February 4, 2025 by Scholastic Inc.
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
Caitlin and her brother Dylan are trying to get used to the changes in their lives after their parents' divorce. They are both looking forward to staying in one place as they stay with their father for six weeks in the summer, but their father has big news. He has taken a job as a doctor on the Wandering Princess cruise ship, and they will be joining him! With a hastily packed suitcase, their shared journal, and Caitlin's bearded dragon Peaches in tow, they are soon off on their adventure. Caitlin and Dylan have to share a room, but they get along pretty well, and there's the whole rest of the ship to explore. In the staff quarters, they meet Olive and Max, who are staying with their grandfather, the ship's chef, while their own parents travel. They are old hands at cruise ships, and Caitlin doesn't enjoy feeling like a "newbie". While lounging at the pool, the group meets Gigi, a retired movie star, and her poodle, Pearl. There's a little mishap with spilled food, and the cruise ship manager, Simone, gets involved, but Gigi doesn't mind the kids, and is soon involved in Caitlin's attempt to change the nightly reading of the Wandering Princess legend on the loud speaker. Being on a cruise ship and helping to take care of passengers involves a bit of a learning curve, but Caitlin and Dylan manage to enjoy their new surroundings.
What a great adventure the high seas would be for a nine year old, especially if it involves all you can eat buffets, a pool with a slide, and glamorous passengers! I've never been on a cruise, but have watched PLENTY of The Love Boat episodes, so learning about the behind-the-scenes details of a cruise ship was very interesting. I liked that Caitlin and Dylan got a long with each other, and that they were also able to make friends with Max and Olivia. Including an adult who was not a parent, Gigi, was fun as well.
Chapter book series are a great way to get elementary aged readers hooked on a story, and this volume will be followed by Raining Cats and Dogs and Ship Shape, so readers who want to continue their journey (and find out why Max doesn't have any hair) will want to pick these up as well, maybe at their next school book fair.
Having a bearded dragon on a cruise ship seems like a bad idea; when Peaches went missing, I was sure she would be swept overboard, and that's not something anyone survives. I was also concerned about Pearl when I looked at the cover. Young readers won't have this anxiety and will enjoy having the pets along.
There are so many good beginning chapters books, but many of them are set in very ordinary circumstances. Add the Cruise Life series to a list of books about more interesting experiences that includes Barnett's Mac B. Undercover (world traveling spy), Subramaniam's V. Malar: The Greatest Host of All Time (living in India), and Jacobsen's Twig and Turtle series (residing in a tiny house).
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