Oasis of the Seas to feature ultimate wonderland for young adventurers

MIAMI – The final neighborhood to beadded into the deck plans of Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seaswas announced last night during an online unveiling sponsored by AmericanExpress Trave

MIAMI – The final neighborhood to beadded into the deck plans of Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seaswas announced last night during an online unveiling sponsored by AmericanExpress Travel. The Youth Zone, a haven for children and teens, joins theranks of six other previously-announced, diverse neighborhoods that will beaboard the world’s largest and most revolutionary cruise ship due to launch inNovember 2009. Oasis of the Seas features a unique concept that will provideguests with the opportunity to seek out relevant experiences based on theirpersonal style, preference or mood in seven neighborhoods, including CentralPark, Boardwalk with the AquaTheater, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and SportsZone, the Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place, and theYouth Zone.

“We thank American Express Travel, for partnering with us to unveil thelast neighborhood of Oasis of the Seas,” said Adam Goldstein, president andCEO, Royal Caribbean International. “Oasis of the Seas will offer more ofeverything for every member of the family, including more for our youngerguests. The Youth Zone aboard Oasis of the Seas will continue to build on ouraward-winning Adventure Ocean youth and teen programs, and expand to includededicated space and programming for our guests as young as six months.”

The latest neighborhood unveiling introduced a wealth of kid- andteen-friendly adventures that lie within the Youth Zone — covering a totalexpansive area of more than 28,700 sq. ft. (2,669 sq. meters) — including,Kids Avenue, a central boulevard connecting children with dedicated AdventureOcean spaces and various themed play areas; the cruise line’s first nurseryfor infants and toddlers (six months or older); and state-of-the-art teenareas. A video preview of these areas, including interviews with RoyalCaribbean executives, is now available online at www.OasisoftheSeas.com .

“American Express Travel is thrilled with the opportunity to help revealRoyal Caribbean’s final neighborhood aboard Oasis of the Seas,” said LynneBiggar, senior vice president and general manager, American Express Travel.”As a huge proponent of family travel, we are especially delighted to be apartner in the unveiling of the Youth Zone. In recent years, we’ve seenfamily travel increase and evolve, particularly in the area ofmulti-generational travel. This has prompted us to provide dedicated familytravel specialists, as well as offer family vacation options that come withgreat value and memorable experiences for all. As such, Oasis of the Seas isa welcomed and wonderful addition to our cruise offerings.”

The Adventure Ocean youth program aboard Oasis of the Seas will featurethe cruise line’s award-winning curriculum currently offered to young guestsfleetwide, but with an exciting new and enhanced approach, includingimpressive spaces created and equipped specifically for designated activitiesallowing for a more robust program. All Royal Caribbean Adventure Ocean andteen programs are led by exceptional, energetic and college-educatedcounselors, whose goal is to create memorable experiences for the cruiseline’s younger guests.

Undoubtedly one of the most anticipated advancements is the addition ofthe Royal Babies and Tots nursery, a first for Royal Caribbean. This colorfulspace will serve as a fully-staffed nursery where children can be left in thecare of Royal Caribbean’s trained professionals, as well as host variousplaygroups created by Fisher-Price and Crayola for babies and tots.

Open daily, the nursery will offer parents childcare drop-off options inthe daytime and evening, carefully maintaining an optimum staff to childratio. Free-time play also will be offered daily, creating an interactiveenvironment where parents and children can bond while playing with a varietyof Fisher Price developmental toys in specially-designed programs offeredexclusively for guests sailing with Royal Caribbean. The Crayola Beginningsline of toddler art tools will be featured in uniquedevelopmentally-appropriate art activities designed for parents and childrento enjoy precious creative moments together.

Within the Youth Zone, Kids Avenue will serve as the main promenade foryoung cruisers to access the various Adventure Ocean areas. Crayola Arts andcrafts activities, scavenger hunts, talent shows and other scheduled andguided age-specific activities will be offered to three Adventure Oceanprogram age groups, each with its own space: Aquanauts, ages 3 to 5;Explorers, ages 6 to 8; and Voyagers, ages 9 to 11.

