New tour offers behind-the-scenes look at Cunard ships

Sarge6870 · April 2, 2013

Back when I began cruising in 1990, being able to take a bridge tour was one of the highlights of my cruise. Back then, it was FREE to take these tours. Then due to 9/11, those tours were discontinued for security reasons which is understandable. NOW, post 9/11, many of the cruise lines have re-instituted these tours but for a fee. And it's not cheap at $120 pp to take the tour. I personally feel this $120 charge is WAAAY over the top just to take a tour of certain crew areas on a ship you already paid, in most cases, thousands to sail aboard!! Granted, the tour covers more areas of the ship than the bridge, but $120? REALLY??? Here's the full story...........

Add Cunard Line to the list of cruise companies offering behind-the-scenes tours of its ships.

The UK-based operator has launched extensive, three-and-a-half hour excursions into the crew areas of its three vessels that include a visit to the bridge, engine control room and galleys.

Also on the tours are rooms where provisions are stored, the mooring deck, the medical center, butchers shop, waste handling room and back-stage areas of the theater. The tours are led by senior ship staff, and navigational officers including the captain will greet tourgoers on the bridge.

Cunard says highlights of the trip will include hands-on lessons in operating the stage equipment in the theater. At the mooring deck, passengers will learn about anchor winches, windlesses and other critical machinery.

The cost for the tours, which will be offered once per cruise, is $120 per person, and space is limited to 16 passengers.

Cunard is following in the footsteps of Princess, Carnival, Royal Caribbean and several other major lines that have added behind-the-scenes tours in recent years for extra charges.

SOURCE: USAtoday

Jan115 · April 2, 2013

I hear you, Sarge. Seems that Bridge tours are now a for-fee luxury option now - just like the chef tours, balcony dinners, and all the rest. There will always be people more than willing to pay, too.

We had a tour of the bridge on the Grand Princess in August of 2002, less than a year after 9/11. I remember - security was on high alert. I was surprised we were allowed up there. I don't believe the tours were being offered to everyone - just those celebrating a special occasion, VIPs, Elite cruisers, or at the special invite of the Captain.The tour was part of our anniversary package - so I guess you could say we paid a fee.

Eph60 · April 2, 2013

Over the years I have taken ship tours and enjoyed them but I never paid for them. The most complete tours were on the SS Independence. We literally went every where from the bridge, through the engine rooms and even to the interior end of the propeller shaft in the bottom of the ship. I actually prefered the tours of the older ships like the Independence. The bridge of the ships now are all computers and joysticks, so they do not really feel like a ship to me.

I do enjoy tours of the kitchens. When working on the cruise ships I got some great tours of all areas, but again the new engine rooms are not as impressive as the old steam ocean liners if you ask me.

Sarge6870 · April 2, 2013

I agree eph....The tours of the older ships (like the one we did on the Celebrity Meridian) were more impressive because it seemed so much more difficult to navigate those vessels. I still find it amazing even with the electronic upgrades to the modern ships for the crew to maneuver a multi-ton vessel with thousands of passengers onboard safely!!