SANTA CLARITA, CALIF. - Princess Cruises, in partnership with Discovery Consumer Products, the licensing arm of Discovery Communications, announced plans to expand its Discovery at Sea partnership with reimagined youth centers, including new experiences and center designs to help young Princess explorers learn, play and create fun memorable memories while on a cruise vacation. This multi-million investment is currently rolling out fleet-wide through 2018, with program implementation taking place in early 2017 and new center designs planned for installation during scheduled ship renovations.
"As part of our Come Back New promise, we are recommitting to our youngest cruisers and their families," said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president. "Through the Discovery brands, we have enriching new content to add to our already popular youth offerings and we're excited to incorporate interactive and age-specific design elements to share with our younger cruisers to give them the ultimate onboard experience."
Catering to specific age groups, there are three center themes where kids and teens can make new friends and participate in activities specially designed to help them discover, play, create and huddle, including:
- The Treehouse, ages 3-7 (formerly Pelicans): A bright, whimsical forest and animal-themed center including captivating creatures and hands-on activities for kids to focus on play time, creativity and the world around them.
- The Lodge, ages 8-12 (formerly Shockwaves): Inspired by the great outdoors, this cozy center is filled with sports activities and fun places for kids to explore, hang out and lounge.
- The Beach House, for ages 13-17 (formerly Remix) offers a contemporary surf-themed lounge, featuring a cool place for teens to hang out and socialize.
New youth and teen center programming includes MythBusters science activities with three hands-on challenges, featuring show star, Tory Belleci. In addition, new Camp Discovery destination-themed programs focusing on the Caribbean, Alaska and Europe will immerse young cruisers into the culture, nature and customs of these regions.
"The new youth and teen centers aboard Princess Cruises is a true collaboration between Princess Cruises and Discovery Consumer Products," said Robert Marick, senior vice president, North America Licensing and Global Location Based Entertainment, Discovery Communications. "This was a great opportunity to expand our Discovery at Sea partnership to refresh the youth program by incorporating popular shows and immersive activities and designs from the popular Discovery brands."
A framework of current and brand new children's programming (ages 3-12) are bundled under Camp Discovery categories. Core experiences include:
Play – indoor and outdoor gaming, sports and physical activities:
- Shark Hunters: Investigate mysterious Caribbean sharks on an interactive scavenger hunt
- Alaskan Explorers: Hunt for clues to the connections between Alaska's animals and people
- Try your skills on PlayStation®, Nintendo Wii, XBOX Kinect consoles, board games, air hockey and ping-pong
- Join dance classes and engage in friendly competitions
- Enjoy sports including basketball, mini golf, yoga and miniature Olympics
Discover – places, animals and hands-on experiments:
- MythBusters Science Activities: Try three hands-on challenges, featuring Tory Belleci from the show
- Survive Alaska: Invent tools to survive the harsh environment of The Great Land
- Animal Planet uncovers ferocious secrets in Shark Attack, and learn squid anatomy in Just Squiddin' Around
- Learn the science of magic or become an engineer for a day with programs from the California Science Center, home of the - Endeavour space shuttle
- Inspire a love of nature from the regions we sail with Animal Planet Endangered Species activities and our Glacier Bay Jr. Ranger program
Huddle – fun interactions with peers:
- Extreme Sea Carnival: Caribbean music, dance, trivia and crafts light up the night for the whole family
- Wild Alaska Festival: Celebrate Alaskan nature at this family theme night
- Discovery at Sea theme days with activities inspired by Shark Week and Animal Planet
- Talent shows showcase singing, dancing, musical skills and jokes
- Theme nights: Include Pirate Night, with eye patch making, tattoos and a treasure hunt; Mexican Fiesta with music, Spanish lessons, traditional dances and costume making; Challenge Night with puzzle, riddle and physical challenges
Create – arts, crafts, science exploration:
- Make Animal Planet puppets, masks and paintings inspired by regional wildlife
- Create a solar system or build a "stomp rocket," inspired by Science Channel
- The Greatest Catch: Design your own invention to help you explore the ocean
- Compete: Join the Klutz paper airplane challenge or Lego® boat-building contest
- JrChef@Sea: Learn cake decorating and enjoy the results with your family
- Klutz art projects: Craft bracelets, velvet art, jewelry and more
For The Beach House teen activities include:
- Rock the Boat Party: It's the occasion to dress up, stroll down the red carpet and flash your VIP badge, then enjoy an evening of mocktails, awards and celebrating your friends
- Movies: Get your scream on at Scary Movie Night or catch some recent hits at Late Night Movies
- Teen makeovers and glitter tattoos
- Dance Classes: Perfect your moves with guidance from one of our crew dancers, then show what you've got at dance competitions and parties
- Competitions: Give your skills a workout in our video game tournaments. Or play to win in air hockey, foosball and ping-pong tables
In addition, fun for the whole family can be enjoyed through a family fair in the Piazza featuring carnival-like booths and activities, family trivia, Stargazing with Discovery at Sea, family game night and new soon-to-be announced family-themed programs.
In partnership with Discovery Consumer Products, Princess Cruises introduced Discovery at Sea in 2015 offering memorable vacation experiences for the whole family to enjoy based on Discovery's breadth of brands and programming, like Shark Week and MythBusters. Interactive experiences are designed to bring to life the nature, wildlife and history of the regions guests are sailing. Guests can let their imaginations set sail with a variety of activities including stargazing, exclusive Discovery and Animal Planet shore excursions and various onboard activities.
