Royal Caribbean Adventure Ocean

ROYAL CARIBBEAN'S ADVENTURE OCEAN DELIVERS EVEN MORE FUN FOR KIDS, EVEN MORE RELAXATION FOR THEIR PARENTS

Cruising is undoubtedly one of the best holiday options for the whole family and Royal Caribbean International's award-winning Adventure Ocean program for kids from six months to 17 years is about to get even better.

Adventure Ocean offers a wide range of activities tailored to the appropriate age group each supervised by professionally trained counsellors who provide fun, educational and active play for children on board Royal Caribbean ships. Membership of Adventure Ocean is complimentary for all children on board.

Babies and Toddlers
Parents of Royal Babies (ages 6 - 18 months) and Royal Tots (ages 18 - 36 months) will be able to pack lighter for their cruise with Royal Caribbean's Babies 2 Go program, where they can order organic baby food and nappies, wipes and creams by Huggies - the world's leading nappy brand - for delivery to their staterooms upon their arrival.

In the mornings, Stroll n' Roll a Mile will dedicate the jogging track to guests with infants in strollers, where parents and infants can continue their exercise regimen together.

During the day, Royal Tots can create early childhood memories at four new Crayola Beginnings workshops. During each 45-minute session, parents and their children enjoy story-time with an Adventure Ocean counsellor, and use Crayola Beginnings products to create the toddler's first works of art. Themed sessions include My Colorful World (introducing the concept of colors); Families Have Fun (introducing the world of coloring); Let's Explore the Sea; and Our Big, Big Ship.

A treasure chest of Fisher-Price toys is available to families during their stay in the Fisher-Price Toy Lending Program, comprising a collection of developmental toys specifically created for infants and toddlers, ages 6 - 36 months. Parents can borrow and exchange toys for a new activity every day to help growing minds learn through play.

Babysitting
Parents can enjoy a little time away from their children with complete peace of mind through Royal Caribbean's Sitters at Sea for guests with infants, one year old and above. A Royal Caribbean staff-member will arrive equipped with Fisher-Price toys and Mattel games, look after and entertain the young cruisers until their parents return. Parents will need to reserve a sitter at least 24 hours in advance and complete a checklist that includes information on where they will be, when they expect to return, bedtime routines and particular preferences for each child. Upon their return, parents will be presented a log of the child's activities with the babysitter, including books read, games enjoyed, food consumed, and when the child was put to bed. Service charges for Sitters at Sea are US$10 per hour for up to two children; and US$15 per hour for three or more children.

New Dining Options for Kids
Let's face it, kids can get restless at the dinner time, often wanting to finish dinner quickly and get back to play. With this in mind, Royal Caribbean is introducing My Family Time Dining from June 2009 where kids can complete dinner from the first sitting within 45 minutes, then met by Adventure Ocean counsellors and escorted back to the Adventure Ocean spaces for ongoing evening activities, while parents can continue to enjoy their dinner.

Lunchtime, also, no longer means a break from the fun for kids. With Royal Caribbean's Lunch and Play option, kids, ages 3 - 11, can enjoy a nutritious meal with new friends at lunchtime on days at sea. For a service charge of $7.95 per child, Lunch and Play provides Adventure Ocean kids with lunch, movies, cartoons and play time between noon and 2 p.m. under the supervision of Adventure Ocean counsellors. Parents will pre-select items for their kid's lunchbox, from options such as a salad or ham and/or cheese sandwich; a fruit salad, banana or apple; a cookie, serving of potato chips, granola bar, or vegetable sticks; and a beverage of fruit punch, milk, or water.

Where Kids Want to Be
Kids and teens can enjoy activities into the late evening with newly extended hours in the Adventure Ocean and teen-only spaces. Scheduled programming will now run everyday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. (extended from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.)

Royal Caribbean is currently the only cruise line with dedicated teen spaces aboard every ship across the fleet. Onboard areas such as The Living Room teen hangout, Fuel or Optix teen discos, and The Back Deck sun-deck for teens give young cruisers ages 12 - 17 their own space to create new friendships and relax with their peers.

Younger cruisers, ages 3 - 11, have scheduled and supervised activities all day long in three age-tiered curricula: Aquanauts, ages 3 - 5; Explorers, ages 6 - 8; and Voyagers, ages 9 - 11. All Adventure Ocean counsellors are college graduates, with a degree in education, recreation or a related field.

Books and Stories
Young cruises also have their own book nook aboard every Royal Caribbean ship. The Adventure Family Library is a section within the onboard library, which offers classic and popular family titles in a variety of languages (based on the ship's itinerary) and a comfortable reading area for kids to relax and delve into a book, individually or with a parent.

In the evenings, Royal Bedtime Stories invites the whole family to the Adventure Family Library to enjoy a bedtime story and lullabies. Children are encouraged to dress in their pajamas and enjoy a cookie or two with milk, while an Adventure Ocean counsellor reads from one among a variety of popular storybooks.

Family Time with Mattel Board Games
Through a partnership with Mattel, Royal Caribbean International offers guests a wide array of popular games for the whole family. Younger cruisers in Royal Caribbean's Adventure Ocean program can enjoy a variety of Mattel games, including titles such as 20Q; Apples to Apples; Piranha Panic; Rhino Rampage; Scene It? Nickelodeon Edition; and UNO.

Family play sessions led by activities staff include games such as Skip-Bo Get Together; Scrabble Scramble; and UNO H2O (held poolside). These live versions of popular Mattel games provide an opportunity for anyone in the family to compete with other families in active and fun games. Mattel board games also are stocked in the card room, where guests can accept an impromptu family challenge. Additionally, guests in suite category staterooms may request Mattel board games off a menu in their suite, for enjoyment in the privacy of their stateroom. Titles include Balderdash, Mad Gap, Othello, UNO Attack, and games featured in Adventure Ocean.

Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand with 20 ships currently in service and two under construction. The line also offers unique cruisetour vacations in Alaska, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, South America and New Zealand. For additional information or to make reservations, call your travel agent, visit www.royalcaribbean.com or call 1300 754 500.