Behind the scenes tour on QM2. photo: Cunard |
Adding
to its comprehensive catalogue of on board activities, Cunard
Line is
now offering Behind the Scenes Tours for the curious guest. Led
by Cunard senior officers, the tours offer guests unprecedented
access to the ships’ private areas, such as the Medical Centre,
Engine Control Room, Butchers Shop and the Mooring Deck. Topics
range from environmental concerns, such as recycling 15,000 liters of
used cooking oil, to the logistics of stocking more than 5,000 lines
of consumable products, such as shower gel and beef joints.
During
the 222-step tour, guests learn first-hand of the many provisions
required to manage Cunard Line’s ocean liners. Tour stops
include:
- The Bridge – At the widest part of the ship, the captain and navigational officers greet guests and give a tutorial of all the dials, buttons, radars and navigational charts that help them safely helm Cunard’s Queens.
- Royal Court Theatre – Guests peruse more than 3,000 costumes in the costume store, and light and sound engineers give hands-on lessons in operating the stage equipment.
- Galley and Provisions – Guests catch a glimpse of the complex logistics of moving provisions around the world in containers and picking them up in different ports mid-voyage, to accommodate 11 tonnes per day. The tour includes stops at the Food Stores, Butchers Shop, Freezers, and the Galley.
- Mooring Deck – Guests learn the purpose of the anchor winches, windlesses and other critical machinery on the most forward part of the ship.
- Medical Centre – Guests tour Cunard’s floating hospital and meet the exceptional medical staff that keeps everyone on board healthy and well.
- Burma Road – Guests tour the only main crew passageway to run the entire length of the ship and get a behind the scenes look at where the crew and officers socialise after work.
- Waste Handling Room – Guests observe Cunard’s round-the-clock waste handling operation, and learn the differences between five waste sorting streams: hazardous, recyclable, suitable for incineration, food waste and suitable for donation.
Available
on board Queen
Mary 2, Queen
Victoria and Queen
Elizabeth, Cunard’s
Behind the Scenes Tours last three and a half hours and cost $120 per
person. Currently, one tour with a maximum of 16 guests is
available per voyage and can be booked on board through the Tours
Office.
Source:
Cunard