Carnival Valor Family
Every year, especially with the launch of new classes of vessel, Carnival's family programs and facilities are expanded.
Kids are broken into groups by age. There are three groups under the Camp Carnival banner, ranging from preschool to preteen (2 - 5, 6 - 8, and 9 - 11). There is an additional young teen group for 12- to 14-year-olds. A new program, Club O2, has been developed in conjunction with Coca-Cola for older teens (15- to 17-year-olds). Generally, the younger the group, the more their activities are conducted in the Camp Carnival playroom; the youngest ones are there for 90 percent of their supervised activities; the Club O2 kids' programs utilize the entire ship.
The playroom measures 4,200 square ft. and features a video wall displaying nonstop movies and cartoons, a soft play area for children under the age of 2 (admitted only for supervised nighttime group babysitting), and ample space and equipment for arts and crafts -- everything from the standbys of papier-mache and painting to devices that make spin and sand art and even candy. There is also a shift to more educational activities: a computer lab with educational games, SeaNotes (a music program), H2Ocean (science), and EduCruise (culture, history and geography of the Caribbean).
For preteens and teens there's the Caboose, an 1,800-square-ft. facility featuring a huge video arcade, a non-alcoholic bar and dance club with its own DJ. On port days there are "just for teens" shore excursions for the 12- through 17-year-olds.
Dining options in the formal dining rooms include the usual kids' menus and a daily kids' special. Kids can also dine nightly with the youth counselors sans parents in Rosie's.
Group babysitting is available nightly at a rate of $6 per hour for the first child and $4 per hour for each addition child from the same family.
