Missed our on behind the scenes booking

[cb2367]

I maybe missed out on the behind the scenes tour for an upcoming cruise. Any chance that if I call NCL that 1 additional person could be added? Never had the chance for this tour on prior cruises.

[mking8288]

If you are referring to the complimentary BTS tour, it is for Latitudes members with Platinum status & higher.  Go to the CruiseNext desk to sign up on Embarkation / Day 1 only once onboard - you do NOT "book" this in advance.  Typically, it's on the morning of the first full sea day - specifics will be given to you at CN.  

[YVRteacher]

There are free behind the scenes tours for Platinum and above Latitudes members which, as @mking8288 states, are booked through Cruise Next.  These free tours typically take place on the first sea day (if there is a sea day.)

 

There are also paid behind the scenes tours which anybody can purchase. The price seems to be between $79 and $129 depending on the ship.  You purchase these tours through the Shore Ex desk.  They are more comprehensive than the free tours and include the galley, theatre, laundry, engine room viewing area and the bridge.

[cb2367]

I'm 50 points away from platinum. There was a behind the scenes tour that was showing up in the entertainment section of the NCL app. I understand space is limited, but really hoped that there was a way for just one more person to join. Guess I'll have to check with guest services.

[alackas]

We just booked the chargeable behind the scenes on the jewel. It showed up when we hit the magical 120 days out.  I have not seen it before but we are paying more attention now due to this being our Alaskan cruise

[SakeDad]

3 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

 @mking8288 

 

There are also paid behind the scenes tours which anybody can purchase. The price seems to be between $79 and $129 depending on the ship.  You purchase these tours through the Shore Ex desk.  They are more comprehensive than the free tours and include the galley, theatre, laundry, engine room viewing area and the bridge.

Any idea if these get pre-sold through the app?

[YVRteacher]

8 minutes ago, cb2367 said:

I'm 50 points away from platinum. There was a behind the scenes tour that was showing up in the entertainment section of the NCL app. I understand space is limited, but really hoped that there was a way for just one more person to join. Guess I'll have to check with guest services.

If it is showing up in the entertainment, this is the tour that is booked through the Shore Excursions desk.  You can book it and pay for it on board.  This tour has nothing to do with being platinum.

[YVRteacher]

7 minutes ago, SakeDad said:

Any idea if these get pre-sold through the app?

See the post above yours.😀

[SakeDad]

11 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

See the post above yours.😀

Oh thank you! I was looking under Excursions. I found it. Too bad our $50 off excursions doesn't apply to this.

[YVRteacher]

I agree!!

[vacation44]

14 minutes ago, SakeDad said:

Oh thank you! I was looking under Excursions. I found it. Too bad our $50 off excursions doesn't apply to this.

And too bad the latitudes discount does not apply!

[YVRteacher]

I feel like NCL should give Diamond and Ambassadors the deluxe tour for free.  Are you reading this NCL?

 

I don’t think you are or I wouldn’t have received this meal at dinner with the officers on the Bliss in March

[mking8288]

15 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

I feel like NCL should give Diamond and Ambassadors the deluxe tour for free.  Are you reading this NCL?  

Sapphire here, it was "insulting" - IMHO - last month on the Epic for the younger "mustache guy" at CruiseNext to ran the "free" Platinum/+ BTS tour in 45 minutes, not even 1 hour, and 5+ minutes was from being halted to stand & wait (for safety reasons) as we apparently were caught along I-95 while they're moving crates around - then, gave us a 2 minute look at their "provisioning" areas, not even a peek into those giant walk-in freezer & refrigeration rooms.  It used to be 90+ minutes to 2 hours, even on the mid-sized ships like the Gem, Jewel & Dawn in the pre-Covid years.  The stop at the bridge & engine room was discontinued, reasons given then, was for maritime security reasons ... like 10 years after 9/11, fine.  Now, the paid tour includes both the engine control room & the bridge, plus a complimentary photo.  If I'm not mistaken, the deluxe tour was selling for $149, not $89, not $99 or $129 USD - a whopping $149 for the promised 3 hour tour. 

 

BTW, to OP and others - be sure to wear a good pair of walking shoes with closed ends/toes covered, no sandals or flip-flops, for safety reasons or you will be not be allowed to be with the tour (unless they make exceptions for being a "paying" guests & going to those highly guarded & secured are ... as we had 2 ship security staff shadowing & following us & riding along the brief tour.  CN fellow also instructed us that no photography or video allowed anywhere & at all times during the tour, period & end of his introduction on ground rules.  Nice guy ! NOT.  But, rant of the day is done & over - as one of our CC'er wrote this week, "it is what it is ..."

