Calling All Youth to Assemble for Fun

We Call Upon the Youth

Of the World

To Assemble at 

Camp Carnival

For a Fun Cruise

At the conclusion of the Olympics, the IOC President calls upon the youth of the world to assemble in four years time at the next venue city for the Olympic Games.  In the meantime, youth of all ages are called to bring their families on a Carnival Cruise and assemble at their age-appropriate Club onboard to experience their Fun Ship.

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Camp Carnival 

It’s everything they love about summer camp and their favorite babysitter, all in one! Camp Carnival offers tons of activities designed for children in three different age groups: 2 to 5 years, 6 to 8 years, and 9 to 11 years.  On embarkation day children can be registered into their specific program and participate in the Welcome Aboard Party.

Club O2

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During the day, trained camp counselors work with small groups of children to be sure they are having fun.   The children get to meet others in their age bracket, play together, and have special meals together. When the sun goes down,  Camp Carnival Night Owls (fees apply) is open so kids get to stay up late having fun, while their parents also enjoy themselves well into the night.

Most people speak highly of Camp Carnival, but in the following post by John Heald, Carnival's Senior Cruise Director, one parent didn't like the choices of activities.   Several people responded with positive things to say about the program.  Also, John mentions about changes which will be introduced due to a new partnership.

Click for Mini-Series Articles / Images

Camp Carnival Comments from John Heald Blog

Tip: Sign up for Camp Carnival when boarding so that your children will be able to attend the evening's Welcome Aboard Party.

This concludes our Embarkation Day coverage of our Carnival Conquest cruise.  We'll now look at the rest of the cruise and more about the ship in future posts.

Carnival Cares for St. Jude

Carnival Cruise Line
Launches Fleetwide
Fundraising Initiative

Benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

Care to Play: Carnival For St. Jude Kids

Carnival Cruise Lines, the world’s largest cruise operator, has partnered with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to launch a comprehensive fund-raising initiative with a goal of raising $3 million for the organization over the next three years. St. Jude is one of the world’s premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other catastrophic diseases.

The program, called Care to Play: Carnival For St. Jude Kids, kicks off the week of March 28 aboard all 22 Carnival ships and provides guests an opportunity to participate in fun, interactive activities designed to raise funds and awareness in the fight against childhood cancer.

Care to Play activities include the “Groove for St. Jude,” a fun dance activity held once each cruise that allows guests to make a $10 donation and “groove to the music” in one of the ship’s high-energy dance clubs with sounds provided by the ship’s DJ. Guests receive a Care to Play T-shirt and wristband and 100 percent of their donation goes directly to St. Jude.

Another component is Carnival’s Teddy Bear Workshop in which children from the line’s Camp Carnival program can build their own cuddly St. Jude keepsake bear. To show their support, kids can also customize their bear with doctor’s apparel, including scrubs, surgical mask, and a lab coat. One hundred percent of profits, after all related expenses, benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Additionally, copies of the “The Dream Plucker of Perrysport,” a highly imaginative children’s book based on creative stories and illustrations submitted by Camp Carnival participants, will be sold in the shipboard Camp Carnival facilities for $5.95. One hundred percent of the purchase price of this item will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Several hundred copies of the book have also been donated to the hospital.

A number of other fun and exciting activities are planned for the future and will be announced at a later date.

Alex Rodriguez Autographed Baseball Bat - Bid for the Kids
Just in time for Opening Day, Carnival will be auctioning off the baseball bat signed by All-Star third baseman Alex Rodriguez of the World Champion New York Yankees that was used in the Carnival Dream’s naming ceremony in New York. Those interested in bidding on this one-of-a-kind commemorative item can visit www.carnival.com/stjude, a special Web site that highlights the Carnival-St. Jude partnership. One hundred percent of the auction proceeds will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The site also includes a two-minute video on Carnival-St. Jude initiatives, a listing of the line’s yearly progress toward its fundraising goal, and a link to St. Jude’s Web site where visitors can donate directly to the organization.

“Carnival Cruise Lines is pleased to launch the Care to Play initiative which provides our guests with a number of wonderful and memorable ways to help some very special children,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival’s president and CEO. “With a goal of $3 million, these fundraising opportunities will enable our guests to assist St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in their groundbreaking efforts in the fight against childhood cancer,” he added.

“We truly appreciate the commitment of Carnival Cruise Lines to the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising organization of St. Jude. “Each dollar raised through the Care to Play campaign will help in our fight to find cures for cancer and other deadly childhood diseases so that children in communities everywhere will have a second chance at life.”

We applaud Carnival for partnering with such a worthy cause. Carnival makes it fun to help in the fight against cancer in children. Please support the St. Jude Kids the next time you cruise on Carnival.

Merry Christmas - Cruise Ship Style

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Holiday greetings to all on this Christmas Day. I hope this day finds you surrounded by family and friends.

For the men and women serving our country, a special holiday greeting - may the peace of Christmas stay with you now and until you are safely home again. Thank you for your service. May you be home with family and friends very soon.

If you happen to be reading this while on a cruise ship, wish the crew members you see a happy holiday. You might not even consider this while having a great time, but today might be very difficult for them since they are away from their famiiles and friends. Some of them may have been away from home for months.

The holiday season is one of my favorite times to cruise. I live in the midwest, so getting away from cold and snow is a big benefit, but also, the ships and ports are very festive. The picture above was taken during the Holiday Show earlier this month while onboard Carnival Elation. The children participating in Camp Carnival had a special treat - they were part of the cast for the show. Imagine being on stage in front of hundreds of people at that young age.

Another reason that I like to sail during this time of year is the ability to purchase unique Christmas presents in the various ports of call. I love shopping while on a cruise ... no long lines or angry shoppers to contend with. Plus the joy on the recipient's face when they open the gift and realize that it was purchased while I was on a cruise. Of course, gifts could be purchased for Christmas anytime during the year - just don't forget where you hide them.

Whether you sailed away to a warm destination on a ship or traveled to be with family and friends, I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas Day.

And finally, my gift to you ...

Mention this blog post offer when contacting me for:

$50 onboard ship credit - limit 1 per cabin*

Book any 2010 cruise (7 nights or longer)

New Bookings Only

Book between December 30, 2009 and January 31, 2010

*Restrictions apply - cannot be combined with certain other offers (such as group bookings) - contact me for details.

Greetings from Sea

I'm writing this from the internet cafe onboard Carnival Elation. The Elation sails from San Diego for a fun-filled 3 night cruise to Ensenada, Mexico. It is the perfect weekend getaway from the West Coast.

When we left San Diego, the weather there was perfect. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the temperature was in the upper 60s - much better than the 27 degrees back home.

Last night there was the customary welcome aboard show in the main theater. The cruise director, Steve, welcomed the largest group onboard the vessel. This is the First International Cougar Cruise. They caused quite a stir in San Diego, making the local evening news. So far, they've been pretty tame.

When we boarded the ship, the crew had been putting up the holiday decorations. It is quite festive onboard with the holiday atmosphere.

Today was a sea day. It has been an overcast day, but that hasn't stopped the usual onboard fun such as the hairy chest competition. Despite the cool weather, the pool areas were filled with well-wishers for the competitors.

My favorite spot on the ship is the Serenity Pool area. This is an adult-only venue with plenty of lounge chairs and two hot tubs. If you want to relax, this is the perfect place to hang out.

Tomorrow we arrive early in Ensenada, Mexico. I'll tell you more about Ensenada in future posts. I'm off to the holiday show now featuring the Carnival Singers and Dancers and the Camp Carnival children.