Once Upon a Cruise

by Anna Staniszewski

Ainsley never wanted to spend her summer on a fairy tale cruise--especially since, instead of lounging by the pool, she's running around the ship doing favor after favor for her cruise director mom.

Things aren't all bad--it's good to see her mom acting confident again after the divorce, and she's learning a lot about obscure German fairy tales and how to fold towels into entertaining shapes for little kids (um, yay?). There's also a guy who's super cute, even in a dorky dwarf costume--if only Ainsley could get Prince Handsome to stop babbling about himself long enough for her to say more than 'hi' to the cute dwarf!

But once the cruise starts, things start to go wrong: the laundry turns pink, the kitchen runs out of food, the guy playing the Pig King is always in Ainsley's hair, and her mom expects her to be in a hundred places all at once. Is this fairy tale cruise under a wicked curse? Or can Ainsley stand up for herself and make the cruise end happily ever after?

Genres: Middle Grade, Romance, Childrens, Fiction, Contemporary, Summer

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 27, 2016

About the author

Anna Staniszewski lives in the Boston area and teaches in the MFA Writing for Children Program at Simmons University. She's the author of over twenty books for young readers, including the The Dirt Diary series and Clique Here series, the picture books DOGOSAURUS REX and BEAST IN SHOW, and the Once Upon a Fairy Tale chapter book series. You can visit Anna at www.annastan.com or follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/annastanisz.

Reviews

[Lenni Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lol, this book was hilarious! I love Anna Staniszewski's writing and this had to be one of the funniest books by her. I bought it because I'm a sucker for anything even faintly fairytaleish. I had a great time reading this book the first time and it was just as great the second time!!! I hope the author decides to write another book like this one❤️

[Halle · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOILERS!


This isn't the best book I have read but it's still pretty good. I love how Ainsley always is helpful to her mom. I really hated how Neil had to be a stuck up who told on Ainsley. I really like how Ainsley ended up with Piggy Ian because they were meant to be. There were some really funny parts too, when she ended up passing out on the bed and still woke back up just before the end to play her part was really funny. It was really weird though how Alyssa was making a collection of scars and moles and I kind of thought that was gross. It's a little depressing when the parents are split up and things get hairy between Ainsley and her mom. But, in the end, it all worked out. I am really happy that it was a happy ending because I can't stand a bad ending to a book. I also didn't like how they had to use the cousins or German/Russian version of the Disney characters because it threw me off a little. I thought it was cool how Ainsley liked to photograph wildlife because I do too. The book also makes me want to go on a cruise because they sound really fun. My favorite part of the book is the anchor and rock thing though. It just really fulfilled the ending of how Ainsley was once her mom's rock and now she is her anchor :)

[Marialena Vourthis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about a girl named Ainsley, Ainsley´s mom brought her to spend the summer with her on a cruise ship. Ainsleys mom is the director of the cruise ship so Ainsley has to work there. AInsey keeps on messing up and gets in trouble a lot, but she meets a lot of new friends. I liked this book because it is very suprising. Ainsley starts a food fight in the cafeteria, takes photos of people on the ship and breaks character. Ainsleys mom makes her be in the play and she doesnt want to do it so when it is opening night she doesnt move and people have to carry her on the stage.

[Abby Meiers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was pretty good but I think it could have been better. This book is about a girl, who her mom got a job on a cruise and she went with her mom on the ship. She was hoping to have a lot of fun but she was stuck doing chores and other things for her mom. Her mom signed her up for a play while they were on the ship but she doesn't want to do it because she has bad stage fright. Some of her acts with the play were being Cinderella and having to kiss a boy as the prince. I would recommend this book to people who like Disney fairy tales.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This middle grade book was sweet and cute. It’s all about Ainsley and her experiences helping her mother run a fairy tale themed cruise ship for the summer. I’m a sucker for anything set on a cruise ship so I was really excited to pick this book up. It was sweet and cute and I liked seeing Ainsley come to understand her father and why he left her mother. The hijinks of the kids were cute and funny and the romance was sweet. All in all a really enjoyable addition to the Wish series.

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute YA book. Fun and adventurous. Good story.

[Lamees · Rating 5 out of 5]

243 pages
This book was a very good book to boost peoples independence. A lot of people are very afraid to do things like Ainsley, she's afraid to go onstage while she has the fear, she is also helping her mom fix her life while she is going through a divorce...on a cruise ship, she wants to do what normal 13-year-olds do like hang out with friends and stuff like that. When she finds the perfect boy she needs to learn if she will continue doing whatever her mom says her to do and help her mom fix her life or will she stand up for herself and start doing things that she wants and start saying no to people and take control over her own life. The reason why I rated this 5 star was because at the end it has a very meaningful theme which shows how to take control of your own life.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

The format of “kids on a cruise ship get in trouble and have romantic issues” is well established at this point. I’ve read one, maybe two, YA books with this sort of conceit, and Once Upon a Cruise exists for the modern middle grade set. Primarily involving a bunch of cruise performers, it explores an interesting and underappreciated aspect of cruise culture for the age group, and the book is fun and light and inoffensive. It’s not designed to be anything more than that, and it succeeds at its intention.

Great for intermediate-age girls who are looking into the sorts of teen romances that are maybe a little too old or content-heavy for them.

