Carnival Mardi Gras deck 4 plan (Cabins-Kids-Family Harbor)

Deck layout and review

Review of Carnival Mardi Gras deck 4 (Cabins-Kids-Family Harbor)

Family Harbor Lounge is dedicated exclusively to families. The family lounge offers 24-hour dining (complimentary, incl breakfast and snacks daily, special requests), concierge and babysitting service, board games by Hasbro, movies on large-size TVs, video games.

Camp Ocean is the ship's kids complex providing supervised by counselors age-appropriate activities and themed entertainment for 3 age groups - 2-5 yo (Penguins), 6-8 yo (Stingrays), 9-11 yo (Sharks). Each group has its own room and dedicated staff. Operational hours (may vary due to Carnival cruise itineraries) are - sea days (10 am - 1 pm, 2-5 pm, 7-10 pm) and port days (port arrival time until 2 pm, and 2-10 pm). Youth staff is international, professional, CPR-certified. Staffing depends on the ship's current cruise itinerary and season. All children must constantly wear their muster station wristbands (available here or at Guest Services). In cases of emergency, parents must collect their kid's lifejacket from their cabin (when picking up their own). Camp Ocean provides supervised dinners for kids every evening (between 6 - 6:45 pm - time may vary due to itinerary) excepting the first evening. Kids-only dinners (chaperoned) take place in the Lido buffet restaurant. Among the menu choices are mac and cheese, pizza, burgers, hot dogs, fries, fish sticks, chicken nuggets, spaghetti and meatballs, vegetables, fruits, Jell-O. Carnival Cruise Lines Camp Ocean youth program is complimentary and offers over 200 marine-themed activities. The programming also includes family afternoons (when parents can play with their kids) and a family day with group activities, like face painting and family scavenger hunts (parents and kids receive cameras and search for things hidden in various places throughout the ship).

Camp Ocean PENGUINS (2-5 yo) arts-crafts, Penguin Palooza (costume making, parades), music/singalongs, aerobics, sculpturing, face painting, T-shirt decorating, bingo (candy prizes), storytime (reading), Dr Seuss, Mr Potato Head, PlayStation gaming, dance parties, indoor ball games, movie nights, "Owl Jams" themed parties (10 pm - 12 midnight /fees apply).

Camp Ocean STINGRAYS (6-8 yo) PlayStation-Nintendo games, arts-crafts, Pirate Game Night, Memory Game, face painting, T-shirt decorating, sports contests, music time, bingo (prizes), Superheroes, "Fun Til' One" themed parties (10 pm - 1 am /fees apply).

Camp Ocean SHARKS (9-11 yo) PlayStation-Nintendo games, music trivia, arts-crafts, T-shirt decorating, design your own cruise ship, scavenger hunts, origami, bingo (prizes), dance parties, outdoor sports competitions, Fun At Sea themed parties (10 pm - 1 am /fees apply).

Camp Ocean NIGHT OWLS (babysitting of kids 6 months to 11 yo) is available each evening between 10 pm - 1 am (no in-cabin babysitting). The service is at a fee of $6,75 per kid per hour (plus 15% gratuity, no discounts). Fees are paid via the S&S card (ship account /no cash) and due upon pick-up. Any kid left past 1 am is charged double and forfeits babysitting privileges for the remainder of the cruise. The service offers slumber party activities (movies, toys, board games, video games, arts-crafts) and includes room-service snacks. Babysitting of infants (babies under 2 yo) on port days begins 15 min before first shore excursion/tour until 12 noon (or from 1 to 5 pm on port arrivals after 12 noon) and on sea days from 8 to 10 am. Kids don't have to be potty-trained (parents provide diapers/toiletries).

Carnival's Camp Ocean themed programming on select nights offers additional parties (surcharged $13 per kid plus 15% gratuity). These are "Owl Jams" (2-11 yo, 10 pm -12-midnight /challenges, hide and seek, music), "Fun Til One" (6-8 yo, 10 pm - 1 am /video gaming, dancing, singing) and "Fun At Sea" (9-11 yo, 10 pm -1 am / video gaming, sports events, pizza). Snacks and beverages are included.

For Carnival Camp Ocean participants only (kids under 5 and kids with special needs/allergies) are provided complimentary beepers, cell phones, and phone chargers. At fee can be rented baby strollers (single and double) - 5-day+ itineraries ($30 full cruise) and 3-4-day itineraries ($8 per day).

Carnival Mardi Gras ship's kids complex also has Party Reef (lounge area), Creative Cove (dedicated room for kids arts-crafts-workshops), Dr Seuss Bookville (kids library) and an Outdoor Playground.

Creative Cove is a dedicated room for kids arts-crafts and workshops. The Beary Cuddly Workshop is a build-your-own-stuffed-animal activity where kids can make and take home a stuffed toy (teddy, bear, dog, lion, koala). This workshop is for-fee (prices start from $20 depending on selected outfits/accouterments). A portion of these sales goes to St Jude Children's Research Hospital (Memphis TN). The "Build-A-Bear Workshop at Sea" is a themed activity via an exclusive partnership with the toy company. Like at its stores on land, the Carnival's cruise ship workshop allows children to create and dress their own toy bears using a variety of materials, outfits, and accessories, including toy shoes/sneakers, all kinds of suits, hats, sunglasses. Each bear also has its own voice (kids record the voices themselves).

Dr Seuss Bookville (themed library) is a family reading/playroom featuring iconic decor (with brightly colored furniture), all Dr Seuss books (over 40 titles in several languages) available for reading, themed board games and activities.

Passenger cabins from 4201 to 4473, of which Interior (category 4A), Premium Interior (category 4N), Family Harbor Interior (category FA), and the rest are OceanView (categories 6A and 6B), Family Harbor OceanView (category FE).