We did the pirates and pals in May. There was a cute gathering of Snee and Hook along with snacks before the cruise in the Contemporary. It was held in a meeting room on the 4th floor I think. Then Peter Pan is waiting after the cruise to meet but my kids were too tired to stay.
The cruise itself was fun and the pirate in charge was hilarious! Wishes is broadcast on the boat and is a cool view. We also saw the electrical water pageant up close which was neat.
All in all, it's something I'd do and pay for once. A neat experience but not necessary to do time and time again.
My family did the pirate cruise a couple years ago. My kids loved it! My daughter loves Peter Pan and it paid for itself when she got to meet Mr Smee and Captain Hook. Peter Pan was there to greet guests
after the cruise and he had wonderful interaction with my kids. The cruise with the fireworks was really nice. We took ours during one of the Christmas Party nights, so it was extra nice ! It was a great experience!
My family absolutely LOVE it from beginning to end. If I let them, we do this every year, but we've done it only twice. There is just so much to see and do at WDW. But we will def do it again some time in the future.