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Note: We came across this newspaper article we thought our guests would be most interested in reading. It first appeared in the Orlando Sentinel Sunday Section March 24, 2002.

Bored kids? Not on this 3-day voyage

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For months, my 8-year-old son Marcos and I had been counting down the days to our three-day "boys only" trip to the Bahamas. We talked endlessly about the fun, the sun, the male-bonding quality time.

What we hadn't counted on, however, was a freak of nature: a few hours of very rare choppy water just outside the entrance to the Port of Miami. Before our trip had really started, it was threatening to become the biggest maritime disaster since the Skipper and Gilligan set off on their three-hour tour.

Then we found the Adventure Ocean, the playroom-cum-classroom aboard every ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet. There, and in the nearby disco, children age 3-17 were already engaged in some kind of activity. The ship was still about as steady as a church-fair roller coaster, but as long as the kids were focused on scavenger hunts, inventing nutty nicknames or beating their newfound friends at bingo, it didn't seem to matter.

Marcos quickly regained his normal color and, during the next three days, he spent almost as much time with the 10-member staff of the ship's youth program as he did with me. And he wasn't alone. From 8:15 each morning until after midnight, the Adventure Ocean, a large windowless room chock-full of board games, rubber balls, construction paper, glue, books, magic markers and kid-size tables and chairs, was teeming with activity as kids -- and their parents -- came and went.

Cruise lines long ago realized youth programs were a great enticement for families seeking vacation options. That, in fact, was the thinking behind the founding of Disney Cruise Line four years ago.

Not everyone wants to hang out at sea with Goofy, however, so the general-market cruise lines -- the kind that tend to attract retirees and honeymooners -- have increased efforts to attract families by offering special programs for children at little or no additional cost.

"The family market has really just started coming into its own," says Ken English, an executive cruise consultant for Fort Lauderdale-based Cruises Only cruise agency. "If the kids are bored, the cruise lines know the parents are going to have a lousy cruise."

These kids programs once were considered an enticement for prospective cruisers, but now they're almost a destination in themselves. With the numerous cruises available -- especially to Florida residents -- it's hard to beat the value of a three-day cruise for the work-weary (and school-weary) family looking for a quick weekend getaway.

As a result, Carnival Cruise Lines now offers Camp Carnival, Norwegian has put together the Kids Crew package, Royal Caribbean has the Adventure Ocean Youth Program, and even stately Holland America has Club HAL for kids.

We tried the Carnival program on a West Coast cruise two years ago and, with its well-stocked library of video games, Camp Carnival seemed designed more for warehousing the kids than actually stimulating their interests. Royal Caribbean, on the other hand, bills its program as "edu-tainment," a blend of educational and entertainment activities overseen by a staff of college graduates with degrees in recreation, education or a related field.

Additionally, the Adventure Ocean program also offers activities for children and parents together.

Fun never ends

For Marcos and me, the bonding began before the ship pulled away from the dock. Upon boarding, Marcos and the other young sailors were escorted to a special registration table, where they signed up for the Adventure Ocean program designed for specific age groups -- 3 to 5, 6 to 8, 9 to 11, 12 to14 or 15 to 17.

Then, while the rest of the passengers made their way aboard, we raced to the sports deck and played pingpong, shuffleboard and basketball and tried out the miniature putting greens

A couple of hours into the cruise, we attended an orientation during which the Adventure Ocean staff introduced themselves and explained the program. From there -- after a minor detour caused by a bout of seasickness -- we made our way to the Adventure Ocean, the well-stocked arts, crafts and game room that would be the center of our universe for the next three days.

The plan was to leave Marcos there for a couple of hours each night while I saw a show, visited the casino or had a drink or two. But I couldn't stay away for more than an hour at a time. I kept coming back to check on my son, making sure he was staying out of trouble and, most especially, having a good time. After all, this was his vacation too.

I shouldn't have worried. Rather than rescuing him from boredom, I was actually getting in the way; I needed four or five return trips to persuade Marcos it was finally time to leave sometime after midnight.

That first night, the kids decorated pillowcases, played a number of quiz games, built structures from blocks and got to know one another. And it was amazing how well those introductions took: For the next three days, my son and I couldn't leave our stateroom without hearing some tiny voice calling his name from down a long hallway or across a dining hall.

Rock 'n' roll party

The next day brought a full schedule of activities, from tiny boat races and a human pinball game to art and science projects. The older kids participated in a shipwide scavenger hunt.

But we ignored them all to go ashore at Nassau for several hours of sightseeing and shopping, although Marcos kept his eye on the clock: At 6 p.m., there would be a kids-only dinner ("Sorry, dad," he kept apologizing, "but you're too old.") followed by another evening of activities, including a supervised search for Coco, a pretend ghost who had been stealing chocolate around the ship.

