Tenders: Love 'em or....?

[editor@cruisecritic]

How do you really feel when you find out your next port of call is a "tender" port? Please vote in our poll. And have you had an interesting or bizarre (in a good or bad way) experience on a tender that's transported you between ship and shore? Tell us about it below!

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor in Chief

Cruise Critic

[Aquahound]

I love the tender ride. I just hate the lines and waiting.

[Happy ks]

I voted "other", as the choice that I don't like it wasn't available. I just don't like the sometimes very rough ride on the stuffy lifeboats. I try to go up on top if possible.

 

I only do it because there is no other way to get into port. The view looking back to the ship is nice, but nothing I'd miss if I didn't see it.

 

I did have a bad experience re-boarding a ship once, the tender dipped as I was stepping onto the gangplank. Even though I was being assisted by crew, I still pulled a muscle in my hip/groin. It was weeks before the pain was gone. To say I'm very careful now is an understatement.

[paul929207]

I click other. We sail with Princess and are Elite in their repeat customer program. One of the perks of Elite is priority tendering. We just walk down to the gangway when we are ready to go ashore and get on the next tender.

[CeeCee59]

Will be experiencing my first tender in May when the Crown Princess stops at Santa Barbara and to be honest I am a little nervous about it. Can someone explain how protected you are on the gangplank? I have visions of a six inch wide piece of wood balanced precariously between the ship and the tender with sharks swimming in circles below.

[Patti22]

I admit that tendering sometimes makes me nervous. Depends on the sea conditions. I always accept help from the crew and have had a couple of kind of scary situations. I do believe that the crew is skilled and they haven't dropped me yet!!

[meatball_nyc]

Love them!

 

 

 

~robin and brian

(summertime jersey shore beach bums)

Every Day at Sea is a Great Day

Norwegian Breakaway 2014

Carnival Miracle 2010

Carnival Legend 2006

[Laurie S.]

I voted other because we don't mind tendering at all. However, since we're hauling heavy dive equipment back-and-forth, it's very hard on us to tender since they always make us use the stairs.

[kcwingwalker]

I look forward to tendering when things go smoothly and they usually do.

[sparky-elpaso]

Will be experiencing my first tender in May when the Crown Princess stops at Santa Barbara and to be honest I am a little nervous about it. Can someone explain how protected you are on the gangplank? I have visions of a six inch wide piece of wood balanced precariously between the ship and the tender with sharks swimming in circles below.

 

You generally go down a stairway to a platform (which later folds up into the side of the ship.

 

[JimAOk1945]

Most of the time tendering poses no problem. Since my wife is a "shutter bug" she looks forward to the challenge offered by taking pictures from the different vantage points seen from the tender.

[LHT28]

Do not like being crammed in with others

some tenders are not too bad as long as the seas are calm I am ok

[OCruisers]

Marked OTHER because we don't care one way or the other ... neither love nor hate to tender.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[luddite]

It's a PIA but it cannot be helped.

[notentirelynormal]

Marked OTHER because we don't care one way or the other ... neither love nor hate to tender.

 

LuLu

~~~~

 

Same here.

 

My story: Years ago we were trying to tender and the seas were a little rough. Even though we didn't witness it ourselves the story was all over the ship in lightening speed. An older couple was one of the first to try to board the tender. The problem was the ship was going up when the tender was going down - a lot. They were having a tough time getting it equal. Well I guess the husband got tired of waiting for his wife to board so pushed her on board. The difference was at least 10 feet. Ya, she was injured. They eventually got everyone back on board and it became a sea day.

[ozzie&harriet]

I think I would not mind using the tenders if I had the priority boarding!

Otherwise, I do not enjoy the transfer. I would much rather walk off the ship.

I don't get off at Half Moon just because it is not worth it to me to have to get on the tender, waiting in lines in the heat, etc. But that's just me, I put up with it for Cozumel.

[SadieN]

I have discovered that I cannot sit too near the engines on the tenders. The quick vibrations get me queasy.

 

The best tender ride we ever had was into Avalon last year. We were escorted in by dolphins and sea lions.

 

In the early 90's we were tendering to Avalon on the old Viking Serenade. A gal missed the tender and went right into the sea. The ship's personnal went in right after her. She came up wet but otherwise whole.

[tip]

Yes, it sometimes takes a little longer, especially when you are tired and returning to the ship after a long port visit, but there is nothing like the view and the waters of the Caribbean. Now if it was from Antarctica........;)

[Scrapnana]

I chose other because sometimes I love them and sometimes I hate them. It depends on the type of tender, the weather and sea conditions, and the platform for getting in and out of tender. (I have bad knees and large steps are impossible for me.) The RCI picture a few posts up would be very easy for me but I have had some that were not that user-friendly.

[Keith1010]

I chose other. While I prefer that we not tender there are places in the world that we would not see if not for a tender so we are appreciative that this is an option.

 

Keith

[Lerin]

Can't get a photo like this without a tender!

Star Clippers, Royal Clipper

Edited December 16, 2013 by Lerin

[editor@cruisecritic]

Yikes! That's awful! Thanks for sharing, though.

 

Carolyn

 

 

Same here.

 

My story: Years ago we were trying to tender and the seas were a little rough. Even though we didn't witness it ourselves the story was all over the ship in lightening speed. An older couple was one of the first to try to board the tender. The problem was the ship was going up when the tender was going down - a lot. They were having a tough time getting it equal. Well I guess the husband got tired of waiting for his wife to board so pushed her on board. The difference was at least 10 feet. Ya, she was injured. They eventually got everyone back on board and it became a sea day.

[5326jan]

I also selected "other". I don't mind the tender, but it does worry me to see some of the older, mobility impaired people trying to maneuver into/out of the tender and the stairs to/from. Our favorite was in Cabo watching the dolphins and seals. There were even sea lions hitching a ride on the back of some of the fishing boat's fantails.

 

 

This past October in Bar Harbor, the seas were a little rough and an woman on the topside of the tender fell off. :eek: Some man (husband?) jumped in after her, then a crew member jumped in after both of them. :eek::eek: There was quite a commotion on board the ship when the captain announced "man overboard". We were already back on the ship and couldn't see all the activity because of the way the Dolphin deck sticks out so far. Luckily, they fell on the away side of the ship, not between the tender and the ship. I heard that no one was hurt, just cold and shaken.

Edited December 16, 2013 by 5326jan

[Donray]

Just another why to get to land. I don't care either why. I would prefer that the dock and I walk off to land.

[cruzeluver]

If I had mobility issues or was very susceptible to seasickness I might not care for tenders, but as it is, I have no problem with them and consider part of the adventure of travel.