Bridge Tour

[love2bonboard]

Has anyone sailing on Getaway or Breakaway been offered a bridge tour with their roll call group? If so, how can I set it up? I am starting a roll call and want to try and get all the fun things arranged!

[www3traveler]

No I have not and it usually is not offered with The Behind The Scenes Tour either.

[emcelh]

A couple of times a bridge tour was offered to those attending the Meet and Greet on some ships (haven't been on GA or BA) but it wasn't arranged in advance. They had a sign up sheet and everyone was sent an invitation for the tour afterward. A hotel director once said that it wasn't done on all ships, that it was entirely up to the captain and that some allowed it and others didn't.

 

Unless someone here has another way of doing it, I'd just ask at the Meet and Greet and see what happens. Good luck.

Edited July 21, 2015 by emcelh

[love2bonboard]

I guess I have been on the right ship at the right time. I have done the bridge tour with the roll call group and assumed the roll call leader arranged it. I am hoping the captain of the Escape will allow it. I will cross my fingers and ask the cruise director at the meet and greet. Thanks for your responses. I sure hope we can do it, it is such a great experience.

[bob brown]

I have only seen it happen once (out of 8 NCL cruises)....it was on the Gem. It was not arranged by the Roll Call leader, but was offered by the Captain.

 

If you have Platinum status, you usually get a comp. bridge tour invitation.

 

And most ships do offer the Behind The Scenes paid tour, which usually includes the bridge (but no guarantee...sometimes they just give you a 'tour' of the bridge viewing room on those ships that have them....

[Meekofigaro]

Has anyone sailing on Getaway or Breakaway been offered a bridge tour with their roll call group? If so, how can I set it up? I am starting a roll call and want to try and get all the fun things arranged!

 

I hosted last October on the Getaway and was not offered the Bridge tour.

 

Kerry

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[GORDONCHICK]

I guess I have been on the right ship at the right time. I have done the bridge tour with the roll call group and assumed the roll call leader arranged it. I am hoping the captain of the Escape will allow it. I will cross my fingers and ask the cruise director at the meet and greet. Thanks for your responses. I sure hope we can do it, it is such a great experience.

 

You should ask the hotel director instead of the cruise director. And it depends greatly on the captain and sometimes the itinerary. If the captain is very outgoing, you have a much better shot. If the captain doesn't show up for your M&G, chances are not good that you will be offered one.

[Demonyte]

If you have Platinum status, you usually get a comp. bridge tour invitation.

 

 

 

And most ships do offer the Behind The Scenes paid tour, which usually includes the bridge (but no guarantee...sometimes they just give you a 'tour' of the bridge viewing room on those ships that have them....

 

 

Sorry but you are mixing things up a bit.

 

Behind the scenes tour is available on all ships and includes or does not include the bridge tour, that depends completely on the captain in duty and if the captain does not allow it and the ship has a bridge viewing room, that is included instead - and this applies for both the paid tours and the mutilated quick'n'dirty tours currently offered to Platinum members.

[tomk3212]

As previous posters have stated, the Bridge tour is hit-and-miss.

 

As Platinum members we went on the Behind the Scenes tour on our last Gem voyage & that DID include the Bridge; the officer currently on duty there was VERY nice and answered a LOT of questions. The tour itself was VERY relaxed with a laid-back approach by the people conducting the tour; it wasn't rushed or hectic and took about 3 hours even though it was only supposed to last 2 hours.

 

However when we went on the Breakaway for the first time the Behind the Scenes tour did NOT include the Bridge at all. I don't think we even saw the viewing room. THAT tour seemed VERY rushed; the people conducting the tour were nice and polite but we got the impression that they had other things they had to do and this tour was NOT a priority. The tour was supposed to last 90 minutes and it did. EXACTLY 90 minutes. We never saw the Cirque or Theater backstage either.

 

So I think as previous posters have stated the quality of these tours, what you see and how much you see will depend on the Captain or Hotel Manager's attitude about these types of tours. As Platinum members we're not going going to complain because we're getting the tour for free. If I had been paying for the Breakaway's Behind the Scenes tour, however, I'd have been a bit miffed at not seeing the Bridge or backstage at Cirque or the Theater. While the tour DID last the required 90 minutes I'd think twice about taking it again on another NCL ship or recommending it to others.

 

Tom

[Demonyte]

As Platinum members we're not going going to complain because we're getting the tour for free. If I had been paying for the Breakaway's Behind the Scenes tour, however, I'd have been a bit miffed at not seeing the Bridge or backstage at Cirque or the Theater. While the tour DID last the required 90 minutes I'd think twice about taking it again on another NCL ship or recommending it to others.

 

You can't compare the paid tour and Platinum tour like that, they are nowadays two very different things. We too got proper tours as Platinums still in 2013, not anymore.

[bob brown]

when we went on the Breakaway for the first time the Behind the Scenes tour did NOT include the Bridge at all. I don't think we even saw the viewing room.

Tom

 

The Breakaway Class does not have a Bridge Viewing Room, unfortunately...:(

[tomk3212]

The Breakaway Class does not have a Bridge Viewing Room, unfortunately...:(

 

So NOW I know why we didn't see the Bridge View room on the Breakaway...lol

 

Thanks!

