PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL HALL Former first lady Barbara Bush and former President George H.W. Bush pose with Kinsley Hall of Bloxom during a holiday Disney cruise from Florida. Kinsley is the daughter of Bill and Kyle Hall.

BLOXOM -- When a person buys a ticket to sail on one of the Disney cruise line vessels, they can expect to run into such well-known celebrities as Mickey, Minnie and perhaps even Snow White. But a recent trip over the holidays landed an Eastern Shore family on the Disney Wonder cruise ship with a former president and first lady, a state governor and members of the current first family.

"It was an amazing experience," said Bill Hall of Bloxom, who was joined on the cruise by his wife, Kyle, and their daughter, Kinsley. The Halls were traveling with Kyle's parents and sister of Jacksonville, Fla.

In all, there were about a dozen Bush family members on board, including former President George H.W. Bush and first lady Barbara, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, his wife and two sons, and President George W. Bush's daughters Jenna and Barbara. The president and first lady were back home at the Texas ranch during the cruise.

"When we arrived at Port Canaveral to board the vessel, we ran into a parking lot filled with television reporters, cameramen and journalists from several newspapers and press services," said Hall. "My wife and I looked at each other and simultaneously said, 'Oh no, another cruise line (sickness) outbreak.'

"But when we reached the first security checkpoint and asked what was going on, we were told that the Bush family would be on the ship."

As would be expected, security for the trip was extensive. Prior to the ship's departure, the vessel's hull was surveyed by Brevard County (Fla.) deputies and police dive teams. The ship was also escorted by a U.S. Coast Guard cutter and helicopter during the entire trip.

There were also unconfirmed reports circulating about one or more submarines shadowing the vessel. In port at Nassau and Port Canaveral, patrolling police boats kept a constant eye on the vessel.

The Bushes, accompanied by members of the Secret Service, freely circulated among the other passengers, eating in the same restaurants and attending several of the shows.

"I'm pretty sure that background checks must have been performed on all of the passengers," said Hall. "We ran into Jenna and Barbara Bush, the current president's twin daughters, on the first evening of the voyage during a theme party at one of the nightclubs.

"It was only a dozen or so people left at the party when my wife jabbed me in the ribs with her elbow and asked me if I knew who the two girls were that were dancing in front of us. I did not have a clue, but was quickly informed that they were the president's twin daughters. They just looked like a couple of young kids having a good time."

The president's father and mother were often sighted and were very popular with the hundreds of other passengers. The former president even took the time to chat with Kinsley and pose for a few pictures. When asked what they talked about, the 7-year-old said, "I can't even remember, I was so excited."

Meeting a former president is an experience that a 7-year-old will not soon forget, even after hanging out with the likes of Chip and Dale, Cinderella and Donald Duck. Just to be on the safe side, Kinsley's mother plans to compile a scrapbook of the family trip for Kinsley, just to make sure.

Originally published Saturday, January 4, 2003