Tender in Cayman

[drivemecrazy]

I have been hearing reports that if you do not have an Carnival excursion booked it could be as late as 11:00 before you can get off. It wasn't like that 2 years ago on Conquest. Is it because Magic is bigger? If so then you only get a couple of hours ashore before you have to head back. Let me know someone who's gone recently.

[CanadaJulie]

I want to know this too !

 

We arrive in GCM at 0700 ship time, which is 0800 island time

Excursion leaves at 0900... :eek::eek::eek:

 

Wouldn't have been so bad on a ship from Florida because we would have had the same ship/island time. But the Magic leaves Galveston - hence the hour difference !

 

How are we gonna manage this ??

[Rottweiler Puppy]

I have been hearing reports that if you do not have an Carnival excursion booked it could be as late as 11:00 before you can get off. It wasn't like that 2 years ago on Conquest. Is it because Magic is bigger? If so then you only get a couple of hours ashore before you have to head back. Let me know someone who's gone recently.

 

 

Not exactly recent but last April it was first come first served on the Liberty. I was in the first boat off and was not on a Carnival tour.

 

Just order up the gross Carnival room service breakfast (cold cruddy bagel, dry mummified toast, fake watery OJ, and the stuff they call coffee) then get your butt downstairs and wait. Get there really early. Like 7 at least

 

It was fast and easy getting off the ship.

[lastone/off/the/boat]

I was there sept of 2011. Our ship was late as it was that whole cruise. the night before they said only those with carnival tours but when it came to that morning everyone could get off. I didnt run down to get my tender ticket, because i didnt have a carnival tour booked either. By the time i did get to the theater to get my ticket they just gave me one and said proceed to disembark. We got right on a tender and met with our tour group early. I wouldnt worry about it too much. the tender takes no time at all and most tours carnival and non-carnival meet right there at the port.

[mustardgirl]

I want to know this too !

 

We arrive in GCM at 0700 ship time, which is 0800 island time

Excursion leaves at 0900... :eek::eek::eek:

 

Wouldn't have been so bad on a ship from Florida because we would have had the same ship/island time. But the Magic leaves Galveston - hence the hour difference !

 

How are we gonna manage this ??

 

Correct me if I am wrong but I think the ship time and island time you have is off. All depends on if daylight savings time is in effect. Not sure when in March it starts, but if you are there before daylight savings time then Grand Caymon is the same time as ship time. If after then they will be an hour behind ship time.

 

I'm going in April for the first time so I can't help w/ tendering time, but I also am concerned about this!

[billnict]

I have been hearing reports that if you do not have an Carnival excursion booked it could be as late as 11:00 before you can get off. It wasn't like that 2 years ago on Conquest. Is it because Magic is bigger? If so then you only get a couple of hours ashore before you have to head back. Let me know someone who's gone recently.

 

I can tell you how Carnival handled it in Belize a month ago when we were there on the Dream. The people who were on excursions booked through Carnival were first on the tenders and then they opened it up to everyone else...

[Colorado Kat]

Tendering in Belize is different than in Grand Cayman. Cayman is a rather quick process, and easy to do, since the ship anchors in close. In Belize, due to the reefs, and shallow water, you have to anchor quite a long distance out. The tenders then take much longer, since there is more distance to travel.

 

In Grand Cayman, I would just go down and get in line whenever. Really goes quickly.

[CanadaJulie]

Correct me if I am wrong but I think the ship time and island time you have is off. All depends on if daylight savings time is in effect. Not sure when in March it starts, but if you are there before daylight savings time then Grand Caymon is the same time as ship time. If after then they will be an hour behind ship time.

 

We go before DST

Ship is Texas time, UTC -6 (I mentionned the Magic, sails out of Galveston)

Grand Cayman is UTC-5

 

So 1 hour later in Grand Cayman than it will be on the ship

 

Now if your ship leaves from Florida

Before DST

Florida UTC -5

Grand Cayman UTC -5 - same time

 

After DST

Florida UTC -4

Grand Cayman (no DST) still UTC -5

 

so it will be earlier in Cayman than it is on the ship

[Sinjan]

We were there last week on the Conquest. Tendering was much easier and shorter than in Belize. Maybe 5 minutes from ship to port.

Yes, Carnival excursions get first tenders. But the Fun Times will tell you where and what time to get your tender ticket/number if you have an early excursion. Those are first come first served. People start gathering for these tickets up to an hour before they begin tendering. So if it's critical you get off the ship asap, get everyone ready and go EARLY for your tickets.

We weren't in any hurry ourselves and didn't start toward the lounge for tickets until about 9 or so. Just as we were getting there, the guy in charge tells us they are ahead of schedule and to go on down. Then just as we get off the elevator we hear the announcement for open tendering. Everything went so smoothly we were probably at the turtle farm by 10:15.

[zqvol]

I want to know this too !

 

We arrive in GCM at 0700 ship time, which is 0800 island time

Excursion leaves at 0900... :eek::eek::eek:

 

Wouldn't have been so bad on a ship from Florida because we would have had the same ship/island time. But the Magic leaves Galveston - hence the hour difference !

 

How are we gonna manage this ??

 

Coming from Galveston, if the US and Canada are observing DST ship time and island time will be the same.