Cost of Ship Tour

[Papa Yoda]

 

If you think of it as comparable to a shorex then I think it's totally worth it.  We've done it 4-5 times and each one is still worth it.  

 

Especially 2 things:  the guys cutting up chickens all day long and the bed sheet drying/folding machine.  Oh... and the bridge - 3 things.

[caribill]

21 hours ago, MissP22 said:

$300 for 2 people is way over priced for what you receive but some folks still think it's a bargain.

 

 

What you receive is a fascinating tour behind the scenes that shows much of how the ship functions.

 

Any "gifts" such as the robe or stationery are a bonus that may or may not have any value to you.

 

We have taken the tour on a Grand class ship and on a Royal class ship as well as on two other cruise lines. Each time we found the tour extremely interesting and worth the price.

 

It is often a much better value than Princess shore excursions that cost as much.

[capriccio]

On 10/29/2019 at 11:47 PM, jennybenny said:

I've always wanted to do that tour.  It's pricey but sounds amazing. 

 

It is amazing and, while pricey, it is the same as when we took the tour in 2009!

[chickadee1]

It actually sounds interesting to us - never had a tour!  Is it possible to do with a Rollator Walker?  

[c-boy]

9 hours ago, caribill said:

 

What you receive is a fascinating tour behind the scenes that shows much of how the ship functions.

 

Any "gifts" such as the robe or stationery are a bonus that may or may not have any value to you.

 

We have taken the tour on a Grand class ship and on a Royal class ship as well as on two other cruise lines. Each time we found the tour extremely interesting and worth the price.

 

It is often a much better value than Princess shore excursions that cost as much.

it's all about attitude 😉

[zahav1]

We loved the ultimate ship tour, took one on the Regal.  One small problem, our guide, not sure what position/job he had on the ship, was very young and knowledgeable, but, he walked way too fast for us.  Sounds like it's trivial, but not.  My husband has a bad back and can' walk so fast.  We should have said something to the guide, but we didn't, for anyone else out there, you are paying $150 per person, if something is not right please say so.    It felt like we were running through the ship, once we stopped at an area it was all great.

 

Edited October 31, 2019 by zahav1

[MissP22]

11 hours ago, caribill said:

 

What you receive is a fascinating tour behind the scenes that shows much of how the ship functions.

 

Any "gifts" such as the robe or stationery are a bonus that may or may not have any value to you.

 

We have taken the tour on a Grand class ship and on a Royal class ship as well as on two other cruise lines. Each time we found the tour extremely interesting and worth the price.

 

It is often a much better value than Princess shore excursions that cost as much.

That's because you comparing it to Princess tours which can cost twice of move than land based ones.

I honestly don't see much value in any of the gifts other than the robe. Once you have one, even that is questionable. 

Maybe as a gift? 

[Papa Yoda]

2 hours ago, chickadee1 said:

It actually sounds interesting to us - never had a tour!  Is it possible to do with a Rollator Walker?  

 

There are some places you have to walk, step over knee knockers, and a couple places you have to go up and down flights.  I'd ask at Passenger Services if maybe those areas could be skipped by the person with a walker.   In our 4 or 5 times we've never seen one used.   The info sheet explains that you will have extended time on your feet, climb stairs, and not have ready access to facilities.

[capriccio]

21 minutes ago, Ferd Berfle said:

 

There are some places you have to walk, step over knee knockers, and a couple places you have to go up and down flights.  I'd ask at Passenger Services if maybe those areas could be skipped by the person with a walker.   In our 4 or 5 times we've never seen one used.   The info sheet explains that you will have extended time on your feet, climb stairs, and not have ready access to facilities.

 

I concur with the recommendation to speak to Passenger Services before signing up for the tour.  On our tour (granted it was 2009 and maybe the itinerary has changed) we were told specifically that we needed to handle stairs and ladders.  This was on the Emerald Princess and we climbed the funnel. 

[chickadee1]

Thank you both for your answers. It certainly sounds like it is for more able-bodied people than us but it also sounds fun - we have 5 sea days and I am worried that DH may get bored.  I will ask as Passenber services!

[SeaLibrarian]

We took the Ultimate Ship Tour a few years ago on the Island. It did seem pricey when we signed up for it but, in the end, I really enjoyed it and was glad we did it. As for the goodies, we didn't get a chef's coat or apron but we did get the cookbook the Princess chefs published, robes and some other items I've forgotten by now. One of the things I liked the most about the tour was that we were accompanied by a ship's photographer. I don't remember exactly how many photos we ended up getting, most were group shots but some were of just the 2 of us, but there were lots and I've enjoyed having them. At the time we did say we would only do it once. However, we are about to embark for at TA on the Sky and we are considering doing the tour again.

[scott4020]

1 hour ago, chickadee1 said:

Thank you both for your answers. It certainly sounds like it is for more able-bodied people than us but it also sounds fun - we have 5 sea days and I am worried that DH may get bored.  I will ask as Passenber services!

Up and down stairs and through bulkheads, it's definitely for the able bodied.