Ultimate Ship tour reflections

[gregjm]

We were on the CB this past week (May 2-9 San Juan to NYC) and made sure that our first stop upon embarkation was the purser's desk to sign up for the Ultimate Ship Tour.

 

On Thursday we received a letter from Captain Pickford informing us that we had been selected to pay $150.00 to take the UST. We were instructed to show up outside of Churchill's at 1:45 on the last day of the cruise; to plan a minimum three hour tour and to bring the attached (and signed) waiver form.

 

The tour began when Donna showed up and unceremoniously checked off our names, took our liability release forms and said "follow me". A security officer (who followed us during the entire tour) and a photographer were also part of the contingent.

 

We had 11 participants---one person was a no-show.

 

The first stop was behind stage and getting a tour of the operation of the theatre, the costume area, etc. It was very interesting and the staff that presented information about this area were very gracious and passionate about their work.

 

We then moved on to the Galley and the food prep areas, freezers, coolers, etc. This was the highlight of the tour for me. The Chef was gracious, welcoming and incredibly proud (rightfully so) of his operation. He explained everything, right down to how often they clean the french fry machines.

 

He was particularly proud that the CDC had just given the CB a 100 percent rating. He showed us how everything is logged, temperatures maintained, etc. We went into the baking area and once again were greeted by smiles and employees who were very interested in questions we may have.

 

The Chef and the Director of Food and Beverage took us down to the freezer/refrigerator area and explained the process of making sure each cruise has adequate provisions. We went into a 20 below zero freezer (for a moment)---I felt at home; I'm from Wisconsin. Then into a produce refrig.

 

What was notable is how spotless everything is. EVERYTHING---right down to the stairs leading into the "underground" areas of the ship. The smell of fresh paint was noticeable in several areas of the tour; a testament to how things are being continually maintained. The Chef was great. Before we finished

 

We then went to the Engine Control Room. While interesting, I found this to be a little on the boring side (how many computer screens can you look at). The Chief Engineer, however, was a delight and has a great passion for his work. He was very impressive.

 

Next to the Photoshop where the 18,000 pictures are processed every week. Once again, very interesting to see where all those pictures that suddenly appear come from.

 

We then went to the print shop where the Princess Patters, menus and anything else printed for delivery to staterooms is printed. The printers had prepared a pad of personalized stationary for all participants in the UST and told us it would be delivered to our staterooms (unfortunately, they didn't tell the delivery person that it was PERSONALIZED)

 

Our next stop was the medical center with a brief tour of the facility. I was impressed with the sophistication of medical center. We also learned that there was a three person morgue on board.

 

We then proceeded to the laundry area---what an amazing operation. We forget that every towel, every sheet, table cloth, etc., needs to be laundered multiple times a week. Now I know how they do it. The technology is incredible---especially the ironing/folding machines.

 

We were all presented with a Plush Terry Cloth Princess robe (to be delivered to our stateroom)

 

Next stop---what should have been the highlight and turned out to be the low point of the UST was the bridge.

 

Donna---our cruise director staffer that lead the way---had called up to the bridge and told them we were on the way. When we arrived, she was yelled at and told to "close the door". We were left standing in a small hallway between the passenger area and the bridge for 5-10 minutes until someone opened the door and barked "OK". Donna was embarrassed by this as was the Security Officer.

 

Now to the major disappointment of the UST.

 

Captain Pickford came out and said "welcome to the bridge. If you want to see the statue of Liberty tomorrow we will be sailing past at 6:15 AM. I will leave you with the 3rd officer to answer any questions." AND HE WAS GONE. He didn't even stick around for the obligatory picture--even though Princess had sent a photographer with us. We were obviously an unwelcome intrusion in his day. It seemed clear to me and several others on the UST that Captain Pickford is not a proponent of the UST.

 

(Note to Captain Pickford: Your being a Princess of Captain is because of the passengers. You expect (rightfully) appropriate respect because of your position; we (the passengers) should be able to expect the same.

 

The Third Officer, a very kind young man is the Junior officer of the Ship and the Log Author.

 

He did his best to answer any questions we had. I would not be surprised if this is the first time he was put in this position, as he seemed very nervous.

 

By this time, our Cruise Director staffer (Donna) had disappeared. The Third officer allowed us to take pictures (and the photographer also took pictures).

