Phil Reimer on-board the Oasis of the Seas.
One by one I have been getting to all the “neighborhoods” as they are called here on the Oasis of the Seas—the world's biggest ship.
One area that is and will become even more popular is the children and youth area. I was lucky enough to take the tour with some very bright writers who specialize in the family areas. My role—let them ask the questions and I'll just take notes.
One of the first spots we landed at was the adventure theatre where we saw a very good puppet show in a blackout. Kind of a Finding Nemo type performance with some hip music—youngsters will love it. They will also be shown how to make puppets and to put on their own shows.
The one area that is new is the Royal’s Babies and Tots. New in the sense that for $8 an hour you can leave your youngster from 6 months to 2 years there while you go to one of the clubs, enjoy an evening out, and so on. The staff all have the right training to take care of the little ones. While we were there one youngster was howling. A bit of affection from one of the staff and the child was back in her let's-play mode.
Fisher Price and Crayola are involved and provide some of the programs.
Once you’ve booked your cruise, you can book up to 10 hours of Babies and Tots time. More if they have the space. It all depends on how many little ones show up on the cruise.
I got the impression that the entire youth, teen and tots area was all about learning and fun.
Here’s how they break down in age groups:
- Babies and Tots 6 months to 2 years
- Aquanauts 3-5
- Explorers 6-8
- Voyageurs 9-11
They are all on one side of the ship.
The teens 12-14 and 15-17 are in an entirely separate area. Their area connects to the outdoor sports areas.
If you have child, say 8, who you think is advanced enough to be in the 9-11 group, you can meet with the staff and discuss if a move is possible.
The coolest part for an adult with a kid’s heart has to be the Science Lab.
The teens have a lot more space and a kid's arcade and challenge arcade have been added. They have a new iPod program with a lot of Apps.
To say the least, the staff in each of the age groups impressed me.
You can converse with your family on the ship--parents can find their kids with only the press of a button. It’s all very new and it’s priced at $17.50 for the entire week.
Time for me to move on but you can find out more oasisoftheseas
All for now, but lots more coming over the next few days.
Phil