Celebrity Tendering at Icy Straight Point

[cathysmom]

Do they have different times to tender from the ship to the shore or do they do one drop off/one pick up?

 

Dont want to book a noon excursion but have to take the tender at 7am!

[fleckle]

Do they have different times to tender from the ship to the shore or do they do one drop off/one pick up?

 

Dont want to book a noon excursion but have to take the tender at 7am!

The tenders run back and forth continuously for the entire time that the ship is there. During busy times they leave about every 5 to 10 minutes, and during slower times of the day you may have a wait of about 20 minutes or so for the next one.

 

Some categories of passengers (such as people taking ship excursions, suite passengers, etc.) get priority tendering, so they are the first ones off in the morning.

 

Otherwise, you get a tender ticket and you can get off when your number is called. They will let you know where to get the tender tickets.

 

After they get all the people with tickets off, they go to open tendering for the rest of the day, where you no longer need a ticket but just go down to the exit whenever you are ready and get on the next tender.

 

If you have a noon excursion and don't want to get off early, by the time you are ready to leave the ship they most likely will already have gone to open tendering, so you can go down and get off whenever you want.

 

 

If you are taking one of the ship's excursions, there is no need for concern about the tender at all because they have everyone who is taking the same excursion meet together on the ship (usually in the theater). There they give you little tags to wear, and then they take you all down to the tender together as a group.

 

Before leaving, be sure you know the last tender time for returning to the ship (which is always posted by the exit) and be at the tender dock by last tender time.

 

They will not leave anyone behind who is there on time, so even when there is a long line, they will keep on running tenders back and forth beyond last tender time as long as necessary until they have picked up everyone who is waiting in line.

[Tenn4ever]

We had no excursions and it was very easy. We walked down after a leisurely breakfast on our veranda about 10:30 and walked right on the tender. On the way back the tender waits on the other side next to the dock and when it fills up it starts back. They used at least two of the life boats for tenders. The trip took about five minutes. When we got back to the dock my husband went back before I did and I stayed and shopped for another half hour. It's very easy. Just make sure you know what time you have to be back on the ship.

 

Here is a picture of the tender in early June.

 

[fleckle]

Just to clarify so there is no concern, they do not always wait until a tender fills up before it departs. Many times we have been on a tender that left when it was less than half full.

 

So don't worry about having to sit in a tender for hours waiting for it to fill up because the tender will leave after waiting a reasonable time, full or not.

 

The early tenders and the last ones are usually the most crowded where they really pack them in.

If crowding bothers you, try to ride on the upper level (if you are on a boat that has seating on the upper level).

 

 

At tender ports, the only important time for passengers to remember when you are off the ship is last tender time.

It is the time that you need to be at the tender dock, not the time that you have to be back on the ship.

 

 

The ship's scheduled departure time is of no real significance to passengers because the ship may actually depart earlier or later than its scheduled departure time, depending on when they get everyone on board and get the lifeboats raised.

 

When I ride back to the ship on the last tender, I like to go stand at the rail on deck 4 and watch them immediately start raising the boat that I just stepped off.

[Northern Aurora]

We have been to Icy Strait Point (Hoonah) twice, and it may not be clear to those who have not been there that the tender trip is very short. Last November we did the Pacific Jewels cruise on the Infinity in which every port but one was a tender port. Some of those tender trips were quite long, but at Hoonah the actual tender trip is very short.

[cathysmom]

Thanks everyone for your feedback! I've never tendered before so I'm not sure what to expect.

 

I do have one other question....If I went ashore earlier then my excursion is there a place on land that the group would meet in addition to the place on ship?

 

Again, dont want to leave the ship at 10 and then find I need to return to me the group in the theater for the 12 excursion....

 

Thanks again!

[LMZinSC]

For a noon excursion everyone will most likely meet on the dock, not on the ship. They expect people to have already gotten off, so only the very early morning tours meet onboard. The rest will meet onshore.

[fleckle]

Thanks everyone for your feedback! I've never tendered before so I'm not sure what to expect.

 

I do have one other question....If I went ashore earlier then my excursion is there a place on land that the group would meet in addition to the place on ship?

I'll try to provide the full explanation, since you say you are not sure what to expect, but if you want only a brief answer, please just skip directly to the last paragraph below.

