Ultimate Ship Tour-Island Princess

[Kybabe]

DH and I will be taking the partial transit of the Panama Canal on the Island Princess on Oct. 12. Wondering if anyone has taken the Ultimate Ship tour on the Island on this cruise. Do they still offer it? Never been on this tour and think it would be REALLY interesting!

[molme]

We did the Ultimate Ship Tour when we did the partial canal transit on the Coral (Island's sister ship). It was a fantastic tour and would not hesitate to do it again.

[BroncoLvrs]

We also did the UST on the Coral and LOVED it. We were on the Island in Oct 13 doing Panama full-transit and it was offered.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[5326jan]

We did the tour during the full transit on the Island. It was great! Sign up as soon as you board. Don't go to your cabin first. It's first come/first served and we boarded early (among the first group in priority area) and there were already 6 people on the list. They only took 12 on our tour.

 

It was great! You can see so much sea life from the bridge! They serve champagne and canapes while you tour the kitchens. The tour is long, ours was several hours. Be prepared to walk up and down narrow stairs and you have to wear closed toe shoes.

 

Be sure to keep spare room in your suitcase because you will be given gifts. They put my suitcase over by 5#! :)

[Kybabe]

5326jan, Really would like to do the Ultimate Tour. Our plane doesn't land until 12:30 so probably won't be boarding very early. Wonder if they ever do more than one tour on a cruise. Oh, well, if we don't make it on this one, we will just have to take another cruise and try again! :p

[5326jan]

5326jan, Really would like to do the Ultimate Tour. Our plane doesn't land until 12:30 so probably won't be boarding very early. Wonder if they ever do more than one tour on a cruise. Oh, well, if we don't make it on this one, we will just have to take another cruise and try again! :p

 

When you board, just go to the passenger services desk. You could get lucky! :) I don't know if they do two per sailing. Maybe if there are a lot of sea days they would offer a second. If you can't do it on this sailing, try again. It's really worth it! I've read that if they have a huge number signing up they will do a lottery for spots. Good luck and enjoy your cruise!

[Loonbeam]

They offered at least one on our Partial, we chose not to do it because we had done it on the Coral and only can use so many robes.

[caribill]

5326jan, Wonder if they ever do more than one tour on a cruise. Oh, well, if we don't make it on this one, we will just have to take another cruise and try again! :p

 

To my knowledge they never do two of them. It is very time intensive for the supervisors that participate in the tours.

[leventurian]

.... they only ever do one on a cruise and suite passengers get priority. Elite do not get any priority unless they are in a suite.

 

We did it on Island Princess on her full transit last Xmas / New Year and it was brilliant and well worth the money. Just remember to leave room in your cases for the freebies. The bathrobes take up quite a bit of space.

[SandyAtSea]

.... they only ever do one on a cruise and suite passengers get priority. Elite do not get any priority unless they are in a suite..

 

So if this is your first Princess cruise, even though you go directly to the desk and sign up as soon as you get on board, you may not get to go??

 

On most other cruise lines, it is first come, first served.

 

I think I also read that they might have a lottery if quite a few (more than allowed on the tour) sign up. This sort of negates the benefit of signing up early, too, doesn't it?

[leventurian]

So if this is your first Princess cruise, even though you go directly to the desk and sign up as soon as you get on board, you may not get to go??

 

On most other cruise lines, it is first come, first served.

 

I think I also read that they might have a lottery if quite a few (more than allowed on the tour) sign up. This sort of negates the benefit of signing up early, too, doesn't it?

 

If you go early you should be alright. There are not that many suite passengers. For example, Island has 16 and last year I think we were the only suite passengers to go on the tour - know that as we saw most of the other suite passengers in Sabatinis at breakfast and none of them were on the tour. Also, as we had priority boarding, we were the first to sign up.

 

Elites also get priority boarding and can sign up early, but those Elites who are interested in the tour will probably have done it long ago.

 

Yes, I have heard talk of a lottery, but I definitely got the impression, that this is only in extreme circumstances and that, in general, it is first come first served and, if you sign up early, you will get on the tour.

[sashas_mom]

We did the tour during the full transit on the Island. It was great! Sign up as soon as you board. Don't go to your cabin first. It's first come/first served and we boarded early (among the first group in priority area) and there were already 6 people on the list. They only took 12 on our tour.

 

It was great! You can see so much sea life from the bridge! They serve champagne and canapes while you tour the kitchens. The tour is long, ours was several hours. Be prepared to walk up and down narrow stairs and you have to wear closed toe shoes.

 

Be sure to keep spare room in your suitcase because you will be given gifts. They put my suitcase over by 5#! :)

 

Where do you sign up for the Ultimate tour?

[windsor26]

Where do you sign up for the Ultimate tour?

 

Passnger information desk

[ChuckinSC]

I'm almost certain it's first come, first serve. When we took it we were told what number we were to have signed up. I think the cutoff was 12-14.

[Corfe Mixture]

I'm almost certain it's first come, first serve. When we took it we were told what number we were to have signed up. I think the cutoff was 12-14.

 

I agree apart from the fact that suite passengers definitely get priority bookings. It says so in the literature suite passengers are given. They also get priority for the Princess Cays bungalows and same day free laundry service. This is not supposition, I am speaking as a person who books suites.

 

Numbers are limited to 12-16 and there is only one tour per cruise. I suspect all reference to a lottery is simply to avoid having to explain to someone who registers at number 12 but then doesn't get on the tour that they have been bumped because a couple of suite passengers register after them.

 

They do not go out of their way to make suite passengers aware of the tour, simply include reference to their entitlement to a priority place in the information pack. I think it is also referred to on the website under suite benefits.

 

Remember also that not all suite passengers will book late. When we did the tour, we had priority boarding and went straight to the desk where became numbers 1 and 2 on the list. I suspect that most suite passengers who want to do the tour will do the same as us and I would imagine it is very unusual for anyone in the first 10 not get a place on the tour.

Edited May 31, 2014 by Corfe Mixture

[caribill]

The great majority of passengers are not even aware that the UST exists before boarding the ship and a large number of them do not see the small notice about it in the embarkation day Patter.

 

I suspect competition for the spots on the tour probably mostly comes from Cruise Critic members who become aware of the tour from those who have posted about it.

Edited May 31, 2014 by caribill

[Kybabe]

The great majority of passengers are not even aware that the UST exists before boarding the ship and a large number of them do not see the small notice about it in the embarkation day Patter.

 

I suspect competition for the spots on the tour probably mostly comes from Cruise Critic members who become aware of the tour from those who have posted about it.

 

I know that I started this thread but I REALLY would like to do the tour so...........lets stop talking about it and keep it a secret! I guess my other option is to book a suite!:eek:

[cruzinfamilyof4]

What is the cost to do this? Years ago we did one of these while on another cruise line and were a little disappointed. This sounds so much better; I'm going to try and talk DH into it.

[Corfe Mixture]

I suspect competition for the spots on the tour probably mostly comes from Cruise Critic members who become aware of the tour from those who have posted about it.

 

Not sure about that. I can understand why you would come to this conclusion but, when we did the tour, we were the only folks on the tour who had attended the 'meet n greet' and 'gift exchange'.

[caribill]

What is the cost to do this? Years ago we did one of these while on another cruise line and were a little disappointed. This sounds so much better; I'm going to try and talk DH into it.

 

 

$150/person