 

What was most uncomfortable though, was the disdain that was very visibly shown by the First Officer. When some of us said "hello" to him he simply sneered and brushed us off without even a return "hello". Occasionally, he would glance over at us with a disgusted look---shaking his head (almost as if the say, "JUST GET THE H**L out of here"

 

Champagne, juice and canapes were served off to one side of the bridge and after a few minutes of mingling with fellow passengers it was time to leave. Unfortunately, The Junior officer did not know if we had to wait for the cruise directors staffer and the security officer seemed perplexed as well. We hung around for a few more minutes and finally we all asked the security officer punch in those magic numbers that would open the door and let us off the bridge.

 

Early in the evening there was a knock on the door. The Chefs Jacket, Bathrobe and personalized stationary were being delivered. The only problem is that the two pads of stationary were for someone else. I really felt sorry for this delivery person---he didn't understand that they had been personalized and had just been delivery any pad of stationary to the rooms. He told me that he didn't understand the names and was only going to room numbers he was told.

 

Finally I was able to show him, using his list, how the mistake had been made. A couple of hours later my pad of stationary appeared, but my partner's is still missing in action. (Note to Princess--write the cabin number on the top of the pad of stationary before sending it out for delivery)

 

Would I do the UST again---absolutely.

 

My suggestions are simple and hopefully Princess will take this as a sincere suggestion: The Cruise Director staff person needs to be more than a traffic cop and should not in mid tour abandon the group--especially on the hostile bridge.

 

Secondly, The bridge is an important place and we are fortunate to get to visit it. Princess, having made the decision to make this part of the tour, however, should make it clear to employees on the bridge (INCLUDING THE CAPTAIN) that we are the guests and not the intruders.

 

I walked away from the bridge totally unimpressed with the Captain and his staff, with the exception of the Junior officer who tried mightily to salvage a very uncomfortable situation.

[Colo Cruiser]

Wow!! I am sorry you were treated that way. :(

[BalconyGal]

Thank you for your review. My partner and I did the UST on the CB last summer and I agree the bridge is definitely the highlight. I'm sorry you had an uncomfortable experience. The captain last summer was delightful and we met him several times over the course of our 9 day cruise. he even came and had appetizers with us during the Chef's Table.

[Palagi]

I am really sorry you had to experience the problem when you arrived on the bridge. On the Emerald Princess several weeks ago a friend and I did the Ultimate Ship's Tour and were treated incredibly well by all the crew members we came across. Our stop on the bridge was an absolute highlight and Captain Fortezze spent a good 30 minutes with us. He also posed for a group picture with all of us and then had individual pictures taken as well.

 

Like you, we came away very impressed with the kitchen and laundry areas. We received all the "goodies" and even had the correct names on the personalized stationary.

 

I would recommend this tour to anyone!!!

[anharley]

I have never had the opportunity to go on the UST, so I really appreciate your details of the tour.

 

I was just on the CB less than a month ago, and we had a different captain during our sailing - Captain Attilio Guerrini. I wonder when Captain Pickford took over the ship??

 

Although no excuse for his behavior, maybe it was Captain Pickford's first sailing (since taking over) and he was still getting adjusted/aquainted etc.

 

Do you know the names of the officers up there? the rude 1st officer and the 3rd officer who was nice?

[Maraprince]

I have never had the opportunity to go on the UST, so I really appreciate your details of the tour.

 

I was just on the CB less than a month ago, and we had a different captain during our sailing - Captain Attilio Guerrini. I wonder when Captain Pickford took over the ship??

 

Although no excuse for his behavior, maybe it was Captain Pickford's first sailing (since taking over) and he was still getting adjusted/aquainted etc.

 

Do you know the names of the officers up there? the rude 1st officer and the 3rd officer who was nice?

 

 

Could there have been some special security alert that was in effect to cause his odd behavior? Was some bad weather expected? Not being familiar with this Captain and what his normal behavior/personality is something could have caused his negative reaction that had nothing to do with your visit to the bridge. Why "Donna" also abandoned the group seemed a little odd as well.

 

Being held approx. 15 minutes before entering the bridge seems to speak of something going on that they did not want your group to be aware of and could also account for the Capt.'s bad mood, his lack of posing for photos, etc.

 

 

MARAPRINCE

[anharley]

After a brief online search I came across quite a few not-so-stellar words and disappointment about Capt. Pickford. Guess he is just not a very friendly person....:(

 

Here is one written on here by rick-n-meme:

"The Captain, Philip Pickford, came in with two women for dinner while we were there. It could have been his wife and daughter. The Captain did not engage anyone as he walked to his table. I saw him greet no one nor did he smile at anyone. He simply appeared standoffish. There were even some older diners and children which would have been a good opportunity for him to at least nod and say hello or shake a hand or two. He could have asked if people were enjoying their cruise. This was a disappointment. I don't know what other ships he has sailed or how long he has been on the Star Princess and I do hope he was having an off night."

