Camp Ocean Review on Carnival Cruise Lines and 5 Must Know Tips

Intro to Carnival’s Camp Ocean

It’s Tyler here from TheTravelingToddler.com.  Are you planning a cruise with your toddler on Carnival Cruise Lines?  Do you have questions about Carnival’s day camp?  Then read on for my review of Carnival’s Camp Ocean (https://www.carnival.com/onboard/camp-ocean) and 5 Must Know Tips

 

One of the best things about Carnival is their day camp service, Camp Ocean (on some older ships it’s called Camp Carnival, but they are basically the same thing).

I really like Camp Ocean because it gives me a chance to get away from mom and dad during the cruise and hang out with kids my own age.  Because come on, who wants to hang out with their parents the whole cruise?

 

Some of the fun activities that I participated in were parachute games, singing, dancing, and making crafts like portholes and t-shirts.  I also got to eat meals with my friends and the camp counselors.

But there are some very important facts you need to know to get the most out of Carnival’s Camp Ocean and avoid any nasty surprises:

The kids are separated into groups based on age.

I was in the 2 to 5 year old group, called the penguins.  Each group has an age range of only a few years difference so everyone in the group is around the same age.

Unfortunately, toddlers under two years old cannot participate.  This is still better than on many other cruise lines, where the minimum age for day camp services is three years old.  The age groups are enforced pretty strictly, so siblings will be separated if they are outside the specified age ranges.

 

It is a drop off service

Toddlers can be left while mom and dad do other things like eat dinner, see a show, or do an excursion.

On our cruise, the hours were from 8am to 10pm, although we did have to be picked up for lunch and there were additional times that Camp Ocean was closed for cleaning.  Your toddler can even nap while in Camp Ocean.

Toddlers do not have to be toilet trained.

The staff will change diapers if needed but you need to provide the appropriate supplies.  Dropping off a diaper bag with your toddler will work just fine.  Just make sure your toddler’s name is on the bag.

     

Camp Ocean is included in the base cruise fare.

Some activities cost extra, such as Build-A-Bear and after hours care, but the basic services are free.  The camp staff do appreciate gratuities though.

 

The camp areas are very secure

The campers and camp areas are supervised by counselors at all times and procedures for picking up toddlers are strictly enforced.  I never had any concerns about my safety or well being while I was in Camp Ocean.

Parents of toddlers are also provided a cell phone that works ship-wide (but not in ports) for emergency contact by the staff.

Summary

Well I hope the above tips help you to decide if putting your toddler in Carnival’s Camp Ocean is right for you.  All I can say is I had a blast and I can’t wait to go back.

Related Content

If you haven’t already, please check out my article Best Tips for Cruising with Toddlers or click here for more articles about cruising with toddlers.

Thanks for reading.

Tyler@The Traveling Toddler

Do you have any thoughts about Camp Ocean?  What tips do you have?  Leave your comments below.