Could kids soon face new restrictions on Royal Caribbean ships?
The line’s CEO, Michael Bayley, raised the possibility last week during a preview event for the line’s newest ship, Utopia of the Seas.
Speaking to a room full of travel advisers and other attendees at the event, Bayley suggested the line would look into additional restrictions for children on Royal Caribbean vessels beyond the line’s existing curfew for cruisers ages 17 and under, according to several media outlets that were on board.
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The curfew requires such younger cruisers to be back in their cabins by 1 a.m. each night.
“It’s probably time for us to take a look at [the curfew]. I think the idea of curfews in some of the bars is a great idea,” Bayley said, according to Royal Caribbean Blog.
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Bayley made the comments in response to a question from a travel adviser who said unruly children on board Royal Caribbean ships were turning off customers, Royal Caribbean Blog reported. The agent suggested Royal Caribbean add more adult-oriented areas to ships or add more restrictive curfews at ship bars, the outlet said.
Reports on the comment also appeared at Travel Pulse and at Cruise Mummy.
The outlets said Royal Caribbean leaders at the Utopia of the Seas preview event raised the possibility of an earlier curfew on the line’s ships, perhaps specifically for adult-focused areas such as bars and lounges.
Related: The best cruise lines for families
Royal Caribbean’s Bayley said that the line had been receiving more complaints about kids in public areas of late, which made it more willing to revisit the curfew policy, according to Royal Caribbean Blog.
Royal Caribbean has positioned itself in recent years as the world’s ultimate cruise brand for families, and its ships are specifically designed to offer a lot of venues aimed at the family market. That includes many children’s play zones, family-friendly pools and waterslides, and such family attractions as bumper car pavilions and ice skating rinks.
The line’s focus on family-friendly, family-owned attractions has resulted in its ships drawing large numbers of families with children.
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