Show Boats

Donna Potter’s enthusiasm for life aboard ship wasn’t dimmed a bit by high winds, cramped quarters and rain.

“It was like being part of a big family,” explained the 10-year-old who lives in East Islip, N.Y. “You don’t get lonely.”

She spent a lot of her time watching the chef aboard the Windjammer sailing ship off the coast of Maine. “I like to cook,” she explained.

Six-year-old Scott Malhiet was just as happy on the Mississippi Queen, the Delta Queen Steamboat Co. cruise that he and his family took on the Mississippi River. “He’d sit on deck and watch the big freighters,” recalled his grandmother, Mary Joyce Malhiet, who lives in Louisiana. “How often do children get so close to big barges full of coal and grain? It was all new and wonderful. It gave him a whole new perspective on the country.”

Whether by historic steamboat or wooden sailing vessel, slow-moving houseboat, barge or 20-passenger boat designed for wildlife viewing, families now have an array of floating vacations to choose from.

Just as cruise lines plan with the youngest passengers’ (and their parents’) needs and appetites in mind, so do smaller tour outfitters and even individual captains.

There are scenic barge trips through European canals (where the kids can help open and close the locks); houseboats to rent on Arizona’s Lake Powell (plenty of time for fishing and tubing) and adventures exploring the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica or Alaska.

“We want these people and their kids,” explains Ellen Sack, whose Chicago-based firm, the Barge Lady, books canal barge trips in France and elsewhere. “The captains find places for kids: playgrounds and places to swim or horseback ride,” Sack said. “They’ll have children’s bicycles.” (For more information about barge trips, which typically start at $1,000 per person for a six-night trip, not including air fare, call [800] 880-0071.)

The main draw of such trips, families say, is the chance to see places that parents with kids don’t typically visit.

“We toured castle ruins and little villages. We set our own pace,” said Ohio resident Alan Oestreich, who chose a three-night barge trip in France last summer with his wife and teenage son. When the going got too slow for the younger Oestreich, he’d bike along the shore.

An eco-cruise on a 20-passenger boat also allows the kids to be as active as they like. “The kids were up at dawn and out trekking,” said New Yorker Selma Ertegun, who gave a thumbs up to the Costa Rican tour she took with her husband and middle-school-age son and daughter. “The kids adored it,” she said, adding that such trips are not for those who demand luxury.

If you have an adventurous spirit and your budget allows it, consider:

* An eco-tour to Costa Rica, the Galapagos Islands, the ancient Aegean or southeast Alaska. Seattle-based Wildland Adventures, in business for more than a decade, offers Family Adventure Voyages designed for active families “who want to relax but have the maximum experience,” said Wildland’s Kurt Kutay, who has taken his young son along. Plan far enough ahead and the company will promote the date to other families. These trips typically cost $7,500 or more, not including air fare, for a family of four. Call Wildland Adventures at (800) 345-4453.

* A houseboat rental can offer plenty of new experiences for a more modest investment. A houseboat has all the comforts of home, from televisions and VCRs to dishwashers and microwaves. “We had eight kids ranging from 2 to 17 and they never got bored. We’d explore different canyons, they’d fish and swim and climb the rocks,” said Bob Katz, who lives in Salt Lake City.

Lake Powell and Lake Mojave are good houseboating locales for families. Consider sharing the experience with good friends or extended family. You can expect to pay at least $2,100 per week during the summer high season for a boat that sleeps 10 to 12. Ask about early- and late-season discounts. Call Lake Powell Reservations (ARAMARK Lake Powell Resort and Marina) at (800) 528-6154.

* A Windjammer sailing adventure in Maine is a good bet for older kids who might enjoy rigging sails, rowing and tying knots. The schooner TimberWind offers special cruises for families with children 5 and older. Costs average $100 a day per person, not including air fare. Call the TimberWind at (800) 759-9250 and ask about the early-bird discount. Another schooner, the Kathryn B., takes winter charters for up to 14 family members in the Caribbean. Call (800) 500-6077 for prices.

* Grandparents might consider taking the grandchildren on a historic steamboat river cruise. Ports include New Orleans, Memphis and St. Louis. One child age 16 and younger travels free when sharing the cabin with two full-fare adults in many cabins on the Mississippi Queen and American Queen. Prices for a four-day trip start at $690 per person, not including air fare. Call the Delta Queen Steamboat Co. at (800) 543-1949. Take along Mark Twain’s book, “Life on the Mississippi.”

West Coast grandparents could opt for a similar deal aboard the S.S. Independence in Hawaii. One child 17 and under cruises free when sharing a cabin with two adult passengers on the weeklong cruise. Grandma can lead the hike through a volcano or learn the hula alongside the kids. Starting next summer, three-night cruises will be offered. Fares begin at $585 for the shorter trips, not including air fare. Call (800) 474-9934.

Taking the Kids appears the first and third week of every month.