Carnival Camp Ocean Sharks: Activities, Hours and Schedule for Ages 9–11
Carnival Cruise Line’s Camp Ocean Sharks program is designed for children ages 9 to 11, giving older elementary-age kids their own selection of supervised activities during the cruise. The program mixes games, sports, arts and crafts, science activities, themed events, movies and opportunities to meet other kids onboard.
The photos in this guide come from Carnival Celebration and show what the Sharks program and activity schedule looked like during an actual sailing. Activities and operating hours can change by ship and itinerary, so families should always check the Carnival HUB App once onboard for the current daily program.
For more Carnival information, CruisePrism readers can also explore our Carnival Dining Menus, Carnival Drink Lists, and Carnival Onboard Guides for more information about restaurants, schedules and onboard activities.
What Is Camp Ocean Sharks?
Sharks is Carnival’s Camp Ocean group for children ages 9 through 11. Carnival describes the program as featuring age-appropriate activities such as dancing, sports games, scavenger hunts and other organized entertainment.
Unlike simply dropping kids into one general playroom, Camp Ocean divides children into age groups so activities can be better matched to their interests and abilities.
The Sharks program is the oldest Camp Ocean age group before children move into Carnival’s programs for older kids and teenagers.
On the sailing shown here, Camp Ocean Sharks was located on Deck 4 Mid of Carnival Celebration.
The Carnival HUB App showed extensions 4141 and 4146 for the program. It also displayed two operating periods for the day shown:
• 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• 5:30 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.
The app also clearly noted that fees apply to certain portions of the program. That does not mean all Camp Ocean programming carries an additional charge; late-night programs such as Night Owls are among the activities for which Carnival charges a fee.
Registration and the First Day of Camp Ocean
The first day of a cruise works somewhat differently from a normal Camp Ocean day because families need an opportunity to get familiar with the program.
On the Carnival Celebration sailing shown in the photos, the Sharks schedule began with Open House & Registration at 11:00 a.m.
Later activities included:
• 3:45 p.m. – Sail Away
• 5:30 p.m. – Explore Camp Ocean!
• 7:00 p.m. – Camp Ocean Family Welcome Aboard Party
• 8:00 p.m. – Kid’s Choice
• 8:45 p.m. – All Aboard Camp Opening
• 9:00 p.m. – Theme: Backwards Mix-up
• 10:00 p.m. – Night Owls
Carnival requires children to be registered before participating in its youth programs. Registration can be completed before the cruise, making it worth handling this before embarkation rather than waiting until the family is already onboard.
The first evening is also an opportunity for kids to become familiar with Camp Ocean and meet other children early in the cruise.
Sharks Activities on a Port Day
The Day 2 schedule provides a useful example of how Camp Ocean operates when Carnival Celebration is visiting a port. On this particular itinerary, Day 2 was Nassau.
The morning started with Kid’s Choice at 8:00 a.m. At noon, a Kid’s Lunch was scheduled in the Family Harbor Lounge on Deck 4 Mid.
Activities then resumed in the afternoon with:
• Kid’s Choice
• All Aboard Camp Opening
• Space Cruisers: Rover Racers
• Active activities
• Arts & Crafts: Spin Art
• Camp Ocean Family Trivia
• Seuss at Sea: Story Fun
This shows the variety available even during a port day. Families going ashore should not assume that all children’s programming stops simply because the ship is in port.
The evening schedule continued with Kid’s Choice, Kid’s Dinner, group games and a Mini Olympics theme.
At 10:00 p.m., the schedule switched to Owl Jams Party Animals, which was marked as requiring a reservation.
That distinction is important when checking the Carnival daily program: some activities are part of regular Camp Ocean programming, while certain late-night programs or special parties may require reservations and additional fees.
What Is Kid’s Choice?
“Kid’s Choice” appears repeatedly throughout the Sharks schedule.
Rather than every part of the day being structured around a named event, these periods give Camp Ocean another block of youth programming between scheduled activities.
On the photographed itinerary, Kid’s Choice appeared in morning, afternoon and evening time slots depending on the day.
Parents should check the HUB App because the exact schedule can change throughout the cruise.
Sea Day Activities for Sharks
Sea days naturally provide more opportunities for onboard programming because families are spending the entire day aboard the ship.
The Day 3 Fun Day at Sea schedule demonstrates how much can be offered.
