My very first cruise was aboard Princess Cruises’ original Royal Princess before I was even two years old in 1985, and as a kid-at-heart now, I’m excited to see what the company has come up with for its new kids facilities in partnership with Discovery Consumer Products.

Mind you the 1984-launched Royal Princess had no kids club of any kind. Only as I began to grow up and sail on other cruise lines did I discover dedicated children’s spaces, but they were still far from anything that is seen today. I mostly recall basic ball pits and coin-op video game consoles as the most elaborate features during my day.

Now, Princess, as an extension of its Discovery at Sea program, is in the process of converting its former Pelicans, Shockwaves and Remix spaces for children three to seventeen into Camp Discovery and The Beach House fleet-wide through 2018.

It just so happens that the first ship to receive the new designs is the Grand Princess, one of the last ships I enjoyed as a young teen before graduating to other shipboard features. When the ship launched in 1998, I was 14 and mostly interested in the ship’s video arcade, which is no longer listed on the deck plan nor is the suspended Skywalkers Nightclub and green screen studio from the ship’s original offerings, both since removed.

READ MORE: Throwback Thursday: The Evolution of Cruise Kids Programs

What does await modern children is The Treehouse for ages 3-7 (formerly Pelicans), The Lodge for ages 8-12 (formerly Shockwaves) and The Beach House for ages 13-17 (formerly Remix). The first two are collectively part of Camp Discovery with the first space-themed to a forest with animals and the second also designed to appear woodland in nature. Meanwhile, the teens area will feature a surf aesthetic that would have been right up my alley as a 14-year-old.

“As part of our Come Back New promise, we are recommitting to our youngest cruisers and their families,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president in a statement. “Through the Discovery brands, we have enriching new content to add to our already popular youth offerings and we’re excited to incorporate interactive and age-specific design elements to share with our younger cruisers to give them the ultimate onboard experience.”

It’s primarily the activities that are set to follow Discovery Communications franchises with extensive programs divided by Play, Discover, Huddle and Create. Among the Play varieties are a Shark Hunters scavenger hunt, Alaskan Explorers clue hunt, plus video games and sports. Discover activities include “MythBusters” challenges, Survive Alaska tool invention, Animal Planet squid anatomy and the Glacier Bay Jr. Ranger program.

Huddle extends to Caribbean music, dance, trivia and crafts; Wild Alaska Festival nature celebration; Discovery at Sea theme days and talent shows. Also, Create encompasses Animal Planet puppet making, Science Channel solar system crafting, The Greatest Catch exploratory inventions, Klutz paper airplane folding and JrChef@Sea cake decorating.

READ MORE: Children on Board

For teens, The Beach House will host a Rock the Boat Party, Scary Movie Night, Late Night Movies, makeover experiences, dance classes, competitions and more.

“The new youth and teen centers aboard Princess Cruises is a true collaboration between Princess Cruises and Discovery Consumer Products,” said Robert Marick, senior vice president, North America Licensing and Global Location Based Entertainment, Discovery Communications in a statement. “This was a great opportunity to expand our Discovery at Sea partnership to refresh the youth program by incorporating popular shows and immersive activities and designs from the popular Discovery brands.”

Beyond the Grand Princess, the Caribbean Princess will be next to see the new kids spaces in March followed by the Regal Princess in April, Sea Princess in October, Island Princess in November and the rest shortly behind.

This announcement also comes on the heels of Princess Cruises’ Ocean Medallion Class unveiling, another guest enhancement program that uses wearable technology to enhance and personalize passenger experiences. Both would have astounded my 14-year-old self, and even if the kids facilities will not be available to me as an adult, I’m happy to see them cater to the next generation of young cruisers.

Follow @LeppertPulse

Follow @PopularCruising