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Family-friendly Cruising
Having Fun at Sea Together
By Laura Cone
"They see adults doing activities and they want to join in," says Wood. "We mirror it slightly [with] adult activities in our program."
During the night of the Captain's cocktail party for adults, when guests met Capt. Giulio Basso, Camp Carnival children and teens got to dress up for their own formal night parties. Other activities for children include playing ping-pong, shuffleboard, chess with giant pieces or gliding down the water slide and swimming with their friends and family. Some children built volcanoes, watched movies, competed in mini-Olympic games and other organized events through Camp Carnival.
"Parents have the best of both worlds," Wood says. "They have time with their children and time alone while their kids are having fun and making friends onboard."
Wood says parents are encouraged to pick up their children for family dinnertime. However, Camp Carnival 
staff will supervise and join children for dinner if parents want to enjoy a more formal, quiet dinner alone or if they go on excursions without their children.
Kristi Ainsworth, senior youth director for Carnival Cruise Lines, says, in addition to children's menus in the main dining room, Carnival has a 24-hour pizzeria, a grill area serving hamburgers and hot dogs and a soft ice cream and frozen yogurt station. She says complimentary room service is also available.
Some families choose to eat together in the more casual, buffet-style Brasserie Bar and Grill on the ship's Lido deck. Children may also dine with their parents in the formal dining rooms. Parents select from French Chef Georges Blanc signature selections such as lobster tail as well as low-calorie and low-fat gourmet options.