[Liz Sergent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute YA story about a teenager who works on a cruise ship that her Mother is the cruise director for. It is like a cheaper version of a Disney Cruise Instead of Cinderella, it is Aschenputtel. I enjoyed the behind the scene perspective of what the crew does. Overall would recommend this book. - side note - I bought this for my daughter several years ago as we go on Disney cruises and the first page someone says "I can't believe we are going on a Disney cruise" this is like a knock off of Disney, but a fun story nonetheless.

[Ca1t!Y# · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was good. I had read it before but I thought I didn't remember anything. I must have remembered some things because, from even just the slightest hints of stuff, I figured out the ending. That doesn't mean that it still wasn't a good book. I would love to know what she wrote in the letter to her dad that she said she had to mail at the end of the book, but I guess I'll just have to keep wondering.

[Alexandria Mamros · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of my boom is once upon a cruise. the ather is Anna Staniszewski. In would give this book 4 stars it was very good. It is about a girl that was mom got a job on a cruise ship and she went on it with her. she was hoping to have a little fun but she is stuck doing favors for her mom. She also has to be in the play on the ship but has bad stag fright.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ainsley never wanted to spend her summer on a fairy tale cruise especially since, hanging out friends by the pool she's running around the ship doing favor for her cruise director mom. It has 144 pages and it is fairy tale fiction. I really think you should read the book and I hope this makes up your mind to make you want to read the book.

[Alexandra Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was really good and cute. The main character's name is Ainsley. Her mom is going through a rough time because she just recently had a divorce. But when Ainsley goes on the cruise, things go downhill. Also, Ainsley's mom continues to stress her out. I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it for anyone who likes cute stories. I gave it a 4/10 rating.

[Ani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is good, don't get me wrong. But I could tell everything that was going to happen. I knew Neil was actually the one reporting her. I knew Ian was the son of "Captain Hook". The plot is okay, but it's basic, I knew basically what was going to happen because I can relate certain parts of it to other books that I have read. For these reasons I'm giving it a 3 star.

[Luis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is great for a person who like Disney characters like Cinderella. there is a play on the ship. Captain Thomas is in-charge. Ainsley has a crush on Neil but is he the real Charm Prince she think he is ?

[Holly Chesbrough]

This book is very good but was not the best about three-quarters of the way through so it was really good at the end because it started bringing her dad into it and she finally expressed how she felt.

[📚Gillian📚 · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok I read it a while ago so I don’t remember much but I do remember it was my favorite book for about 3 days

[Amelia Hinkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author so I bought this book and fell in love. I couldn't put it down because of the characters and the plot twists.

[Mattiekat219 · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you feel this book will not be your cup of tea, read it to find out before setting it back ont he shelf. This book deffinatly suprised me and I enjoyed it very much.

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ainsley y Ain son muy cute (medio enemies to lovers para niños)

[Reagan McKenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25*

[Shelby Ochlech · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot! It is a really quick read and super easy to read and pay attention to. Loved the drama and the relationships between the characters! I LOVE IAN!!!!

[Kelly Choy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bad writing

[✨maddy✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

🌟 2.3

this book was so boring like nothing happened. I was 228 pages through until something actually happened. at least she actually got together with the person I wanted her too.

[Angelica Donato · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a little annoyed with the name Ainsley like what kind of name is that and what's up with freakin Smith calling her Ashley like get the name right.

The plot isn't that good but I personally think that reading this makes you want to read more.

I personally don't like Ian but towards the end I like him a little More.

I like the author but I don't think this is one of her best books.

So in conclusion I think you should read this if you don't have anything else to read cause it is not really "a must"to have.so it is up to you to get this book or not

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so AMAZING. I first off started reading this becuase I was desperate to have a quick read but then I actually ended up LOVING THIS BOOK!!!! I love how we have the main character Ainsley who represents many people in todays world. For example how she liked Neil because he was good looking,but she didn’t like Ian because he wasn’t good looking. This shows that just becuase someone is good looking does not mean they have the best personality. I also really liked how at the end she decided she would not have people depend on her all the time and that she would also ask for help when needed.

[Cody · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this book is a nice book because when i was reading it I was imagining like i was on the cruise with them.
This book is about a girl she is on this cruise but she did not want to go on this vacation but she was forced to go because she was part of an act like there is these tales like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and all of the others.But she finds this guy named smith that she really likes but instead of her acting in Fairy Tales She might not know that she is in a Fairy Tale after all.

[Laeyza Pavana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once upon a cruise by Anna Staniszewski is an amazing book. It talks about a girl named Ainsley and she goes on a cruise thinking that everyday of the summer she would be at the pool everyday but in reality it turns out she has to run around helping her mom with her mom's new job. During this time Ainsley has to be in a play of a diffrent version of sleeping beauty. At this time she has to kiss a boy as the prince. As her lips approch his lips she describes them as 2 slugs. I recommend this book to people who like Disney fairy tales.

[Berkeley Poder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abigail ramirez

Meet Ainsely an averge teenage girl who's supposed to be having an ordinary summer vacation.........but that's not what happend. Insted of sleeping or eating on her bed wacthing her favorite show she's scurrying around a cruise ship. And before you're saying "WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT!!!!!!" let me tell you this isn't you're ordinary "Disney" cruise more like a grim's fairytale ship. And Ainsely has to do all these favors for this for her director mom...... can she survive ?????

[Sacha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending was well done and had a very good lesson. It really surprised me for a pre-teen romance.