I would like to offer an alternative point of view for others who find this thread, as I did, searching on Pirates & Pals. I just booked this voyage for my family's second time on it. I've never done any of the dessert parties, so I won't speak to them. But I will say that we had an awesome time eating treats and meeting Captain Hook and Smee, then being uproariously entertained by our Patch (the comedian/host on board your boat) before the shows start. And it is shows plural, as there is nothing like watching the Electrical Water Pageant while on the water with the crafts and then you get the fireworks with music perfectly piped into the speakers on your boat.
Yes, I can see how this extra would appeal to young pirate lovers, but it's also just as special for those who love Neverland. For my family, it allows my DH and a DS who has sensory issues to wholly escape crowds before, during, and after the fireworks while comfortably seated. And, it allows us an easy way to guarantee a meeting with another son's favorite, Peter Pan. Spoiler Alert: Peter's the special guest waiting for you when you dock afterwards, with a Photopass photographer and everything. Don't tell the kids. ;-) Pan is a character you can find, but he roams and would take a lot more time and effort (or maybe just surrendering subscription cash to Kenny the Pirate's Character Locator).
You also get a full horizon-to-horizon view of the fireworks, which no one in the park could see, let alone anyone close enough to the castle to see the projections. They're bigger than you might think! So if you want to watch fireworks without the press of hub crowds, want to meet three Neverland characters in one night, and be entertained by a professional comedian in the meantime, try Pirates & Pals.
I hope everyone has a great time, wherever/however they view them!