Tender Tickets - what are peoples experiences?

Ok so on our Great Barrier Reef Cruise in March on Solstice, 3 of the ports we are visiting we will be tendered into shore.

someone who has just done the same cruise in Jan has posted photos and menus...etc... from their cruise on this forum

I read in their daily cruise info from Celebrity that to get ashore you need to get a 'tender ticket' and you then have to wait in line for your tender ticket number to be called before you can go onto the tender boats.

But if you are on a celebrity cruise excursion then you don't need one as your meeting time is on your excursion information

has anyone done the tender boat thing? was it a smooth process?

I don't want to be standing around for an hour or more waiting for our numbers to be called

any advice would be much appreciated

Ok so on our Great Barrier Reef Cruise in March on Solstice, 3 of the ports we are visiting we will be tendered into shore.

 

someone who has just done the same cruise in Jan has posted photos and menus...etc... from their cruise on this forum

 

I read in their daily cruise info from Celebrity that to get ashore you need to get a 'tender ticket' and you then have to wait in line for your tender ticket number to be called before you can go onto the tender boats.

But if you are on a celebrity cruise excursion then you don't need one as your meeting time is on your excursion information

 

has anyone done the tender boat thing? was it a smooth process?

I don't want to be standing around for an hour or more waiting for our numbers to be called

 

any advice would be much appreciated

No excursions then waiting is part of the process. Get down to the deck where the tender tickets are being handed out early. This will be posted in your ships Celebrity Today. You will be given tickets for each member of your party. Then you'll wait until your number is called. You must be ready to board the tender as soon as your number is called. Then you'll fall inline with everyone else to board the tender. Or you can wait until later in the morning and get on the tender when they aren't as busy. Your choice.

If you book a Celeb excursion, there will usually be a wait period at the meeting place...usually the theater. Then when your group is called you go to the tenders in a group.

In addition to the process as already described, there will also be some passengers who have tender priority, and will by-pass the lines. For example, those in higher end staterooms or those who have a high level in the Celebrity loyalty program. But given the passenger count of the Solstice there will be a wait for those who are to booked in more basic staterooms or have virtually no loyalty status. If you want off the ship on one of the earlier tenders then it is important to be in line early at the area where the tickets will be issued.

When we did a variation of this itinerary on the Solstice in September 2016 Celebrity had hired private tenders which were used in addition to the small ship tenders. The private tenders were considerably larger than the ship tenders, and while they took some time to load, once loaded they just roared into shore.

thanks for that - my main concern was we are doing a private wine tour (organised by another couple on the cruise) in Newcastle and I was worried we wouldn't make it, but it appears the tour operator will pick us up at the pier as we disembark, so it should be ok as the ship actually docks at the pier

Unless you MUST be 1st off, it's not odious at all....just take your time....once the first 2 tenders have gone, it's an easy process.

The "tender boat thing" is just part of cruising :). So you will likely be on the ship with about 2,800 other cruisers....nearly all of whom want to get off at that port. A tender holds around 100 folks (unless you are at a port that provides larger shore-based tenders). There is a pecking order. Those who book Celebrity Excursions (oft overpriced) will meet in a specific lounge and go down to the tenders as a group. They get priority. And then you have frequent cruise such as Elite Plus and Zenith that get priority...as do those in the larger suites. And finally, there are the remainder (you). The daily schedule will tell you to report to a specific public lounge (or main theater) with your entire party to get a tender ticket. You then have to wait until they call your color/number. Those tender tickets are first come first serve...so the early bird gets the earlier tender.

This procedure is similar on nearly all the mass market cruise lines. If you want to avoid the hassle, book a ultra luxury small cruise ship (such as with Seabourn, Sea Dream, Silverseas, etc) where there is less of a hassle because of the smaller number of cruisers.

Hank

The "tender boat thing" is just part of cruising :). So you will likely be on the ship with about 2,800 other cruisers....nearly all of whom want to get off at that port. A tender holds around 100 folks (unless you are at a port that provides larger shore-based tenders). There is a pecking order. Those who book Celebrity Excursions (oft overpriced) will meet in a specific lounge and go down to the tenders as a group. They get priority. And then you have frequent cruise such as Elite Plus and Zenith that get priority...as do those in the larger suites. And finally, there are the remainder (you). The daily schedule will tell you to report to a specific public lounge (or main theater) with your entire party to get a tender ticket. You then have to wait until they call your color/number. Those tender tickets are first come first serve...so the early bird gets the earlier tender.

 

This procedure is similar on nearly all the mass market cruise lines. If you want to avoid the hassle, book a ultra luxury small cruise ship (such as with Seabourn, Sea Dream, Silverseas, etc) where there is less of a hassle because of the smaller number of cruisers.

 

Hank

...and us Elites.:cool:

has anyone done the tender boat thing? was it a smooth process?

I don't want to be standing around for an hour or more waiting for our numbers to be called.

I know it’s a while ago now ( Eclipse 2010) but we waited 3 hrs to get off in Split.

We followed instructions NOT to go for your tender ticket until you had had breakfast. We were given tender #35.

