Lifeboats as Tenders?

[Lovefuninthesun]

Per John Heald on FB today, tomorrow in Ediburgh they are going to have to use the Legend's lifeboats as tenders!:eek: He doesn't elaborate as to rationale.

Yikes! What a ride! Count me out!

[SPKEMO]

I've been on 2 cruises where they used lifeboats as tenders. No biggie.

[Lovefuninthesun]

I've been on 2 cruises where they used lifeboats as tenders. No biggie.

 

Really? Interesting -- and new to me!

Doesn't sound very comfortable :o

[Georgiagolfer]

I've been on 2 cruises where they used lifeboats as tenders. No biggie.

 

Personally, I think that would be kinda neat.:D

[bobandalice]

Per John Heald on FB today, tomorrow in Ediburgh they are going to have to use the Legend's lifeboats as tenders!:eek: He doesn't elaborate as to rationale.

Yikes! What a ride! Count me out!

 

 

We've used them several times on several different cruise lines. Our British Isles cruise on Princess a few years ago used the larger lifeboats/tenders in addition to some harbor tenders at Edinburgh and we rode on both. No noticeable difference. It is fine.

[Crusin Hogs]

Rode lifeboats last year on Princess at Princess Cay , They are fine to ride in

[cruisinfanatic]

Princess uses them all the time. Not a big deal.

[Essiesmom]

Places I have tendered in ship's tenders: Akureyri & Isorfjordur, Iceland (QE2); Guernsey; Cabo, Fuerte Amador, Dplit, HMC (on HAL, Noordam was using the local tenders); Split, Geiranger...and many more. EM

[srlafleur]

Would have been great to have had the use of the lifeboats as tenders on the stormy Edinburgh day we had on a Celebrity cruise. Alas, due to the weather, they could only use a single bigger boat for tendering, hence long lines in the chilly, driving rain while waiting to go back to the ship. (I think it may have been that it was easier/safer to embark and disembark the larger ferry.)

 

Been on several cruises when lifeboats were used as tenders. It was just fine.

[kybluecruiser]

Many cruise lines use them. You may notice some ships have larger boats. Those are used for tendering.

[pungo3]

I've been on lifeboats used as tenders on several Carnival cruises. They are surprisingly comfortable.:D

[elliair]

I've been on 2 cruises where they used lifeboats as tenders. No biggie.

 

Same here - like in Cabo they use the tenders. It isn't a big deal even for the handicapped.

[mking8288]

Depends on what he meant by "lifeboats" b/c those boats on the Legend are pretty big on sizes, except for the 2+ smaller fast boats ... unless they are speaking of the (very unlikely) inflatable rubbercrafts. I wouldn't automatically go nuts in tendering with "lifeboats" unless everyone is also asked to put in their life vests ... :D and hold on for the dear ride.

 

We've been on smaller cruise ships and even some of their "lifeboats" are rather big - the mega cruisers' lifeboats that we're rode in held easily 150 to 200+ people plus gears to/from shore as tenders when the "larger" land-based tenders couldn't be used or unavailable for whatever reasons. Those bigger "beasts" take forever to embark & disembark - lines can be insanely long, worst upon returning with security screening. But, if you have priority tendering, it's usually all good - unless one is prone to motion sickness. :eek:

[old sole]

We've used them twice, both times on Carnival Spirit. Once in Sitka, Alaska and once in Kona, Hawaii.

 

They are every bit as comfortable as the contracted shore-side tenders we've been on in the Caribbean and elsewhere, more comfortable than some (thinking of Grand Cayman here).

[amc80]

I think I've only had lifeboat tenders.

[hawaiideb]

We have taken numerous cruises on NCL, and they use thier larger lifeboats as tenders. Enclosed with open window in front and open in the back. Once, we were going to be on the Carnival Spirit, so we told DD that if we had to tender we would use the lifeboats. She got all excited, thinking the man overboard speedboat mounted all the way forward on the Carnival Spirit might be her ride :) Sadly, she was disappointed, but got over it quickly!

We also counted these in the lifeboat total count and missed the opportunity to get a ship on a stick at a family event. We were told then they are NOT lifeboats! DH said, "If the ship was going down, you're not going to put people in there??? At least maybe the Captain?"

[CRUZBUDS]

Most of our tendering experience has also been on ship's tenders.

 

I think there is some confusion between the ship's lifeboats and tenders. Here is a picture - the tender is on the right.

 

 

 

Tenders are also lifeboats in an emergency, but lifeboats aren't tenders. :)

[ATHENA3]

John Heald words were....Meanwhile the challenge tomorrow is the fact that we have to use our lifeboats as tenders and that will require the guests to have a huge dollop of pati...ence.

 

I never seen that happen before,interesting.

[loxley]

Per John Heald on FB today, tomorrow in Ediburgh they are going to have to use the Legend's lifeboats as tenders!:eek: He doesn't elaborate as to rationale.

Yikes! What a ride! Count me out!

 

Why would you have this attitude? It is a nice comfortable ride.

 

You could always just stay on the ship.

[loxley]

John Heald words were....Meanwhile the challenge tomorrow is the fact that we have to use our lifeboats as tenders and that will require the guests to have a huge dollop of pati...ence.

 

I never seen that happen before,interesting.

 

I imagine that would be because after they drop anchor, the boats will have to be lowered and checked out before they can start tendering.

[amc80]

Most of our tendering experience has also been on ship's tenders.

 

I think there is some confusion between the ship's lifeboats and tenders. Here is a picture - the tender is on the right.

 

 

 

Tenders are also lifeboats in an emergency, but lifeboats aren't tenders. :)

 

Yep, count me as confused. I guess they were technically tenders but because they can also be lifeboats I always assumed they were "the" lifeboats.

[WetToes]

I've been on 2 cruises where they used lifeboats as tenders. No biggie.

 

Agree.

[RuthlessBoss]

Per John Heald on FB today, tomorrow in Ediburgh they are going to have to use the Legend's lifeboats as tenders!:eek: He doesn't elaborate as to rationale.

Yikes! What a ride! Count me out!

So, stay on the ship, I have no problem with you not going ashore:)

[AdrenalineRush]

Not sure if this will work, but its a short video I took, of the Fascination crew testing the tenders in nassau,a few years ago.

 

Was pretty cool to watch.

 

http://s1132.photobucket.com/user/Ebonyrunner/media/fasvideo049.mp4.html?sort=6&o=59

[Lerin]

Our Carnival cruise was the first one where they didn't use lifeboats as tenders.

 

I'm wondering if the op realizes what the lifeboats are and how they work.

In movies and stuff they show little open-air rubber rafts flopping around, but that's not reality. The lifeboats are covered and have a capacity of around 100 people.