Behind the scene ship tour

[fire&teacher]

Can anyone suggest a time to board our trip to Alaska on the Coral Princess in June? My husband would like to sign up for the behind ship tour. We have been told to get there early. It is first come first served.

[GUT2407]

Can anyone suggest a time to board our trip to Alaska on the Coral Princess in June? My husband would like to sign up for the behind ship tour. We have been told to get there early. It is first come first served.

 

I always board as early as I possibly can.

[CruiserBruce]

You will be able to starting boarding sometime between 11:30 and noon, as long as you get to the port a little early (like no later than 11am) and get checked in. This is discussed on the Princess board all the time.

[idahospud]

Can anyone suggest a time to board our trip to Alaska on the Coral Princess in June? My husband would like to sign up for the behind ship tour. We have been told to get there early. It is first come first served.

 

Boarding time is out of your control but the earlier you get to the port the earlier you'll get on board. No need to get there before 10:45. In transit passengers get back on board first, then elite and suite passengers. Once you get onboard go right to the passenger services desk to sign up. I was #1 on the list by going straight away.

[xlxo]

Don't you choose an assigned PAT time to arrive?

• Yep.... get the earliest time possible to maximize your time at the welcome lunch trough that you paid for.
  
• However others choose the latest time to avoid the terminal security and customs processing congestion. This allows them to cram in a tourist attraction before boarding (eg. Capilano or Fly Over Canada)
  

Edited May 2, 2016 by xlxo

[Putterdude]

Yes, the tour is first come first served. Seldom does Princess permit boarding much before noon, however the good news is that when they do everyone's cabin is available so you can go directly to your cabin and make reservations. So if you have a tolerance for lines then arrive about 1000, however even at that pax in full suites, Elite and Platinum pax are boarded first. To correct a post above, even if you have a staggered embarkation time, its only a suggested time and Princess has never turned away an early arriver at Canada Place.

Edited May 2, 2016 by Putterdude

[Eaglecw]

Where do you sign up for the Ultimate ships tour? At the Pursers desk?

[Putterdude]

Where do you sign up for the Ultimate ships tour? At the Pursers desk?

Yes, go directly to the Pursers Desk or as it's known on Princess ships, the Passenger Services Desk and they will book it for you. The tour is generally offered on a sea day and normaly one and sometimes two are offered on a cruise.

[Eaglecw]

Thanks Putterdude. I forgot to ask what it costs? $150 - $200

 

Randy

[Putterdude]

Thanks Putterdude. I forgot to ask what it costs? $150 - $200

 

Randy

 

I really don't recall, I have been on enough ship's bridges, galleys and enginerooms that the tour holds little appeal for me but I know the price is in the range you mention.

[xlxo]

I should add that ship tours are typically limited to a dozen people out of the thousands onboard. It will be a sell out by the time the tour is underway.

[Putterdude]

Actually the tours offered entirely at the discretion of the captain and the group size can range from 10 to as many as 20. I have gone thru some Patters and see the charge is $150 pp.

[idahospud]

It was $150 in April. Received several pictures the photography dept took of us on the tour (including one with the captain), a nice frame, a personalized notepad from the printing shop (we visited there), a cute apron from the galley (visited there) and a very nice plush robe from the housekeeping dept (visited there, too). The robe is not anything like the ones in the cabin or the ones in the spa. This thing is super nice. We also had many other stops, including a lengthy visit at the bridge. Well worth the money.

[peety3]

We've heard (and were told at the desk) that if lots of people sign up for the tour, it's filled via lottery. We really enjoyed the tour, though some of it was a little to a lot bland. The bridge was very impressive, the mooring room OK, backstage tour neat but thin on real content, galley tour far deeper than the culinary demo, laundry room WOW, "smoke" stacks eh but apparently lots of people ask for it, engine control room informative but hard to follow between the noises and the accent, food storage very impressive, print shop neat yet dated, photo area fascinating but sad to think of the work involved for the number of prints unclaimed. I do wish they'd save the ship information handout (given to us on the bridge, our first stop) for the end, or in our goodie bags.

