The adventure, the freedom, and the excuse to be a little naughty makes a pirate's life incredibly appealing to children and adults alike. Luckily for the rest of us, the crew at Bluefoot Pirate Adventures in Fort Lauderdale, FL, is teaching their visiting crews how to be the good sort of pirates.
“A good pirate is loyal to his team and crew,” explains Jess Seevers, also known by her pirate alias Sandy Bones, the ship's social media expert, and occasional First Mate. “We always help each other out.”
Bluefoot Pirate Adventures is an interactive adventure where kids and adults can sail along the Intercoastal Waterway and New River in search of treasure. Offering public cruises, birthday parties, and field trips to children of all ages, the crew teaches its new members how to act, dress, and talk like pirates. Guests are given bandanas, swords, fake tattoos, and painted-on mustaches, and once they’ve proven themselves, the Captain will order his crew to bring up the treasure chest as a reward. “We wake up early and dig that up so the kids don’t have to,” says Seevers.
Unfortunately, they quickly realize that they don’t have the key to the treasure, and the young buccaneers must help the crew hunt it down. But danger lies ahead, as the evil pirate Barnacle Bill is also after the key and the treasure. According to Seevers, “He is the meanest, nastiest, smelliest pirate in Fort Lauderdale. And he is always out to steal what doesn’t belong to him.”
Luckily for the kids, while they are good pirates, they aren’t defenseless. “We defend ourselves with water cannons," Seevers explains. "There are twelve on the ship and they blast water up to ten feet.”
After defeating Barnacle Bill, the crew finally gets to open the chest and divvy up the loot, which consists of gold coins and gems. But, as with any good adventure, they gain so much more than treasure. Those that are on a field trip will have learned about the ecosystem, boat safety, and even future careers on the water. And even the kids that are just there to have fun leave with new knowledge. “All the kids, even those not on field trips, are learning a lot, even if they don’t feel like they’re learning,” Seevers says.
Seevers explains that one of the most important things the kids learn is teamwork, and even the adults will have gained new friends by the end of the adventure. “Even on the public trips where a lot of the families don’t know each other, I find by the end families are exchanging numbers," she says. "You spend a lot of time on the ship helping each other out.” And those parents might just end up going out on a “Rated Arrrrr” Booze Cruise together on another night.
It’s easy to see why kids and adults alike love playing pirates, and Seevers says that the best thing about working for Bluefoot Pirate Adventures is “bringing joy to all of our pirate crew. A lot of these kids are super into it. Every day, taking them out on an adventure, you’re seeing them give it their all. You’re bringing it to life for them. You’re making their dreams come true.”
Of course, every once in a while, the fantasy becomes a bit too real. Seevers recalls a moment when enthusiastic kids decided to mutiny and take over the ship. “It occasionally happens that we get a little fearless leader, but the Captain loves it and we have fun with it."
-By Ettractions Digital Content Editor ALLISON BENNETT
Florida: Miami Palm Beach
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