Bridge/Engine Room Tours

[duquephart]

Still offered?

[TayanaLorna]

Not on our two 2021 cruises.  Nor were there any yoga, meditation, stretching classes or the evening Nordic Spa classes.

[Heidi13]

Engine Room - normally the most you will see these days is the Engine Control Room (MCR), which is located off the MI/I95, on Deck A. The lawyers & risk management types shut down pax in the actual engine room spaces many years ago.

 

When we had a normal pax load they didn't promote E/R tours, but if you asked and had a marine/engineering connection the Chief Engineer, may agree. Once we were down to 8 pax we were provided a tour of the MCR.

 

Bridge - The Bridge procedures of many cruise lines with modern navigation, command & control standards do not permit pax on the Bridge at sea. When we had full pax load, Bridge tours were not published, but again, if requested and you had a marine connection, the Master may approve. Generally, in port.

 

When we were down to 8 pax, we were provided a tour of the Bridge at sea.

 

To show how much times have changed, back in my Cadet days, I conducted Bridge tours every 1/2 hr on sea days. I also have a photo of the Bridge full of pax in the Panama Canal.

[duquephart]

There was such a thing as a bridge tour back in 2019 Alaska cruise. I believe it was before sailing.

[LindaS272]

We had one with Captain Olav on Viking Sun in Sept. 2019 while gently cruising the St. Lawrence.

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, duquephart said:

There was such a thing as a bridge tour back in 2019 Alaska cruise. I believe it was before sailing.

 

As with everything on the ship, it is at the Master's discretion. 

[Jim Avery]

15 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

As with everything on the ship, it is at the Master's discretion. 

I used to love that.....🍺

[deec]

Pre- covid the laundry room tour was very interesting.  Since Covid there have been no tours offered on either of the ships we sailed.

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, Jim Avery said:

I used to love that.....🍺

 

Same here.😁

 

 

[eylarson]

On Octantis we had both a bridge tour and a Chef's tour of the MI/I95, on Deck A as well as dinner at a Chef's table set up in the galley.  This was during the 60 or so pax leg from Buenos Aries to Bridgetown.  One of the highlights of the the trip.    https://manage.wix.com/dashboard/07a99337-0e7b-4539-aca4-bba24caf0e4a/blog/5901e877-68a0-49d0-86c7-b12875eb4252/edit

[FetaCheese]

6 hours ago, deec said:

Pre- covid the laundry room tour was very interesting.  Since Covid there have been no tours offered on either of the ships we sailed.

On V Star world cruise, Garry had a laundry room tour.  It was a few months ago, on his "live from" blog, so probably hard to find it now.  It was very informative and he had lots of photos.

[longterm]

21 hours ago, duquephart said:

Still offered?

We did a bridge tour on our first river cruise, back in November 2019, but on the last 2 ocean cruises, I was told that they weren't offered or available. I'd love to see the bridge of an ocean ship, but can certainly understand why they're no longer offered to passengers.

[Heidi13]

10 hours ago, longterm said:

We did a bridge tour on our first river cruise, back in November 2019, but on the last 2 ocean cruises, I was told that they weren't offered or available. I'd love to see the bridge of an ocean ship, but can certainly understand why they're no longer offered to passengers.

 

Suggest you keep asking, as while that is the standard, it is also Master's discretion. Some Masters are more accommodating of Bridge visits than others. Personally, provided the conditions were reasonable and I had a spare Officer available, I always approved Bridge visits.

[duquephart]

Sounds like a case by case thing rather than Viking policy.

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, duquephart said:

Sounds like a case by case thing rather than Viking policy.

 

You can call it anything you like, it is still Master's discretion. Many policies can have different interpretations.

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

 

You can call it anything you like, it is still Master's discretion. Many policies can have different interpretations.

Yes, it is the Master's discretion, within the framework of the ISPS code.

[RMMcC]

When we boarded our Alaska Inside Passage cruise May 13 - 23 I asked at guest services about any special tours and told that no special tours were available but they "thought they might  on future cruises"

 

[Paul73]

We were on a Viking Duoro river cruise in Oct.  I was talking with the Chief Engineer and mentioned I was the Chief Engineer on a US submarine.  He immediately offered me a tour of his engine room.  It was immaculate.  He was so impressed that I was interested that he gave me a bottle of port the day we left.  So yes, there's some discretion involved in bridge and engine room tours.

[donaldsc]

If you did a cruise on a true small expedition ship you can usually be on the bridge as much as you want to.

 

DON

[Azulann]

I was part of a bridge tour on the Viking Sea TA  a number of years ago. It was posted in the daily ,and quickly filled up. It was fascinating. the most   interesting thing for me  was that with all the new technology , they still have a person with binoculars scanning the horizon  on a rotating shifts. Also saw  that the Master's cabin had a door  into the bridge. it was a great tour. 

 

[formernuke]

22 hours ago, Paul73 said:

We were on a Viking Duoro river cruise in Oct.  I was talking with the Chief Engineer and mentioned I was the Chief Engineer on a US submarine.  He immediately offered me a tour of his engine room.  It was immaculate.  He was so impressed that I was interested that he gave me a bottle of port the day we left.  So yes, there's some discretion involved in bridge and engine room tours.

 

[formernuke]

I'm also an ex-submarine chief engineer. I'll have to try that card on my next cruise!