Carnival Cruise line to launch children's space program onboard ships
The cruise ship "Carnival Sunrise" part of the Carnival Cruise Line, is seen moored at a quay in the port of Miami, Florida, on December 23, 2020, amid the Coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Daniel SLIM / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)
Carnival Cruise lines has partnered with Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to launch a children's space program with activities inspired by NASA science.
The program, which includes activities for children aged two to 11, is slated to debut on Carnival Celebration this November which takes off from Miami in its inaugural voyage. The program will then be rolled out to the Space Coast with Mardi Gras in Port Canaveral in time for the holiday season.
The activities are expected to go "fleetwide" around spring break, the company said in a press release.
Some highlights of the Space Cruisers program include:
- Optimal Orbit (ages 2-8) – learn the pull of gravity and how planets, satellites and other objects move through space in a hands-on experience with a giant trampoline.
- Design Your Own Mission Patch (ages 6-11) - join the long-standing tradition among astronauts and design your own take-home mission patch to tell your story.
- Space Cruisers Rocket Workshop (ages 6-11) – follow in the footsteps of NASA’s talented engineers and build your own paper rocket to fly high to the sky.
- Mars Base Connect (family-friendly) – explore the steps it takes to build a Mars base and come together with family members to create your own.
- ASTRO! (family-friendly) – call out constellations as they’re displayed on a unique star projector in a space-themed BINGO game for the chance to win special giveaways.
"Space Cruisers will truly take our offerings to the next level with the perfect balance of fun and education to give both our younger guests and their families something to be excited about," said Melissa Mahaffey, director of youth experience for Carnival Cruise Line. "Kids are always looking to explore new things, and this program gives them the chance to discover many of the awesome aspects of space through fun activities while taking away unique learnings."
Kennedy and Carnival launched the program in celebration of World Space Week.