Ship Tours

[Tananda]

Will be on the Eurodam in 3 weeks cruising Alaska. DH asked today about tours of the ship. He would especially like to see the mechanical areas. Is this something that is offered?

 

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[St Pete Cruiser]

Yes, there often is a "behind the scenes" tour of the ship. It is usually done over two days while the ship is in port. I'm not sure on a 7 day cruise they will have time to do it. It is not free, but many seem to really enjoy it.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Go to the front desk on Embarkation day to see if a tour is offered.

If it is offered, it costs $150 per person.

[rkacruiser]

Check with the Front Office as soon as possible after embarkation. If it will be available, the tour is very limited in the number of participants. Is it worthwhile? Yes!!!! I have participated on several of different HAL ships as well as on two Carnival ships. I keep learning something that I did not know before.

[Sea42]

Are children allowed? My 12 year old grandson would love this.

[OlsSalt]

If you mean the engine room when you say you want to see the "mechanicals", no that has been off limits due to security regulations for some time now. You will see the bridge and the navigation rooms.

 

However seeing just about everything else on the working side of the ship makes these special behind the scenes tours worth every penny. Plus they toss in sparking wine, drinks and appetizers along with some other sundry momentos. Most vivid memory for me was seeing the laundry, pressing and tailoring area in the bow of the ship. Bring a sweater - the cold storage rooms are really cold and you want to stay see as much as you can.

[rkacruiser]

I am not sure what the age limit is for children. It's a long tour and some children may find it to be too long for their attention span.

 

The Engine Control Room is always included in the tour with either the Chief Engineer or his Assistant present.

 

I have been told that "you did not know where you were" on Cruise Critic, but I did have one tour where the Chief Engineer took us down a deck from the Engine Control Room into the Engine Room. We walked by mechanical equipment and observed that was in obvious use to power the ship while we were underway. Why this gentleman allowed this, I don't know. All of us on the tour were asking questions that were, perhaps, more in depth and knowledgeable than the typical "tourist" questions. It was an unforgettable experience. And, it was also an unforgettable experience when I was told on Cruise Critic that I was not telling the truth about what I had observed.

 

I would not expect that very comprehensive tour again. But, if it is available on my next HAL cruise, I will book it again.

[Tennessee Titan]

We did it on the Koningsdam last summer, and they DID give a full tour of the engine room. It was not advertised....

[Tananda]

Thanks, everyone! We will visit the front desk before heading to our rooms.

 

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[Crew News]

I am not sure what the age limit is for children. It's a long tour and some children may find it to be too long for their attention span.

 

The Engine Control Room is always included in the tour with either the Chief Engineer or his Assistant present.

 

I have been told that "you did not know where you were" on Cruise Critic, but I did have one tour where the Chief Engineer took us down a deck from the Engine Control Room into the Engine Room. We walked by mechanical equipment and observed that was in obvious use to power the ship while we were underway. Why this gentleman allowed this, I don't know. All of us on the tour were asking questions that were, perhaps, more in depth and knowledgeable than the typical "tourist" questions. It was an unforgettable experience. And, it was also an unforgettable experience when I was told on Cruise Critic that I was not telling the truth about what I had observed.

 

I would not expect that very comprehensive tour again. But, if it is available on my next HAL cruise, I will book it again.

 

I too made it into the Engine Room of the Oosterdam and have the pics to prove it. Make sure you ask about Storage Room #9. Amazing tour and free cookbooks and logo items at the end.

 

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/photo-reviews/hal-ms-oosterdam/hal-ms-oosterdam-behind-the-scenes-tour/

[OlsSalt]

I should have included it was in 2012, when we were told on the Oosterdam it was against security regulations ..at that time... to visit the engine room itself. Since that time there are videos of engine room visits. ' So I stand corrected.

 

So whether this is a regular visit or a situational visit, best to check up front. But don't turn down the tour if it is not included - the rest of the ship is also very interesting - the city that does not sleep, while we do.

 

Here is a video of a crankshaft exchange on the Zaandam, dated Sept 2017:

[ski ww]

Great video, how long did it actually take to change out the crankshaft?

[grsnovi]

Separate from but similar to would be a tour of the kitchen which was fascinating. Think about preparing nearly 3500 meals every 4 hours. I guess the fact that I worked in a restaurant once upon a time made this more interesting to me.

[OlsSalt]

Great video, how long did it actually take to change out the crankshaft?

