Picture yourself on a superyacht and a few scenes might spring to mind: Platters of Champagne proffered post-snorkeling session in a picturesque cove. Teak floors and rails so clean you could do caviar bumps off their gleaming surfaces. Envious onlookers wondering who you are—and how you’ve secured such a shining vessel.

Absent from your imaginings, perhaps, might be your family. And yet when I recently boarded the Ohana superyacht in Split, Croatia, I did so with my two young kids, ages four and five. My extravagant fantasies quickly transformed into worries about whether my children might pee in the top deck jacuzzi, tip over someone’s cocktail, or maybe even tumble overboard while I was distracted by the beauty of the Dalmatian coastline.

It turns out, I had nothing to worry about.