Family Friendly Carnival Fascination Review

Family fun awaits aboard the 2,048-passenger Carnival Fascination. This 70,367-ton ship underwent significant "Fun Ship 2.0" renovations during the 35-day dry-dock in September of 2006.

From the addition of flat screen TVs in family cabins to improved kids’ facilities (such as a new teen club and 1,600-square foot Children's World play area), kids of all ages will find something to enjoy while cruising the Fascination 2.0. 

There’s a children’s play room, a separate tween space, and even a teen center sporting a dance floor and soft-drinks bar. Young and older youths alike enjoy a host of PlayStation2 and Nintendo Wii games, sports, music, plus art activities and parties. And those who want to be more active can shoot a few hoops at the new basketball court or check out the brand new 9-hole miniature golf course in the City Sports Park area

For water lovers, the Fascination hosts three swimming pools, including a children's wading pool and a main pool offering a 115-foot-long water slide. My oldest son loved racing his father down the three-deck-high spiral water slide and dual racing slides, while the WaterWorks waterpark, mini slides, and water spray toys kept my one- and four-year old entertained for hours.

 

Kids ages 2 to 17 can also participate in free on board youth clubs. Carnival has a fantastic supervised youth program on-board each of their ships, which split up into three main groups:

• Camp Carnival for 2 through 11 year olds
• Circle C for 12 to 14 year olds
• and Club O2 for 15-17 year olds. 
• Children under the age of 2 are not able to participate in all the regular programs Parents and their Under 2 child can come into the playroom and utilize the facilities during designated time slots. 

To make it even easier for parents to enjoy their vacation, Carnival has implemented fleet wide stroller and Gameboy rentals for a nominal fee. That's one less thing to remember to pack.  ...And for mom of three, all this makes the Carnival Fascination ship a gold standard choice for family vacations.