Since I am off during the Summer due to being a teacher, I am always looking for new and exciting activities and adventures that I can share with my children during this precious time. We were very pleased to be offered the opportunity to take a cruise on the Hudson around New York City and the Statue of Liberty with Kiddie Cruise!
It is a family and kid friendly two hour cruise on a ship called the Queen of Hearts which is a 3 tier paddlewheel boat reminiscent of the ones that Mark Twain wrote about in his classic novels. It is recommended for children ages 2 to 8 and includes various activities including face painting, puppet shows, singing, dancing, group games, story telling, balloon animal sculpting, and live music.
We really liked that the cruise was all-inclusive. Adults and children received paper bagged lunches which included a sandwich, individually packed snack, and a bag of apple slices. Juice and soft drinks were available on every level of the boat with unlimited refills. All we had to do was to redeem the tickets we were given upon boarding to receive our lunches whenever we were ready to eat. The sandwiches were fresh and we enjoyed our lunches.
Since we sat on the lower level, we were treated to a puppet show, face painting, and a Princess performance. The puppet show was great because the puppeteer, Barry Keating of Starmites Kids Parties, was witty and had a great rapport with the kids. His puppets were colorful and had great costumes and my boys really enjoyed his show. He even posed for pictures after the show and allowed my boys to choose which one of his puppets they wanted to take a photo with.
The Princess Performance was great because, as my husband commented repeatedly, the Princess looked and sounded like a Princess straight out of a fairy tale. She encouraged boys to join in the fun by telling them that pirates were invited to the party as well. Her performance included singing traditional children’s songs with all the kids and dancing with them. After the performance, she was also gracious enough to pose for photos with the kids, much to my sons’ delights.
We were particularly impressed with the skill of the face painting and make-up artist, Sandra Rua. She was very patient with all of the kids and had a conversation with each child about what images they wanted painted on their faces. My six-year old requested a Dalmatian face and it turned out beautifully! I also liked the fact that she took the time out to make my 9 year old feel comfortable by telling him she could paint his image on his arm since he didn’t want it on his face like the younger children.
It is without hesitation that I recommend Kiddie Cruise as a Tough Cookie Mommy top pick of family friendly events in New York City. Not only did my family have an awesome time but we were also treated very well by all of the Kiddie Cruise staff during our cruise. They have done a great job of putting together all of the elements required for a joyful and successful family outing. Additionally, the sites that we observed during the cruise were amazing including the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the New York Skyline.
Make sure you visit them on Facebook to learn all about their Princess and Pirate Adventure Cruises as well as their birthday packages. You can also stay up to date on future events by following them on Twitter. It will definitely be an unforgettable experience for you and your family!
Giveaway:
Our sponsor would like to give one lucky family 4 tickets to experience Kiddie Cruise in New York City!a Rafflecopter giveaway
Product Review/Giveaway disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above from Kiddie Cruise to test/review in exchange for my opinion and for the purpose of writing this post. I only recommend products or services I use personally and I believe will be “family friendly.” I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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We take the ferry out to Governors Island and over to Brooklyn and my son loves the ride but it is always to short so this kid cruise would be so much fun for him!
It looked awesome!!! I LOVE the way they allowed the children to have choice with the tattoos and the way they interacted with the children and still kept their attention during the princess piece for the boys. It’s always great to see the children enjoying themselves!
Kudos to them and Kudos to you! Thanks for sharing!!!
xoxoxoxo
Wow! This sounds AMAZING! My daughter just loves princesses and face painting! This sounds perfect for us too!
Thanks for sharing! This has been on my “to do” list. The contest is not loading for me though. I tired two different browsers.
Hi, Lisa. Perhaps Rafflecopter was experiencing some technical difficulties during that time. I’m on Safari right now and it is loading fine at this time. Let me know if you still have issues.
sounds so fun, i love nyc in the summertime!
This boat sounds like a lot of fun. I would love to take my kids there.
My son would love this, it’s right down the road from us too!
I would like to take my kids because they haven’t seen much of the city yet and we only live a few hours away. Sounds like fun!
kellywcuATyahooDOTcom
I love cruises and I think my kids would LOVE this.