The "behind the scenes" ship tour

[RuthlessBoss]

I take the tour on every new ship I go on. Fantasy class ships are a bit cheaper at 55. You get to see lots of spaces no passenger ever gets to. Along with all the already mentioned areas, you visit the storage lockers for meat, veggies, drinks, man that deep freezer is cold.

Also backstage area for the shows, and you see the show costumes, and chat with the lead dancer. It is amazing.

I was truly surprised the crew have as nice a lounge area as the passengers do.

Truly its worth the price. Just getting to stand on the clear glass floor on the Bridge and looking down to the ocean is worth it.

Just amazing. Even the trash compacter/sorter is interesting.

 

It's like being in the underworld. The daily operations we don't see are amazing. I just fell in love with that sheet folding machine.

[ShellLoves2cruise]

I've always wanted to take the BTF tour, after reading all the comments about the tour, I can't wait to do it!! Definitely will plan it for my next cruise ~ hopefully later this year. Thanks for the info everyone! :)

[KLD1019]

we're definitely doing it next year! we'll be on the Dream

[srjones1]

The tour is NOT offered on the Sunshine, unfortunately. I will add that in addition to all the other things people have mentioned, when we did this tour on the Pride we started in a lounge where there were pastries and coffee and juice. The human resources director led the tour, and we got to see the area behind the stage where the singers/dancers change costumes and get ready for the show, the stage itself (where the technical director showed us some of the special effects stuff they do during the shows), the engine control room where the chief engineer was very informative about how the ship actually "works." We saw the main galley, two of the crew galleys, the sanitation area, I-95 (the main corridor that runs through the crew area), the freezers where they store food, the training room, the crew bar (where we got more refreshments), the bridge--where we actually spent a long time (the captain was quite charming) and then we ended in the steakhouse with a tour of that galley and some lovely cocktails and more snacks. We also got all the souvenirs--the bag, the picture with the captain, a lanyard, and a wristband. We did have a couple of older gentlemen in our group who struggled with all the walking--there is a LOT of walking, climbing up and down stairs, etc.

 

All in all it was a great time, and I look forward to doing it again--well worth the $95. Oh--I booked it at the shore excursion desk on the 2nd or 3rd day of the cruise.

 

We sailed the Sunshine a couple weeks ago and they were advertising the ship tours on the last sea day for that afternoon. The whole "get them quick" speech.

[jimbo5544]

It's like being in the underworld. The daily operations we don't see are amazing. I just fell in love with that sheet folding machine.

 

It was pretty cool

[Momis2]

We took the tour on both the Inspiration this year and the Spirit before she left for Australia. Both were worth every penny! The Spirit tour was the more interesting of the two only because that captain was very chatty and outgoing and on the Inspiration tour the captain barely spoke to us and I got the feeling he could hardly wait for us to leave! BTW, I think that any child under the age of probably 10 or 12 would be bored stiff unless they had some major fascination with ships. The stairs are very steep and slippery metal so imagine trying to get a cranky, whining child up and down.

Edited August 14, 2014 by Momis2

[Eeyore_Lover]

I did this on the Breeze and loved it! I plan on signing up as soon as I board the Glory in October. I was cruising with a friend, and we each got 4 pictures - individual ones with the captain, the 2 of us with the captain, the group with the captain, and the group with the ship's bell. My favorite part? Talking to the bakers in the galley, where they put out fresh trays of about 6 different pastries (watched them pull them out of the oven!) and had a plated chocolate covered strawberry ready for each of us.

[Tate90]

I signed up for free ship tour once.

 

They signed me up for a 5 yr gig in Pearl Harbor.

 

Worst tour ever...

 

 

This made me laugh out loud.....good one

 

Thank you for taking this very important tour.............

[PROCRUISE]

It's like being in the underworld. The daily operations we don't see are amazing. I just fell in love with that sheet folding machine.

 

Yep, sheeting folding machine was pretty darn impressive. And, don't forget the jail and morgue too!! :)

[near the beach]

If the excursion desk is not open when you first board the ship> Go to guest services and book it there.

We were lucky when we did the tour because there were only three of us. We went into the engine control room and an engine room.

We had a great time. The free stuff to get was nice also. Plus the things the chef sent to our cabin.

[AnnaNimitee]

I just fell in love with that sheet folding machine.