In addition, Oasis of the Seas will introduce exciting new common playareas, including the Kid’s Arcade for video games; the Workshop, wherefamilies can learn scrapbooking skills or create personalized jewelry;Imagination Studio where children can explore the world of color andimagination through Adventure Art by Crayola; a fully-equipped lab forAdventure Science Lab, where Einsteins-in-the-making can expand theirknowledge; Play, a circular area where children can rollick and participate ina variety of sports and games; and Adventure Ocean Theater, the first-everchildren’s theater at sea — complete with a stage and curtains, audienceseating and state-of-the-art production equipment — where children of allages can learn about theatrical productions, take part in talent shows, orsign up for hip hop dance classes.

The teen-only spaces will be located one deck above the Adventure Oceanareas and adjacent to the ship’s Sports Deck, where kids can test their skillson one of the ship’s two FlowRider surf simulators; the miniature golf-course,Oasis Dunes; or the Sports Court for volleyball and basketball games. Thephysical separation of the teen-only spaces from younger Adventure Oceanguests will be one of the many striking enhancements implemented as arecommendation of Royal Caribbean’s Teen Advisory Board — a group of teensrecruited last year to identify what youths between the ages of 12- and17-years would want to see aboard future Royal Caribbean ships.

Longtime favorite Royal Caribbean teen-only spaces, Fuel disco and TheLiving Room, will return aboard Oasis of the Seas, only larger and morestate-of-the-art. The Living Room will be the ultimate go-to hangout for teensto kick back and socialize at the “mock-tail” bar, which serves non-alcoholicsodas and juice concoctions; learn to spin and mix music in Scratch DJ 101classes, a part of Royal Caribbean’s Scratch DJ Academy; or surf the Internetand keep in touch with friends via the bank of computer stations dedicated tothe space. Teens also will be able to kick it up a notch at Fuel, a discowhich will feature a hip environment, where they can hang out with friends,and a dance floor, where they can show off their moves. A spacious outdoordeck adjacent to these venues will give teens more opportunities to make newfriends while on their cruise vacation.

In addition to the areas within the Youth Zone and teen-only spots aboardOasis of the Seas, special attractions for children of all ages also will belocated throughout the ship’s other neighborhoods. Along the Boardwalk, kidsand teens will be able to shop at retail stores tailored to their interests,and infants and toddlers can ride the Carousel with their parents or enjoy theclimbing and play space modeled after a 50’s-style gas station next to thepopular Johnny Rockets restaurant. The lively Challengers Arcade also willreturn aboard Oasis of the Seas, and will be decked out with the latest videogames sure to entertain kids and teens. In the Vitality Spa and Fitness Zone,teens and tweens can enjoy a menu of spa options specially tailored for themin a dedicated space at the Vitality at Sea Spa.

A diverse selection of activities for families and guests of all ages willbe found in all of the neighborhoods throughout Oasis of the Seas.Family-friendly innovations range from the industry’s first amphitheater, theAquaTheater, featuring theatrical diving performances and spectacular waterand light shows; the first zip line at sea stretching 82 feet in length andsuspended nine decks above the exciting Boardwalk area; and in the Pool &Sports Zone, the H2O Zone aquapark with its toddler pool and the first beachpool at sea, featuring a true-to-form sloped entry and colorful beach chairsand umbrellas to give guests the ultimate beach experience.

When she launches in November 2009, Oasis of the Seas will be the largestand most revolutionary cruise ship in the world. An architectural marvel atsea, she will span 16 decks, encompass 220,000 gross registered tons (GRT),carry 5,400 guests at double occupancy, and feature 2,700 staterooms. Oasisof the Seas will be the first ship to tout the cruise line’s new neighborhoodconcept of seven distinct themed areas, which include Central Park, Boardwalk,the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and FitnessCenter, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone. The ship will sail from her homeport of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Additional information isavailable at www.oasisoftheseas.com.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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