Bridge Tours

[BLTOH]

Do they still do the bridge tours on the ships?

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

99% banned since 9/11, a couple people here report under special circumstances they did tour but commonly you cant do it.

 

[MunFam]

My husband has top secret security clearance and works in the ship industry...despite the clearances...a tour was a no-go for him. I think some of the big spenders (aka Walt & Roy Suites) get tours but not the peasants in regular class staterooms. LOL

 

[BLTOH]

Well that's a bummer, i did one on the Wonder in 2006. Was hoping to do one on the new ships. Do you know why they banned them? just curious. I am assuming it had to do with 9/11 probably?

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Well that's a bummer, i did one on the Wonder in 2006. Was hoping to do one on the new ships. Do you know why they banned them? just curious. I am assuming it had to do with 9/11 probably?

As mentioned above it was 9/11. Its been banned since then so you were very very lucky on the Wonder in 2006.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

My husband has top secret security clearance and works in the ship industry...despite the clearances...a tour was a no-go for him. I think some of the big spenders (aka Walt & Roy Suites) get tours but not the peasants in regular class staterooms. LOL

I had a Royal no offer for me.

RCCL first cruise was offered a bridge tour.

 

[C6PT7]

I would think that with the current threat from ISIS, most, if not all cruise lines have a complete ban on passengers and non essential staff being allowed on the bridge.
Maybe if they had kept the bridge walkway above, then things would be different and they would still allow passengers to do the tour, but having passengers milling around in groups at the helm of a ship would seem to be an unacceptable risk to me at least.

 

[lbgraves]

There was a bridge tour available on our first cruise on the Magic in 11/2003. It was first come first served for tickets on both ships until the dry dock expanded the spa area into where the overlook in the bridge was located on each ship.

 

[C6PT7]

There was a bridge tour available on our first cruise on the Magic in 11/2003. It was first come first served for tickets on both ships until the dry dock expanded the spa area into where the overlook in the bridge was located on each ship.

Exactly. And from the post above about a tour in 2006, it obviously was never just removed as a knee jerk reaction to 9/11.
More that without that walkway, there is no real way to stop someone in a large group that has not undergone a high level of security screening beforehand, interfering or planting anything that could interfere with the ships guidance, communications or control systems, and a basic security risk analysis would highlight something like that.
Bridge tours, not advertized, but taken on a random basis seldomly, with a small manageable group would minimize that threat and that is probably what has happened in the past.

Just look at the detailed photos from Disney fantasy's post.
You most likely wouldn't want people that have intentions of causing trouble being able to take close up pictures of the ships systems in a recon mission?

 

[SuperDry]

There were new international maritime regulations enacted after the Costa Concordia accident a couple of years ago in Italy. Among them is a new rule that says no visitors to the bridge during sensitive navigation or any other time requiring "increased vigilance" of the bridge crew. While on the open sea or in port, it's still up to the cruise line and/or the captain. Disney may have taken the Costa Concordia accident as an opportunity to review procedures and decided that it's just not worth the risk of ever having passengers on the bridge. Even if it's extremely unlikely to ever cause a problem, if it did, it would be very bad PR, and perhaps just not worth the risk.

 

[C6PT7]

There were new international maritime regulations enacted after the Costa Concordia accident a couple of years ago in Italy. Among them is a new rule that says no visitors to the bridge during sensitive navigation or any other time requiring "increased vigilance" of the bridge crew. While on the open sea or in port, it's still up to the cruise line and/or the captain. Disney may have taken the Costa Concordia accident as an opportunity to review procedures and decided that it's just not worth the risk of ever having passengers on the bridge. Even if it's extremely unlikely to ever cause a problem, if it did, it would be very bad PR, and perhaps just not worth the risk.

I agree 100%.
Why would you introduce additional risk to an already sensitive area? Engine control room tours as well.

Whilst it was a nice thing for passengers to be able to do, it is now a very sensitive operation that requires some level of secrecy and removal of specific information to the general public.
I've read of a cruise line that had a ship in international waters and in a known pirating area, installing the LRAD sonic noise deterrents. Now that is good publicity for the cruise line, but you would not want to have all of your aids at your disposal shown to one and all and then the internet either.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

On RCI's Allure of the Seas in November 2013 paying for a bridge tour was a thing. $150pp. So, I think Disney *could* offer bridge tours but they don't for their own reasons.

Hubby also has TWIC clearance. That doesn't factor.

 

[C6PT7]

On RCI's Allure of the Seas in November 2013 paying for a bridge tour was a thing. $150pp. So, I think Disney *could* offer bridge tours but they don't for their own reasons.

Hubby also has TWIC clearance. That doesn't factor.

Was that something you bought onboard or had to pay and sign up for in advance?

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Was that something you bought onboard or had to pay and sign up for in advance?

I remember seeing it in the paper schedule onboard. Something they advertised along with spa specials, etc. I was surprised to see it because we always thought the reason we couldn't do a bridge tour on DCL had something to do with 9/11 and/or regulations associated. But nope. On RC you can pay for that tour.

