ultimate ship tour

okay, I no this has probably been asked, but unable to find the thread, where does one sign up for this, and what is the cost? Thank You:)

You sign up at the Passenger Services Desk as soon as you board the ship. You cannot make arrangements prior to then. The tour is limited to 12 people and the cost is $150 per person. Well worth the money. The gifts are great also.

SilverBird

Yes sign up as soon as possible. It is usually held the final full day of the cruise in the AM. But can vary.

Thank you for your quick replies, for sure my husband will sign up for this!:)

You can pre-pay it as well, simply by pre purchasing enough OBC to cover it, as well as anything else that you expect to want once you are aboard, such as Ultimate Balcony Dinner, Spa treatments, etc. Some folks (like me :D) would rather have these expenses out of the way right up front, instead of getting big bill at the end of the cruise .

...VTX-Al

Yes sign up as soon as possible. It is usually held the final full day of the cruise in the AM. But can vary.

As soon as stepping foot onboard, I gave my husband an excuse that I had to ask a question at the purser's desk, while he waited elsewhere with the carry-on bags! He loved the tour. The gifts he received were worth the $150.

As soon as stepping foot onboard, I gave my husband an excuse that I had to ask a question at the purser's desk, while he waited elsewhere with the carry-on bags! He loved the tour. The gifts he received were worth the $150.

MAke sure to leave enough room in your luggage to take said gift home. ;)

Curious about this tour.... Where do they take you ? Would a person that needs a cane to get around be able to go on this tour? What are the gifts?

When I did the tour I remember it seemed there were a lot of steps going both up and down that we used. If the cane doesn't prevent you from using steps and I don't think you would have any trouble. The tour does involve quite a bit of walking because you will be all over the ship. You will see one of the galleys, food storage areas and prep areas, the laundry, backstage area of Princess Theater, the place where all of the printing for the ship is done such as the Princess Patter, and the bridge where the captain talks about all of the equipment there. That is what I remember now but there may be other places that we saw also.

Gifts included one of the heavy terrycloth bathrobes, either a chefs apron or chef's coat, photographs taken during the tour, and a picture frame. Also a notepad from the print shop with your name on it.

Curious about this tour.... Where do they take you ? Would a person that needs a cane to get around be able to go on this tour? What are the gifts?

Sorry to say the answer to your second question is probably not. You are on your feet for a solid three and half hours and must climb a suspended ladder staircase to get to the rope casting room in the bow. (Which is why they advise no skirts for the ladies--and should add no baggy gym shorts for the gents).

As best as I can remember from 2011 sequence is:

Introduction/Q&A with cruise director

Backstage

Rope Casting area in the bow

Galley & Larders (much further back than standard galley walk thru); chat with one of the Maitre d's, drinks served

Photo Shop

Print Shop

Engine Control Room (not the actual Engine Room)

Walk thru main below deck corridor where luggage (and garbage) is sorted

Medical Center--doctor's talk was by far the highlight

Bridge Visit with Captain, champage and strawberries

Gifts can vary but include: photos of group at several of the stops, personalized stationery, deluxe bathrobes, chef's apron and/or deluxe pool towels (usually two out of latter three)

Does anyone know if they would run this tour aboard the Regal Princess 7 day New England/Canada cruise?

The only full sea day, is the day after departing New York...the rest are all port days....

Sorry to say the answer to your second question is probably not. You are on your feet for a solid three and half hours and must climb a suspended ladder staircase to get to the rope casting room in the bow. (Which is why they advise no skirts for the ladies--and should add no baggy gym shorts for the gents).

 

As best as I can remember from 2011 sequence is:

Introduction/Q&A with cruise director

Backstage

Rope Casting area in the bow

Galley & Larders (much further back than standard galley walk thru); chat with one of the Maitre d's, drinks served

Photo Shop

Print Shop

Engine Control Room (not the actual Engine Room)

Walk thru main below deck corridor where luggage (and garbage) is sorted

Medical Center--doctor's talk was by far the highlight

Bridge Visit with Captain, champage and strawberries

 

Gifts can vary but include: photos of group at several of the stops, personalized stationery, deluxe bathrobes, chef's apron and/or deluxe pool towels (usually two out of latter three)

You forgot the laundry. It is just amazing how much laundry they handle and the sheet folding / ironing machines were particularly impressive.

I was so disappointed not to do this on our Med cruise. They said they weren't running it for 'safety reasons'. Is that code for 'can't be bothered'?. They say this a lot now apparently.

I was so disappointed not to do this on our Med cruise. They said they weren't running it for 'safety reasons'. Is that code for 'can't be bothered'?. They say this a lot now apparently.

Probably related to maintenance work being carried out in one of the areas the tour covers. Certainly the chain handling area could be very dangerous if there was any maintenance work going on there.

If you ever get to do the tour, you will soon realise that not only are you being allowed into working areas where attention to safety matters is of paramount importance, but also that the officers who host you may not be available because of maintenance commitments.

The bottom line is that it is not like a shore excursion and there could be many legitimate reasons why they couldn't run the tour.

Since there are so many behind the scene's locations to tour, they could just skip one undergoing maintenance, and possibly show an alternate....I was on another line's tour that included the crew 'public' area's (bar, cafeteria, etc.).

