Nieuw Amsterdam - behind the scenes tour

[Brklynguy]

Long ago you, back when there were bon voyage parties (including non-passengers) on board cruise ships, guests could take tours of the bridge and engine room. This was certainly before my cruise history. I have asked about this on every cruise I have been on and the most they had to offer was a back stage or kitchen tour. So, I was delighted when my wife noticed a 2.5 hour Behind the Scenes Tour offered on the Nieuw Amsterdam (Feb 10, 2013, Western Caribbean). You get to see the bridge, recycling room, laundry, bakery, several kitchens, ships stores, and the engine control room. Highly recommended - worth $150. Read more in my recent review.

[CruiserBruce]

However, if you read down the board, a recent thread indicates these tours are about to be discontinued.

 

We also did the tour onN. Amsterdam, and agree it was very worth it.

[sail7seas]

Long ago you, back when there were bon voyage parties (including non-passengers) on board cruise ships, guests could take tours of the bridge and engine room. This was certainly before my cruise history. I have asked about this on every cruise I have been on and the most they had to offer was a back stage or kitchen tour. So, I was delighted when my wife noticed a 2.5 hour Behind the Scenes Tour offered on the Nieuw Amsterdam (Feb 10, 2013, Western Caribbean). You get to see the bridge, recycling room, laundry, bakery, several kitchens, ships stores, and the engine control room. Highly recommended - worth $150. Read more in my recent review.

 

 

Is it possible for you to provide us a link to your Review?

Where is it?

 

Can you copy and paste it here?

 

Thanks if possible. :)

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

From what others have said about it being discontinued on various ships, looks as though you lucked out to be among the last to get to do this tour.

Glad you enjoyed it.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I went to the "Reviews" section and could not find your review.

Has it been published yet?

[Himself]

I go back to the pre9/11/01 days and the bridge tours were free!

[Brklynguy]

I went to the "Reviews" section and could not find your review.

Has it been published yet?

 

The review was just published. Here is the section on the Tour: The best excursion I took was a three-hour tour of the interior of the ship. This is only offered on a few Carnival ships, only once a trip and is only available on some trips; it requires a minimum of 5 and maximum of 10 people, and costs $150 – a truly memorable experience. A senior officer was our guide. We met the heads of each area for a presentation followed by a Q&A. We saw the bridge (fascinating, looks like a game arcade with its toggle and graphic navigation tools; but they still use a real sextant to make sightings each day and night) and they maintain manual log). The garbage room – we learned that everything is recycled, but much of it is manually sorted – burnables, plastics, metals, glass, hard food waste, etc. The laundry facilities were also smaller than imagined four huge washers and dryers, an organic dry cleaning facility, an intriguing sheet iron and folder, and even funnier pants presser. However, we learned that the ships bathroom towels (4,000 a day) are hand rolled twice a day. The bread and bun bakery was very small but efficient with a very interesting cart-at-a-time vertical convection oven. The food and liquor stores were very organized – not like a small Costco). We did learn that the ship runs on rice - the Indonesian and Filipino crew consuming 350lbs a day – breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night. The main kitchens were smaller than expected but very well organized. The theater backstage tour was interesting – these are very professionally equipped performance spaces with a substantial crew running them. We got the back stage tour including the costume area. Everyplace was clean and bright. The engine control room – was, very reassuring – most questions had to do with the recent Carnival fire and foundering and why that couldn’t happen here (the two redundant engine rooms are 100 ft apart with separate electrical panels).

[JamesEM]

Thanks for the info, I guess the price tag of $150.00 is to steep for most passengers.

[boze9999]

We're on the NA this week and hope the tour is available. We've "passed" on too many previous cruises. We'll check in on it first thing on board.

[Minoushka]

Wow ....150$. For a tour . We got one as a small private group with the executive chef on Epic.offered by the Hotel Manager ...FREE

It was fascinating we visited I 95 and all the different rooms on board . Their system to keep tabs of what they had or needed was incredible On I 95 they had small tractors judt like on a highway moving stuff ...we saw the butcher shopbakeryfridges,freezers kitchen etc .the tour took a few hours .it was very interesting but we were only 6 people with the chef so it was very private .our experience on Epic was unique .the Hotel Manager was the very best ......kudos Denis

[Crew News]

My Nieuw Amsterdam Behind the Scenes Tour was cancelled at the last minute due to lack of participation but I did make the tour on the Oosterdam. I have posted the pictures on my website:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/travel-2/hal-ms-oosterdam/hal-ms-oosterdam-behind-the-scenes-tour/