TrakHack Posted December 19, 2018 #1 Share Posted December 19, 2018 Does HAL offer behind-the-scenes tours of its ships? I've searched their website and this one and haven't been able to find informatio. one way or another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted December 19, 2018 #2 Share Posted December 19, 2018 They have offered them on Vista class ships (Noordam, Westerdam etc). Check right away with the front desk to see if they are offering them. They are pricy ($150) but well worth the cost - totally fascinating. Best on board money we have ever spent. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oceanmom Posted December 19, 2018 #3 Share Posted December 19, 2018 (edited) Sometimes. It seems to depend on the ship, the itinerary, and the captain. We've done it on an 18-day cruise on the Rotterdam. Best thing to do is go to the Guest Services desk (or concierge if in a Neptune suite) when you get on-board and ask to be put on a waiting list. Don't ask if it is available, just ask to go on the waiting list as that indicates interest. It is not always advertised well, if at all, so keep asking. Edited December 19, 2018 by oceanmom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrakHack Posted December 19, 2018 Author #4 Share Posted December 19, 2018 Excellent, thank you! Sounds like it's not a standard tour that could be arranged beforehand, so it will be one of my first "to-do" items once I'm onboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grsnovi Posted December 19, 2018 #5 Share Posted December 19, 2018 We've done kitchen tours on Eurodam and Konigsdam that were interesting (albeit mobbed). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted December 19, 2018 #6 Share Posted December 19, 2018 Behind the scenes tour is much more extensive than the free kitchen tours, which are also very interesting. Behind the scenes go down into the very workings of the ship, except the engine room of late. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted December 19, 2018 #7 Share Posted December 19, 2018 3 hours ago, oceanmom said: Don't ask if it is available, just ask to go on the waiting list as that indicates interest. It is not always advertised well, if at all, so keep asking. This is excellent advice. Asking the staff at the Front Office if the tour will be offered sometimes results in their denying that there ever is such a tour. Only then, I discover that it is available. Once, I saw the tour advertised in the daily Program and the Front Office staff member had no knowledge of the tour. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrakHack Posted December 19, 2018 Author #8 Share Posted December 19, 2018 Thank you for the advice and tips! For those have done the tour, were you able to see the brig and the morgue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted December 19, 2018 #9 Share Posted December 19, 2018 13 minutes ago, TrakHack said: For those have done the tour, were you able to see the brig and the morgue? Not the brig, but the "morgue" is where the fresh flowers are stored except when the refrigerated space needs to be used for a deceased person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrakHack Posted December 19, 2018 Author #10 Share Posted December 19, 2018 2 minutes ago, rkacruiser said: Not the brig, but the "morgue" is where the fresh flowers are stored except when the refrigerated space needs to be used for a deceased person. Interesting! Love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AV8rix Posted December 19, 2018 #11 Share Posted December 19, 2018 5 hours ago, OlsSalt said: They have offered them on Vista class ships (Noordam, Westerdam etc). Check right away with the front desk to see if they are offering them. They are pricy ($150) but well worth the cost - totally fascinating. Best on board money we have ever spent. Not just Vista but Signature-class ships also. Don't know about Pinnacle class, never sailed on one. I agree with the comment about "Best on board money.....". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising Is Bliss Posted December 20, 2018 #12 Share Posted December 20, 2018 (edited) It's always worth getting on the waiting list even if they haven't scheduled it yet. On the Eurodam in May we asked and front desk staff told us the tour would happen if they got six or more people to sign up. Four people were on the waiting list so we would have been enough more for it to happen. I asked about stairs and there would be a great many stairs on the tour which I can't do (bad knees) so we reluctantly decided no. Edited December 20, 2018 by Cruising Is Bliss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invader39 Posted December 21, 2018 #13 Share Posted December 21, 2018 Was on the Oosterdam Nov 24 - Dec 1; saw a notice for the behind the scenes tour. $150 and 3 - 3 1/2 hours; I signed up for it and like someone else said, it was the best money spent on the ship. You have to sign a waiver and disclose any health issues as this is a strenuous tour. Most interesting was the bridge tour and engine control room; also the laundry and beverage storage areas. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tennessee Titan Posted December 22, 2018 #14 Share Posted December 22, 2018 Did it on the Koningsdam in 2017, engine room was included. Really great. Mot offered on the NS premiere.