Sunday was the best day, however. The ship dropped anchor near Coco Cay, Royal Caribbean's private island. While the adults -- and many kids -- snorkeled, rode jet skis, parasailed or just swam in the clear waters around the island -- the Adventure Ocean kids collected seashells and played a number of water games.

By the time the sun set over Coco Cay, we were back on board the ship, packing for Monday's early return to Miami.

Each kid in the Adventure Ocean program received a coupon for each session they attended, and Sunday night they redeemed them for prizes. Afterward, we visited the on-board movie theater to see Jurassic Park III.

By now it was late, yet Marcos couldn't resist making one more long trip back to the Adventure Ocean for the last-night rock 'n' roll party. As soon as we walked through the door, he smiled the toothless smile of an 8-year-old as a dozen kids called out his name.

"Sorry, Dad," he apologized again. "But you're too old."

End of article

More about Royal Caribbean International........

Royal Caribbean International combines learning and fun on cruises with "Edu-tainment" (educational entertainment) through its "Adventure Ocean Youth Program."

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If you're a kid, then our Adventure Ocean Youth Program is just for you. It's a specially-designed complimentary program for kids from 3 to 12 and teens from 13 to 17. Using what's known as “Edu-tainment, Adventure Ocean blends educational activities, daily itineraries, ports of call, games, individual and team sports, art, performance and a general good time into a unique onboard experience for children, teens and parents. The "family" vacation concept will never be the same again. With Adventure Ocean, there are activities for the whole family, plus parents get a bit of free time to themselves and kids get some time to have all kinds of fun. That fun includes special meals, a TV station with programming dedicated to kids, and lots of great play areas. Royal Caribbean cruises are designed to bring families closer together and for EVERYONE to have the time of their life!

The free "Adventure Ocean" program blends make-believe, educational activities, itineraries, port of call, habitats, games, sports, art and more for a cruise experience the younger set will not soon forget.

"A cruise is a time of relaxation and play for all ages. Our edu-tainment programs, however, seamlessly blend into the daily schedule of the vacation experience so that young cruisers can’t help but have fun while they learn important lessons about the earth, destinations, culture, history, animal life and people around them," says Charly McDonald, Adventure Ocean Specialist, Royal Caribbean International.

The Adventure Ocean experience can include the following exciting and fun activities: Adventure Science, where specially trained staff provides interactive science experiments; Adventure Art, which acquaints kids with divers cultures through art; Adventure Family, in which parents and other family members participate in fun, team-oriented challenges, such as The Parent Trap Show or a Treasure Hunt; and Sail Into Story Time where stories are brought to life through hands-on activity and role-playing. In addition to these specialized "adventures," there’s plenty of traditional, fun activities on hand like dancing, story time, beach parties, Hermit Crab hunts, sandcastle building and seashell collecting, to name a few.

Adventure Ocean programs are divided by age group: Aquanauts (3-5); Explorers (6-8); Voyagers (9-12) and Navigators (13-17). Adventure Ocean staff members hold college degrees in either education, recreation or a related field, and/or have career experience working with children 3-17, and are on hand to supervise every program.

120,000 children ( give or take a few ) sail each year, so Royal Caribbean has added an "Adventure Ocean" dining plan. Available on all their ships, the program gives children the option of dining with their new found friends and the ship's youth staff from a complete child's menu in either the Windjammer Cafe, Solarium or Johnny Rockets restaurant. Available on select evenings from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m, the service is scheduled three times on a seven night cruise and once or twice on shorter voyages.

To choose a family cruise by destination or ship link below.

Ships  Adventure of the Seas  Brilliance of the Seas  Empress of the Seas  Enchantment of the Seas  Explorer of the Seas  Freedom of the Seas  Grandeur of the Seas  Independence of the Seas  Jewel of the Seas  Legend of the Seas  Liberty of the Seas  Majesty of the Seas  Mariner of the Seas  Monarch of the Seas  Navigator of the Seas  Radiance of the Seas  Rhapsody of the Seas  Serenade of the Seas  Sovereign of the Seas  Splendour of the Seas  Vision of the Seas  Voyager of the Seas

Destinations  Alaska  Asia  Australia/New Zealand  Bahamas  Bermuda  Canada/New England  Caribbean  Europe  Hawaii  Island Highlights  Mexico  Pacific Northwest  Panama Canal  Repositioning  South America  Transatlantic

The above information is presumed to be timely, but may not be up-to-date and is subject to change without notice. Information source: Cruise Line International Association. Visit the CLIA at www.cruising.org for further information. Cruise Direct Online is a proud agency member of the Cruise Line International Association. All other material © 2000 Travel Direct Corporation