Tendering

[NMLady]

Another first-timer here, with a followup question. Do passengers board the lifeboat/tender up on deck and then get lowered to the water, or do you board off a dock platform or something next to the ship (i.e. does the tender have to be raised/lowered constantly...)? I'm fine either way, but the wife (definitely NOT a small-boat-person) wouldn't be happy with that choice...

 

We're doing a Princess to Alaska this summer, I don't think we'll be needing to do this, but asking just in case. Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Victoria :-)

 

 

Thanks!

 

Jim

 

None of the ports you list require tenders. You will be docked at all of them.

[chengkp75]

Another first-timer here, with a followup question. Do passengers board the lifeboat/tender up on deck and then get lowered to the water, or do you board off a dock platform or something next to the ship (i.e. does the tender have to be raised/lowered constantly...)? I'm fine either way, but the wife (definitely NOT a small-boat-person) wouldn't be happy with that choice...

 

We're doing a Princess to Alaska this summer, I don't think we'll be needing to do this, but asking just in case. Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Victoria :-)

 

 

Thanks!

 

Jim

 

Lifeboats and tender/lifeboats are lowered to the deck, and then when fully loaded to the sea, by gravity. In all my years of doing lifeboat weight tests (filling the boat to 150% of number of people x 87.5kg of sandbags or water bags), annually, I don't think I've ever hoisted a fully loaded boat all the way from the water to the deck. Normally, the weight is added at the deck, the boat is lowered, released, reattached, hoisted just until the full weight of the boat is on the davit, and then the weight is removed. Hoisting a fully loaded boat would be very dangerous. Just hoisting lifeboats with the required crew (3-4) onboard becomes one of the most dangerous jobs mariners do. Lifeboats are designed to get away from the ship, not come back, so any attempt to retrieve a boat with passengers in it would be completely a last resort, and I don't think its ever happened.

[John Bull]

Lifeboats and tender/lifeboats are lowered to the deck, and then when fully loaded to the sea, by gravity. .

 

Err - now that's gonna confuse folk.

What you've described is abandoning the ship.

 

RoxnDox asked about tendering, not abandoning ship ;)

The only time RoxnDox is ever likely to get into a lifeboat is when using a dual-purpose lifeboat/tender to go ashore for the day.

And for that, the tender is lowered empty (other than a couple of crew) into the sea, then motored to a gangway one or two decks above the sea. Passengers walk down the gangway outside the ship & board the tender there. All as on the photos posted by Sparky Elpaso. Sometimes a pontoon is used, sometime local boats rather than ship's tenders are used, but the broad principle is always the same - the boat is on the sea when you board it.

Same applies for returning to the ship.

 

Apart from the weight issues, accidents are more likely to happen and to affect more people when lowering lifeboats so the boats are always lowered before taking on passengers. And always raised without passengers.

 

JB :)

Edited April 28, 2014 by John Bull

[chengkp75]

Err - now that's gonna confuse folk.

What you've described is abandoning the ship.

 

RoxnDox asked about tendering, not abandoning ship ;)

The only time RoxnDox is ever likely to get into a lifeboat is when using a dual-purpose lifeboat/tender to go ashore for the day.

And for that, the tender is lowered empty (other than a couple of crew) into the sea, then motored to a gangway one or two decks above the sea. Passengers walk down the gangway outside the ship & board the tender there. All as on the photos posted by Sparky Elpaso. Sometimes a pontoon is used, sometime local boats rather than ship's tenders are used, but the broad principle is always the same - the boat is on the sea when you board it.

Same applies for returning to the ship.

 

Apart from the weight issues, accidents are more likely to happen and to affect more people when lowering lifeboats so the boats are always lowered before taking on passengers. And always raised without passengers.

 

JB :)

 

Completely understand the difference between abandoning ship and tendering. What I was trying to explain is why the boats are not raised and lowered with each load of passengers while tendering. I was basing on the fact that the poster had read the previous posts to understand how tendering operated (not a fan of repeating), and again, was responding to his visualization of hoisting/lowering boats.

[fishywood]

None of the ports you list require tenders. You will be docked at all of them.

 

Never guaranteed in Alaska. As has been alluded to several times upthread:

 

Juneau has six berths. There are a few days each year with seven ships in port, thus one tendering.

Same with Ketchikan, where there are four berths and occasionally five ships.

Edited April 28, 2014 by fishywood

[John Bull]

Completely understand the difference between abandoning ship and tendering. What I was trying to explain is why the boats are not raised and lowered with each load of passengers while tendering. I was basing on the fact that the poster had read the previous posts to understand how tendering operated (not a fan of repeating), and again, was responding to his visualization of hoisting/lowering boats.

 

Yep, well aware that you know your stuff. ;)

But felt your post needed clarification.

No offence ;)

 

JB :)

Edited April 29, 2014 by John Bull

[Cruisin' Chick]

When we were on our Alaskan cruise, we tendered in Juneau, but at some point one of the ships left (they got there early, while we were doing our glacier cruising) and our ship took over that berth. We were about to get on board the ship at that time, so we had to wait until they finished docking and put the gangway down.

