Getting the kids excited

[terias]

I'm taking my boys (5 and 8) on a cruise in June. They've requested I do a Countdown like I have done for previous vacations. So I've decided to feed them one bit of information a week about the upcoming cruise/ports. Unfortunately, this cruise is still 23 weeks away. So I have 23 weeks (plus the 4 days after school lets out where I said I would do them daily).

 

So, anyone want to help me come up with 27 facts about the Freedom of the Seas, going to St Thomas (we're headed to St. John), St. Maarten, and CocoCay?

 

Can cover anything from the kids program, the ship, the stops...whatever. What gets your kids excited about the cruise?

[tem0627]

What a fun idea!!

 

There are some printables available online, such as Country flags, coat of arms, countries to color in, etc. If they know the general area you are going, have them do an online scavenger hunt to figure out how to color the flags. Since it will have the outline of the flag, they should be able to figure out what country you are going to.

 

If you check out RC's site, you can probably find itinerary samples of the kids programs. You can use that as a resource to find things... or print one out, cut it in 10 pieces and have them put it together. You could probably find pictures of the brochures, daily bulletins (that are placed into the cabins each day), etc.

 

Once it gets closer, have them make their own packing lists.

 

Learn about the people, culture, music...

 

Just a few thoughts... will look forward to hearing others...

[terias]

Love the ideas. I would not have thought of the color in the flags thing, or turning things into puzzles!

 

They got their first sheet this morning. I'm going with a message in a bottle theme for this, so it was a print out of the activities description for the Aquanauts and Explorers, tailored down to not be so wordy. They were very excited :-D

[BeagleOne]

If either/both of them like airplanes, you could do some things related to Maho Beach on St. Maarten.

[Onessa]

Use the computer to find clip art/photos of places you are going and print out a 'matching game' for them to get one week. Flags, island outlines, picture of the ship, etc. use word to create a three by three table with all cells the same size. copy the clip art int each of the nine squares. Print two color copies of the page, cut into nine equal squares. and you have an 18-card matching game. Use slightly heavier paper for best results.

 

Come up with a list of things that they are likely to see alot of on the trip that they are unlikely to see much of around home for a scavenger hunt (palm trees, beach umbrellas, etc). Then have them looking for them - on TV, in a magazine or book, the fake palm in the doctor's office, etc. Cross them off the list and give a prize when they've got them all.

 

For info on Adventure Ocean try here:

http://www.royalcaribbeanincentives.com/docs/rccl-pdfs/adventure-ocean-fact-sheet.pdf

 

Wikapedia has some good stuff look here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_the_Seas_(ship)

• The Freedom of the Seas was built at the Aker Yards drydock in Turku, Finland
  
• Upon its completion, it became the largest passenger ship ever built, taking that honor from Cunard's RMS Queen Mary 2.
  
• When at sea Freedom consumes approximately 28,000 pounds (12,800 kg) of fuel per hour.
  
• 1360 Crew Members
  
• The Cupcake Cupboard, has 30 types of cupcakes