Royal Caribbean International offers some of the most family-friendly cruises with educational programs geared to all ages.

Think you've seen it all at sea these days? You haven't unless you have cruised on Royal Caribbean International's Adventure of the Seas or her two sister ships, Voyager and Explorer of the Seas. These action-packed, 3,100-passenger ships have so many options for family fun on the high seas that we actually didn't get to try everything during our recent week long cruise; the following are some of our reasons why the 15-deck Adventure of the Seas is such a family-friendly ship.

Youth Program is Action Packed and Fun

Not only did the ship wow us, but my 8-year-old daughter Alex got hooked on the youth program. In fact, there were a few days where we literally had to tear her away from the kids' room to either spend time ashore with us or to enjoy the ship's facilities. 

Unlike most cruise ships which have one youth room which is usually reserved for the youngest group of children, Adventure of the Seas and her sister ships all have four dedicated youth rooms for the various age groups. Children are split into the following age groups for activities: Aquanauts, age 3-5 years; Explorers, age 6-8; Voyagers, age 9-11; Navigators, age 12-14; and Teens, age 15-17. 

Most cruise lines offer a youth program on sea days as well as port days. However, few offer as many activities on the port days as the sea days and often have lots of free play time on port days with no specific activities scheduled. What my daughter really liked is that Adventure Ocean is very activities-oriented and thus had a full roster of fun things to do even on port days. 

While the line has a slew of successful activities, they would not be half  as much fun were it not for the enthusiastic counselors. I found the counselors to be entertaining, yet firm and personal with the kids -- a perfect combination for them to bond with the youngsters yet still be in control. All the counselors also had nicknames which the children loved and made it easy for them to remember, ranging from Ketchup, to Ice Cream, and even Monkey Breath! We could tell that it was going to be a lively cruise since the introductory informational meeting for kids and parents on the first night was presented in the ice rink, and some of the counselors skated, too.

Successful Trademark Youth Activities

Royal Caribbean has a number of very successful trademark activities in its fleetwide Adventure Ocean program. Every time a child attends a  session, they receive an Adventure Ocean coupon. On the last day of the cruise, they get to cash the coupons in for logo prizes such as visors or CD cases. 

The most impressive program is Adventure Science, whereby kids really get their hands wet (literally) in science experiments and exploration. The fun yet educational activities were held sometimes twice daily and really taught the kids some basic science concepts. Some of them include making space mud, learning about the stars, and talking like aliens from outer space! 

We greatly enjoyed our Adventure Ocean Family Computer Camp (not offered on all ships). This takes place on sea days and you must sign up for it, since participation is limited to the number of computers in the youth rooms. Alex and I participated and got to alter digital photos of us that the counselors took. Then they printed the pictures out on special paper that we ironed on to t-shirts once we got home, which proved to be fun mementos of our cruise.

While some lines place more emphasis on crafts than active games, Royal Caribbean does not. A few times during the cruise Adventure Art projects were offered such as making a metal Mexican hanging trinket. Although Alex is generally very into making crafts and artwork, she did not seem to miss them on this cruise. 

On the last day, all Royal Caribbean youth programs feature a talent show performed by children under 9 years. My daughter plays the piano and the counselors held the show in a lounge where Alex had access to a piano and played one of her original compositions. All kids who participated were given a hearty round of applause by the parents and a medal from the counselors. 

On the last formal night of the cruise, we enjoyed the Pirate Parade which was also presented by the two youngest age groups. The kids had their faces painted, put on bandanas and fake hooks (à la Captain Hook) to wear on their hands, and they paraded around the ship with the counselors. The counselors would yell out funny lines such as, "The Captain wants it quiet," and the kids would reply, "Let's start a riot!" The children even paraded into the three-level dining room to entertain the second seating adults. At the end, the ship's photographer took a great picture of the dozens of little pirates.

Family-Friendly Facilities

Some of the ship's more unique activities include a rock climbing wall, nine-hole miniature golf course, ice skating rink, and Adventure Beach's spiral slide and three splash pools. Children must be 46 inches tall to ride the slide.

At age 8, my daughter was the perfect age to enjoy all this ship has to offer. She and my husband climbed the rock wall a few times and found it to be not only challenging but good bonding time together. We also really enjoyed the very entertaining ice show that was put on a few times during the cruise. The music appealed to a wide range of ages and the stunts by the skaters were breathtaking. Unfortunately we did not take advantage of the family skate sessions because we ran out of time to do things (we also didn't bring any long pants, required for ice skating.)

There are many facilities that appeal to more of a pre-teen and teenager audience including the in-line skating track and the basketball/volleyball court. Obviously the game and video arcade is a big hit with this age group, too, and offered more than 50 different gaming options. Make sure you discuss monetary limits on games with your children prior to the cruise because they could really do damage to your end-of-the-cruise bill.

Obviously there are a number of eating options on this ship; food is offered round-the-clock in the French-styled Café Promenade. Families enjoy Johnny Rockets '50's-style hamburger eatery where the servers dance to oldies music periodically. My daughter loved the Windjammer Café which always had kid favorites at lunch including hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, pizza, and large cookies. The waiters in the main three-level dining room were very friendly and helpful with special orders for Alex as well as our baby. 

The ship has a number of family staterooms that can accommodate five or more. These go quickly, though, so book early if you are traveling with more than four people in your stateroom. Luckily, the average stateroom on these ships is larger than on the older Royal Caribbean ships such as the Sovereign, Monarch and Majesty of the Seas. 

Drawbacks

Were there any drawbacks?  Yes, some. Although the youth program starts for those over age 3, children must be fully potty-trained in order to participate in Adventure Ocean activities. In fact, Royal Caribbean does not even allow those who are not potty-trained to enjoy the youth program facilities even if accompanied by a parent.

However, Royal Caribbean's partnership with Fisher-Price has brought many infant and toddler amenties aboard since our sailing.  While Royal Caribbean is one of the few lines which still offers private baby-sitting, tots must be at least 12 months to book a babysitter. Thus, I found this ship best suited for children 5-years and older who are obviously potty-trained and can enjoy some of the unique amenities aboard.

Also, embarkation from San Juan was the longest I have ever experienced. It took us almost two hours from the time we got off our bus at the port until we were on the ship, and half of that time was standing outside in the hot sun! Make sure you are prepared with snacks and games for your kids during the long wait.