[ozpom51]

Your cruise itinerary will show which ports are tendered. .

thanks to you and others for the answers. We're doing a w. meditteranean cruise in June so will have a look and see if I can find some type of itinerary. I have been on a cruise ship before but don't remember anything about tendering.

[wassup4565]

I did find tendering a useful educational experience - if tedious. You have to wait your turn, and then, in my case, board a little boat that would be a lifeboat if the worst happened.

 

The boat was just getting us ashore in my case, but I did spend some time looking around while I was in it, just in case it was ever put to its primary purpose. Pretty sobering. No view outdoors at all, and not much ventilation. I think it could become pretty grim pretty fast, if the boat was heaving around and people were getting sick. Also noticed the print indicators about collection of rainwater from the boat's roof - right - drinking water. As for the molded slippery plastic seats where we were wedged together bum-to-bum - yeah, not meant for comfort, at all.

 

All in all, my conclusion was that the lifeboats were okay for a shuttle to the dock. But God help us if we have to abandon ship and eke out life in one of them for a few hours.

[EdmPair]

I did find tendering a useful educational experience - if tedious. You have to wait your turn, and then, in my case, board a little boat that would be a lifeboat if the worst happened.

 

The boat was just getting us ashore in my case, but I did spend some time looking around while I was in it, just in case it was ever put to its primary purpose. Pretty sobering. No view outdoors at all, and not much ventilation. I think it could become pretty grim pretty fast, if the boat was heaving around and people were getting sick. Also noticed the print indicators about collection of rainwater from the boat's roof - right - drinking water. As for the molded slippery plastic seats where we were wedged together bum-to-bum - yeah, not meant for comfort, at all.

 

All in all, my conclusion was that the lifeboats were okay for a shuttle to the dock. But God help us if we have to abandon ship and eke out life in one of them for a few hours.

 

 

Few hours could be a full day or two. They would not be pleasant but may just be the best option...

[chengkp75]

Yep, well aware that you know your stuff. ;)

But felt your post needed clarification.

No offence ;)

 

JB :)

 

None taken. Probably could have done a better job, it was an off day.:p

[Krazy Kruizers]

The information already provided regarding it being shown on the cruise itinerary on the cruise line website is accurate. But from experience I can offer the following as docking, or non-tender ports:

 

Nassau, Bahamas

Key West, FL

San Juan, PR

Labadee, Haiti (RCI private destination)

St. Thomas We have tendered here

St. Martin

St. Kitts We have tendered here

St. Lucia

Antiqua

Barbados

Curacao

Aruba

Falmouth / Ocho Rios / Montego Bay, Jamaica

Cozumel We have tendered here

Bermuda Veemdam passengers have had to tender into St Georges

Cartegena, Columbia

Colon, Panama

 

The only Caribbean tender ports I have experience with would be:

 

CocoCay (private island for RCI)

Grand Cayman

 

HMC (HAL and Carnival)

Princess Cay

Private Island for NCL -- it's name slips my mind as we haven't been there in quite a while.

[ldubs]

We just completed our 21st cruise. Happy to say that we have never had to wait for anything like one to two hours for a tender. Assuming your are not on a cruise sponsored excursion, you will be advised to show up at the theater or one of the lounges when you are ready to go ashore. You will be given numbered tickets for your group. Get your tickets, have a seat, and relax. They call the groups as tenders become available. Typically the wait for us has been only 15 to 20 minutes. Sometimes it is quicker. It is really a very efficient and pain-free way to manage the situation. The biggest problem is navigating those panicky passengers who crowd around the exit door.

 

Usually, within an hour and a half of anchoring there will be a general ship's announcement that tender tickets are no longer needed. At that point you can go directly to the tendering deck with no wait.

 

If you are on a ship's excursion, one of two approaches may be taken. The most common is that you will be advised to report to the theater or a lounge at a specific time. Your excursion group will be escorted to the shore boat as a group. Sometimes, though not all that common, you will be advised to meet your tour group on the pier. I have only seen this approach at places where the ship is docked. Have never seen it used at a tender port.

 

My best advise is wait a little before collecting your tender tickets, thereby avoiding the early rush. Say, if the tendering opens at 8 AM, wait until 9 AM. In our experience you will have little wait time. Of course, if you have a private excursion, your departure time will be dictated by your private tour operator.

 

I think tender ports are pretty cool. I enjoy the ride and seeing the port as we approach in a small boat (I have never been on a tender that did not have windows). The ship boats have a top deck that is great if the weather is nice. You do have to negotiate some steep open steps, so if you are mobility impaired this will not be an option.

 

All that I say has one caveat. We have never been on a Caribbean cruise. So, if things are different somehow for Caribbean itineraries, then my comments are not going to be of much value.

[leaveitallbehind]

HMC (HAL and Carnival)

Princess Cay

Private Island for NCL -- it's name slips my mind as we haven't been there in quite a while.

 

Referring to the list of ports that I listed as not requiring tendering that you have indicated as having tendered, maybe they were as a result of the number of ships in port or lack of docking arrangements with the individual cruise lines. But all of the ports of call I referenced have piers that would not require tendering, and we have docked at all of them.

 

The only two as indicated that require tendering as there is no pier for docking is CocoCay (RCI) and Grand Cayman.

Edited May 2, 2014 by leaveitallbehind