Our kids love to cruise. In fact, if you ask my tweens and teens what their favorite vacation style is, a cruise is always on top. One of the reasons they love to cruise is because of the variety of activities available on the ship. The word “bored” never crosses their lips, and we rarely see them. Between the kids’ clubs and other activities offered, we have to almost beg to spend time with them. That’s how much they love the cruise life.
Thanks to Carnival for hosting us on a cruise to the Caribbean upon the Carnival Fascination. As always, all opinions are our own.
While I love spending time with my kids, I love that they can explore on their own and have input into their vacation. Here are the best cruise activities for tweens and teens on a Carnival cruise.
Camp Ocean, photo credit Carnival.com
Kids’ Clubs
Hands down, the kids’ clubs are some of the best cruise activities for tweens and teens on a Carnival cruise. Camp Ocean and Circle “C” are the camps my kids can visit based on their ages. Camp Ocean breaks the camps into ages groups. Sharks (9 to 11 years) is where my tweens hang. Counselors are there to make sure everyone in the small groups has an amazing time. The camp is full of age-appropriate activities including arts and crafts, songs, games, dancing, movies, video games. My kids can sign themselves in and out of camp, so at mealtime, they’ll grab lunch with us and then go back to their friends.
Circle “C” is my teens camp. It’s the onboard spot where teens ages 12 to 14 go to hang out, meet new friends, and enjoy some pretty awesome activities. She’s kind of shy but loved her new friends and kept going back for more, so the “camp” was clearly doing something right. Like what? Think dance parties, games, outdoor movies, and more, some in the exclusive Circle “C” lounge and others around the ship. And they are all supervised by the friendly and fun-loving counselors who make sure teens have the best vacation ever. My kid is shutting down Club “C” every night.
On the last night, all the camps participated in the Lip Sync Battle Show, so that was fun for the parents, too. My girls could not get enough of the kids’ clubs.
Lip Sync Battle
Designed after the hit TV show, you can get a little taste of the fun on the ship. Lip Sync Battle: Carnival, is an on-stage adaptation of the hit Paramount Network series. This series of competitions throughout your vacation is designed to see who’s got what it takes to truly channel their inner idols and make the crowd go wild. You’ve got what it takes, but we don’t expect you to do it alone. Fight your way to the finals, where we’ll provide the props, music, lighting, choreographers and even backup dancers to elevate your performance. But the attitude — superstar, diva, rockstar — that is all you. It’s a fun show to watch and my girls were super excited to watch and participate with their camp.
WaterWorks and Pools
WaterWorks and PoolsWe love waterparks, so having one onboard the ship is fun! Splish and splash the day away. Every cruise ship needs a waterpark onboard. It’s a perfect, fun way to cool down in the hot Caribbean sun.
And the pool is a given for tweens and teens. Everyone loves a pool. At the aft pool, you’ll catch a breeze, plus a sea view featuring the ship’s wake, while midship pools have a big screen view.
Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast
Our tweens loved this activity. It’s an additional $5/person for this special breakfast, but such fun! Who doesn’t love Dr. Suess? Sit down to a fantastical feast at the Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast with The Cat in the Hat and Friends.
Bright colors and patterns decorate your table, which features fun and unique menu items in Suessical themes. Green Eggs and Ham and other fun breakfast treats plus Dr. Suess character photo opps are a great start to your day. This brings out the child in all of you!
Alchemy Bar
I know what you’re thinking, the bar? For teens or tweens? My now-teen was 10 when she discovered the virgin piña coladas at a swim-up bar in Punta Cana and she’s never looked back. The Alchemy Bar is a unique vintage-themed cocktail “pharmacy” that offers enticing combinations: select spirits, fresh juices, infused syrups, spices, etc. Their custom elixirs can be made with or without alcohol. My teen LOVED being able to create her own custom juice blend while my mom and I had cocktails. It was a perfect “big girls” date while my tweens were at Club Ocean.
Dining
My tweens and teens love the dining on Carnival cruises. They have the ability to order from the kid’s menu if they aren’t feeling adventurous. If they are feeling adventurous, they can order from the main menu and try something new. Lobster, braised rabbit, alligator, and escargot were just some of the things they had that week at sea.
Read 7 Things We Love Carnival Cruises
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