 

[C6PT7]

I remember seeing it in the paper schedule onboard. Something they advertised along with spa specials, etc. I was surprised to see it because we always thought the reason we couldn't do a bridge tour on DCL had something to do with 9/11 and/or regulations associated. But nope. On RC you can pay for that tour.

I wonder if the 150 bucks pays for an immediate comprehensive background check or is just pure profit for RC? Or if dcl are just too lazy to organise them now and blame security risks?

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I wonder if the 150 bucks pays for an immediate comprehensive background check or is just pure profit for RC? Or if dcl are just too lazy to organise them now and blame security risks?

My husband has TWIC card. He's done background check, etc. I'm not sure what the $150 is for. My husband said as bad as he wanted to do a bridge tour he wasn't spending that to do it.

 

[C6PT7]

My husband has TWIC card. He's done background check, etc. I'm not sure what the $150 is for. My husband said as bad as he wanted to do a bridge tour he wasn't spending that to do it.

But how would a non US flagged cruise line at sea be able to verify or check the authenticity of a TWIC card without contacting the authorities ashore?

What is TWIC?

• The Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) is a common identification credential for all personnel requiring unescorted access to secure areas of regulated facilities and vessels, and mariners holding most Coast Guard-issued credentials. Individuals who meet TWIC eligibility requirements will be issued a tamper-resistant credential containing the worker's biometric (fingerprint template) to allow for a positive link between the card and the individual.

Why was the TWIC created?

• Congress directed the federal government, through the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA), to issue a biometric security credential to the above individuals.

Who needs a TWIC?

• Anyone who need unescorted access to secure areas of MTSA-regulated facilities and vessels. Typical workers who need a TWIC are: port workers, longshore workers, truck drivers, employees at refineries and chemical plants along waterways, contractors and others who work at regulated facilities. In addition most Coast Guard-credentialed merchant mariners need a TWIC.

Do people who work on cruise ships need a TWIC?

• TWIC requirements only apply to crews and other workers aboard U.S.-flagged cruise ships requiring unescorted access to secure areas.

How is the TWIC used?

• The Coast Guard requires presentation of a TWIC before being granted access to the secure area of a regulated facility or vessel. The TWIC must be inspected to ensure it is valid, has not expired, and belongs to the person presenting the card. The inspection is either visual or by an electronic reader. The Coast Guard enforces these requirements.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

But how would a non US flagged cruise line at sea be able to verify or check the authenticity of a TWIC card without contacting the authorities ashore?

What is TWIC?

• The Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) is a common identification credential for all personnel requiring unescorted access to secure areas of regulated facilities and vessels, and mariners holding most Coast Guard-issued credentials. Individuals who meet TWIC eligibility requirements will be issued a tamper-resistant credential containing the worker's biometric (fingerprint template) to allow for a positive link between the card and the individual.

Why was the TWIC created?

• Congress directed the federal government, through the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA), to issue a biometric security credential to the above individuals.

Who needs a TWIC?

• Anyone who need unescorted access to secure areas of MTSA-regulated facilities and vessels. Typical workers who need a TWIC are: port workers, longshore workers, truck drivers, employees at refineries and chemical plants along waterways, contractors and others who work at regulated facilities. In addition most Coast Guard-credentialed merchant mariners need a TWIC.

Do people who work on cruise ships need a TWIC?

• TWIC requirements only apply to crews and other workers aboard U.S.-flagged cruise ships requiring unescorted access to secure areas.

How is the TWIC used?

• The Coast Guard requires presentation of a TWIC before being granted access to the secure area of a regulated facility or vessel. The TWIC must be inspected to ensure it is valid, has not expired, and belongs to the person presenting the card. The inspection is either visual or by an electronic reader. The Coast Guard enforces these requirements.

Same way they do it for all the port workers in US ports? I don't think its that hard to verify. My husband can show up at facilities (with terminals) he's not worked at before and be allowed in within an hour or so. That includes getting vehicle permit & any site-specific safety run-downs.

**edit**
Either way, I think checking various security clearances would be more trouble than it's worth. If the ship's aren't flagged in the US it's likely up to the discretion of the individual cruise lines. Which brings us back to its not that Disney cannot offer bridge tours, they elect not to. Not complaining either way. It's their choice to make. But when people think it's a 9/11-related regulation I like to make them aware that we have found this is not the case.

 

[Gilrond]

I wonder if there would be any chance with the following combination of circumstances: if you were in the Walt suite and had a security clearance due to govt. job and had brought your PIV card and had notified concierge in advance of your interest. My travel buddy and I meet all of the above criteria for Feb 2016 cruise. Any thoughts?

 

[OKW Lover]

I would think that with the current threat from ISIS, most, if not all cruise lines have a complete ban on passengers and non essential staff being allowed on the bridge.

Royal Caribbean offers a bridge tour. We've done on last year while cruising the South Pacific and we were offered the opportunity to do one just a couple of weeks ago on an Alaska sailing.