Princess targets multi-generational cruise passengers with renewed Discovery partnership

Princess Cruises is celebrating its fourth year of an exclusive partnership with Discovery, offering immersive Discovery at SEA experiences for families with younger guests.

The cruise line has revealed the newly branded Camp Discovery Youth & Teen Centres aboard its fleet, as well as Discovery Family shore excursions and many educational and interactive activities.

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Since 2014, more than 1,000 Discovery, Animal Planet and Discovery Family shore excursions in worldwide ports have been added, including 300 exclusive tours that can only be experienced with Princess Cruises.

In addition, on-board programming such as Stargazing at Sea has allowed guests to look up and learn about billions of stars on deck under the night sky.

“Over the last several years, we’ve made a dedicated effort to welcome cruisers of all ages to enjoy the diverse range of family fun, educational and entertaining activities through our Discovery at SEA programs,” said Jan Swartz, President, Princess Cruises. “While some cruise lines are now restricting the age of their younger guests, we believe a cruise vacation is the perfect way for families of all ages and sizes to come together to discover the world, relax on-board and reconnect with loved ones.”

Discovery at SEA activities include:

Discovery, Animal Planet and Discovery Family Shore Excursions – More than 300 Discovery, Animal Planet and Discovery Family Exclusive shore excursions offer family-themed experiences in more than 130 ports of call, providing enriching content, food and activities.

From “Irish for a Day” in Dublin, to “Alaska Fishing and Wilderness Dining” in Ketchikan to “Meet the Sloths” in Costa Rica, tour options are plentiful, meaningful and engaging for all ages.

Stargazing at Sea & Voyage to the Stars Indoor Planetarium – Science Channel and Princess Cruises take guests on a cosmic voyage looking at the sky from the top deck on an interactive guided tour with a Stargazing Specialist, identifying major constellations and learning the secrets of the stars and the folklore around them.

The indoor “Voyage of the Stars Planetarium” displays real-time images of the solar system and planets. Both indoor and outdoor stargazing includes commentary from Discovery at Sea’s Science Channel Ambassador Astrophysicist Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi and Kari Bryon from Mythbusters.

Camp Discovery – Newly rebranded “Camp Discovery” (ages 3-12) and “The Beach House” (ages 13-17) Youth & Teen Centres offer younger cruisers engaging new experiences and wonder-filled centres inspiring creativity, curiosity and entertainment.

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Popular activities include:

Jawsome Mythbusters hands-on challenges, developed with Tori Belleci from Mythbusters.

Animal Planet uncovers ferocious secrets in Shark Attack and learn squid anatomy in Just Squiddin’ Around.

Become an engineer for the day and learn the science of magic with programs from the California Science Center, home of the Endeavour space shuttle.

Teens hanging out in surf-themed lounge, “The Beach House,” socialise and connect with video game tournaments, air hockey, ping pong, scavenger hunts, hip-hop classes, dance competitions, parties with mocktails, late night movies and board games.

High Seas Heist with Detective Joe Kenda – Calling all mystery lovers, Princess guests go on the case with celebrity detective Lt. Joe Kenda to see if they can solve a heist whodunit.

This voyage-long experience begins with the theft of a rare necklace and ends with the unmasking of the culprit.

In between is a journey full of puzzles, clues and activities as guests narrow down their suspect list with help from Lt. Kenda via video segments.

Discovery Hit Shows – Discovery at SEA incorporates content from hit shows and programming like Shark Week, Finding Bigfoot and Mythbusters through activities, challenges and trivia.

Additional programming geared towards younger cruisers includes:

Jr.CHEF@Sea – Princess Chefs host a hands-on food preparation workshop for junior guests, ages 8-12, in the main galley areas. Participants learn how to decorate a cake or make a fruit pizza and even suit up in mini toques and chef aprons and receive a certificate and photo.

Glacier Bay Jr. Rangers Program – Developed with the National Park Service, Jr. Rangers is designed to bring Glacier Bay and the Alaska wilderness to life for thousands of children each summer. The highly regarded program features interactive games, activity books and presentations by Park Rangers. Upon completion of the program, each child is designated a Jr. Ranger and receives his/her very own rangers badge and certificate.

Princess Cruises even offers on-board group babysitting at designated times for $5/hour per child. The minimum guest age allowed is six months (or 12 months on some of the cruise line’s more exotic itineraries.)