The schedule included a 9:00 a.m. Build-A-Bear Workshop at Sea Party at Center Stage, followed later by Camp Ocean programming.
Among the visible activities were:
• Kid’s Choice
• Games
• Arts & Crafts: Ship Drawing
• Seuss-a-palooza Parade
• Seuss-a-palooza Story Time
• Theme: Kid Challenge
The Seuss-a-palooza events were held outside Camp Ocean in other areas of Carnival Celebration, demonstrating that some family activities associated with the kids program can extend into public spaces around the ship.
Later in the day, the Sharks schedule included Camp Ocean Family Game On, Kid’s Dinner, Kid’s Celebration, games and a Team Color War theme.
Night Owls began at 10:00 p.m.
The combination of scheduled competitions, creative activities, family events and less-structured Kid’s Choice periods helps keep the program from feeling like the same routine throughout the cruise.
Space Cruisers Activities
Space Cruisers appears several times in the Camp Ocean schedule.
The Day 2 program included Space Cruisers: Rover Racers, while the Amber Cove day included Space Cruisers: Rocket Workshop and Space Cruisers Family: ASTRO!
Carnival lists Space Cruisers among the types of activities that may be offered through Camp Ocean.
For kids interested in science and space-themed activities, these sessions can be some of the more distinctive options on the daily program.
Camp Ocean on an Amber Cove Port Day
Day 4 of this Carnival Celebration itinerary was an Amber Cove port day.
The Sharks schedule began with Kid’s Choice at 8:00 a.m., followed by Kid’s Lunch at noon.
Afternoon activities shown in the schedule included:
• Space Cruisers: Rocket Workshop
• The World Works Here Rehearsal
• Science & Discovery: Build a Volcano
• Active: Ball Games
• Space Cruisers Family: ASTRO!
This particular afternoon is a good example of the range of programming offered to the 9–11 age group. Within a few hours, kids could move between science, physical activities and a space-themed family program.
The evening continued with Photo Time! with Dr. Seuss at Pixels Gallery, Kid’s Choice, Kid’s Dinner, active programming and Movie Time.
At 10:00 p.m., Owl Jams Rock N Glow Party was scheduled.
Kid’s Lunch and Kid’s Dinner
Meal periods appear several times in the photographed Camp Ocean schedule.
On the port days shown, Kid’s Lunch was scheduled at noon in the Family Harbor Lounge on Deck 4 Mid. Kid’s Dinner appeared at 5:30 p.m., also in the Family Harbor Lounge.
Parents should use the current HUB App schedule rather than assuming these meals will occur at the same time or location on every Carnival ship or sailing.
Night Owls and Owl Jams
Camp Ocean does not necessarily end when the regular evening activities finish.
Carnival offers Night Owls as a paid late-night program for children through age 11. On U.S. sailings, Carnival currently lists Night Owls from 10:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m.
The service carries an additional hourly fee per child.
Owl Jams are special late-night parties offered on select evenings and also carry an additional charge. The actual Carnival Celebration schedule photographed for this guide included both Party Animals and Rock N Glow Party.
On the sea day shown in the final schedule, regular activities included:
• 5:30 p.m. – Kid’s Choice
• 5:30 p.m. – Kid’s Dinner
• 6:30 p.m. – Kid’s Choice
• 7:30 p.m. – All Aboard Camp Opening
• 8:00 p.m. – Active: Bean Bag Toss
• 8:30 p.m. – Theme: Wanna be a Rockstar
• 10:00 p.m. – Night Owls
For parents hoping to have a late dinner, see an adults-only show or enjoy Carnival’s nightlife, Night Owls can extend supervised childcare beyond the normal Camp Ocean evening schedule.
Can 9–11-Year-Olds Sign Themselves In and Out?
One major difference for the Sharks age group is Carnival’s sign-in and sign-out policy.
Parents or guardians can choose whether their child ages 9–11 is allowed to sign themselves in and out of Camp Ocean.
If parents allow independent sign-in and sign-out, children can come and go from activities and tell the youth staff where they are heading when they leave.
Parents who do not want their child leaving independently can instead require an authorized adult to handle sign-in and sign-out.
After 10:00 p.m., children cannot sign themselves in or out. A parent or authorized adult is required for drop-off and pickup.
Families should review the current rules when registering because this decision can make a significant difference in how independently an older child moves around the ship.
Where Is Camp Ocean on Carnival Celebration?
