All Access Ship Tour – Royal Caribbean Cruise – Worth it?

Ever looked at a cruise ship and thought, “How on earth do they feed thousands of people without anyone rioting over cold fries?” Same. That’s why on my recent Royal Caribbean Cruise aboard Anthem of the Seas, I signed up for the All Access Ship Tour, aka the “peek behind the curtain” for nosy (I mean, curious!) travelers like us.

I wanted answers: Who folds the towels? Where does the food come from? What does the Bridge actually look like, and does anyone still use a giant wooden steering wheel? Spoiler: nope. In this post, I’ll spill everything I saw, what totally surprised me, and whether I think it’s worth your time (and $140) on your next cruise.

The tour lasted about 2 hours and 20 minutes, though it was supposed to last 2 hours. Other similar tours were going on at the same time, so sometimes we overlapped with them and had to wait to enter an area.

We wore earpices to better hear the tour guide(s), and they worked pretty well except for when the tour guide was walking ahead and forgot to speak into the microphone!

The Kitchen

The tour guide brought us to the kitchen where the head sous chef gave us a tour. It was interesting/disturbing seeing the huge quantities of food being prepared. Watching those massive vats of soup being stirred with canoe paddles made me feel like I’d wandered into a cruise ship version of MasterChef: Industrial Edition. I had a moment where I thought, ‘There’s no way my bowl of clam chowder came from this, right?’ (It did.)

He talked a lot about the regulations they follow to keep the food safe and to avoid cross-contamination (for nut allergies, keeping kosher, etc). The amount of care they take with the food safety and following regulations was reassuring.

They’re so strict about hygiene that glassware is washed at a temperature high enough to practically melt diamonds. Apparently, lipstick residue is their mortal enemy. They can no longer wipe the glassware with a towel by hand (cross-contamination), so the dishwasher must do it.

The other thing was that all food waste goes into a garbage disposal in which it’s compacted, then is dropped in the ocean for the fish to eat! This happens some certain numbers of miles away from shore.

If you’re the type who loves a behind-the-scenes cooking show or can watch The Great British Bake Off for hours, this stop alone might make the All Access tour worth it for you.

Food Storage

Down in the food storage area the crew member in charge told us how they order and load the pallets of food for each voyage. Again, it was just wild to see the huge quantities and sizes of the food on hand! It was a little off-putting it some ways to be honest. It’s kind of nice having the illusion of my meal being specially and artfully prepared with love, but once you see the mass quantities of food and systems in place, that illusion is totally gone! 😀

For one thing, seeing the boxes of chocolate ice cream “mix” really put a damper on thinking about grabbing a nice ice cream that afternoon! All part of the danger of “looking how the sausage is made” so to speak.

If you geek out over logistics or secretly love watching airport baggage operations, you’ll find this part of the tour oddly fascinating. If not… it might feel a bit like peeking into your supermarket’s loading dock.

Laundry

The most amazing thing to me about the Laundry room was that they hand fold all of the towels! That seems crazy! Thousands of towels. By hand. I felt winded just watching them—which, to be fair, is also how I feel after folding two shirts at home. Thankfully (for them), there is a machine that presses and folds the table clothes, napkins and sheets.

I asked how they keep their towels and sheets so white and learned that they use “Oxy Brite”. I looked for it online but found that it’s not available to us mere mortals unless we’re buying it by the barrel. Let me know if you know where us average Joe consumers can buy it because I want some!

If you’re someone who notices (and appreciates) crisp sheets and neatly folded towels in your stateroom, this stop might give you a whole new appreciation for the unsung heroes below deck.

Below Deck Areas

We didn’t see their private rooms, but just imagining 1,500 crew members (half in food service alone!) living, working, and living life down here gave me a new level of respect. They even have bikes onboard to use when they dock in port. How cool is that?

This stop wasn’t flashy, but it was meaningful. It reminded me that cruising isn’t just a vacation, it’s a full-time job and lifestyle for so many people making our experience seamless.

Engine Control Room

Walking into the Engine Control Room felt like stepping onto the set of a submarine thriller, like Hunt for Red October, but with cruise ship vibes. Wall-to-wall monitors, blinking lights, laminated schematics, machines that go “bing”, and very serious-looking crew members. It was a control freak’s paradise.

Now, I’m not an engineer, so the wall of charts didn’t mean much to me beyond ‘Whoa, look at all of them buttons.’ But even without knowing what everything did, it was fascinating to see how tightly everything is tracked.

If you’re big on tech or just want to say ‘I’ve seen the cruise ship’s brain,’ this will be a highlight. If not, it’s okay to mentally check out here and start thinking about lunch.

The Bridge

I pictured the Bridge as a cramped little glass room with a giant wooden steering wheel, maybe a grizzled captain barking orders into a brass tube. Instead, it was more ‘spa meets command center.’ Air-conditioned, spacious, and shockingly chill for the place that steers a floating city.

The Bridge expands out to either side as sort of wings over the sides of the ship. Those “wings” have floor windows, so when they are pulling into the dock, they can look and see what is directly below.

Security was tight here, as it should be. This was the only part of the tour that felt genuinely locked down, which is, of course, reassuring. There was definitly a vibe of “Don’t make dumb jokes or step out of line, or security is going to toss you in “the brig” and question you for hours.”

If you’re the type who loves a great view and secretly wants to sit in the captain’s chair, this is the grand finale you didn’t know you needed. It felt like the perfect full-circle moment after seeing how everything else works.

Is the Royal Caribbean All Access Tour Worth It?

If you’ve ever watched a behind-the-scenes documentary and thought, “I’d love to see that in real life,” this tour is your cup of tea. I genuinely enjoyed it, especially the peek into the Bridge and the sheer scale of everything below deck, but I’ll be honest: it’s not for everyone.

Here’s who will love it:

• Detail-oriented travelers who ask how everything works (me)
• Cruise veterans who’ve “been there, done that” and want something new
• Curious minds who enjoy guided tours, even when they’re a bit technical

And who might skip it:

• Folks who glaze over at logistics
• Travelers on a tight schedule or budget
• Anyone who prefers the magic to stay… magical (ahem, ice cream mix)

For $140, I do wish the tour had one consistent guide instead of multiple department leads, some of whom seemed more comfortable with a ladle than a microphone. Still, I’m glad I did it. It made me appreciate the people and systems that keep everything afloat (literally).

Let me know if you’ve done this tour or are thinking about it. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Want the full scoop on what it’s like to cruise on Anthem of the Seas, from the food to the shows to the vibe onboard? I’ve shared my full Royal Caribbean cruise review right here.

Save Me for Later

Check out my cruise review video!