ultimate ship tour question

[ckr31]

how much is the ultimate ships tour, and is it worth it?

[sirwired]

It's $150/pp. I thought it was worth it! I guess it depends on how curious you are as to the inner workings of the ship. You'll spend a lot of time learning about logistics and maritime engineering. Does that sort of thing interest you?

[ckr31]

It does somewhat but $150.00 wow wee something to really think about

[cruiserus]

It was totally worth it! It was fascinating to visit parts of the ship that passengers never see. For example, we visited the engine control room, the laundry, the print shop, the crew deck, the photo shop, and much more, and best of all, spent almost an hour on the bridge with the Captain. You also receive gifts from many departments: a nice chef's coat, personalized stationery, a thick plush bathrobe, a tote bag, and professional photos of your group where you couldn't take your own, including with the captain.

[stlrboo]

Definitely a lot of $$$..!! Me, I've been on a few cruises, and have always been curious "How things Work".. :)

I will be signing up on our next sailing, and truly hope I get picked to participate.. :D

 

Amazing enough, the DW wants to go too... :p (There goes my Bar $$$$) :eek:

[beachgirl50]

Totally worth it, in our opinion! Took the tour last month on the Grand; lasted almost 4 hours and was very interesting. The gifts were very nice, as well. There have been several threads regarding the UST on the CC boards which discuss the areas of the ship usually visited if you'd like to get a better picture of what's included. Have fun!

[beachgirl50]

P.S. If you are interested in taking the UST, be sure to sign up at the purser's desk as soon as you board the ship as they limit the tour group to 10 or 12 passengers.

[ckr31]

Thanks for the info

[hensch85]

DW and I went on the UST and thought it was the best part of our "at sea" days. Knowing and seeing what happens behind the scenes is well worth the trip if you have the disposable $$$. The robe they give you retails $90 at the boutique if that gives you an idea of what you are paying for. We had 6 people in our tour and it was very personalized. The best part of the tour for us was standing on the bridge with the captain. Awesome view and great overview of how we get from point to point. We highly recommend it.

[zamgwar]

I just took the UST last week with two others in our gang of nuts that cruised on Crown for Valentines Day.

 

Is it worth it? That depends on you. We loved it. Went to dressing rooms of theater and saw the costume wardrobe. Went to a Kitchen, got tour by head chef, had a drink and some cookies and each got chefs jackets. Went to engine control room and net chief Engineer. Went to food and beverage stores beneath the ship and walked on the "M1" (main service corridor from front to back of ship). Saw recycling and incinerator rooms. Saw medical center and yes there is a morgue. Laundry was a highlight and one of the most amazing parts of the ship. We each got a plush princess bathrobe.

 

Went to Print shops (we each got pads with our names on them) and to the funnel on a tour led by the staff captain. We also got a complete tour of the bridge led by the Captain (Andy Proctor). Tour ended up with Champagne in adagios. The tour was done on the 2nd sea day

 

On our tour they didn't allow any cameras although on some they do. A photographer accompanies you. The tour takes about 3 hours and is entirely on foot, save the elevator ride to the bridge. You should expect loads of stairs.

 

At the conclusion of the tour all "gift items" including all photos taken by the ships photographer are delivered to your cabin.

 

The Plush Robe itself sells for 90 bucks in the ships store. Once again, is the tour worth 150? That's depends on your interests.

 

John

Office of Inner Workings of Big Machines

The Zamgwar Institute

[Manny's mom]

We did the tour on the Star over Christmas. DH and I both loved it, and felt it was worth the money. Do it at least once.

[Tedirene]

ckr31,

 

The price of the UST normally shocks a few people, but I did it on the Star in October last year and found it worth every penny. The tour is normally held on a sea day. I would suggest you register with the Pursers desk as soon as you get on - the tours are really popular. On our cruise (30days) they had 48 people register so the Captain opted for 4 tours so everyone could be accommodated. Don't get too bogged down on logistics - this is up to each individual and also the approach of your tour group. Some of the information was interesting other parts not so interesting. On our tour we were allowed to take photographs, with the exception of the Engine Control Room.

 

zamgwar has given a pretty good description of what to expect. BTW if you do have mobility problems don't register.

 

Enjoy

 

Ted

[Wandalust725]

We did the UST on the Caribbean Princess a week and a half ago and felt it was well worth the cost. Just about everyone in our group of eight brought their cameras. At each stop someone asked if it was OK to take pictures. We weren't told "No" by anyone. The captain even allowed pictures on the bridge as long as they were still photos and not videos.

 

Linda