Question about Bridge Tours

[Sailfish]

I will be going on the Emerald Princess, and I was wondering if there will be an opportunity for a bridge tour? I noticed that if you buy a deluxe special occasion package, you get to tour the bridge on a day in port. Is that it?

 

Thanks in advance for your comments.

[sunsetbeachgal]

I haven't seen bridge tours offered on Princess ships since Sept. 11. Perhaps they can be arranged privately, but they used to have them listed as an activity in the Patter on sea days, but not since, presumably due to security.

[chrysalis]

Some people have reported here that they have received Bridge tours by writing a letter to the Captain while on board.

[RickEk]

I will be going on the Emerald Princess, and I was wondering if there will be an opportunity for a bridge tour? I noticed that if you buy a deluxe special occasion package, you get to tour the bridge on a day in port. Is that it?

 

Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

Starting with the Ruby Princess, they are going to offer the "Ultimate Ship Tour" for $150/pp which will include a bridge tour. See this link:

http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na966

 

Don't know when this will rollout to the rest of the fleet tho...

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

And the Ruby is going to have new ammenities they are rolling out. It specifically mentioned special tours which include the Bridge. They are expecting to roll them out fleet wide but not sure of the timing.

[NeurosurgeryNP]

We found out who the Captain on our sailing was going to be, and we wrote a letter requesting a tour and we were invited to a tour of the bridge. THey ask you not to publicize the tour while on the ship, no video cameras, but photos were allowed.

[Sayra]

When we were married on the Sapphire in 2004, we recieved an invitation to visit the bridge (completely unexpected since it wasn't mentioned in the package). It was on a sea day, and I really enjoyed it. They had us meet at one of the stairwells, and there were a lot of people who saw us gathering and tried to join us (including my parents), but only people with invites were allowed (except to my parents, who when told that they were going to call the Captain to request permission, said that was fine because we had met him the day before at the wedding). They took us up to the bridge and talked some and then let us basically hang out for as long as we wanted. I have a pic of myself sitting in the chair with next the the tiny "wheel" and joystick. We also took some great pics from the end of the bridge looking back at the ship.

 

If you have the opportunity to do a bridge tour - I would highly recommend it!

[RKATZ1949]

I have had two bridge tours since 9-11.As soon as you get on board find out the name of your captain,then send him a letter requesting the tour.Deliver the letter to the purser's desk. good luck!

 

;)

[mizLORInj]

Sailfish, I want to do that too! Let's check it out when we get onboard!!

16 days. . . can't wait!!

 

-Lori

[krkmac]

Having read here about folks being granted bridge tours I followed the advice and in anticipation of sailing on the Crown on Oct 5th, I wrote a letter addressed to Captain Andrew Proctor and dropped it off at the pursers desk that Sunday night. On Thursday the 9th I had a letter in the box outside the cabin and proceeded to open. The typed letter signed by the Captain included a short apology indicating that a bridge tour could not be allowed due to "The Operational Procedures of the Princess Cruise Line". He followed that with a thank you for sailing, enjoy your trip, etc...

[RickEk]

I've been on a few bridge tours. Much fun. The best was on Dawn Princess on our New Year's cruise this year. The captain was great, let us out on the bridge wings (which are outside on the Dawn). He spent about 45 minutes talking with us. And yeah, sitting in the "big chair" is an experience. :)

[WWCJR]

Keep in mind that "open bridge tours" are not currently offered to passengers.

 

But a note addressed to the Captain dropped off the first day at the Purser's Deck has worked for us also. This might not work much longer once the Ruby Princess rolls out the Ultimate Ship Tour for $150 per person. It is expected to be rolled out fleet wide after first being on the Ruby. I think the free private tours will soon be a thing of the past.

 

Good luck and have a great cruise with or without a bridge tour!

[Cruise Junky]

November 2006 when we were on Sea Princess all Suite passengers were invited for a bridge tour. Someone brought up the fact that they were surprised Princess was doing them and he said, "Trust us, we know who you are before you board". Great Tour!