A cruise is a great way to see different places around the world without having to find hotels or pack and unpack a million times.

My husband and I have been on tons of cruises together, but were leery the first time we took the kids. Would there be anything for them to do? Will they fall off? What if we wanted to go out at night as a couple? The questions were endless.

Then we took them on a Carnival Cruise. The kids were HOOKED!

There was so much for them to do. Most of the time, we were begging them to hang out with us!

Here are 10 Reasons Why Carnival Cruises are Great for Kids:

24/7 ice cream

Do I really need to say more? Ice cream, ice cream, ice cream. There I said it.

Did you know not all cruise ships offer this sweet treat 24 hours a day? I’m serious. Carnival Cruise does! We REALLY took advantage of this gem…

Cherry on Top

No, I’m not saying that adding a cherry on top of your ice cream is what makes the ship that much better for kids, although it is a great addition. Cherry on Top is a specialty shop on board that offers all your favorite candy treats! It’s like walking into a sweet heaven…

Build a Bear

The first Build-A-Bear Workshop At Sea is being rolled out aboard Carnival Dream and is expected to be fleetwide aboard all 25 Carnival ships by summer 2017. Kids can make their own “friend” on board and then participate in various Build-A-Bear activities and parties.

Dr. Seuss

Children of all ages can participate in the many Dr. Seuss themed activities, but children ages 2-5 are the most intrigued by the Cat in the Hat, Sam I Am, and Things 1 & 2.

From the Seuss-a-palooza parade and storytime to Dr. Seuss’ Bookville to the Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast with The Cat in the Hat and Friends, Carnival offers a “magical fantastical” time!

 

Camp Ocean/Camp Carnival

If I tell you that my kids never wanted to leave Camp Ocean, it would be an understatement. The counselors made their experience so unique with games, parties and treasure hunts that my kids would plan out

Circle C/Club O2

Circle C is where young teens ages 12-14 go to hang out, meet new friends, and enjoy some pretty awesome activities like dance parties, games, outdoor movies and more.

Club O2 is perfect for the older teens (ages 15-17) to go hang out and do stuff like watch movies, listen to music from this decade, play sports and video games, join karaoke jam sessions… maybe even have a pool party or two.

I wish these places were available when I was a teen!

The Warehouse

The Warehouse is the ship’s video arcade with tons of games, and is open to players of all ages, all night and all day…24 hours a day to be exact. There is an extra fee for this of course, just add some money to your kids’ arcade card and set them free. You can even play in there yourself!

Night Owls

What was better than the times you got to stay up late when you were a kid? For a nominal fee, kids 11 and under can fun it up with others their age until as late as 1 a.m. They’ll enjoy music, activities, games and giveaways at supervised parties while you enjoy staying out late.

Since I can only stay awake to maybe 12am, my kids only stayed until then. Some nights they even complained when I picked them up, but I couldn’t keep my eyes open after a day of fun!

SkyRide/SkyCourse

Exclusively on the new Vista, SkyRide is a first-of-its-kind aerial attraction where adventure seekers pedal hanging recumbent-like cycles at speeds of up to 18 miles an hour across an elevated 800-foot-long track. I CAN’T WAIT TO TRY THIS!

SkyCourse is a ropes walking challenge high above the sea. You’ll be safely strapped in to take on the kinds of challenges you may not normally feel up to. It’s perfect for all ages and you can alter the difficulty level that makes you the most comfortable.

WaterWorks

WaterWorks is Carnival’s onboard water park and it’s not to be missed. With slides of every height and speed, WaterWorks is perfect for even the smallest cruisers. Don’t forget to check it out yourself…because you’re allowed to be a kid too! (WaterWorks configurations vary by ship.)

 

What are your kids’ favorite things to do aboard Carnival Cruises?