Inside Access Behind-The-Scenes Ship Tour

[prmssk]

I see the Inside Access Behind-The-Scenes Ship Tour is available for my cruise this fall.  Has anyone taken this since the restart?  I know some cruise lines were not offering any behind the scenes type tours because of COVID restrictions but hadn't heard anything recent about Celebrity.

[gracebest]

38 minutes ago, prmssk said:

I see the Inside Access Behind-The-Scenes Ship Tour is available for my cruise this fall.  Has anyone taken this since the restart?  I know some cruise lines were not offering any behind the scenes type tours because of COVID restrictions but hadn't heard anything recent about Celebrity.

 

38 minutes ago, prmssk said:

I see the Inside Access Behind-The-Scenes Ship Tour is available for my cruise this fall.  Has anyone taken this since the restart?  I know some cruise lines were not offering any behind the scenes type tours because of COVID restrictions but hadn't heard anything recent about Celebrity.

My husband did the tour a few weeks ago on the Eclipse and thought it was great.  

[Turtles06]

1 minute ago, gracebest said:

 

My husband did the tour a few weeks ago on the Eclipse and thought it was great.  

 

Thanks for that feedback.  Was the Navigation Bridge included?  (It says it will be in the description for this tour on the Silhouette in the fall.)

[gracebest]

2 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

Thanks for that feedback.  Was the Navigation Bridge included?  (It says it will be in the description for this tour on the Silhouette in the fall.)

Yes, it was included.  Also the group was smaller than pre-covid times.  I think he said 11 in his group.  They had a lot of time to ask questions of the captain.

[Turtles06]

2 minutes ago, gracebest said:

Yes, it was included.  Also the group was smaller than pre-covid times.  I think he said 11 in his group.  They had a lot of time to ask questions of the captain.

 

Excellent, thanks for the info!

[prmssk]

@gracebest Thanks for all the information.  We just booked the tour for our cruise on Connie in November.  It's always neat to see the bridge.  And we have never been in areas like the laundry or engine control room so that will be new for us.

[canderson]

41 minutes ago, gracebest said:

 

My husband did the tour a few weeks ago on the Eclipse and thought it was great.  

Can you say what all the areas were that were covered?  It seems to have changed over time.  We've seen everything we've ever seen mentioned here apart from the laundry (Engineering was great), and are considering purchasing this tour for our 'kids' on our next S class cruise.

[Turtles06]

17 minutes ago, canderson said:

Can you say what all the areas were that were covered?

 

@gracebest can of course state what her husband's tour covered, but in case you find this helpful, here's Celebrity's description of the Behind-the-Scenes tour being offered on the Silhouette's TA in October:

 

"Overview

Discover the answers to a question we get asked on every voyage, “How does a ship so big run so smoothly?” Find out on a behind-the-scenes tour that reveals the technology, teamwork, and tons of supplies that go into creating your Celebrity Cruise.

 

Start in the Main Dining Room with a little hands-on lesson from the staff, and then, visit the Main Galley to see how our culinary team artfully prepares about 25,000 meals for our guests and crew each and every day. It's an impressive achievement, especially when you think about all the exotic flavors you get to enjoy in Modern Luxury style aboard your Celebrity Cruise ship. Next up, pop into provisioning for a jaw-dropping look at the sheer volume of ingredients it takes to make it all happen. Here's a little preview. We go through roughly 8,500 lbs of watermelon on every cruise. Not to mention, 10,000 bananas and 32,000 potatoes (give or take a few).

 

Continue to the Engine Control Room, where expert engineers monitor the ship’s engines and onboard machinery - 24/7. You'll learn how the engines do more than turn the giant props. They power all our onboard systems, including air-conditioning, refrigeration, plumbing and many others. This is the heart and soul of the cruise ship and you'll enjoy a rare up-close look at how it operates.

 

Afterwards, go for stroll down I-95, the “main highway” for the crew. It runs down the center of the ship and is named after the longest highway on the U.S. East Coast. Your next stop is Laundry, where thousands of items are cleaned and crisply folded every day– napkins to linens to beach towels. Marvel at massive machines that can hold 264 lbs. of laundry in every load. To put that in perspective, it's like doing 14 loads of laundry in your machine at home all at once.

 

The tour concludes with a real treat – a visit to the Bridge, where all the ship's onboard systems are controlled. Step up and witness advanced navigation and communications equipment in action, and scan the sea from the same vantage point your Captain uses to chart the way. If you've ever wondered what it takes to run a cruise ship, this inside access tour provides plenty of answers, great insight, and a whole lot of excitement.

 

For Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Apex, some segments of this tour may vary. The onboard Environmental officer will give a brief lecture on what the provision area is and the detailed workings of our incinerator and our save the waves policy.

 

Highlights

• Join a crewmember for a rare inside-access look at the inner workings of your Celebrity Cruise Ship.
• Visit the Bridge, Engine Control Room, and Laundry for a first-hand look at how the ship's critical areas operate.
• Stroll down the I-95 corridor in the crew's quarters, named after the longest highway on the U.S. East Coast.

Important details and advisements

• Guests must be able to walk and stand for extended periods and climb numerous steps.
• Guests in wheelchairs and those with limited mobility should not select this tour.
• Guests must wear personal protective gear (PEP) if and when provided.
• Photos and video may be restricted in certain areas of the ship.
• Children must be six (6) years or older to participate in this tour.
• Consider physical fitness and medical history when selecting this tour.
• Guests with concerns should consult their personal physician.
• Guests with back, neck, knee or ankle issues should consult with their physician before participating in this tour.
• Guests with heart issues, poor physical fitness, and other health concerns should not select this tour.
• Guests and crew must wear masks at all times.
• Please note Tour order may change."

 

For folks who've never done one of these tours... if you have any interest at all in how cruise ships operate, I think it's well worth doing (especially if you have OBC to use up! 🙂 )

 

[Tyler414]

I was on the first inside tour ever on Apex back in March.  It was okay, I was hoping to actually get to see the engine room, but that is not part of the tour.  The engine control room is exactly that, a small room with monitors, that is it.  The kitchen part was underwhelming.  The best parts for me, were to see the booze room (not part of the tour, the door was open when we walked by) and the Bridge.

Glad I did it, wasn't worth the money IMO and won't do it again.   Again, this was the first ever on Apex, so it may improve over time...

[canderson]

Our last S class tour included the control room, but it overlooked a couple of big honking diesels!