How does Carnival’s Kid Program Work for a 4 Year Old?

I have done one cruise with my daughter and it was a Disney Cruise, so I am not sure that it is representative of what I will find on Carnival.

Can someone fill me in on how the kids program works on Carnival? I am looking for information regarding both at sea days and days in port.

Here are some of my questions:

Does the ship run programs for kids when at port i.e. can my wife and I go on an excursion and leave our 4 year old daughter in the Carnival kids program?

Do the kid programs run at night i.e. can my wife and I go enjoy a sit down dinner while our daughter is entertained in the kids program?

When are the kids programs not available or shutdown? – I know Disney had a window when you could not drop-off or pick-up unless there was an issue – I think it was when the kids were eating dinner

Any tips for having a great family cruise? We intend to spend lots of time together, but not all activities are suited for a 4 year old – we want her to have fun too.

Thanks to all