05/29/04

Tucked away in the lower portion of the ship is an area just for kids. I found it while exploring and was amazed at how much attention is given to the young cruisers.  In addition to their own "inner sanctum" there is also an arcade.  I saw the kids being herded around by the staff for several activities during the cruise.  With separate activities and full schedules for each age group, there is not a chance that children will be bored.  Want to see how busy the kids are kept?  Just follow this link.

Another great site for pictures of the Fun Factories is the one built by Sherri and David Chiang.  Their pictures of the Infinity and the Mercury can be found by clicking on the following links:

Infinity Fun Factory

Mercury Fun Factory

They also have a good commentary regarding the experiences their kids had.  All in all, everyone seems to agree that children will not be bored on a Celebrity cruise.

The entrance to the fun factory.  From the outside you really don't know what to expect since all that can be seen from the outside is the two pillars, the sign, and the activity sheets (also available at the front desk)

Once you enter the play area you can see that some one was a bit creative and playful in the design.  This particular area is used as a central point for many of the kid activities but generally only the young kids stay down here.  The area is a combination of a McDonald's playland and the submarine Nautalus.

I wanted to crawl into the Coral Reef to check it out really close, but I did not think that the kids or the adults would have appreciated it very much....

Computer workstations set up to resemble the bridge of the ship.  There were all types of play consoles connected top these screens as well as computers.

Central command for the staff.  I was a bit amused at the fire extinguisher next to the desk.  I don't know if that is normal safety precautions or if the kids in the past had been a bit too wild. (Just kidding...)