Carnival Introducing Expanded Youth Program in 2023

Carnival is looking to entertain its youngest cruisers by expanding its youth program in 2023. The updated program will include some brand new activities for the kids in the family and an update to Carnival’s Dr. Seuss Bookville program.

In a press release from the cruise line, Carnival revealed that many new offerings would be implemented fleetwide by spring.

“The updates we’re making to our youth programming ensure our young cruisers have even more to be excited about when they come aboard. We’ve already seen early success with our launch on Carnival Celebration, and I’m looking forward to expanding the reach of our new additions to families sailing with us across our fleet,” said Melissa Mahaffey, director of youth experience for Carnival Cruise Line.

Carnival Celebration debuted the most expansive offerings to date for Carnival’s youngest guests, children under the age of two, with a new Turtles program. The new program introduces an array of unique activities, including Turtle Playdates, Turtle Band, toddler sensory activities, and Baby Turtle Trek – an interactive event featuring fun facts about sea turtle conservation, which welcomes toddlers to reenact the journey of a baby sea turtle’s development as they crawl on a custom-made ocean mat to their cheering family on the other side. The program also offers designated drop-off time in Camp Ocean and late-night babysitting.

The Nautical Explorer program creates an opportunity for children in Camp Ocean to participate in exciting, maritime-themed activities to learn nautical knowledge and earn their seafarer book – from designing their own giant cruise ship and having fun with nautical flags to using a compass and meeting a ship’s officer.

Dr. Seuss Bookville is already one of the most popular activities for Carnival’s youngest cruisers. Now, it will be more unique and interactive as iconic characters from the world of Dr. Seuss come to life. Thing One and Thing Two will help families put on their very own circus, while The Cat in the Hat stops by to conduct a science experiment and Sam-I-Am leads a hunt for green eggs. In addition to Carnival Celebration, Dr. Seuss Bookville is featured on Mardi Gras, Carnival Freedom, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Panorama and Carnival Vista.

Carnival will also update its older kids’ activities by immersing teens in cultural experiences!

Building on the successful Holi Festival of Colors enrichment enjoyed on Mardi Gras, which gives teens an immersive and authentic look at this highly celebrated festival about hope and the colors of life, Carnival Celebration is introducing another cultural program inspired by the Cherry Blossom Festival in Japan, which celebrates the beauty of life and new beginnings.

At Circle “C,” younger teens (ages 12-14) will participate in fun activities like anime drawing lessons and pop culture games. Teens in the 15-17 age group will enjoy an authentic tea ceremony, Japanese crafts, and games to encourage new friendships at Club O2. Similar teen enrichment programs will be offered fleetwide by the spring of 2023.

The expanded youth activities debuting on Carnival Celebration include a children’s space program in partnership with Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which brings activities inspired by NASA science on board. The innovative new flagship also features a top-deck roller coaster and many other kid-friendly favorites, including a suspended ropes course, a massive water park with three slides, and a new, interactive family show, “What’s Age Got to Do with It?”