ROCHESTER, N.Y. (December 21, 2009) – The cruise ship Royal Caribbean Oasis reportedly has every luxury known to man, with 37 bars and restaurants, a casino, four huge, high-tech game arcades, a 3,180-seat theater, four swimming pools, a nine-story zipline and it's own park with unusual flora and fauna. One thing the largest cruise ship in the world won't have: messy, dripping ice cream. Rochester's Buddy System for ice cream cones will be served on the Oasis as a possible prelude to the product being included on all 21 Royal Caribbean cruise ships, said Robert C. Sotile, president and CEO of Buddy Cone Systems, Inc., headquartered in Winton Place.

Mr. Sotile said Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines ordered 21,000 cones on a trial basis. The Buddies prevent the transfer of germs from anyone handling your ice cream, which Mr. Sotile acknowledged is a major concern among international travelers. The ship carries a capacity of 5,400 passengers and is docked at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are pleased to announce this partnership with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines,” Mr. Sotile said. “Our customer retention is close to 100 percent, so we're confident that the Buddy System will be a part of the Oasis cruise experience, as well as for all Royal Caribbean ships, for a long, long time.”

Mr. Sotile said Royal Caribbean embraced the Buddies enthusiastically, citing the current swine flu pandemic, past flu outbreaks, and general hygiene as key benefits. He said the key selling point was they didn't want ice cream dripping on the ship's deck for sanitary reasons, and the Buddy System is the perfect solution for keeping things clean and tidy. “There was no hesitation,” Mr. Sotile said. "Royal Caribbean liked everything about the Buddy System that paper jackets can't provide for a first-rate operation like the Oasis."

The Oasis on the Seas departed on its maiden voyage last week, and the Buddy cones will be on board subsequent voyages for the foreseeable future.

More than 60 million Buddy Cones are sold each year to many of the nation's leading ice cream purveyors. Since its inception in 1998, more than 320 million of the patented polystyrene cone-holders have been shipped from the Rochester, N.Y. manufacturing plant to customers in 14 different countries, and now, to ships at sea.

The Buddy System cones are manufactured in four different sizes and shapes to accommodate almost every cone. The Buddy System Cone Company, with offices in Brighton, N.Y., can be reached on the internet at www.buddysystemusa.com or by phone at (585) 427-9940.