Chapter 1

The Chipmunks scampered to the ramp of the cruise ship, singing. They were headed to the International Music Awards. But first they were going to enjoy a vacation together—at sea!

“One, two, three … one, two…” Dave, their manager and father, was carrying the tickets, the passports, and the suitcases. And he was trying to keep track of all of his chipmunks. “Guys, freeze,” he ordered. They never seemed to stop dancing and moving.

The Chipmunks and their favorite girl band and best friends, The Chipettes, struck a pose. After all, they were famous music stars now. But where was Alvin?

At that exact moment a whiz of brown-and-white furry stripes slid down the railing of the cruise ship ramp—right into Dave’s arms! What an entrance!

It was Alvin, of course. “Hey, Dave!” He leaned back, relaxed and cheerful as ever, and smiled up at him. “Where you been?”

Dave looked like he was about to explode in anger. “Where have I been? Trying to board the ship!”

“Already done that,” chirped Alvin, putting his arms behind his head. “Also checked out our room, dibbed the side of the bed closest to the window, ordered us a round of virgin piña coladas, checked out some superfine ladies on your behalf, and signed us up for parasailing. You’re welcome.” He gave Dave a wink.

But Dave didn’t acknowledge what Alvin had said. He’d only heard one word. Parasailing. There was no way he was going to let his little chipmunks fly high up into the air attached to a giant sail, protected by nothing more than a tiny harness. No way. It was too dangerous.

“There will be no parasailing. You’re too young,” Dave announced firmly. “I know you want to have some fun on this cruise. But we need to set some rules about how we’re going to behave on this ship.”

Simon had been glaring at Alvin since he arrived. “Let’s start with you can’t call dibs on a bed until everyone’s in the room!”

The Chipettes crowded around. “Yeah! Good rule! That’s right!”

“Unfair!” added Theodore, nodding his head in agreement.

“Okay, there’s rule number one,” sighed Dave. “Should we go over the rest of them?”

“Don’t worry, Dave,” said Alvin sweetly. “Rules is my middle name.” His whiskers twitched as he held back a mischievous smile.

Before Dave could say anything else, Alvin hopped out of his arms and led the other chipmunks up the ramp. Dave followed, shaking his head. This was going to be some trip. He could already tell. To top it all off, he thought he saw someone dressed as a giant pelican staring at him from across the deck. That was all he needed! More animals!