We were told that tours have priority, then status (Elite and above)

We were anchored off Maui several years ago, and not on an excursion. We thought, since there’s no hurry, we’ll just go get a ticket after the big rush. It won’t matter if we have to wait a little while. Well, we were given ticket no. 28. At the time they were calling no 5. Hours later, they got to no. 24, then just gave up calling numbers, and said anyone could go. We would have got to shore just in time to walk up the pier, turn around and get in the queue to get back on the ship. Lesson learned - now we go early for tender tickets.

I know it’s a while ago now ( Eclipse 2010) but we waited 3 hrs to get off in Split.

We followed instructions NOT to go for your tender ticket until you had had breakfast. We were given tender #35.

We were told that tours have priority, then status (Elite and above)

We were there as well! The rumour we heard that that Celebrity were using their own shuttles, instead of the port based ones, and they would not let the ships shuttles dock. All part of the joys of cruising!

One of the many hazards of cruising the same any travel are delays or postponements.

Be prepared for ports to be canceled or arriving late due to weather conditions, clearance at the port, mechanical problems and etc.

We have had many ports canceled thru the years and if sail or fly it will happen.

Many tours will give a refund but not all.

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

We will also be tendering in maui in may. I haven’t tendered in several years. Am I correct in remembering that I can go down early, get a tender ticket, and then come back later with my full party after the tendering process starts?

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They will announce where and when they will be handing out the tender tickets. Get there as soon as you can. Often there will be a long line just to get a tender ticket. All the excursions, Elites, and Suite passengers will get priority. With the large tenders I've seen in pictures it should go fairly quickly.

We booked the ships winery excursion, the price was actually fairly reasonable.

We will also be tendering in maui in may. I haven’t tendered in several years. Am I correct in remembering that I can go down early, get a tender ticket, and then come back later with my full party after the tendering process starts?

 

 

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The ships recommendation is pick up your tender tickets only when all of you are ready. You will need to be in the waiting area when your tender ticket number is called. The earlier the better. As mentioned upper Captain Club tier levels and ships excursions have priority.

The ships recommendation is pick up your tender tickets only when all of you are ready. You will need to be in the waiting area when your tender ticket number is called. The earlier the better. As mentioned upper Captain Club tier levels and ships excursions have priority.

I guess my question is will they start issuing tender tickets before they are even anchored in and running tenders. I remember getting tender tickets early early, way before they started even calling numbers and being able to get them for my whole group and come back down later after they announced tendering had started.

It's been a while since we have had to tender, so I went on-line to see if priority tendering was still a perk for Elite and above.

According to the website that lists the perks by Captain Club's levels, priority tendering is not available.

I called the Captains Club rep and she told me the same thing, not offered anymore. Doesn't even show up for Zenith's. Suites only.

Does anyone know when this was taken away?

I guess unless you are in a suite, Celebrity doesn't feel you are worthy anymore. Just one more take-away in a long list.

It's been a while since we have had to tender, so I went on-line to see if priority tendering was still a perk for Elite and above.

According to the website that lists the perks by Captain Club's levels, priority tendering is not available.

I called the Captains Club rep and she told me the same thing, not offered anymore. Doesn't even show up for Zenith's. Suites only.

Does anyone know when this was taken away?

I guess unless you are in a suite, Celebrity doesn't feel you are worthy anymore. Just one more take-away in a long list.

We just did a B2B cruise on the Equinox (24 and 31 March). Grand Cayman was one of our ports so we were tendered. We are Elite and had priority tendering to Grand Cayman. We were instructed to all meet in the Ensemble Lounge at a specific time. We were all escorted to the tender station by the Captains Club hostess. Like in the past no tickets. BTW we were not in a suite.

...

According to the website that lists the perks by Captain Club's levels, priority tendering is not available.

I called the Captains Club rep and she told me the same thing, not offered anymore. Doesn't even show up for Zenith's. Suites only....

Last month on Solstice I had the same experience as davekathy. As Elites, not in a suite, we were told by Captain Club host where to meet for boarding. From there, CC host escorted a small group of us to the front of the tender line. Yes, I felt a little sheepish "cutting the queue" but I got over it quickly ;) No tender tickets were used.

It is interesting that Celebrity no longer promotes this as a benefit, yet still offers it.

We also had priority tendering as Elite Plus on our last visit to Grand Cayman earlier this year.

Thanks all for the updates. Will just have to wait and see what they do on our sailing.

What happens when one person in our tendering party is not Elite? She is in a solo cabin. Will we all be able to tender together with the Elites?

What happens when one person in our tendering party is not Elite? She is in a solo cabin. Will we all be able to tender together with the Elites?

Not a problem. Just show up with the Elite Guest and you should be accommodated.

We were on the Silhouette two weeks ago. When we stopped at Grand Cayman we needed tender boats. This was our first time having to use them. We had an excursion to go to, so, we met up in the theater and were lead to the boats. I heard them announcing the tender ticket numbers for a few minutes. Then they announced that they were not needed and if you wanted to go ashore, have at it. They were using boats that held 200 people.

Ok, have to throw this in. Was on Shilouette last August in Edinburgh and had to be tendered. The issue was they were using the life boats.

Anyway went down and said we were Elite and they said unless I had a piece of paper, Elite had no priority. 😡 what piece of paper? Our ship cards said Elite!

My question is, what it someone for the first time ever cruising and just happens to book a suite, they get priority! What happened to loyalty? 🤔

Not an issue on our South Pacific Cruise in January ( many tenders) we have the owners suite! 😂 on RCCL.