Karl WP Beyer There was a time when cruise ship passengers were shown the ship if they were interested. With the change of vacation on cruise ships from the elite to the mass phenomenon, ship tours were abandoned with reference to regulations of international maritime law. It took a good relationship with the shipping company to be able to take a look at the bridge. The ship's command did not want to refuse such requests, especially for guests in upscale suite categories, but normal mortals were no longer allowed to visit bridges and the like.
Some cruise companies, including P&O Cruises, now offer their guests fee-based services "Behind the Scenes" tours that are not available at a bargain price. The fee charged for this ensures that the groups remain small.
P&O Cruises invited us on the occasion of our cruise with the Ventura in March 2015 for a ship command. We are happy to report on this special experience. - To say it in advance, the participants in the ship's command were given a lot. Each area visited was presented in detail by the officer in charge. As is common on cruise ships, the tour was accompanied by a ship security employee. Unfortunately, the participants were not allowed to take photos. Departments visited were ...
the medical field
the work and the often limited possibilities of medical care on board the ship for passengers and crew were presented;
the in-house print shop
The print shop also fulfills a wide range of requirements. Modern technology is available for typesetting and printing, including a 2-color printing system from AB Dick and a Ricoh high-performance copier;
the engine control room
this area, which is equipped with many monitors, is seldom shown on cruise ships. It is all the more gratifying that the “Chief Engineer” had prepared an excellent presentation that showed the many technical facets of the cruise ship built by Fincantieri. 90 employees report to the “Chief”;
the Waste Disposal Team
Waste disposal is of the utmost importance on board a cruise ship. The resulting masses of waste are carefully collected and treated. Aluminum waste is collected and sold. The proceeds go to the waste division. Other garbage that cannot be recycled is burned at sea at night;
the food management / storage
the inventory manager reported that 10 employees work in this area. The cooling and loading spaces for eggs, fish, meat, poultry and fruit were shown. In food management, stored vegetables and fruits are prepared for processing in the kitchen. The defrosting and preparation of the fish was also presented.
the galley
Trevor Glass, Executive Chief of the kitchen, personally guided the group of visitors through the kitchen. The kitchens of large ships are huge areas. 160 employees report to the chef. We learned u. a. how the orders from the table waiters are received and processed in the galley;
the backstage of the theater
Anyone who follows the performances of the musicians and actors in the theater in the evening has no idea what activities are going on beforehand.
The production manager of the theater, Paul Grindford, gave insights into the stage technology, the fundus and the working methods of the actors. The preparations for the dance show on the same day could be followed by the visitors. At the end there was a souvenir photo;
the mooring deck
the Deputy Captain (Staff-Captain) led the group of visitors in the front mooring deck, the huge mooring area of the ship. Masses of cables, the windlass and a device for shooting the lines were shown. The maneuver flap could only be viewed when it was retracted because it was on the high seas. As before on the Celebrity Silhouette, we found an almost "clinically clean" room in which the work equipment is meticulously arranged;
die Brücke
The highlight of the ship's command was the visit to the bridge. Captain Simon Terry personally gave detailed information about what was going on on the bridge. When asked, he announced that four fully licensed captains are on duty on board the ship.
Summary:
Participation in the tour of the ship generally debits the on-board account 75 pounds sterling. In all areas, our small group of visitors was warmly received and informed competently.
We think: if you want to know what it's like on a ship behind the scenes, you should book this type of guided tour. Although it was not our first guided ship tour, we concluded this tour with new impressions and the recurring realization that it is absolutely worthwhile to take part in such a tour. At this point we would like to thank P&O Cruises once again for the invitation.