 

Tom

[love2bonboard]

Thanks for all the post, appreciate the replies. I was actually only talking about bridge tours, not the behind the scenes tour. I had been on a couple of NCL cruise critic roll calls and both times we got a special invitation in our cabin from the captain inviting us to a private bridge tour. They even catered it with snacks and champagne. It was absolutely fantastic. The second time, the captain spent a great deal of time with us letting us take our time talking to the officers and showing us all the controls. The captain went into full details of how he keeps the ship sailing so smoothly and how he pulls in/out of ports. I am guessing though, that since there apparently is no bridge viewing room on the breakaway, there probably won't be one on the Escape. Oh well, it was sure fun when I had the opportunity on prior cruises.

[Sauer-kraut]

Thanks for all the post, appreciate the replies. I was actually only talking about bridge tours, not the behind the scenes tour. I had been on a couple of NCL cruise critic roll calls and both times we got a special invitation in our cabin from the captain inviting us to a private bridge tour. They even catered it with snacks and champagne. It was absolutely fantastic. The second time, the captain spent a great deal of time with us letting us take our time talking to the officers and showing us all the controls.

 

Then you have been very very lucky, that is not the norm.

[bob brown]

I am guessing though, that since there apparently is no bridge viewing room on the breakaway, there probably won't be one on the Escape.

 

You're probably right...

The ships that have some type of "bridge viewing room" that I am aware of are the NCL Spirit, Pearl, Gem, and Epic.

 

Other ships include the RCI Voyager class with their "Peek-A-Boo" bridge overlooks, and the Cunard Queen Mary 2 with a bridge viewing room.

 

If there are more out there, I would like to learn of them....:cool:

 

It is my understanding that they have not made more of them because of crew objection...they did not feel comfortable being under scrutiny most of the time.

The windows from the rooms to the bridge were covered at night to preserve the night vision of the crew, but the duplicate nav screens were always open to view.

Edited July 25, 2015 by bob brown

[dexddd]

Thanks for all the post, appreciate the replies. I was actually only talking about bridge tours, not the behind the scenes tour. I had been on a couple of NCL cruise critic roll calls and both times we got a special invitation in our cabin from the captain inviting us to a private bridge tour. They even catered it with snacks and champagne. It was absolutely fantastic. The second time, the captain spent a great deal of time with us letting us take our time talking to the officers and showing us all the controls. The captain went into full details of how he keeps the ship sailing so smoothly and how he pulls in/out of ports. I am guessing though, that since there apparently is no bridge viewing room on the breakaway, there probably won't be one on the Escape. Oh well, it was sure fun when I had the opportunity on prior cruises.

 

We didn't get one last year on BA. What they seemed to be doing was on the last sea day they had a presentation in the main theater that was a powerpoint and many of the officers were there to explain things and answer questions.

[www3traveler]

You're probably right...

The ships that have some type of "bridge viewing room" that I am aware of are the NCL Spirit, Pearl, Gem, and Epic.

 

Other ships include the RCI Voyager class with their "Peek-A-Boo" bridge overlooks, and the Cunard Queen Mary 2 with a bridge viewing room.

 

If there are more out there, I would like to learn of them....:cool:

 

It is my understanding that they have not made more of them because of crew objection...they did not feel comfortable being under scrutiny most of the time.

The windows from the rooms to the bridge were covered at night to preserve the night vision of the crew, but the duplicate nav screens were always open to view.

The Jewel class ships have Bridge Viewing Room windows ( Pearl, Gem, Jewel, Jade) and The Spirit.

[bob brown]

The Jewel class ships have Bridge Viewing Room windows ( Pearl, Gem, Jewel, Jade) and The Spirit.

 

That's what I thought, but when I looked at the Deck 11 plans on the Jewel and the Jade....I didn't see them, as you can on the Pearl and the Gem....:confused:

[Medtech2]

Has anyone sailing on Getaway or Breakaway been offered a bridge tour with their roll call group? If so, how can I set it up? I am starting a roll call and want to try and get all the fun things arranged!

I specifically requested this for our M & G's on the large ships and was told "No" but as with anything NCL answers may be different every time you ask...

 

We were invited to a BTS tour of the Sun and did go on the bridge and had a very nice talk with Captain Tommy...that was a great experience and totally sold me on the professionalism and commitment to safety of NCL officers.

Edited July 26, 2015 by Medtech2

[GORDONCHICK]

Thanks for all the post, appreciate the replies. I was actually only talking about bridge tours, not the behind the scenes tour. I had been on a couple of NCL cruise critic roll calls and both times we got a special invitation in our cabin from the captain inviting us to a private bridge tour. They even catered it with snacks and champagne. It was absolutely fantastic. The second time, the captain spent a great deal of time with us letting us take our time talking to the officers and showing us all the controls. The captain went into full details of how he keeps the ship sailing so smoothly and how he pulls in/out of ports. I am guessing though, that since there apparently is no bridge viewing room on the breakaway, there probably won't be one on the Escape. Oh well, it was sure fun when I had the opportunity on prior cruises.

 

Where you by chance in a suite? I've heard that suite guests sometimes get private bridge tours on the older ships. I've not heard either way on the newer ships.

[Sonora5]

The Jewel class ships have Bridge Viewing Room windows ( Pearl, Gem, Jewel, Jade) and The Spirit.

 

And the Epic has one.