The only location that would truly disappoint me if bypassed would be the bridge. A possible alternative to that would be the officer's ward room, or the Captain's day room office....

Since there are so many behind the scene's locations to tour, they could just skip one undergoing maintenance, and possibly show an alternate....I was on another line's tour that included the crew 'public' area's (bar, cafeteria, etc.).

 

The only location that would truly disappoint me if bypassed would be the bridge. A possible alternative to that would be the officer's ward room, or the Captain's day room office....

I wouldn't think that would be as easy as you suggest. The tour is incredibly well orchestrated. It was quite clear that it operated to a strict timetable. Our host was continually consulting his watch to make sure we were maintaining our very strict schedule. There were officers waiting to explain everything at every stop and when in the galley, the petit fours were all lined up waiting for us.

Remember, this tour takes place on a working vessel , at sea, and involves people who have work commitments making themselves available at a very specific time.

IMHO, it would not be easy to either delete or insert an area without throwing what was obviously a well rehearsed timetable into disarray.

It takes a lot of security officers--not just the one or two openly trailing the UST group--to supervise even just 15 passengers being escorted in and out of normally restricted areas. This is why the UST rarely runs on port days (occasionally it does in Alaska) as security is certainly otherwise occupied. So I imagine the "operational reasons" that UST is not offered on a specific sailing would be the inability of the security staff to set aside that half-day to supervise the tour. I'm sure they would have run it if they could; even with all the gifts the money collected likely goes on the books as pure profit for the ship.

(and yes I realized I forgot the Laundry on my rough itinerary in post #10 above--twice I edited the list when I remembered something else but was too late to add the last one)

Thank you for answering me.. We were thinking about taking my Grandma but she will be only a few months out of knee surgery so I guess we will pass this run.

Wouldn't mind speaking to someone in Security as I work High Risk Security in a Forensic Mental Health building. Would be interesting to know what it is like for Security on Cruise ship.

When I did the tour (granted it was a couple of years ago) it included a climb up to the stacks where the Princess logo is, way up on the top of the ship. As I recall this was a rather steep climb. Not sure if they still do this but something to consider when signing up.

It takes a lot of security officers--not just the one or two openly trailing the UST group--to supervise even just 15 passengers being escorted in and out of normally restricted areas. This is why the UST rarely runs on port days (occasionally it does in Alaska) as security is certainly otherwise occupied. So I imagine the "operational reasons" that UST is not offered on a specific sailing would be the inability of the security staff to set aside that half-day to supervise the tour. I'm sure they would have run it if they could; even with all the gifts the money collected likely goes on the books as pure profit for the ship.

 

(and yes I realized I forgot the Laundry on my rough itinerary in post #10 above--twice I edited the list when I remembered something else but was too late to add the last one)

UST on the Grand , April 2015. All of the locations mentioned, plus - Dressing/makeup area for actors and dancers, and short jog through crew living/dining/recreation area. Incidentally, I was using a cane and it was quite do-able, but with quite a few staircases and a couple of "ladder-type" stairs involved. You just have to ensure that the guide doesn't lose you somewhere along the route. Guess it depends on what the extent of the limited mobility necessitated by the use of the cane is. They tend to move along fairly quickly.

...VTX-Al

Everyone says book early because the tour sells out quickly. How quickly? With the staggered boarding times, we are in the last boarding group. What are our chances of being able to take the tour?

Everyone says book early because the tour sells out quickly. How quickly? With the staggered boarding times, we are in the last boarding group. What are our chances of being able to take the tour?

#1 If there is more requests than spots they usually have a lottery for the spots.

#2 Ignore your boarding group and board whenever you want.

must climb a suspended ladder staircase to get to the rope casting room in the bow.

Not necessarily true. The one I went on did not go to that area and there was nothing on the tour that a person using a cane would have had a problem with. Probably best if the original poster asks about that when they register for the tour. Might have to check back to make sure that they get a definite yes or no from whomever is running the tour on that particular ship/cruise.

Tom

I've tried to sign us up for this twice. Last August, they took down our info but said the day before it should have been held that they weren't going to do it. That was a week-long cruise on the CB. When I tried signing up again when we did short b2b cruises over New Year's, they said they weren't doing it for those cruises. They said the next schedule one on was the 5-day cruise after we left the ship.

I've tried to sign us up for this twice. Last August, they took down our info but said the day before it should have been held that they weren't going to do it. That was a week-long cruise on the CB. When I tried signing up again when we did short b2b cruises over New Year's, they said they weren't doing it for those cruises. They said the next schedule one on was the 5-day cruise after we left the ship.

It happened to me one time when I tried to take the tour. Some times they do not have the tours for one reason or another. It could be for any number of reasons, usually operational, I'd guess. Either someone who is qualified to lead the tour is unavailable (even mariners get sick occasionally :() or maintenance of some sort is being performed in one or more of the areas, putting those facilities off-limits. Looks like you've had a string of bad luck. Maybe that means that when you finally do get to go on the UST, that it'll really be a extra-good one! :D

Don't give up, the tour is worth it!

Tom