 

The free photos were eh, as usual. Pinkish, blurry, cheesy.

 

One complaint I have is the rule about cameras - they tell you "no cameras", but the captain was more than willing to let us take pictures from the bridge. Had I known that, I would have taken a serious camera & light, even if it meant carrying it as dead weight for the rest of the tour. I may do the tour again, "just" to get some of those photos.

[Putterdude]

It was $150 in April. Received several pictures the photography dept took of us on the tour (including one with the captain), a nice frame, a personalized notepad from the printing shop (we visited there), a cute apron from the galley (visited there) and a very nice plush robe from the housekeeping dept (visited there, too). The robe is not anything like the ones in the cabin or the ones in the spa. This thing is super nice. We also had many other stops, including a lengthy visit at the bridge. Well worth the money.

 

Just curious if your tour sold out as I know that is not always the case?

[rjm11]

We were on an NCL cruise last month and were told that bridge tours were no longer allowed- a security change that was put in place after the Paris attacks (something about a change to the US homeland security levels). We were specifically asking about a bridge tour (not a behind the scenes tour), so I don't know if those are still going on.

[idahospud]

We've heard (and were told at the desk) that if lots of people sign up for the tour, it's filled via lottery. We overheard the desk telling someone it was sold out. I never heard or experienced the lottery. We really enjoyed the tour, though some of it was a little to a lot bland. The bridge was very impressive, the mooring room OK, backstage tour neat but thin on real content, galley tour far deeper than the culinary demo, laundry room WOW, "smoke" stacks eh but apparently lots of people ask for it, we didn't see this engine control room informative but hard to follow between the noises and the accent, We were on the Regal and it's certainly a modern room. Didn't notice any noises. food storage very impressive, print shop neat yet dated, photo area fascinating but sad to think of the work involved for the number of prints unclaimed. I do wish they'd save the ship information handout (given to us on the bridge, our first stop) for the end, or in our goodie bags. Our bridge visit was at the end.

 

The free photos were eh, as usual. Pinkish, blurry, cheesy.

 

One complaint I have is the rule about cameras - they tell you "no cameras", but the captain was more than willing to let us take pictures from the bridge. Had I known that, I would have taken a serious camera & light, even if it meant carrying it as dead weight for the rest of the tour. I may do the tour again, "just" to get some of those photos.

 

Just curious if your tour sold out as I know that is not always the case?

 

There were some passengers wanting to sign up during the week and they were told it was sold out. Sign up the first day for sure.

[rockdoctor]

It is a lottery so don't rush to board. Both of you should register. Then if either of you is picked, the other goes.

[Eaglecw]

I’m kind of looking forward to going on the ultimate ships tour, I have an extensive background in ships and like to see the inter working of the ships. Passenger Services Desk will be my second stop after I drop off my carry on baggage on my way to the Da Vinci Dining Room for lunch. I’m assuming that the Passenger Services Desk is the same as “Guest services desk”.

[peety3]

Eaglecw, fair warning, you don't get to see a lot of inner workings of the ship itself. You'll see the bridge, the forward mooring lines, the engine control room, and the smokestack area (if yours is the same as what we experienced). No access to the engine room itself or other insight into fuel storage, ballast areas, etc. The rest of the tour covers "hotel" (laundry, galley, food/beverage storage/handling, medical if not full), entertainment (theater/backstage) and passenger services (print shop, photo shop).

 

Two of the cruise director's staff act as guides from a perspective of opening doors and presenting the tour group to the particular representative of the office/department you're seeing. It does tend to be an early tour (8:30 for us, with an 8:15 meet time in a conference room just aft of the Princess theater), so the CD staff are not exactly awake and bubbly. ;) Our photographer was "along for the ride" as well...

[idahospud]

It is a lottery so don't rush to board. Both of you should register. Then if either of you is picked, the other goes.

 

Which ship had a lottery for it?