 

Good question - surely not the 11 minutes it took to watch them do it in the video. (Snicker)

What amazed me is the design requirement upfront to allow this sort of parts replacement to take place much later down the road - one more aspect of the whole cruise ship (or any other ship) architecture I had never even thought about considering.

 

How to fit in, move and place huge pieces of equipment through tiny openings and confined spaces. Inserting all those supporting bricks by hand was amazing. The pathways and pulleys that had to already be in place for this occasional large operation too. Amazing and humbling - while we fret on top of the ship about soy lattes, fresh squeezed orange juice and warm toast from room service for breakfast Let alone the occasional smells, sounds and vibrations from these mighty, unseen mechanicals.

[Hawaiidan]

Will be on the Eurodam in 3 weeks cruising Alaska. DH asked today about tours of the ship. He would especially like to see the mechanical areas. Is this something that is offered?

 

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The engineering spaces are not open for tours they will show you the bridge and maybe the kitchen storage, stuff like that

 

Insurance precludes you from being in the " mechanical" spaces as they are not designed for tours . They are hot, windy from blowers, very noisy and a lot of dont ever touch that levers and buttons. ladders and catwalks for access

 

They might take you to main control room where the engineering is managed, just a big dashboard same with the bridge.

[OlsSalt]

I

Here is a video of a crankshaft exchange on the Zaandam, dated Sept 2017:

 

Companion video - producing the huge crankshaft in the first place:

[Tennessee Titan]

The engineering spaces are not open for tours they will show you the bridge and maybe the kitchen storage, stuff like that

 

Insurance precludes you from being in the " mechanical" spaces as they are not designed for tours . They are hot, windy from blowers, very noisy and a lot of dont ever touch that levers and buttons. ladders and catwalks for access

 

They might take you to main control room where the engineering is managed, just a big dashboard same with the bridge.

 

Please don't post this info. Many of us have done the engine room. I will gladly post MY pictures if you need further convincing....

[chengkp75]

Please don't post this info. Many of us have done the engine room. I will gladly post MY pictures if you need further convincing....

 

While I don't doubt your word that you were in the engine room, I will say that this is an extremely rare occurrence. Not sure if you were in an active engine room (one with the diesels running), because the insurance problems from heat (typically in the 110-130*F range) noise (well above 105db, so hopefully they provided hearing protection), steep ladders, and trip hazards makes this something that most cruise line's ISM (International Safety Management) Code, as well as the ISPS (International Ship and Port Security) Code specifically don't allow. Whether some Chief Engineers do so in possible violation of company policies is a different matter. For folks not used to it, walking into an engine room where a large diesel is running, especially from air conditioning, can hit you like a hammer and take your breath away. The noise levels are such that hand signals and screaming into each other's earmuff protectors is the only way to communicate.

[OlsSalt]

There are several what appear to be passenger youtube videos of active and noisy engine room tours, but they all predate 2012 when we were told we could no longer visit this space on the Oosterdam. Who has photos and videos that are more recent? I can see from the narrow passage ways and the multitude of pipes and conduits this would and should be an off-limits place for casual passenger inspection.

 

I feel better knowing passengers are not let loose down there too. What was that incident not that long ago on was it the Zandaam where a passenger entered a prohibited space and messed with the emergency control systems?

 

Here it is: Drunken passenger on the Ryndam drops the ship's anchor in 2010: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/drunk/anchor-drop-lands-cruise-passenger-brig

[Tennessee Titan]

While I don't doubt your word that you were in the engine room, I will say that this is an extremely rare occurrence. Not sure if you were in an active engine room (one with the diesels running), because the insurance problems from heat (typically in the 110-130*F range) noise (well above 105db, so hopefully they provided hearing protection), steep ladders, and trip hazards makes this something that most cruise line's ISM (International Safety Management) Code, as well as the ISPS (International Ship and Port Security) Code specifically don't allow. Whether some Chief Engineers do so in possible violation of company policies is a different matter. For folks not used to it, walking into an engine room where a large diesel is running, especially from air conditioning, can hit you like a hammer and take your breath away. The noise levels are such that hand signals and screaming into each other's earmuff protectors is the only way to communicate.

The particular engine we were next to was not running. The ship has 4, two foreward and 2 aft. Only one was running because the ship was in port.

[sail7seas]

We did it on the Koningsdam last summer, and they DID give a full tour of the engine room. It was not advertised....

 

 

My Dh toured Engine room on two HAL ships.