Tender boats - how easy to get in first boats?

[jtsbusiness]

We are trying to book private tour in Icy Strait and realise that when we get into port we have to use the tender boats to get off the ship. Is there a formality for this on Century - e.g. do you have to get a ticket?:confused:

 

We will be in Concierge class. Does this give us priority?:(

 

Can anybody help that has experienced this:)

 

Thanks

[mrsdoc3]

I was on Solstice a couple of weeks ago, and we tendered into St. Maarten. There are tickets, and CC does give you some priority. I don't know how much, though. We were not CC, and we were in no particular hurry to get off.

[kitty9]

Those with ship tours go first, then Elite club members, then suites. Being Concierge doesn't really mean that much, IMHO. You'll be told where to get tender tickets, and then you'll wait in a gathering spot or the number to be called.

[Fixit2010]

I once heard that some captains don't like to wait and accidentally fall in to one. You could try that trick and see if its any quicker.

[jtsbusiness]

:D:D:D:D :p

[Hawaiidan]

as others stated, you will have a ticket..ALL tour passengers will go first.

I would figure a good hour after the tenders start working.

Here in Hawaii, the ship pulls in at 7am they start tendering by 8, around 930 the non tour people start ariving on shore. In the Med too at places like Santorini non tour folks had to wait serveral hours after arrival

 

Tell you private tour guy to expect your late arrival.... because you will

[Adammara]

When we tendered in Split, there was some sort of dispute, and as non tour pax we got ashore about 11.30, it was really slow. Don't book an early tour!

 

We have also been late into ports due to high winds, or even had ports changed. Last October Eclipse was due to call at Coruna in northen Spain, but we had head winds and slowed down considerably, Celebrity were great and arranged for us a last minute call in Vigo instead, better than an extra day at sea!

 

Richard

[FrankinPA]

If you are Elite and ask the Concierge at Guest Services (be really nice and pleasant when you do it) a few days ahead of time, he or she will probably give you yellow priority tickets. On the back, it tells you where to assemble and at what time.

 

Although we were taking a private tour on Equinox two weeks ago, we were able to board the first tender. May not work all the time but it is worth a shot. Otherwise, get in line early and get a ticket. It goes pretty fast.

[ghstudio]

If you are elite you will get priority tender tickets in your cabin...you don't have to ask anyone

[Fixit2010]

If you are elite you will get priority tender tickets in your cabin...you don't have to ask anyone

 

What if the majority of the passengers are Elite?

[jtsbusiness]

They said they would wait for us as long as we try and get off as quickly as possible. Looks like we would be at least 3rd tender boat after all the cruise ship passengers and elite passengers. Could be 3/4 hr to an hour after docking. What do you think?

[ghstudio]

What if the majority of the passengers are Elite?

 

The majority of passengers on the ship will not be elite...and all the elite passengers will not want to be the first ones off the ship. Unless you are on a transatlantic, this is not an issue (TA's tend to have many many more elite passengers).

[Kellie Poodle]

On our Infinity South America cruise in January, we got our Elite priority tender tickets in out cabin. We assembled in Michael's Club and were always the first pax on the tenders. We never had to wait for the tour groups.

 

Perhaps it's different on other ships. I'm sailing on Century in less than a month and we have two tendered ports. I'll try to report back.

[Thechats]

We were CC and the priority tickets waiting in our cabin entitled us to meet in the cinema from which we were taken to the tender within a few minutes. Definitely beats the mob scene in the theater!

[jtsbusiness]

So hopefully the Concierge class will give us priority. Can but hope

[Kellie Poodle]

So hopefully the Concierge class will give us priority. Can but hope

 

 

Ask your concierge if he/she can procure priority tender tickets for you. If you are entitled to them, then you'll know. If not, I'm fairly certain he/she can get them for you.

[fleckle]

Even with priority tender tickets, our experience has been that the wait time can vary from cruise to cruise, even at the same port.

 

At Icy Strait Point, it is good to keep a cell phone with you so you can stay in contact with your tour vendor. The independent vendors do try to accommodate you if you let them know you are there and attempting to get off the ship.

 

If you have booked one of their small boats entirely for your own party, they will wait for you.

 

It makes it more difficult for them trying to keep everyone happy when they have some passengers on shore eager and ready to go at the scheduled time and other passengers still on the ship waiting to get off, but they do the best they can to work it out without disappointing anyone.

[Clydesmom7865]

I had a private tour booked in Grand Cayman and got in line about 20 minutes before tender tickets were to be handed out in order to be on the first one after the organized ship tours. No sooner was the young lady ready to start handing out tickets that the cruise director called her on the radio and asked how many she had that were READY to go. She counted out about 25 people but out of them only 15 of us were ready to leave right then. He said "send them down" and we went. We were actually off the ship with some of the crew and before the ship tours! I doubt that happens often but if you line up for tickets make sure you are ready to leave and you just might find yourself fast tracked off the ship. Those who weren't ready to leave were told to come back when they were.

 

I did hear later that as it got a little later there was quite a wait to get off the ship.

[infoprof56]

We visited ICP on the Millie last summer. We asked the hotel director for priority tender tickets when we met her at the Cruise Critic meet and greet. She happily provided them and told another couple who were in a Concierge cabin that they would be getting them anyway. As it turned out they didn't even ask for tender tickets. There was plenty of space for all for the early tenders. It is a very short tender which did not back up the way some ports in the Carribean do.

 

 

We are trying to book private tour in Icy Strait and realise that when we get into port we have to use the tender boats to get off the ship. Is there a formality for this on Century - e.g. do you have to get a ticket?:confused:

 

We will be in Concierge class. Does this give us priority?:(

 

Can anybody help that has experienced this:)

 

Thanks