Although Carnival ships have tons of family-friendly entertainment and activities, there are also dedicated areas just for children and teens to hang out without their parents.
Whether your kids are into video games, arts and crafts, science experiments, or just chatting with new friends, Carnival has something age-appropriate for every group.
The great thing about Carnival's kids' clubs is that they're included in your cruise fare, so there's no extra charge to ensure your children have supervised fun while you enjoy adult-only time by the pool.
Here's everything you need to know about Camp Ocean on Carnival Cruise Line.
What is Camp Ocean on Carnival?
Camp Ocean is Carnival Cruise Line's complimentary youth programming. It's available on every ship in the fleet, from Carnival Elation to Carnival Jubilee.
Camp Ocean has age groups to ensure all kids are having age-appropriate fun. Within the youth club, there are three free age groups:
- Penguins (2 to 5 years old)
- Stingrays (6 to 8 years old)
- Sharks (9 to 11 years old)
Read more: 6 Best Carnival ships for kids
However, certain ships — including Carnival Vista, Panorama, Freedom, and Horizon — have an extra shared space for all age groups.
Separate from the kids' club, there's Circle C for tweens aged 12 to 14 and Club O2 for teens 15 to 17.
Carnival’s Camp Ocean registration process
Regardless of age, all cruisers participating in Carnival's Camp Ocean, Circle C, or Club O2 programming must be registered by a parent or guardian.
I'd recommend adding a short visit to Camp Ocean to your embarkation day checklist, so you can tour the facilities during designated open house hours.
It's a great time to register your children and designate which adults are authorized to pick them up. That way, you don't have to worry about it later on during the cruise.
Parents can grant older kids between 9 and 11 permission to sign themselves in and out of the programming. There's no sign-in or out policy for Circle C or Camp Ocean — they're free to come and go as they please.
Certain programs within Carnival's youth club have extra fees, although the majority of programming is complimentary
The Turtles program for cruisers 6 months to 2 years, for example, isn't free. During select hours, parents can drop off children under the age of two for $8.85/hour, including an 18% service charge. Complimentary cell phones are available on a case-by-case basis in case of emergencies.
However, parents can stay and use the Camp Ocean facilities with their infant for no extra charge.
Additionally, Carnival charges for their Night Owls babysitting. It's the same price as Turtles drop-off: $8.85/hour, including an 18% service charge. One way to get a free night of Night Owls babysitting is to book a Family Harbor cabin.
The "slumber party" runs from 10:00pm to 1:00am. Activities include movie time, toys, and room service snacks. Cribs are available if needed.
What's Carnival's Camp Ocean schedule?
Camp Ocean is open every day of your cruise; however, the hours vary based on whether you're at sea or in port.
Typically, Camp Ocean is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm and 7:00pm to 10:00pm on sea days, closing in the evening for a short break.
The hours for Circle C and Club O2 are a little different. The tween and teen clubs offer supervised, complimentary programming from 12:00pm to 5:00pm and 8:30pm to 1:00am on sea days.
On port days, you will want to check the HUB app for the correct times. However, here's an example of what you might expect: Camp Ocean activities begin when the ship arrives in port until 12:00pm. At noon, a special kids' only lunch is offered. Scheduled activities resume at 1:00pm and last until 10:00pm.
The hours are often more limited in port for Circle C and Club O2. Typically, supervised programming doesn't begin until 4:00pm. The first session lasts until 6:00pm. After a short break, it's available again from 8:30am to 1:00am.
As mentioned earlier, Carnival's Night Owls paid babysitting for kids between 6 months and 11 years lasts from 10:00pm to 1:00am. It is available every night.
Read more: Best children's cruise ships the whole family can enjoy
What are the Carnival kids' club activities like?
The activities are dependent on the age group your child is in. You can find the exact schedule on the HUB app once onboard.
However, in Camp Ocean, you can expect everything from arts and crafts to dance parties, storytime, sensory activities, movies, science projects, video games, and more. Most ships also have special Space Cruisers™ programming, which — in partnership with the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex — introduces kids to the wonders of space exploration.
Possible activities include building and racing "Mars Rovers," designing and testing bridge physics, playing space-themed bingo, and hands-on learning experiences.
There are also plenty of family activities, so you don't have to spend too much time apart. These include the extra-cost Build-a-Bear Workshop® at Sea, family trivia, scavenger hunts, and more.
Circle C and Club O2 are a little less structured. Although there is always a crew member supervising, tweens and teens have more freedom to hang out with their friends in the lounge or partake in one of the planned activities.
Why is Carnival a great cruise line for kids?
Kids' clubs aren't for everyone, and that's okay! Some children would rather spend time with their parents than socialize with other passengers.
For example, when my sister and I were growing up, she had no interest in the youth clubs. Instead, she enjoyed spending time with my parents — whether they wanted her to or not!
Even if you aren't sure that Camp Ocean is the right fit for your child, there's so much to do outside of the kids' clubs that the whole family can enjoy.
Although the offerings vary by ship, many Carnival vessels have at least one waterslide, a mini-golf course, arcade, ropes course, pool, and more.
Overall, Camp Ocean's flexible schedule allows families to use its programs as much or as little as they want, making it easy to get the most out of their vacation without feeling pressure to stick to a strict routine.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
