to be 9DD declared that she was going to do the night-owl parties. She read about it on her kindle fire (so much for parental controls).

 

So just thinking out-loud about the DD almost-4.

 

Thanks to all for sharing!

 

J

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Yes they could ...

[bullieowner]

when we went this past march my 2 1/2 year old was laying down sleeping where they can watch movies when we can a couple times. Once in the evening and once in the afternoon. My son goes to bed no later than 9pm at home. He did have fun staying up and playing with the other kids but we had him picked up by 11pm each night.

So yes they could lay down and try to sleep, the counselors will make them comfortable as they can. And one night my son was very sad and tired and was asking for me so they called me to come and get him...no problem....I went right up and got him.

I think they are fabulous!

[babyher]

I don't have children of my own, but am very active in raising my "nephew" (cousin's kid.) so I am not inexperienced with children. I am not simply a babysitter, I am with him more than his mother is some weeks, take care of him when he's sick, do school activities with him, put him to bed, wake him up, etc etc.

 

When children are tired, being around other kids, loud noises, etc is NOT a good thing. It stimulates a tired and cranky kid which makes them MORE cranky and tired because they refuse to sleep.

 

If your children's sleep schedules are so important and fragile, you'd be best taking them to the cabin to sleep once they're tired. Maybe that means you have to reel in your activities early, but when you're a parent with young kids, that's what you do.

 

 

As a parent of 4 children . I could not have said it any better myself. :)

[askimdog]

I am a believer in keeping things the same on a cruise. We have an 8 year old. Her bedtime is 8:30/9 PM. We stick with that. On a Port day she is beat after dinner, and if homework is not done after breakfast she needs to do it before bed ( we bring some along). So she is ready for bed her normal time. 99% of the time I am beat as well and head to bed as well, or atleast stay up a bit longer to read with a nightlight. The wife at times will slip out for a late show though.

[melli_fera]

OP asked if there are opportunities for her kids to sleep if they're tired. Her mistake was asking if she'd be a "bad parent". Who cares if people think what works for YOU is "bad"?

[carpeperdiem]

OP asked if there are opportunities for her kids to sleep if they're tired. Her mistake was asking if she'd be a "bad parent". Who cares if people think what works for YOU is "bad"?

 

I'm the OP. I'm the dad here. The "bad parent" bit should have read tongue-in-cheek. :-)

[larkz]

Utterly silly that anyone would think kids don't (or shouldn't) occasionally get sleepy at Camp Carnival -- and if they are likely to, then they should be left home. That's nonsense.

 

I didn't cruise with my daughter when she was a child, but she was quite an accomplished sleeper, and an atom bomb wouldn't be enough to wake her up. Both of us have always liked a nap in the middle of the day, as well. Trips to Disney/Epcott, Universal Studios, the mountains of Colorado and Utah, Pennsylvania, and D.C. -- she always found a way to sleep in the car, or in a theatre or show, or on a bench while we relaxed. Nothing wrong with it, and we both had a great time.

 

I wouldn't have missed vacations with her for the world.

[cruzinlisa]

carpeperdiem...thank you for your post because I had the exact same questions (considering the Night Owl). I do not know about others, but when I take my 2 year old next year I plan on only dropping her off for certain activities and working around her nap time. (I learned on this last cruise that if she does not get her nap, then we all pay later.) So I would maybe try to plan activities around nap, or if you know you will be leaving him or her for more than a couple of hours, try to have down time before. As for the Night Owls, I am sure any child will eventually wind down and 'crash'. Just do what you feel comfortable because you know your child better than anyone else! :)

 

As far as the night owl program, they do have a place for your child to sleep but my experience is that they won't make them sleep. We took our DD (15 months at the time) there one night on our last cruise so DH and I could have a little alone time and when we got back around midnight to pick her up, they told DH that she had JUST fallen asleep.

 

OP- you know your children best. WIll they go lay down when things are going or will they try to tough it out and keep playing. If so and its important to you that they nap, then I would suggest other arrangments.

 

I know what it is like to have crabby kiddos. Our DD barely napped all cruise and since she is a baby, she is accustomed to napping about 2-3 hours every afternoon. DH and I would even go back to the room, turn off the lights and all of us lay down to nap and she would not sleep. Hopefully next cruise, since she will be older, we will have a little more control- i.e. threats or bargaining.

[angelndscz]

I KNOW that we're on vacation.

I KNOW that some kids stay up to all hours (even at home)

 

But my kids (DD almost 9 & DD almost 4) have relatively early bed times (compared to some) and even (especially?) on vacation, they will crash at some point...

 

DD (almost 4) is usually exhausted by 8pm-ish. Can only expect the same if doing a full day of activities in the sun...

DD almost 9 thinks she can make 11pm+, but she repays us (miss crankypants next day) when we let her do late nights.

 

IF mom and dad were to leave the kids at Camp Carnival in the evenings for a couple hours, what happens if they are tired? Are there places that are dark/quiet for nap time? Does the Camp Carnival staff allow the kids to crash?

 

DO kids come to Camp Carnival in their PJs after dinner for evening activities, then if they are tired they can "nap" until mom and dad come get them (obviously, there is a fee after 10pm, right?)

 

Do the younger kids have to do the Night Owl program activities if they simply want to zone out and nap/rest?

 

I'm not talking about leaving them until 1am, but would it be a terrible thing to let the kids do their bedtime routines after dinner, get in PJs and go to kids club, and if they need to "nap" they can rest until we pick them up?

 

Is this a normal and regular thing? Are we being bad parents hoping to have a couple hours of grown-up time on vacation (without the luxury of bringing a nanny/family member)?

 

I have read countless trip reports about parents leaving their little ones in Camp Carnival for evening activities -- but what if the kids just want to (or parents want the kids to) crash?

 

Thx

 

J

 

I recently returned from our first cruise on the Carnival Sensation. This is what I learned with the kids club. The kids have to do the scheduled activity and only that activity. My kids are 9 and 10 and most days/nights their "camp" wasn't even in Camp Carnival but a conference room area. We went by this area one evening and the kids were playing fireball. In my opinion, it would be too loud and chaotic to sleep. I was surprised that the older kids were not in the camp area, and that the kids can only do the scheduled activity (very structured). I went on the ship and checked out Camp Carnival before the orientation when no kids were in there and was happy to see several video game consoles and thought that would be great for my son who loves video games. Later I learned they can only play video games during the scheduled video game slot, so every kid in the camp would have to be taking turns during that time slot to play.

[armywifefisher]

I have a cranky child if he does not get his naps. You have to pick them up for lunch so we would take him back and let him take a short nap then up and lunch then off to camp carnival.

 

A couple times when we went to pick him up at 10 he was already asleep or close to being asleep as most of the time at this time they are all laying on the floor watching movies.

 

We never used night owl hrs so I can not help you there.