Expanded Youth Programming for Royal Caribbean International

[NWLB]

If you have been keeping tabs, you know that Royal Caribbean
International has been pushing hard to ramp-up their youth programming
in recent years. The coming of the Voyager class brought with it a
massive amount of raw space dedicated to youth programming. Freedom
built on that with dedicated pool space. Oasis appears likely to add
massively to what all previous class' of ship have featured.

Recently, new programming options were announced for the fleet, which
will be welcome to many families.

Parents can get Huggies brand diapers and organic baby food ordered
for the cruise and send to the stateroom. That helps in not having to
pack half a trunk full of them prior to departure. You can borrow
Fisher-Price toys, which again, is good to not need to haul that stuff
onto the ship. This works for some ages better than others, but the
partnership with Royal Caribbean International likely will ensure
plenty of Peak-a-Blocks for the toddlers.

Much of the change seems to focus on assisting families be together at
meals and activities, but aid in shepherding the wee-ones off to their
own events. The “My Family Time Dining” will accelerate serving to
kids and have their meal done in 45 minutes, with food arriving right
after sitting down. After dinner, ships counselors will come and take
the kids to youth activities, allow parents to continue to eat at a
normal pace. Dinner itself is being geared towards the kids, which was
a key point my wife and I have discussed. Cold Fruit Soup and some
main courses aren't always to the kids desire. So they are adding kid-
friendly and healthy options, go so far as to serve them on a special
place mat. I hope that it allows for coloring. A special $7.95 Lunch
and Play program will keep the kids in the Adventure Ocean, with a box-
lunch and supervision from during the mid-day period.

A new baby stroller program for morning walks on-deck, and a battery
of co-branded programs for the youngest cruisers are going to be
launched, as will an upgraded in-cabin babysitting offering. They are
keeping the teen disco open until 2 a.m. Which has the mixed virtue of
keeping the kids hidden, but then flushing them back outside late at
night.

The program is due to roll-out across the fleet this July.

I have a five year-old daughter and a three year old son. After our
first cruise, my wife, who is the assistant director of the top
private daycare in our city, and I both poured hours into how we would
handle the logistics taking future cruises with children. So I have
had a keen eye on the youth programs on Royal Caribbean International
for years. What I see, I like. The programming is helping to bring
down barriers to family cruising. In truth, this should have happened
a long time ago, but that said, at least it is happening now.

Reading this by RSS? Drop by the real site, www.RoyalCaribbeanFan.com