[SakeDad]

44 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

 

 

I don’t think you are or I wouldn’t have received this meal at dinner with the officers on the Bliss in March

That looks like it came from the Crew Mess!!! Yuck

[YVRteacher]

@mking8288 I read about your behind the scenes experience in your live review.  So disappointing! It doesn’t seem like that Cruise Next manager values his guests!

 

One of my challenges with NCL is the lack of consistently from ship to ship or person to person.  We just experienced one of the best behind the scenes tours with Cruise Next manager Juan on the Jewel. It was evident how much he loves his job and his sense of humour and vibrant personality as well as his connections with each department manager on the tour shone through.  This was not the case on the Bliss in March where the Cruise Next employee doing the tour was rude and condescending. I meant to complain about him but I forgot.

Edited May 24, 2023 by YVRteacher

[SakeDad]

If you purchase through Entertainment on the app is it the same tour as Cruise Next/Platinum tours or different? I am looking at doing it on Prima...has anyone done that one? Worth $149? I should say I am former crew on ships so lived in backstage areas. I would do it only because I'm curious about seeing the newest ship technology. As I used to conduct "behind the stage" tours on Disney I am truly on the fence about booking this one.

[vacation44]

3 hours ago, SakeDad said:

If you purchase through Entertainment on the app is it the same tour as Cruise Next/Platinum tours or different? I am looking at doing it on Prima...has anyone done that one? Worth $149? I should say I am former crew on ships so lived in backstage areas. I would do it only because I'm curious about seeing the newest ship technology. As I used to conduct "behind the stage" tours on Disney I am truly on the fence about booking this one.

The tours are different.   The free tour is about an hour and the paid tour is three hours.    The paid tour was $129 on the Epic this past March.

[vacation44]

5 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

@mking8288  We just experienced one of the best behind the scenes tours with Cruise Next manager Juan on the Jewel. It was evident how much he loves his job and his sense of humour and vibrant personality as well as his connections with each department manager on the tour shone through.  This was not the case on the Bliss in March where the Cruise Next employee doing the tour was rude and condescending. I meant to complain about him but I forgot.

As we are on the Jewel in August,  I hope Juan will be on board and doing the tours. 

[dexddd]

6 hours ago, mking8288 said:

Sapphire here, it was "insulting" - IMHO - last month on the Epic for the younger "mustache guy" at CruiseNext to ran the "free" Platinum/+ BTS tour in 45 minutes, not even 1 hour, and 5+ minutes was from being halted to stand & wait (for safety reasons) as we apparently were caught along I-95 while they're moving crates around - then, gave us a 2 minute look at their "provisioning" areas, not even a peek into those giant walk-in freezer & refrigeration rooms.  It used to be 90+ minutes to 2 hours, even on the mid-sized ships like the Gem, Jewel & Dawn in the pre-Covid years.  The stop at the bridge & engine room was discontinued, reasons given then, was for maritime security reasons ... like 10 years after 9/11, fine.  Now, the paid tour includes both the engine control room & the bridge, plus a complimentary photo.  If I'm not mistaken, the deluxe tour was selling for $149, not $89, not $99 or $129 USD - a whopping $149 for the promised 3 hour tour. 

 

BTW, to OP and others - be sure to wear a good pair of walking shoes with closed ends/toes covered, no sandals or flip-flops, for safety reasons or you will be not be allowed to be with the tour (unless they make exceptions for being a "paying" guests & going to those highly guarded & secured are ... as we had 2 ship security staff shadowing & following us & riding along the brief tour.  CN fellow also instructed us that no photography or video allowed anywhere & at all times during the tour, period & end of his introduction on ground rules.  Nice guy ! NOT.  But, rant of the day is done & over - as one of our CC'er wrote this week, "it is what it is ..."

Yes, saw report of paid one being $149 recently.

 

CruiseNext, should have changed name to CruiseLast, CruiseNeverAgain, CruiseNoHelp, CruiseRoboCall, CruiseYourThoughts here.

