Holland America Behind-the-Scenes Ship Tours are Coming Back

Holland America will once again be offering behind-the-scenes ship tours. Cruisers who sign up will be able to get a look at areas that are typically reserved for officers and crew, including the bridge, galley, engine control room, recycling center, main laundry and more. You will also get to meet several crew members who don’t typically work in guest areas and see how they keep the ship running.

Ship tours are a great way to see a cruise ship like never before, and understand how much of a careful dance is done by the crew members to make sure everything runs smoothly and on time. You don’t realize how many potatoes are consumed on a cruise until you’re standing next to a mountain of potatoes in cold storage, or how giant machines will press and fold your laundry. Not to be understated is the sheer engineering and technology witnessed in the engine control room where they monitor every little detail from their systems. They have that “NASA is sending us to the moon” kind of feeling. 

The behind-the-scenes ship tours are pretty common for cruise ships to offer. Each line will have their own version of the tour and may take you into different areas and offer different souvenir items for taking the tour. On the Royal Caribbean ship, Navigator of the Seas, we were given knot tying kits, and on the NCL Encore we got our picture with the Head Chef. Holland America guests will receive a unique ship-specific lanyard, souvenir photo collection, and commemorative certificate.

“We hear so often from guests who’d love to see the bridge or where our chefs prepare their meals. By bringing back this tour experience we’re pulling back the curtain to these areas that are rarely visited,” said Carole Biencourt, Holland America Line’s vice president of onboard revenue. “We’re giving guests a rare opportunity to see what makes our operation so unique. It’s a fascinating look at the inner workings of a cruise ship, and guests love meeting the crew members who work behind the scenes to create such a memorable experience.”

Holland America used to offer a behind-the-scenes ship tour, but when covid broke out it was removed as an offering due to safety concerns, as did a lot of other cruise lines. Holland America was one of the last hold outs to bring the ship tour back. 

The new ship tours will only be available on select ships and are expected to be available fleetwide by the end of July 2025. Ship tours are bookable on board at Guest Services and cost $179 per person, with an accessible option available. If you wish to book one, I suggest you book early, for any cruise line, as they tend to fill up fast!

All behind-the-scenes photos in this post are from the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas and their ship tour.