RCI Parteners with Lowes and Fisher-Price

[JoeyandDavid]

Royal Caribbean International's littlest guests can get their hands dirty and their minds expanded through new onboard family activities offered by Fisher-Price and Lowe's. These partnerships allow young cruisers to have fun while learning and create lasting memories along the way.

More than 330,000 children and teens under 18 sailed with Royal Caribbean in 2005, an 8.4 percent increase over 2004, and an impressive 62 percent increase over 1999. With these staggering numbers in mind, the cruise line continues to look for ways to keep their youth programs fresh and entertaining.

Royal Caribbean's guests, ages 3 to 8, accompanied by their parents, can experience a special driving adventure on the Fisher-Price Power Wheels Track, featured on the cruise line's private island, CocoCay, in the Bahamas. Young driving enthusiasts have the newest Power Wheels vehicles to choose from, including the Jeep Hurricane, Ford Mustang, Cadillac Escalade Custom Edition in either black or Barbie pink versions, and the Barbie Beach Party Jeep Wrangler.

The 'Build and Grow' with Lowe's program invites parents and their children, ages 5 to 11, to take part in constructing and decorating a Lowe's wooden cruise ship, designed exclusively for Royal Caribbean. The 'Build and Grow' workshops, developed by Lowe's, are interactive and encourage children and parents to work side-by-side. Budding builders receive a cruise ship kit, a Lowe's apron, safety goggles, a certificate of completion and merit patch. 'Build and Grow' is part of Royal Caribbean's Adventure Ocean program, long recognized as one of the industry's premier shipboard youth programs.

"Royal Caribbean's new Power Wheels Track and 'Build and Grow' programs will be a great complement to our existing Adventure Ocean activities and give children more opportunities to learn and interact with their parents while on vacation," said Charly McDonald, manager, guest vacation and leisure activities, Royal Caribbean International. "Based on guest feedback, our youth programs are hugely successful with families and continue to exceed our guests' expectations."

In addition to the new Power Wheels Track, Fisher-Price will continue its popular infant and toddler programs fleetwide, in which curriculums created by early childhood experts were developed exclusively for Royal Caribbean. Learning groups are divided into age categories - Aqua Babies, 6 to 18 months and Aqua Tots, 18 to 36 months. Each class offers 45-minute play groups in which parents and their children can explore, discover and imagine with great toys, songs and themed activities.

In a continuing effort to offer its youngest cruisers amazing adventures, Royal Caribbean has re-launched its Adventure Science program. The new "High Touch-High Tech" Adventure Science program, also part of Adventure Ocean, provides participatory science experiences for children of every age. Each interactive program is 45 minutes long with such themes as: Meteorology Madness, Buccaneer's Bounty, The Power of the Sun, Volcanoes, Think Snow and Jurassic Jr.

"Adventure Science continues to be the most exciting program for children on the high seas," said Jaclyn Fink, Adventure Ocean specialist, Royal Caribbean International. "Young cruisers don't expect to conduct fascinating science experiments while on vacation, but 'High Touch-High Tech' brings science to life 1,000 miles out to sea. Before they know it, they've learned the impact made by Isaac Newton in everyday life."

[GottaCruz]

What will they think of next????

I just wonder if all this is just too much. It seems that the more things that are invented for kids, the less ability the kids have to entertain themselves. A lot of kids today can't stand to be without their ipods, computers, phones, etc. We didn't have any of this and we invented our own games, used our imagination and none of it required money or efforts on our parents' parts. I know the cruiselines just want to attract families and it's just for a cruise, but aside from that, I wonder if all this entertainment is helping or hurting today's youth. When I was a kid, our vacations revolved around what my parents wanted to do.I always managed to enjoy myself in any situation. The kids today think that life revolves around them . Are we giving them the wrong idea???

Now , with this new Power Wheels Track, instead of relaxing, many of those parents are going to have their little ones nagging them to do that . I'm just glad I'm out of that stage.

Please feel free to tell me I'm nuts. :grin:

[JoeyandDavid]

no Miss C I think all your cashews are still in the jar...... :grin:

Hmmmm now lets see at $79.95 each child (and I have no idea how much they will charge .. But rest assured it ain't gonna be free....

Sounds like another way to cross the finish line of profit.

[TheSkipper]

Just trying to expand their marketshare. Cruising used to be pretty much for the "older set", all the lines are attempting to attract more yourng families. With seven 2000 plus new ships next year, can you blame them??

But, that having been said I'm glad we too are past that stage!!

Only have to enterain ourselves, and that's easy. :grin:

[sailingrose]

I'm for anything that will keep the little ones busy. LOL Now that I don't have any anymore I really notice how many of them are floating around looking for things to do.