 

I read another review that said at the Captain's Welcome Aboard Cocktail Party (not this sailing..), Captain Pickford did not join the receiving line and only said a few words midway through.

 

Many other reviews saying he was absent from parties etc.

[Cruzin-K]

Thanks for the informative review. I'm planning to race to the Passenger Services desk first thing when I board the Star next year (not passing Go, not collecting $200, just going directly to the desk) to sign up for the tour.

 

I'm kind of thankful that only a small percentage of passengers hang out on Cruise Critic and will even be aware this tour exists, and many of those will be repeat passengers who will have already done this tour. I don't need the competition :D

 

I guess right now I'm just hoping for a more friendly crew on the bridge next year, than what you had to deal with :(

[freddie1974]

Thanks for the review - we are planning on taking the UST on the Grand in a couple of weeks and hope the Captain is a tad more friendly. On the positive side, Princess does read this board and will hopefully pick up on these comments.

[Woobstr112G]

Sotty you had to experience the negative portion of your UST.

 

Bob

[RASHOPPER2]

DH and I took the Ultimate Ship's Tour on the Ruby Princess in March, and it was a spectacular experience from beginning to end. Our Captain was a delight as were the other members of the crew that we encountered. I highly recommend taking the tour - it is well worth the money.

[gregjm]

The Junior Officer (3rd Officer) that was put in the awkward position because of the Captain "dumping" us was Shaun Cooper---a very gracious young man. The First Officer that wouldn't even say hello to the group was Marijo Kraljevic.

 

I hope Princess does read this board because they have a Captain with an "attitude problem" :o

 

(One other thing I forgot to mention---his daily noon reports were cursory at best. Heading, temperature, sea conditions. Over and out.)

 

PS...I'd do the tour again in a heartbeat. If nothing else, it shows you the hundreds of crew members that work tirelessly behind the scenes

[Gryffin]

While aboard the Crown Princess April 17-24 of this year, my Aunt and I had the pleasure in taking part of the Ultimate Ship Tour. As soon as we arrived on the ship, I ran as fast as I could up to the Guest Services Desk where the sign-up sheet was located to make sure that we secured two of the coveted places on the tour.

 

I must admit that it was one of the best experiences that I've had on a Princess ship.

 

I am so sorry to hear of your unpleasant experience on the bridge and the rudeness of your Captain. The Captain on the Crown was Nick Nash. He was very polite and professional with our group of 12 and made us feel welcome on his bridge. All of the Officers on the bridge as well as those all along the tour were very nice to us and answered any questions that the group had. They were very knowledgeable and we could tell that they took great pride in their positions on the ship.

 

We also received the Chef jacket, the plush bathrobe, the stationary and the photos. The stationary that I received had my name spelled incorrectly. I called up Guest Services and was told to bring the "bad" stationary back to them and they that would see to it that the print shop would print up a new set for me. The next day I was presented with two new sets of stationary.

[DiRon]

We did the UST on the Coral last fall. It was absolutely a highlight and I would love to do it again on a different ship. The Captain was wonderful and spent a good half hour following our tour of the bridge. We went into a small conference room (it appeared) and were served champagne, juice, and h'ors d'oeuvres and the Captain sat with us and answered all the questions we had - he was absolutely delightful!

[captainron]

After a brief online search I came across quite a few not-so-stellar words and disappointment about Capt. Pickford. Guess he is just not a very friendly person....:(

 

Here is one written on here by rick-n-meme:

"The Captain, Philip Pickford, came in with two women for dinner while we were there. It could have been his wife and daughter. The Captain did not engage anyone as he walked to his table. I saw him greet no one nor did he smile at anyone. He simply appeared standoffish. There were even some older diners and children which would have been a good opportunity for him to at least nod and say hello or shake a hand or two. He could have asked if people were enjoying their cruise. This was a disappointment. I don't know what other ships he has sailed or how long he has been on the Star Princess and I do hope he was having an off night."

 

I read another review that said at the Captain's Welcome Aboard Cocktail Party (not this sailing..), Captain Pickford did not join the receiving line and only said a few words midway through.

 

Many other reviews saying he was absent from parties etc.

