Liberty tendering operation in Belize City dreadful

[spartyfan87]

Took us an hour and a half to get off the ship. The line wound around all the way up to deck 4 and down the side of the ship. Staff was no where to be seen, until several people started getting really upset. They finally started keeping kids amused (and parents) by trivia. When we asked what the problem was we were told "You should have booked a shore excursion with us, we get you off quicker." Horrible response to someone who wasn't even ABLE to book the excursion we wanted, because they were all sold out.

[shaggyofwv]

Took us an hour and a half to get off the ship. The line wound around all the way up to deck 4 and down the side of the ship. Staff was no where to be seen, until several people started getting really upset. They finally started keeping kids amused (and parents) by trivia. When we asked what the problem was we were told "You should have booked a shore excursion with us, we get you off quicker." Horrible response to someone who wasn't even ABLE to book the excursion we wanted, because they were all sold out.

 

Just curious, what employee of Royal said "You should have booked a shore excursion with us, we get you off quicker"?

[spartyfan87]

Just curious, what employee of Royal said "You should have booked a shore excursion with us, we get you off quicker"?

 

I didn't get the name. He was not very nice, just standing with a walkie talkie making sure people didn't cut in line (which they still did). I'm assuming he was cruise director staff, he was young and in sporty attire.

[PhoenixCruiser]

Just curious, what employee of Royal said "You should have booked a shore excursion with us, we get you off quicker"?

 

Actually, it is a known fact that those with excursions with the cruise line are always off first.

 

With that said, we experienced the same long lines in 2011. When we finally got on a tender it lost an engine so it took us about 2 hours from start to finish.

 

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[Cruising89143]

Actually, it is a known fact that those with excursions with the cruise line are always off first.

 

With that said, we experienced the same long lines in 2011. When we finally got on a tender it lost an engine so it took us about 2 hours from start to finish.

 

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I agree. We went to Belize on the NV about five years ago. Ship excursions get priority tendering and since the ride from the ship to shore is a longer than normal process it slows down the tendering process. It was well over an hour before got off the ship.

[John Henry on CC]

I didn't get the name. He was not very nice, just standing with a walkie talkie making sure people didn't cut in line (which they still did). I'm assuming he was cruise director staff, he was young and in sporty attire.

 

He may have been on the CD's staff, but many other parts of staff help out with these things. He could have been sports staff or entertainment staff or Explorations staff or even Adventure Ocean staff.

Edited November 30, 2013 by John Henry on CC

[jeditden]

Yep, last November, my wife and I were on Liberty's first sailing out of Ft Lauderdale for the season. It was almost 2.5 hours of a line not moving. We figured maybe it had something to do with being the first time in port for the season. We snaked all the way to the back wall of deck 3 blocking a ton of cabins. I felt bad for people trying to sleep in that morning heh. Of course multiple people cut into the line, no staff said anything about the delay. We booked an outside excursion that was supposed to start at 1030. We didn't meet the guide until almost 12pm. We had to eat our lunch on the bus ride back into town, instead of relaxing at the cool roadside stop. We were literally the last group on the last tender. Got a bunch of stern looks from folks saying they were waiting for us. So I can confirm that the ship won't leave without you, even when not booking thru RC...haha.

[KAA951]

I am not sure when you sailed, but our experience on the November 9th 2013 sailing was very similar. I was actually embarrassed for Royal Caribbean as we have never seen such a disorganized port visit- even when we have had to tender. One of our party (a first time cruiser) was actually in tears.

 

We had an excursion booked through RCI (Crystal Cave Float & Zipline) and our tickets instructed us to report to the theater at 0830 to depart. When we got to the theater a little after 8, the line extended up the Casino. We queued up in a gaggle 4-5 people wide and waited with little line movement. We eventually reached the top of the stairs down to the theater to see an RCI crew member yelling as loudly as he could (no PA) to the crowd. None of us could hear him, but the crowd passed the message up that only one member of each party holding the tickets should line up to the left, the rest of the party should move to the right and sit down in the theater to wait.

 

The crowd started moving, I stayed in the line and the rest of our group went into the theater. Then things became weird as another RCI crew member showed up, stopped people entering on the left and triggered the big, automatic bulkhead doors across that half of the theater entrance! Mass confusion reigned- people were very angry and frustrated.

 

My wife, who had made it in before the door closed came back to yell across the crowd that they were canceling excursions and she basically dragged me to the right and down to the stage. Due to high water, our float (and many other excursions) were being cancelled. We opted to continue on to the Zipline and several others in our party who had cancelled excursions opted to join us.

 

Getting out of the theater and to the tender was a mess too. Our amended excursion was announced (finally with a PA) and we walked as a group down to the tender station. Just before boarding, A crew member stopped our excursion group and started to tell us to go back to the theater- when several people got angry she opened the rope and said, "Just get off my ship."

 

Arrival at the dock was a mess too- but we finally found the right excursion company and boarded our bus. The Zipline was a blast and we have no complaints about the excursion itself or the excursion staff (they were great)!

 

I excused RCI in this instance as this was the first time that our ship had ported in Belize (they had just come from Europe) and RCI comped all of us for the full excursion cost- even though we still went for half of it. If this is still going on after our sailing though, it really is inexcusable.

Edited November 30, 2013 by KAA951

[cb at sea]

The thing to do is NOT to try and get off the ship early, apparenty! Let the masses exit, then proceed at your leisure!

