She looks forward to the day her father Gary, a commander in the U.S. Navy, retires from military service so that he can share Maddie's life at home with her sister Kiley and their mother Kate.

Maddie's dad invites her to participate in Operation Tiger, a week-long cruise for military families and their friends aboard the aircraft carrier USS Constellation.

However, the flight deck is a restricted area due to safety regulations; non-military personnel must watch the airshow from "Vulture's Row".

Commander Dolan tells Maddie about a tragic incident when a crew member was killed landing a jet during practice maneuvers.

Although upset that her dad is still needed in the military, she and her fellow Tigers express their pride and support by unfurling a giant American flag on the Constellation's flight deck.

Laura Fries of Variety noted that the film "...carries many Disney hallmarks — a burgeoning teen-queen star, a catchy theme song and predictable subplots, but marks a departure from the net’s usual fairytale formula" and adds that writers "Anna Sandor and Bruce Graham deserve kudos for filtering a tough story through the eyes of kids without diluting the message... [The film] never feels exploitative or opportunistic.

"[2] Mike McDaniel of The Houston Chronicle states that "The sobering events of 9/11 give this otherwise typical Disney movie unusual gravity.

"[5] However, Anita Gates of The New York Times was more critical, describing the film as "a worthy two-hour movie", but notes that Tiger Cruise "feels polarizing rather than patriotic".