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erewhon Posted December 22, 2018 #15 Share Posted December 22, 2018 Sometimes they are advertised. Places like the Bridge are usually out of bounds for' security reasons' but if you pay the $150 you can get there. I had my photo taken with Capt. Draper on Noordam bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusinsusan2 Posted December 22, 2018 #16 Share Posted December 22, 2018 If available on your sailing it's definitely worth every penny. Such a wonderful perspective if you cruise lot or are simply curious on what goes on behind the scenes 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faerievert Posted December 29, 2018 #17 Share Posted December 29, 2018 I hope we can do this tour on the Eurodam! Sounds like I'll be asking both the front desk and cruise director and watching the dailies. Yet another thing that's more complicated than it should be 🙄 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Crew News Posted December 30, 2018 #18 Share Posted December 30, 2018 One of the more thngs I saw on my tour was the glass floor on each side of the bridge with direct sight down the side of the ship to the pier and the little joystick used to inch the ship right to the pier. Saw the vast array of sensors on the ship to detect fire as well as the nearly complete coverage of the ship with cameras. Loved the engine room and how clean it is kept. When I took my tour, the bridge computers were still running Windows XP!! Unfortunately part of the tour is conducted while in port so you may have to sacrifice an excursion. Well worth the cost. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaming90 Posted December 31, 2018 #19 Share Posted December 31, 2018 I was scheduled to do this on my last Carnival cruise and they canceled when we had a propulsion problem. Can't wait to see if I get to do it on my HAL cruise in August! Thank you for all the good info!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I like vacation Posted December 31, 2018 #20 Share Posted December 31, 2018 Thanks for the info. I will look into this tour on the Oosterdam in three weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Crew News Posted December 31, 2018 #21 Share Posted December 31, 2018 Just now, I like vacation said: Thanks for the info. I will look into this tour on the Oosterdam in three weeks. HAL provides a post-tour drink/appetizer as well as lots of merchandise (books, pins, lanyards, etc) as memories of your tour. Take lots of photos and listen carefully to the briefings so you can dazzle your friends. Here is a link to my Oosterdam Behind the Scenes Tour to give you an idea of what you might see: http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/photo-reviews/hal-ms-oosterdam/hal-ms-oosterdam-behind-the-scenes-tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare terrydtx Posted December 31, 2018 #22 Share Posted December 31, 2018 (edited) We did the ships tour on the Celebrity Century 10 years ago, but we were with my parents who had a very high X loyalty status and the tour was free for them and us since we accompanied them. It was very informative and I loved the bridge tour best. However I do not think I would pay $150pp for the tour. BTW we did a 10 day Western Mediterranean cruise on the Century and it was the least impressive cruise ship we have been on so far. Talk about ships that needed retiring, the Century was one way prior to 2015 when RCL sold her. We were in a verandah cabin that was converted the year before in dry dock from a OV cabin, it was so cramped and noisy. Edited December 31, 2018 by terrydtx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jb008 Posted January 11, 2019 #23 Share Posted January 11, 2019 Oosterdam offered this on the 12/29/2018 sailing. It was advertised in the "When & Where" planner fairly prominently something like the 1st or 2nd day of the cruise. I'll post the W&Ws later this week for reference. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatdrill Posted January 11, 2019 #24 Share Posted January 11, 2019 On 12/19/2018 at 1:17 PM, rkacruiser said: This is excellent advice. Asking the staff at the Front Office if the tour will be offered sometimes results in their denying that there ever is such a tour. Only then, I discover that it is available. Once, I saw the tour advertised in the daily Program and the Front Office staff member had no knowledge of the tour. This is so true. The front desk agents often say something is not available, or cannot be done. Since they're on the "front lines" of defense, this tactic often works well keeping pax at bay and away from department heads. If you want a second opinion, or a response from a higher up, keep at it. Of course, if you're booked in a Neptune Suite, your concierge will give you the best, and often the most honest, information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trystran72 Posted January 11, 2019 #25 Share Posted January 11, 2019 I did this on Regal Princess and loved it!! If it's offered on Nieuw Statendam I would love to try it as well seeing all the new bells and whistles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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