Pirate Cruise for kids

[mgjmom615]

Just wondering if anyone has sent their children on the Pirate Cruise. It looks fun for the children, I think my DS would enjoy it.

Hoping someone would have ideas about it and pictures

 

[jen2207]

My dd6 and ds8 did it last year. They had a great time!! They did the one that left from the YC/BC. They get pirate bandana to get into the 'theme' to start. Then they have a treasure map that they have to find pieces to throughout the lagoon area and Epcot world showcase. They had a pontoon boat decorated to look like a pirate ship. Then at the end they "chase" a CM dressed up in pirate gear for the treasure. Then they spilt up the goodies! - beads, stickers, etc. It was great fun!

If I can figure out how to post pictures I will....

 

[jen2207]

sorry, trying to get the photos...

 

[jen2207]

 

[mgjmom615]

Jen2207,

Thanks do you think my ds10 would enjoy it. He loves pirates. I was just thinking it might be fun. We are celebrating his bday on this trip. I want to do lots of special things.

 

[crisi]

We've done it several times. Honestly though, at 10 your son will probably be one of the oldest on the cruise, and may find it childish unless he is young for his age. My son outgrew it about eight and thought it was very boring - but liked it alot at five, and went again at ten to take his four year old cousin. However, he had been before. There are very few older kids on most of the cruises mine have been on - lots of six and seven year olds - a few four and five year olds.

 

[ScotsMinnie]

my DD did it last year from the Grand Floridian and she loved it. Would highly recommend as I also thought it was great value for what they did.

 

[msvlg]

My twin (boy/girl) grandchildren (age 7) took the pirate cruise from the Grand Floridian last April and they both loved it. The photopass photographer was on board and I got some great pictures of them having the time of their lives!!

 

[cmaee]

My boys did the Albatross Pirate Adventure from the Yacht Club in April. They had a blast. They are 5 and 6. They want to go back.

 

[mgjmom615]

Do they get off the boat and look for treasure? He is 10 but young for his age. He is the baby of 3 and the only one around most of the time. The other are 15 & 18. I guess he is young for his age. He wants to do it but I wish I knew more about it.

Anyone have pics????

 

[cmaee]

Yes, they do get off the boat. I have some pictures, but I have no clue how you can add them posts. There have been some threads in the past that have photos. I remember one that dealt with the Carribean Beach Resort Pirate Cruise. Try doing a search for that thread.

***Spoiler Alert***
On the Albatross Cruise from the Yacht Club, they board at the Yacht Club Marina. They left the port and found a bottle in the marina. That gave them the map. They then went to the Boardwalk pool area. They docked at the Boardwalk and walked through the hotel to the pool area. From there, they "snuck" into Epcot. They stopped at Canada, Mexica, US, France & Morroco. At the times they were there, Epcots World Showcase isn't open, so they didn't have to worry about being around regular tourists. Their last port was at the pirate ship at the Yacht Club where they ate lunch. They found their treasure. From there they had a pirate chase in the marina and then docked at the Yacht Club and a CM and the Pirate had a little duel and then they were able to open the treasure. They left with a fabric backpack with a bandana, sword, eye patch, treasure box filled with a map, jewels, tatoos, etc. It was a lot of fun for the kids. We plan on letting them do a different pirate cruise next time we go.

 

[crisi]

Do they get off the boat and look for treasure? He is 10 but young for his age. He is the baby of 3 and the only one around most of the time. The other are 15 & 18. I guess he is young for his age. He wants to do it but I wish I knew more about it.

Anyone have pics????

Yes they get off the boat to look for treasure. There is a plot - they have to find pieces of a treasure map - each piece leads to the next piece. The last piece leads to where the treasure chest is hidden. There is a chase to chase down a stolen part of the map from one of the CMs. The treasure chest is filled with junk for the kids (mardi gras beads, an eyepatch, a ring, plastic bugs - that sort of thing).

Of course, where they get off the boat depends on which cruise you book. The one that leaves from the Grand Floridian they get off at the other resorts (Poly, Contemporary, Ft. Wilderness and WL - I think). The one leaving from the Y&BC they stop at somewhere in Epcot (Japan and Germany maybe? - its before World Showcase opens, so there aren't guest back there), the Swan and Dolphin before finding the treasure back at the Y&BC. We haven't done the others.

They give you a pager, and feed the kids peanut butter uncrustables and juice boxes and a rice krispy bar - or some sort of simliar lunch. If you have someone with peanut allergies on the cruise, they leave the boat with their lunch bag.

I have pictures, but they were taken by a nine year old - and aren't very informative. Because most kids are six or seven when they go on the cruise, it can be very difficult to put together a really coherent version of what exactly happens.

The kids are paired up with a buddy, and there are three or four CMs that go with them.

 

[mgjmom615]

Thanks y'all that helps a lot. I will have to decide if I think he will enjoy it or not.

I will look for pics on other threads.


y'all are great help

 

[bethbuchall]

These are from the Albatross cruise 3 years ago. I don't have many, but it will give you a little idea. I wish that I had thought to give ds a disposable camera to take with him. He was 7 and had a great time.

Getting his bandana:

Line of up of "pirates" getting ready to head out:

Heading out to sea:

Coming ashore at one of the last stops. I think this is where they had lunch, too.

Hunting for treasure:

Getting his share of the booty:

Treasure:

 

[DisneyBabies]

My DS did the Pirate Adventure @ GF in March. He loved it. He wasn't sure about going on the boat, but that ended up being alright; since it was too cold, they went searching all over the resort. Also, if it is too windy on the water, they will not take kids on the boat. DS had a great time "scaring" all the guests by yelling ARRGGG at them. He said he would like to do it again.

 

[RFrank9504]

AWESOME pics! we have this booked for my sons 5th bday 9/5/09 my dd7 is going too. I think for the $60.00 its going to be well worth it!
One quick question: what was the "lunch" that is served...was is an uncrustable PB&J?? Should I plan ont hem wanting a bigger lunch after??
Thanks!

 

[crisi]

Just an FYI, we've done four cruises at two different locations and have never gotten the Mickey Ears bandannas. We've always gotten the plainer bandannas in the first photo set.

 

[Familycircus]

We got the Mickey Ear bandanas at the Grand Floridian one. I purposely booked that departure point to get that type of bandana. Both my boys really enjoyed it, but I don't think my 10yr old would want to do it again.

I didn't think that the "lunch" would be enough for a meal so we arrived at the Grand Floridian early and had breakfast at their little counter service type restaurant near the boat dock.

Also realize that these are not daily at each of the three resorts. When we booked the one at GF it was only 2 or 3 days a week.

 

[crisi]

We got the Mickey Ear bandanas at the Grand Floridian one. I purposely booked that departure point to get that type of bandana. Both my boys really enjoyed it, but I don't think my 10yr old would want to do it again.

I didn't think that the "lunch" would be enough for a meal so we arrived at the Grand Floridian early and had breakfast at their little counter service type restaurant near the boat dock.

Also realize that these are not daily at each of the three resorts. When we booked the one at GF it was only 2 or 3 days a week.

We've done that cruise and just got plain bandannas. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. We've never gotten lucky.

 

[Familycircus]

We've done that cruise and just got plain bandannas. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. We've never gotten lucky.

Sorry I didn't know we got lucky.
Before our March '09 trip, the research that I did on the DIS and the pictures posted of the pirate cruises pointed out that you would get the striped bandana ears at the GF departure.
I guess I just assumed it was that way.