Sea legs / Alex Shearer.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Twin brothers Eric and Clive are ready for adventure on the high seas, so instead of staying with their grandparents yet again, they stow away on the cruise ship on which their father serves as Senior Steward.

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Publishers Weekly Review

Shearer's (The Speed of the Dark) buoyant sea adventure introduces narrator Eric and his twin brother Clive, who is younger (but only by five minutes) and the usually patient recipient of his brother's constant barbs. Readers will easily get caught up in the boys' sometimes silly banter and will willingly follow them as they stow away on a cruise ship, a move prompted by their desire to be with their widower father, who works as a steward on the vessel. In a plot that often blithely tosses credibility to the wind, the siblings find sleeping quarters in a storage cabin in the bowels of the boat and spend their days relaxing on deck. A string of humorous incidents ensues after the two run into a classmate who is traveling first class, and the brothers get caught up in an elaborate lie; they tell the boy's uppity mother that their father is the ship's captain (People are very suspicious of children with no grown-ups. I don't know why that should be. As nobody seems suspicious of grown-ups with no children, Eric observes). A wave of intrigue washes over the comedy as the twins foil a plan masterminded by a crew member and some shady-looking passengers to rob the wealthy passengers of all their valuables. Occasional poignant moments including those in which Eric mentions his much-missed mother temper the madcap elements of this caper, which lands with a satisfying finale. Ages 8-14. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-6-This present-day high-seas adventure features English twins Eric and Clive, who pick at, quip, and wisecrack with one another as they stow away on the cruise ship where their father is Senior Steward. In this laugh-out-loud story, the boys work their way through each problem confronting stowaways. They merge with a family group in order to embark. They find a sleeping room in "rat class," graze from buffets, lounge by the pool, nearly get stranded at a port of call in Egypt, and manage to stay away from first class, where their father works. Part of their cover-up involves befriending an elderly woman whom cruise mates believe is their grandmother. They out-swank the rich Swanker family by making them believe that the captain is their father and does not want anyone to know that his children are aboard. What one doesn't think of, the other does. Just when the two are discovered, robbers take over the ship, and father and sons spring into action. Eric tells the story in a voice that engages readers and is reminiscent of Kate DiCamillo's The Tale of Despereaux (Candlewick, 2003) and Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" books (HarperCollins). Eric and Clive are double trouble and double fun.-Jean Gaffney, Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library, Miamisburg, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Gr. 4-6. British twins Clive and Eric usually stay with their grandparents when their widowed father, a steward on luxury cruise ships, is at sea. Dreading boring weeks staring at their grandfather's great big corduroy bottom as he gardens, the boys decide to stow away on their father's ship. Miraculously, they slip through security and find bunks in an empty storage closet--rat class, as Clive says. Shearer keeps the ensuing high jinks on a plane of pure slapstick as the boys nearly drown, evade their father and a posh classmate, visit Egypt on a port of call, and thwart a band of modern pirates. Readers may groan over narrator Eric's corny jokes, exaggerated naivete, and Who's on First digressions with his brother, whom he loves to disparage. Still, many children will enjoy the British-flavored comedy, the excitement, and the smugness of knowing where the story is headed before the boys do, as well as the understanding and closeness that deepens between the boys and their affectionate father. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2005 Booklist

Horn Book Review

In this tale of high-seas high jinks, motherless English twin brothers stow away on a ship on which their father works. The ways the boys avoid detection are entertaining; week three brings discovery and excitement when robbers take over the ship. Natch, the twins' derring-do helps save the day. While the story stretches believability, humor and a brisk pace will keep readers engaged. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Book Review

A breathless, stream-of-consciousness first-person narrative voice, offbeat humor, and an oddly adult sensibility combine in a rambling adventure that may leave readers feeling as if they have just heard a very long shaggy dog tale. Twins Clive and Eric are motherless. Their father works as a steward on a cruise ship. Determined to stay close to their dad, the boys decide to stow away on his ship. How they escape detection (even when they unexpectedly run into a classmate and his family) and thwart an attack by thieves (the most improbable event in an unlikely plot) makes up the bulk of their story. Eric's faux naïve voice (he describes the women who occasionally spend the night with his father as "tired") and exaggerated criticism of his brother may grate on readers' nerves after the first 100 pages. Coincidences and sheer luck enable the twins to save the ship and escape punishment for their escapade. A final revelation suggests that the twins' relationship has changed dramatically. Unfortunately, most readers won't much care. (Fiction. 9-12) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.