Cruising Carnival with Kids

Camp Ocean: A Huge Win for Families

Carnival’s Camp Ocean kids’ club is designed for ages 2–11 and is divided into age groups. Brooks was in the Penguins (ages 2–5) group, which turned out to be perfect for him.

Embarkation day schedule:
- 11 a.m.–5 p.m.: Open house & registration (parents and kids can explore, meet staff, and get signed up).
- 5 p.m.: Explore Camp Ocean — a family event where you can meet staff, see the space, and ask questions.
- 7 p.m.: Family Welcome Party — attend with your child for games and fun.
- 8 p.m.: Camp officially opens for drop-off on embarkation night.
Daily activities: Each day has a set list of themed activities like arts & crafts, science & discovery projects, and group games.
- The itinerary lists kids’ lunch and dinner times, but staff told me meals aren’t officially provided—so this part was a little confusing.
- In the afternoons, Camp Ocean typically closes for 1–2 hours (around 4–6 p.m.), so kids must be picked up during that window.
Extras:
- Build-A-Bear Workshop at Sea is one of the paid upgrade experiences, and it was very popular with the kids onboard.
- Parents can technically leave kids in Camp Ocean while they go ashore. Some families I talked to had done this multiple times. I wasn’t fully comfortable with it, but it’s good to know it’s an option.
Diapers & phones: Carnival allows children in diapers to attend. Parents can choose whether staff should change diapers or call them each time. For younger kids, parents are given a Camp Ocean phone to carry for the entire cruise so staff can reach you if needed. I opted to carry one even though Brooks was out of diapers—it gave him reassurance that he could ask for me, and it helped him feel comfortable going in on his own. (He never asked for me once—he had a blast!)
Night Owls: Camp Ocean offers late-night care from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. at a cost of $20 per hour. One night, I had Brooks there while I went to a show. I got in line to pick him up at 9:55 but didn’t reach the desk until 10:06. Thankfully, I wasn’t charged, but families should be aware of the cutoff.
Bookville: Inside the Camp Ocean facility is Bookville, a Dr. Seuss–themed reading and play area. It’s a great space for parents with infants or younger children who can’t be dropped off yet.

Family Harbor Staterooms: Worth It for Families

We stayed in the Family Harbor area on Deck 2, which comes with access to the Family Harbor Lounge. While our inside stateroom felt small once the beds and pack-and-play were set up, the lounge made all the difference.

Breakfast every morning: Fruit, eggs, rotating pancakes/French toast, baked goods, cereal, yogurt, juice, and milk. It was so convenient to walk down the hall instead of trekking upstairs.
Snacks throughout the day: Afternoon sandwiches and wraps, evening cookies and gummy treats, plus an ice cream machine in the lounge.
Other perks: TVs, a small gaming area, and plenty of space for kids to hang out.
Free Camp Ocean night: Family Harbor guests get one free evening of Night Owls (after 10 p.m.) during their sailing. However, this perk does not apply on party nights. Since Carnival often has a couple of party nights per sailing, families should plan carefully to take advantage of this.

The downside? Family Harbor staterooms are only offered as inside or oceanview—no balconies. But since I wasn’t comfortable with Brooks on a balcony, it worked perfectly for us.

Splash Areas, Pools, and Kids’ Fun

The main pool and splash area didn’t open until late morning on embarkation day, but once they did, they quickly became a favorite. The splash zone was simple but fun, and Carnival also features two large waterslides onboard. Brooks wasn’t tall enough for the slides, but older kids and tweens would love them.

Brooks also enjoyed splashing in the large lagoon pool on Celebration Key, Carnival’s new private island.

Onboard, Carnival also offers Dr. Seuss at Sea, which was a huge hit. Brooks joined the parade through the ship, met the Cat in the Hat, and listened to a reading of Green Eggs and Ham. It was a highlight of the week and something I’d highly recommend for families.

Another favorite for us was Bookville, part of the Camp Ocean kids’ area. This Dr. Seuss–themed reading and play space is open for families to enjoy together. It’s stocked with Dr. Seuss books, toys for little ones, and cozy spots to sit and read. Even when Camp Ocean wasn’t officially open for drop-off, Bookville gave us a fun, quiet space to relax and let Brooks explore.

How Carnival Compares to Other Cruise Lines

From my experience:

MSC Cruises offers free infant care, but it’s limited—on our sailing, babies could only be dropped off for two hours per day (may vary by ship). This line also has a partnership with Chicco and Lego, so some ships have some cool play areas (which Brooks would have LOVED but the ship we were on didn’t have much of the Legos).
On most other cruise lines, you can’t drop off children until they’re 3 years old, or there’s an extra charge for younger kids.
Carnival stands out for allowing diapered children in Camp Ocean and giving parents the flexibility to choose whether staff change diapers or call parents.
Cruises don’t allowed diapered kids in their pools, even with a swim diaper on. However some (like Disney Cruise Line) allow them in certain splash areas. Carnival doesn’t allowed diapered kids in any water play areas onboard.

For families with younger kids, this can make a big difference in how much freedom and relaxation time you get onboard.

Final Thoughts on Cruising Carnival with Kids

Carnival does a great job of making cruising accessible for families. From Camp Ocean’s flexibility with diapers to the convenience of the Family Harbor Lounge, I felt supported as a parent throughout our trip. Brooks came home talking nonstop about zip lines, splash zones, and the Cat in the Hat—which tells me he had just as much fun as I did.

If you’re planning to cruise Carnival with kids, go in with a little patience (especially for first-day check-ins and long lines), but know that once you’re settled, your child will have plenty to keep them busy. For us, the memories were more than worth it.

✨ From Camp Ocean to Dr. Seuss at Sea, our family found so many fun options onboard. You can read how it all came together in my full Carnival Vista recap.

Jenny Even

As I grew up, my main bucket list item became to visit all 50 states (which I just completed in 2023 with an island-hopping trip in Hawaii)! When asked what my favorite type of vacation is I never have an answer – I love to do it all! And now being a mom of two young kids it has been fun getting more into the family vacations for our own family.I plan vacations because I love to help people have the best experience and make unforgettable memories.