 

Me too! Who ever knew laundry could be so cool?!

[KLD1019]

yall have me intrigued with this laundry folding machine! can we all get one for household use!? LOL ;)

Edited August 15, 2014 by KLD1019

[CleveCruiser]

Just did it on the Freedom in June; was very much worth it...I took a lot of anal-retentive notes in my review...if you want to check it out.

 

Have fun! :)

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

You will visit....

• The Engine Room
  
• The Laundry Room
  
• The Galley
  
• The Bridge
  
• Behind the Scenes talk with the Singers and Dancers
  
• plus many other areas
  

 

You will receive a Hat, a backpack, a lanyard, chocolate covered strawberries, and a photo from the Bridge with the Captain

 

When I went on the behind the fun tour a few years ago on the freedom iirc, they did much more than that. We saw the bridge, engine room and got to interact with the crewmembers in both areas and of course got pictures taken with the captain at the bridge. We got to see the galley and also saw the store room where they keep the food and other supplies and also learned how they manage inventory on a weekly basis. Really interesting. What a huge operation. We also got to see the backstage areas in the theater and were shown the crew hangout area and got to even see some crew quarters. They don't get to eat gourmet but they eat and drink well and the area we don't see is a complete other world in itself. We also saw the cruise director's office space and saw what kinds of programs carnival offers its employees, such as continuing education and language classes. Really worth it. They also give you a goodie bag and a cool champagne reception in the mdr when the tour is over. It does involve a lot of walking and it will take a good portion of your morning and early afternoon.

 

Now, when I went on this tour it was a new thing and they were in the process of fine tuning it so it might be quite different now than it was then. I would definitely do it but it does tend to fill up quickly so waiting until midway through the cruise to reserve it could be risky. Have fun.

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

Yep, sheeting folding machine was pretty darn impressive. And, don't forget the jail and morgue too!! :)

 

LOL I forgot about the laundry operation. The sheer volume of stuff that goes thru there is amazing and it runs like a well oiled machine should. All the comforters, sheets, pillowcases, etc get washed and folded there, along with the wash and fold stuff the pax send down there to get done. It is ridiculously hot in that area though, but the people work very hard to keep the laundry moving. I don't seem to remember seeing the jail and morgue but we did see the infirmary on our tour.

[cruisinpips]

I did this tour on Magic and Breeze with my daughter. She was 11 and 12 at the time. She enjoyed it also, but she is like me and wants to know how things work. It is worth every penny in my opinion. We started in the steakhouse and was given a speech about the selection process of the steaks, and preparation tips, ect. at the start. No cameras allowed, you will be scanned by security before going on this tour. Lots of interesting information, lots of walking, snacks like fresh made pastries, chocolate covered strawberries, ect while in the gallery. Visit to the engine control room, not engine room, visit bridge, pic with captain and the ships bell. Mimosas or champagne at the conclusion. Definitely recommend. Wife signed us up on embarkation day, they only allow 16 persons per tour. Some ships will have two tours, but usually only one. Recommend signing up early. :D:D

[JimAOk1945]

We did this on the Conquest. While it is expensive, it is well worth it.

 

Wear comfortable shoes and clothing as there is a lot of walking around the ship as well as climbing stairs.

[kingoftheicedragons]

Does anyone know if I can pay for someone else who hasn't boarded yet? I have FTTF and I'll be getting to the ship early. One of my friends wants to take the tour with me but she is in a different cabin and won't be boarding until 2.

 

 

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I hope you and your friend realize that they can board (usually) well before 2. Even those without FTTF can usually board around 12. FTTF will just be called ahead of the numbered boarding zones.

[mzlinda]

Thanks but she won't be getting to Charleston until about 2. l'm staying with friends in Charleston the night before so I'll be boarding a couple of hours ahead of her. I just wasn't sure if they would let me book the tour for her too since we are in different cabins.

 

 

 

 

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[CleveCruiser]

Does anyone know if I can pay for someone else who hasn't boarded yet? I have FTTF and I'll be getting to the ship early. One of my friends wants to take the tour with me but she is in a different cabin and won't be boarding until 2.

 

 

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When we signed up on the Freedom, they wrote our names down and our folio number, I also signed up my sister (not on the ship yet)- who stopped by later and changed the folio number to charge it to. Hope that helps.

 

It is a great tour to do. :)