Bridge and Engine Room tours coming!!!

[TravelerThom]

We toured both the Bridge and the Engine Room on Millennium in October. The latter was new for me. Note one thing: they don't take you to the actual engines, they tour the Engine Control Room, which contains a lot of computers and video screens (showing the engines and underwater pods).

Did the video screens display actual pictures of the pods from a camera, or were they computer drawings created from sensors? Pretty cool, which ever way it is.

 

I can see touring the bridge and engine controll room! Never the Engine Room, since it is too dangerous! I have been happy to see many of those engine rooms, but I have to tell you it stinks it is mega loud and it is damn HOT!

NO injurance would cover any accident happen to a Guest in case something would happen in a CREW AREA! That is actually the main reason of NO tours of the real engine room!

 

The most spectacular one was on the QE2!

I have toured the engine room on a number of European river boats. On one boat I was told that they used to give these while cruising until someone accidentally(?) hit the Emergency Shutdown switch. Now these tours were given while docked, so only the auxiliary power unit was in operation, but it was still quite noisy and hot.

[flagger]

Did the video screens display actual pictures of the pods from a camera, or were they computer drawings created from sensors? Pretty cool, which ever way it is.

Actual pictures of the pods from a camera. It was black and white like a night vision shot. I got to do an engine room tour on Infinity on my first cruise.

[DeepWaterMariner]

The Princess behind the scenes tour "allows guests to explore the engine control room, medical center, print shop, laundry, photo lab, and other areas typically seen only by the ship's crew. The final stop of the tour is the ship's command center, where passengers will meet the Captain, enjoy special refreshments and take in the dramatic views from the bridge's wraparound windows. Participants will also receive a variety of themed mementos at many other stops along the route."

 

It remains to be seen if these tours will be successful and rolled out to the rest of the fleet (they are initially only on the Ruby Princess). I'm not interested enough to pay the price but I think there are enough people to fill a few of these tours on ships the size of the Ruby.

[Napi's Mom]

I am sorry you miss the tour. Was the Captain "bye for now"? :)

We got also a bridge tour while the ship was in port with the Quest. :(

 

Gitte

We saw the Capt all the time onboard...was willing to stop to chat with us whenever he met us. Kept the people (ladies especially) wondering if he was old enough to be a Capt. We called him Capt Handsome (Now assist . Capt on Solstice Emmanoul Alveleopolus SP??) The "Bye for Now " was our cruise director Beckey actually "TTFN you know what that means don't you???, TA TA for now" every blessed time she spoke to us...but she was a sweet girl, first job.

[cvat]

I guessed there will be also some refreshment with the captain on the bridge

(a glass champagne.).

You can do this on smaller ships,visit the captain when you like to chat with him,bit i don´t see this on ships with 2000 + people.

[rubrrick]

The last actual engine room visit I had was on the R 2, before Renaissance went into bankruptcy.

 

I've enjoyed many engine control room visits, as well as bridge visits. The last "open bridge" where I could come and go as I pleased was on the Mercury in 2001, before 9/11.

 

I know that people are paying to be on the bridge now. On our sail away from Bergen, Norway............there was a bottle of champagne delivered to the bridge. A couple had paid a sum of money.....supposedly to a charity fund..........and were allowed on the bridge......for maybe 5 minutes..........with a host.........and the champagne.

 

The captain later told me....that would be the "first and last" champagne allowed on "his" bridge!!:eek:

 

Rick

[cvat]

 

I know that people are paying to be on the bridge now. On our sail away from Bergen, Norway............there was a bottle of champagne delivered to the bridge. A couple had paid a sum of money.....supposedly to a charity fund..........and were allowed on the bridge......for maybe 5 minutes..........with a host.........and the champagne.

 

The captain later told me....that would be the "first and last" champagne allowed on "his" bridge!!:eek:

 

Rick

The champagne is for the captain anyway a tabu. It is only for the guests!

If he doesn´t want to be impolite he can hold the glass and leave it later behind.

Everybody will have an understanding for this because he is at work!

 

I can imagine that the only drinks which have been on his /the bridge are tee and coffee.