Disney Cruise Line popularized the concept of family cruising when they launched their first ship in 1998. Many Guests who sail with Disney are surprised, however, to discover that the ship isn't exactly overrun with children as they might expect. Apart from adult-only areas like the Quiet Cove Pool and Palo, the Disney ships also feature areas exclusively for the kids.
Since there's no casino on board (Disney feels strongly that gambling doesn't jive with the family atmosphere), all the space on Deck 5 is allocated for Flounder's Reef Nursery and the Oceaneer Club (primarily for younger Guests) and Oceaneer Lab (for the older kids).
My boys especially loved Oceaneer Club. The entire room is designed to look like you're on a pirate ship straight out of Peter Pan. There are cannons and barrels and nets. Hook's cabin is filled with games, computer activities and dress-up accessories. The Disney Characters even stopped by periodically. Stitch taught the kids how to surf. Cinderella told her story, and Peter Pan himself flew in specifically to deliver a message to my boys (courtesy of their grandparents).
The children's activities are closely supervised and coordinated by a team of dedicated Disney Crew Members. Each child is given an electronic wristband to wear for the duration of the cruise, and parents are given pagers and a personal password. Once children are signed in to the Club, they're in a completely secure environment that's so much fun, many of them never want to leave. As soon as they do, though, Mom and Dad are just a page away.
Kids' activities even extend to Disney's private island, Castaway Cay, where Scuttle's Cove is an outdoor play area exclusively for children. Operated much like the Club and Lab on the ship, Scuttle's Cove gives kids a chance to play beach volleyball, dig in the sand, have a dance party with the Characters or just hang out while their parents take in a massage or a jet ski excursion.
On the final day of the cruise, all the kids who have participated in Oceaneer Lab and Oceaneer Club have a chance to come together and put on a little show for their families. "FriendShip Rocks!" is presented in the Walt Disney Theater, where the children all file on stage and get to perform a little dance routine with none other than Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
It's a fun finale to a great cruise packed with activities the kids will be talking about for a long time to come.
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