When a four-year-old is asking to go back, you know it was a good holiday. And a week after we left our four-day adventure on Carnival Splendor, my son was begging for more.
I felt the same. If only real life was a seemingly endless choice of delicious food (that you don’t have to cook yourself), before hitting the water slide, heading to a Build-A-Bear Workshop at Sea in the afternoon and catching a family-friendly comedy show in the evenings.
All-ages fun
It’s rare that we’re able to keep the teen, tween and preschooler in our family all happy at the same time, but our Carnival cruise proved to be the exception.
They all loved choosing a new furry friend and accessory at the Build-A-Bear Workshop at Sea, and the fun continued with Seuss at Sea, where the world of beloved children’s author Dr Seuss and his iconic characters came to life onboard the ship.
The ‘Thing 1 & Thing 2 Birthday Breakfast’ proved to be a big hit. My kids beamed as they chose from the novelty menu featuring everything from Who-Ville Red Velvet French Toast to ‘Do You Like Green Eggs And Ham?’ As for birthday cake for breakfast…yes, please!
What a thrill!
After refuelling it was time to hit the water slides, and while the teen and hubby braved the Green Lightning thrill-slide, the younger kids and I hit the tamer Twister. Then, in a moment that’s rare when you’re a parent of three, I actually had the chance to kick back and enjoy a cocktail on a sunlounge while the kids played in the onboard splash zone.
Later, there was another chance to relax when I snuck over to the Cloud 9 spa with my teen daughter. We shut out the world in one of their aromatherapy steam rooms and enjoyed a soak in the hydrotherapy pool while gazing out at the ocean.
Apart from the serene surrounds, it was also easier to switch off knowing I didn’t need to worry about what to prepare for dinner.
Food, glorious food
Each evening, we looked forward to dining at either The Black Pearl or the Gold Pearl restaurant. Having never cruised before I was sceptical of the food and what it would be like, but even our fussy kids were impressed with the quality and variety of dishes, and the dedicated kids’ menu.
When on land, evenings mean we’d be going through the motions of the usual boring bedtime routine. But when we were cruising the evenings were dedicated to fun.
The family-friendly comedy show in the cosy El Morocco lounge had us all rolling with laughter. Then, it was back to our rooms to snuggle up and watch an on-demand movie and enjoy the treats we’d snapped up earlier from the on-board candy store – a highlight for the little ones and a sweet way to end another magical day at sea.
Carnival Cruise Line is the World’s Most Popular Cruise Line® and has two ships deployed in Australia, Carnival Splendor and Carnival Luminosa. Sailing year-round from her Sydney homeport, Carnival Splendor joined the Carnival fleet in late 2019. Carnival Luminosa joined the fleet in 2022, sailing seasonally out of Brisbane and Seattle. Carnival Luminosa will return to Australia in October 2024. Designed with fun in mind and featuring over 45 activities to enjoy each day, Carnival offers families and couples fun, memorable holidays at great value.