[setsail]

Its only dreadful for those who do not have a ships tour booked and they try to get off the ship early. The crew member was spot on.

 

Next time if you don't have a ships tour booked, sleep in, have breakfast, and allow a couple of hours for the line to clear.

[PhoenixCruiser]

The thing to do is NOT to try and get off the ship early, apparenty! Let the masses exit, then proceed at your leisure!

 

Its only dreadful for those who do not have a ships tour booked and they try to get off the ship early. The crew member was spot on.

 

Next time if you don't have a ships tour booked, sleep in, have breakfast, and allow a couple of hours for the line to clear.

 

Well, I'm not an early riser and we had no intention of being off first. We didn't get into the line until three or four hours after the ship was anchored. Belize is a mess. And the stop at Belize also causes customs issues when the ship gets back to Florida.

 

Many posters have asked why the Liberty sailings are so cheap, this is why! Royal Caribbean really needs to address these issues.

 

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[KAA951]

Its only dreadful for those who do not have a ships tour booked and they try to get off the ship early..

 

Read my post above. We booked through RCI and followed their directions and it was still mass mayhem. I think that if this is still going on that RCI has a problem on the LOS.

[workathome]

We just got off from the nov 23rd cruise. We booked lamani through the ship. I believe we had to meet in studio b by 8:45 or so. We got there sat for about 5 min they called our group and we started to walk off and onto the tender. It was not bad at all. There was a long line on our return but it kept moving and again it was not bad. Not sure if they are getting better but it really was not a problem. Had a great tour.

[Shebbieal]

This post makes me chuckle!

 

Why anyone would want to get off the ship at Belize anyways!!!

 

Sherry

[DaNana]

The thing to do is NOT to try and get off the ship early, apparenty! Let the masses exit, then proceed at your leisure!

 

Actually that didn't hold true in March of 2011 on Voyager. We waited until the lines cleared as we did not schedule a tour. We still were about 2 hours getting off the ship and to the shore. Then they brought someone off on a stretcher after us. This seems to be a port intensive issue rather than ship issue, reading here. :cool:

[The Big Booper]

Never having been on a ship that stops at Belize, my take -

 

1. Don't book a ship that stops at Belize or

 

2. If we ignore #1, treat Belize as a day at sea.:D

[pspercy]

We loved the Lamanai tour, including the launch with 2x200HP outboards. We flew up that river :)

[satxdiver]

I have been to Belize many times both on a RCI ship and on another cruise line. I will be back in Belize in two weeks on the NOS. Tendering has always been a problem due to the distance involved and the number of tenders the port can handle. As others have said, ship excursions have priority. On the different cruise lines I have been on, this is the rule so RCI is not alone with this. Management of the lines to leave the ship is not a strong point for RCI by any means and is dire need of help. It seems they are into mass hysteria.

 

On a competing cruise line I sail, pax who are not on a ship tour go to the MDR where each pax is issued a boarding number at the door. You wait in the MDR until your boarding pass is called. They take the group down to the tender and load it. No pax are allowed to queue up on the deck leading to the tender. Only those from the MDR or theater (ship excursion) are allowed to leave the MDR/theater for the tender when called. Tendering is not any faster but at least they have control of the pax who are comfortable seated in the waiting area and not standing in line.

[Langley Cruisers]

We just got off from the nov 23rd cruise. We booked lamani through the ship... It was not bad at all... but it really was not a problem. Had a great tour.

 

Yes, that's what people are saying in this thread: a ship's tour will help prevent the madness that is described because passengers on ship's tours tender first, hence you thought it went well and didn't have a problem. :)

[edjny]

Never having been on a ship that stops at Belize, my take -

 

1. Don't book a ship that stops at Belize or

 

2. If we ignore #1, treat Belize as a day at sea.:D

 

We took the Liberty to Belize last Spring. Had a ball. As I recall, most, if not all the shuttling of people to shore was done by local tour boats. I guess they have contracts with the cruise ships to bring people ashore. As we arrived and dropped anchor, there were about 4-5 local boats waiting or just arriving. It only took about a half hour or so to start loading the boats and after that it went pretty quick since they are large boats.

[Ourusualbeach]

How long does it take to get back to the ship. We have a city tour that ends between 11 and 11:30 and then flowrider lessons at 12:20. Just wondering after reading all these posts if we should cancel the tour and stick with the flowrider.

 

Thanks

[voyager89]

I dont think a ship that big should even tender :( I have read several horror stories with the RC ships tender process. I will NEVER book a ship excursion when the prices to book it yourself are maybe half of the ship price. If I ever have to tender I would rather wander around the port and go back at my time maybe an hour ahead of departure time.

[dz9yvr]

This sounds a perfect example where status should help. Hopefully my D+ status would get priority tendering. :)

[setsail]

How long does it take to get back to the ship. We have a city tour that ends between 11 and 11:30 and then flowrider lessons at 12:20. Just wondering after reading all these posts if we should cancel the tour and stick with the flowrider.

 

Thanks

 

THE process (loading/unloading/travel) can take up to 40 min to an hour, each way. Rough seas can add to the time. As a rule the tenders have to fill up before leaving, each way.

Edited November 30, 2013 by setsail

[shaggyofwv]

Actually, it is a known fact that those with excursions with the cruise line are always off first.

 

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I am very aware that excursion passengers are given priority when disembarking, as they should be, but I was just curious what employee actually told the OP that they should have booked an excursion as that is not a very professional attitude.