The photographed Carnival Celebration schedule places Camp Ocean on Deck 4 Mid.
Carnival’s published information for its Excel-class ships confirms Camp Ocean on Deck 4 midship, with separate spaces for different age groups.
The map displayed in the HUB App also shows Camp Ocean alongside Dr. Seuss Bookville and near the Family Harbor Lounge.
Because Camp Ocean locations differ between Carnival ships, passengers sailing on another vessel should check that ship’s deck plan or the HUB App rather than assuming it will always be on Deck 4.
Other Activities Kids May Find Around Carnival Celebration
Camp Ocean is only one part of the family experience aboard Carnival Celebration. Carnival also lists a variety of kid-friendly facilities and activities around the ship, including Dr. Seuss Bookville, the arcade, sports areas, mini golf, the ropes course, WaterWorks and BOLT Ultimate Sea Coaster.
Some attractions have height or weight restrictions, and some carry additional fees.
That gives families the option to combine supervised Camp Ocean sessions with activities they can enjoy together elsewhere on the ship.
Using the Carnival HUB App to Plan Camp Ocean Activities
The Carnival HUB App is particularly useful for families because the youth schedule can contain numerous activities throughout a single day.
The screenshots in this guide show the Sharks filter applied to the daily activities list, making it much easier to isolate programming specifically intended for children ages 9–11.
Parents can use the daily program to identify:
• Camp Ocean opening times
• Kid’s Choice periods
• Games and competitions
• Arts and crafts
• Science activities
• Family activities
• Meal times
• Themed events
• Night Owls and Owl Jams
Because Carnival notes that activities are subject to change, the onboard schedule should always take priority over a schedule from a previous sailing.
Frequently Asked Questions About Carnival Camp Ocean Sharks
What ages are Camp Ocean Sharks?
The Sharks group is for children ages 9 to 11.
Is Camp Ocean Sharks free?
Regular scheduled Camp Ocean programming is generally complimentary for eligible children. Additional charges apply to certain programs, including Night Owls and Owl Jams.
Where is Camp Ocean Sharks on Carnival Celebration?
The photos show Camp Ocean on Deck 4 Mid.
What activities do Sharks do?
The photographed schedules include games, active activities, arts and crafts, science programs, Space Cruisers activities, themed events, trivia, movies and family activities. Carnival also describes Sharks programming as including activities such as dancing, sports and scavenger hunts.
Does Camp Ocean operate while the ship is in port?
Yes. The Nassau and Amber Cove schedules photographed for this guide both show Camp Ocean programming while Carnival Celebration was in port.
Are meals offered through Camp Ocean?
The photographed schedule includes Kid’s Lunch and Kid’s Dinner at the Family Harbor Lounge on Deck 4 Mid.
Can a 9-year-old sign themselves out of Camp Ocean?
Carnival allows parents or guardians to decide whether children ages 9–11 may sign themselves in and out during eligible programming. After 10:00 p.m., an adult is required for drop-off and pickup.
What is Night Owls?
Night Owls is Carnival’s paid late-night childcare program. On U.S. sailings, Carnival currently lists it from 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Are reservations required for every Camp Ocean activity?
No. However, some special activities may require reservations. For example, the photographed Day 2 schedule specifically marks the 10:00 p.m. Owl Jams Party Animals event as “Reservation Required.”
Are Camp Ocean schedules the same on every Carnival cruise?
No. Hours and activities can vary according to the ship and itinerary. The schedules shown here are examples from an actual Carnival Celebration sailing and should be used as a guide to what families may encounter rather than as a guaranteed schedule for another cruise.
Final Thoughts
Carnival Camp Ocean Sharks gives children ages 9–11 a surprisingly varied daily program. On this Carnival Celebration sailing, the schedule went well beyond basic childcare, with sports and active games, science projects, arts and crafts, Space Cruisers activities, Dr. Seuss events, family programming, themed evening activities and late-night options.
Port days still offered substantial programming, while the sea-day schedule expanded into even more activities around the ship. For parents, the ability to filter the Carnival HUB App specifically for Sharks makes it much easier to see what is happening without digging through the ship’s entire daily planner.
The most important thing is to check the current schedule once onboard. Camp Ocean activities, hours, meal periods and special events can change from one cruise to another, but these Carnival Celebration schedules provide a useful look at what families with children ages 9–11 can expect from the Sharks program.
