News and event information for Williams Lake, BC - as it happens.

By Daven Mapson

“When you’re sitting at the bar,

Not sure where your children are,

Take the tip: you’re on a ship.

They can’t go far.”

---John Charles, entertainer on Disney cruises

(This lobby on the 'Disney Wonder' cruise ship was a particular source of delight for the Mapson family in their recent cruise.)

A couple weeks ago, my family and I went on a spectacular cruise to Alaska. We were on the majestic Disney cruise ship ‘Disney Wonder’. It was a fantastic trip, focused on kids. The ship had three pools, an ice cream machine and a ‘tween’ lounge: I was never truly hungry for more than a minute. But I want to tell you about one special part of our experience.

(Daven's brother Cory tried his hand at a 'pirate's life' while on the Disney cruise.)

A week before the cruise itself, we were on the Internet, looking at pictures of the vessel. It was beautiful. One of the pictures featured the floor of the lush, huge room you entered when you came up the gangway. It had a pattern of loops and swirls. My father told us that we should each stand on a particular loop. We arranged it, then more or less forgot about it… until we went on the ship.

As we walked on board, a crew member in a crisp white uniform greeted us and shook my parents’ hands. He asked our name. When we told him, he lifted a microphone and boomed, “Disney Wonder, please welcome the Mapson family!”

Other crew, scattered around the grand lobby, clapped and cheered. As we moved further in, we saw the grand, sweeping staircases and the stately midship elevators- from deck one all the way up to the partial deck 10, high above. The statue of Princess Ariel beckoned. Then we looked down and saw, beneath our feet, the same loopy pattern that we saw at home.

We moved to our spots and laughed. We thought—rightly---that we were in for a magnificent trip!

Daven Mapson is a youth columnist, age 13

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