 

 

The independent vendors are not allowed to bring their boats up to the Icy Strait Point dock or to drive their vehicles onto the Icy Strait Point property, so all the independent tour operators pick up their passengers on the road outside the parking lot.

 

When you get off the tender, there is a ramp from the dock that goes up to the area above. When you get up to the top of the ramp, you would keep walking straight ahead past the buildings there and then veer to your right. Off to the right you would see a big parking lot with buses.

 

You would walk to the right across the parking lot, past a little booth at the exit and continue out on the road a short way where there are pullouts where the independent vendors park their vans and wait to pick up their passengers. But don't worry about remembering this because your tour operator will tell you all this.

 

If you are taking one of the ship's whale watching excursions, however, you would just board the whale watching boat right on the same dock where the tender drops you off because that boat is allowed to dock there.

 

If you are taking any of the ship's other excursions, the people at the shore excursion desk (which is on deck 3 near guest relations) will tell you where to meet your group.

 

The instructions for where to meet are also typically included with your tickets You may meet on the dock, or if you are meeting a large group, they may tell you do go up the ramp and meet in an area up above, since the dock itself is small.

 

As for the whale watching tours, the people who want to go on a small boat (what they call a 6 pack, because it holds no more than 6 passengers) will book with one of the independent operators.

 

The people who want to go on a large boat will book the ship's whale watching excursion.

 

 

:) Okay, here comes the brief answer:

 

In any case, there is no need for concern because regardless of whether you use an independent operator for your tour or book a tour from the ship, just ask and they will tell you when and where to meet.

(In fact, they will probably tell you even if you don't ask.)

[Naps]

If you have a ship excursion, they will place your tickets on your bed, and there will be instructions where to meet. We were on Millenium last week. We had an independent whale watching tour with Misty Bay Lodge for 7:30am. We went down to the tender area at 6:45am, and virtually walked onto the first tender. Then I walked out, to the right, passed the busses and met our tour company.

It was very easy, and not crowded. They ran 2 or 3 lifeboats for tenders.

There is a buidling that was a cannery years ago, now redone into shops just as you exit the dock. You could meet up with people there.

[cathysmom]

Thanks!!!! I appreciate the feedback. We sail next Friday. I'm looking at weather forecasts and they say rain....do I dare book and hope for the best? Anyone ever gone whale watching in bad weather?

[Tenn4ever]

Thanks!!!! I appreciate the feedback. We sail next Friday. I'm looking at weather forecasts and they say rain....do I dare book and hope for the best? Anyone ever gone whale watching in bad weather?

 

Rain was predicted for every day we were on the cruise and it didn't rain any. The day we were to rent a car and drive the Klondike Highway out of Skagway my husband wanted to cancel out of the reservation but we didn't and I'm so glad. It was very overcast when we left but within twenty minutes it had cleared up and was beatiful the rest of the day.

 

We had great weather northbound but I understand that when the ship made the return trip the next week (southbound) it rained quite a bit.

[Naps]

Thanks!!!! I appreciate the feedback. We sail next Friday. I'm looking at weather forecasts and they say rain....do I dare book and hope for the best? Anyone ever gone whale watching in bad weather?

 

Yes, it rained on our whale tour last week. I had researched all of the independent companies, and also emailed them about their boats. Rain was a worry for me, as well as protecting my cameras.

Misty Bay Lodge has a brand new catamaran, that is covered over the back. It was drizziling, but the winds made sheets of rain across the boat. We were still able to stand outside the cabin and take photos. The catamaran cut through the waves, so none of us (only 4 people) felt sick. This was also due to the length of the boat. Captain Dan was a good Captain, and we were still able to see whales and sea lions. They also serve coffee, cookies and cold drinks.

I would definitely tour with them again. We all sat inside on the way back watching off the bow while Captain Dan piloted the boat!

PS: Be ready with raincoats, hats, gloves and those rain covers for your cameras.

Have fun!!

[cathysmom]

Rain Ponchos, jackets, hats, rain sleeves for the camera are packed away! Plenty of motion meds packed as well!! Looks like we'll go whale watching!!

 

Thanks again for the feedback & Picture!!