 

Never knew Pickford was on Star. When did he go onboard? The reason I ask is we had Ed Perrin on Star last Oct/Nov coming back from Oz and I believe he continued on a few South America voyages after that. Mind you after 60 days back and fro across the Pacific Ed deserves a good break with the family.

 

Ciao for now!!!

[owt205]

We have just left the Coral Princess behind after a wonderful 18 days aboard, and were lucky enough to do the UST. We had a great experience, including a gracious Captain.

We were left "in the lurch" at the end of the tour, by our Cruise Director staff member. While she was wonderful during the tour, she was paged for "a BINGO emergency" while we were in the Captains lounge, and left us to enjoy the refreshments. The security fellow let us stay for a few minutes, and then directed us to leave. As soon as we entered the public area of the ship, he dissapeared very quickly, and we were left to wonder where to go

Shortly after, a crew member came by and called someone who said our tour was over, and that the "goodies" would be delivered to our staterooms later (which they were). It was not a big deal, but just left us feeling that the tour was unfinished.

Over all, it was well worth the $$ to see the inner workings, and really enjoyed every aspect. We would highly recommend that you should do it at least once.

[Mimg Pao]

Never knew Pickford was on Star. When did he go onboard? The reason I ask is we had Ed Perrin on Star last Oct/Nov coming back from Oz and I believe he continued on a few South America voyages after that. Mind you after 60 days back and fro across the Pacific Ed deserves a good break with the family.

 

Ciao for now!!!

 

Captain Pickford seems to ring a bell - do you know if he was on the old Royal (our alltime favorite Princess ship). If it is the same captain, I remember that he dined almost nightly with his family when a section of the buffet became a bistro. We ate there fairly often and I do not recall him even acknowledging our existence. We sailed twice on the Royal - Buenos Aries to Fort Lauderdale and Capetown to Valpariso and I am sure he was in charge of the ship on both occasions.

 

He was tall, grey haired and rather distinguished looking - AM I THINKING OF THE RIGHT CAPTAIN:confused::confused:

 

Lynne - Princess Elite Passenger

[jbrambach]

Anyone know how long Capt Pickford will be on the CB?

 

Thanks for the review of the UST gregjm and sorry it ended that way for you. Even if they did not "want" you all there, you should have still be treated as guests.

[cmarshall9]

We had a really great UST on the Grand in January - the crew and the captain were very warm and welcoming. The captain stayed for pictures and the snacks on the bridge and answered all kinds of questions before handing us over to the Officer on the Bridge.

 

I wonder if anyone has ever asked if there is a brig on board ship - like a jail? I didn't think to ask until the tour was over.

[katisdale]

Yes, there is a brig or security area on the ship - at least the Crown where my DH took the UST and someone asked that question. However Gregjm, I hope you e-mail or snail mail princess and not just rely on someone reading your posting. You were treated rudely on the bridge and the company should know that.

[cdngrl]

i agree with katisdale, there is a princess email address for issues before and after your cruise. please let them know. i haven't done the ust, but you make it sound worthwhile even with the unpleasantness. i would have also been annoyed at being treated so rudely.

 

this is under the'customer care' then 'contact us' section of the princess website:

 

Post Cruise Questions or Concerns

 

For any post-cruise questions or concerns, please address your comments to our Customer Relations Department.

 

customerrelations@princesscruises.com

 

sorry the link doesn't work, but its easy to find on the website.

[maxxedout2]

Yup, too bad your bridge visit wasn't handled better.

 

We have nothing but good things to say about Capt. Pomata

on our UST aboard Emerald Princess.

[BalconyGal]

I was just on the CB less than a month ago, and we had a different captain during our sailing - Captain Attilio Guerrini. I wonder when Captain Pickford took over the ship??

 

 

 

Attilio Guerrini was the wonderful captain from last summer. If anyone sails with him they will have a great cruise.

[rdsqrl]

Thank you for your detailed review. I'm sorry you had such an unpleasant experience on the bridge; Captain Grumpy McGrumperson clearly doesn't play well with others (probably got demerits in kindergarten, too!). As you say, the bridge experience should be the capstone, the highlight, of the tour and even if there were some major emergency (Somali pirates, icebergs, rogue waves approaching), he could have briefly explained and apologized before disappearing. However, it sounds more like that's just his personality. and even if your experience was bad, hopefully you've warned others about signing up if he's their captain. I know I'd think twice . . .

[CantWaitToCrz]

This may be nieve, but I'll ask anyway since I don't want the grumpy captain on the CB in July...

I have an email from Princes "from the captain" and it's from Marco Fortezze... does that mean he'll be on CB when I sail in July?