Family Cruise Time on the Carnival Spirit

Written on Tuesday, December 13, 2022 by Emma Whiting Travel

Cruising is an economical, easy and fun family holiday; however, it can be a bit overwhelming as there are SO many things to decide upon before you even set foot on the ship! 

 

What part of the world do I want to go to? 

What sights do I want to see along the way? 

What size ship do I want to stay on? 

How many passengers will be onboard? 

Should I get a drinks package? 

What onboard activities and facilities will there be?  

 

Exhausting! If one of these questions have popped into your head, when thinking about your next family cruise, then read below for my first-hand experience of a cruise I recently did with my children, and keep an eye out for my tips and tricks! 

 

The Carnival Spirit 

We decided on a ‘Carnival Cruise Line’ 3-night cruise aboard the Carnival Spirit to nowhere which started & finished in Melbourne and it was good value for money. Everything was included, from the various activities and entertainment to the many food options available. This particular cruise went to ‘Nowhere’, which meant there weren’t any port stops or shore excursions. This was a great first experience for my family as we were able to explore the ship and all the things it had to offer, without feeling like we had to experience everything off the ship too. 

The excitement and surprise on my children’s faces as we went around every new corner was pure joy. As cruising was a new experience for my kids, we explored pretty much every part of the ship on the first day.  Well it felt like that anyway. As my children had never been on a cruise before, this was a good introduction to the world of cruising – there were many things we didn’t know and learnt along the way. 

 

Accessories/Extras to bring along: 

• Bringing our own lanyards was a cheaper option than buying them onboard. $2 each from the Reject Shop as opposed to $10 or more on board. At all times on the ship, you are required to wear / carry your cruise room card – hence the lanyards! 

• If your family are big soft drink fans you can bring 12 cans of soft drink per person in your hand luggage. This will save you some money. There is also the option to buy a drinks package onboard. Being a shorter cruise, it only had the option for a soft drink package, but longer cruises have alcohol packages too. 

 

Activities: 

• ‘Fun Times’ is a daily planner delivered to your room the night before. It lists all activities for the following day, (movies, theatre shows, trivia, dancing classes, treasure hunts, pool competitions, karaoke, cruise tours – the planner was endless!) so you can plan how you will spend your day.  
• Remember to bring a highlighter to mark the ones you want to participate in so you can easily see what’s happening next. 

 

Kids Club: 

• There are kids club options for kids (and parents) to enjoy.  
• Camp Ocean is for 2-11yr olds  
• Circle C is for 12-14 yr olds and  
• Club O2 is 15-17 yr olds 
• Kids under 11 must be signed in & out by a parent, older kids can come & go. They have many fun activities throughout the day & evening. Fees apply after 9pm. 

 

Dining: 

• Food is a main interest on a cruise, so to have a wide selection of different foods was a blessing.   
• It suited my fussy son the most because he could decide what he wanted to eat without screwing up his nose at every suggestion. 
• The buffet selection on the ‘Lido Deck’ had the most variety, but the ‘Empire Dining Room’ had the tastier options, although it was a bit like stepping into a 1970’s Las Vegas night club! There was a bit of live entertainment during dinner with waiters singing and dancing while we ate. 
• 24 Hour Ice Cream Anyone? My kids loved the idea of the 24hr soft serve ice cream and pizza bars. Not sure who would be eating that 24hrs a day though? 
• ‘The Blue Iguana Cantina’ served fresh Mexican food like Tacos & Burritos. Their Prawn Burrito Bowl was very tasty. 
• ‘Guy’s Burgers’ is a burger joint near the pool where you can make your own burgers. This was a huge hit with my son. He is still dreaming of ‘Guy’s Burgers’ now. 
• There are also a few restaurants that charged extra to eat at, like the ‘Nouveau Restaurant’ and ‘Bonsai Sushi’. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to try these out. Maybe on the next cruise? 

 

Our 3 nights was a perfect introduction to cruising; the kids had a ball and we made some fun new memories along the way. 

 I can’t wait to go on another one soon, and if you’re as excited as I am to cruise again, then give Emma Whiting Travel a call and they can start planning your next cruise adventure! 

 

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