Kids Pirate Cruise..Worth it?

[Tinkrbell]

Can anyone share their (kids) experiences on the pirate cruise?

I'm wondering if it is fun and worth it for them. It sounds like a blast to me, but they have an age restiction .

 

[eeyore0062]

My DD sure enjoyed it, and the kids on the cruise with her looked to have had a great time, as well.

The cruise lasts 2 hours. You are asked to have your kids to the dock 15 minutes before launch to sign permission slips and have them fitted for their lifevests. They receive their "pirate gear" (eye patch and bandana was what my DD got) at this time. They then set sail over the Seven Seas Lagoon in search of clues to the hidden treasure. Their 1st stop is the beach at the Polynesian where they dig for their 1st clue. When it is found, the embark on the 2nd leg of their journey to the beach at the Contempory... crossing into the waters of Bay Lake! The search for their clue on that beach, and then they are off to the beach at the Wilderness Lodge for their final clue. Once found, it is on to the shores off of River Country. Once there, they dig for their treasure (or booty). All of the booty is placed in a big bag and the pirates get back on their ship to cruise for the home shores of the Grand Floridiand to split up their booty. Light snacks are served during the cruise.

There are 4 adults on the cruise, Capt Drew and his crew.. 2 of which are certified lifeguards-- all are employed by WDW as child activity specialists. We felt very comfortable with letting DD go on the cruise, and she loved being with kids her age after many days of adult company. It was well worth the money, and I would definitely not hesitate to let her go again. She has also been to the Wonderland Tea Party, which was a hit, as well!

 

[cindy_k]

My son did the Pirate Cruise when he was 8. He had a ball.
The CM's took them on a "Treasure Hunt" around the lagoon, where they stopped at all the beaches(resorts) to look for the "Buried Treasure"

According to my son, one of the CM's played the sort of "bad guy" and they tried to leave him behind on one of the beaches. He found that rather funny.

All the kids came back with candy and a bandana.

Have fun!
Cindy in NY

 

[Tinkrbell]

Thanks for the input! I'll put it on our must-do list!

 

[SonjaB]

Just wanted to add that both of my sons loved it as well!

 

[slp87]

My DD loved it as well, and the hubby and I got to spend some alone time exploring the resorts.

 

[cindy_k]

As a further update...

I just booked this for my son to go again, when we go in February. Even though its a short trip.
He's 10 now so this is his last shot at the cruise. I tried to book it for when we will be down in April, but I was too late. That's Easter week, so all three dates for that week are already booked up.

He can't wait to go again.

Cindy in NY

 

[vicb]

Just wanted to add my DD age 9 and DS age 6 had sooooo much fun last year on the cruise. They were a bit unsure that morning about doing it or hitting the parks but ended up being so glad they went!

 

[mm4me]

My kids have never been but I hear it is Wonderful!

 

[Mark P.]

Great post! Our 9yr. old DS is booked for May, and sounds like he's going to have a blast!

Thanks

 

[goofymom/pop]

I was thinking of allowing my son and his buddy to do it this May......does it sell out and how far in advance should I book it?

Cindy

 

[Cebhfhionn]

What is this Pirate Cruise thing? Is it only available if you stay inside the parks? If not, can someone please post a link for me to take a look?

Thanks!

 

[Real Loser]

My daughter did it first at age 7. She has done all of the GF kid events. When we were making plans for this January trip, I asked her if she wanted to do any of them again. She is nine now and requested the pirate cruise. Returned two weeks ago, enjoyed it once again. Her Dad and I enjoyed two quiet hours in the Grand Floridian Cafe and watching a bride in the lobby. A nice treat for everyone.

 

[n2mm]

My grandson went last year when he was 8. He said it was OK, but a little boring. I asked him if he wanted to do it this year (9) and he said no. He said he would rather swim with the sharks at Typhoon Lagoon. At least he did it once. It is hard to get into, and reservations are a must. I believe it still goes 3 times a week (once a day) and the number of children are limited to 20ish kids. The kids have to have a partner (or one is assigned--gender and age is not considered) This might be why my grandson doesn't want to go again. He was partnered with a GIRL! ugh. Had to hold her hand the entire time while off the boat. He said she was OK, but they didn't talk. I did see another boy about 8 partnered with a 3 year old and he was not happy about it. That's probably the only negative thing I can say. He loved his bag of loot!

 

[Cebhfhionn]

Oh, thank you so much! My son is 7 1/2 and girls are quite icky, so are babies! He would be mighty unhappy if that happened to him.

I work 7 days a week, holidays included so I'm going to be grateful for every little bit of time I have with him.

 

[CanBeGrumpy]

I booked my sons on this cruise, but the more I thought about it, I just couldn't come to terms with total strangers taking my kids to other resorts, so I cancelled. Yes, I know the total strangers are Disney employees, etc., but hey, you never know! If they stayed on the boat the whole time, I might feel better, but having my two little kids getting off the boat at a bunch of resorts with CMs did not set well with me. Also, I didn't quite understand what would happen if one of the kids needed to go potty. Does a CM take them into a bathroom at one of the resorts?? One more minor point that made me change my mind was that the boat itself doesn't look at all like a pirate ship. This is Disney, you would think they could find a way to decorate that boat a little bit! Again, that was just a minor thing that bugged me, it was the safety concerns that made me change my mind.

 

[fklhou]

About three or four years ago, we did a plan that included this cruise as an option. My then 8 year old did the cruise and had a great time. The kids stopped at the Poly, the Contemp, Wildnerness lodge and FW and did searches for pirate loot at each location. She had a great time.

 

[bobcat]

My kids want to do this next trip. We have done the Grand Adventures in Cooking and it was great. Drew is wonderful with the kids and I have no problem leaving them in his capable hands.

 

[Elaine Guidi]

Just back from Orlando. My DS (9) and DD (6) did Pirates Cruise 10 Feb. DS was a bit reluctant but DD who loves social events was really keen and this rubbed off of DS. They both buddied up which was good as I think it would be quite scary for some kids to buddy up with a stranger. Off they went happy and we had nearly 2 hours to have a relaxing snack in GF cafe and a look around theGF - amazing is all that springs to mind. When we collected them they were both happy and had a wonderful time - DS's words! They both had bandanas at set sail and came back with a decent bag of loot containing gemmed rings, spooky eyeballs, spiders etc, it all went down well. Any questions, feel free to ask.

 

[magicplace4me]

I'm glad to hear all these reviews as many of you mentioned kids of 8 & 9. We were planning to book this for our boys in November and they will be 7 & 9 by then. I had been concerned that my 9 year old might feel to old (although I know he would love this activity). Up until now all I'd heard was about mainly much younger kids. Personally I wouldn't have let my kids go at 4 & 6.