 

Since 2016 sole intent to sell future certs.  Get calls to room ala like before election.  Zero help onboard getting anything done.  Used to have a couple days to book bts tour, now first night by set time.  Same for wine.  Go to desk, most useless help or power ever to do anything.  2018 asked several times for our Duc with no luck based on what should be included.  One night going to LeBistro, a senior F&B Officer saw us and asked how things going.  Generally well but mentioned no wine.  It was there in room after dinner.

 

Shoreside, long time since I wrote a company a few years back.  Even escalated it only to be turned back to same department.  Never contacted after referral.

 

If they want to save some money, fire any person associated with CN including uppers at Miami and put in kiosks or on room screen to buy certs and book things.  A large part, other than prices, from sailing again is the land and ship side CN interactions.

[genealogyfan]

I took a paid Behind the Scenes Tour on the Epic last month (April). I booked it the day we boarded. I didn't notice if it had been available online. I would suggest checking with the excursion desk when you board and see if you can book a tour There were at least two paid behind the scenes tours available.

 

The crew told a couple who arrived with open toed sandals they needed to put on closed toe shoes (they whined and complained at first, claiming they weren't told, until both the crew and others pointed out the warning on their ticket), They got back in time to start the tour. They don't make exceptions for those who pay for the tour.

 

Our tour was just over 2 hours, and we saw the engineering room and the bridge along with other stops.

[mking8288]

11 hours ago, SakeDad said:

That looks like it came from the Crew Mess!!! Yuck

Question for @YVRteacher is what was that supposed to be ??  Specially ordered meal (maybe, I missed that, speed reading on your live reporting ??  some sort of Indian or Vegan meal ???  Gosh, I would've smile and said, let's take a group photo with the officers having dinner, holding up that plate - and let them know, "live" soon on CruiseCritic, that's humor - LOL.  

 

@YVRteacher - over the past decade, I've meet some of the junior team members & leaders on different NCL ships, Alvin Oliva has risen to become CD before the Covid shutdown and he did the Breakaway BTS tour back in 2014 or 2015, nicely done & he has an excellent AV presentation in the atrium, fun & informative.  JC Sanchez is another CD that comes to mind.  Each one of them has their own style & manners, personality and doing things their way ... some are better than others.  This "gentleman" that we had onboard the Epic, sorry to say - my little crystal ball don't see a bright future ahead for his upward path. 

 

Like you, I wasn't upset, mad but annoyed enough and should've written a note to Dear Amir, the GM ... but,  never got around or made time for it.  Other things kept me/us busy on the TA and certainly didn't let it affect our cruise.  Didn't want to go off the positive nature of that Semi/Live report ... looking back at the notes, with 3,800+ souls sailing and hundreds of Platinums & higher onboard, hardly anyone else blew the whistles on it.  Would've been interesting to read & see what someone else saw and experience ... now that the Epic is staying in Europe for a while.  The Epic wasn't exactly a popular ship with its French design & features but we're determined to give it a go, with sedate expectations - given all the alarms & alerts going off lately all across the fleet's vessels with shows.  Just read something about a possible re-deployment again ?? 

 

I was trying to keep up with other live reports, including yours, while we're at sea ... our plans are set for the rest of 2023 or else, or we would jump on the Jewel or one of the other "older" NCL ships doing the Alaska season in a heartbeat ... bargain fares with Oceanviews but sold-out Balconies.  Finding good last minute airfares on legacy carriers (avoiding LCC, no if's and but's for us) and the hassles of air travel these days ... that's a different story as DW hates it, not directly related to NCL.  

 

Claims coming from NCL, previously, of engine control and bridge being off-limits for security reasons while at sea (with lengthy discussions then here on CC) ... LOL, myth busted as clearly, ANY guests willing to an extra $149 onboard last month will get to see those "restricted" area, and even get a "complimentary" souvenir photo taken. 

 

 

 

Edited May 24, 2023 by mking8288

[Viajera7]

23 hours ago, mking8288 said:CN fellow also instructed us that no photography or video allowed anywhere & at all times during the tour, period & end of his introduction on ground rules.  Nice guy ! NOT.  But, rant of the day is done & over - as one of our CC'er wrote this week, "it is what it is ..."

I’m sorry that this happened to you. I have been lucky that on the tours that I have taken, photography was permitted at least in the laundry, provision area and in the kitchen.

 

On 5/23/2023 at 10:21 PM, YVRteacher said:

I feel like NCL should give Diamond and Ambassadors the deluxe tour for free.  Are you reading this NCL?

 

I agree with you. I’m turning Diamond this year and there’s not a lot of difference between Sapphire and Diamond.