tender / private excursion question Bar Harbor

[jack's mimi]

I'm hoping someone who has done the New England/ Canada itinerary can answer my questions. We arrive in Bar Harbor at 7am. I have organized a taxi tour for 9am and want to be able to tell the others in the group what time to meet.

 

How does the tendering work for those not taking a ship excursion? There are ship excursions scheduled for 8, 8:30 and 9. Will we have to wait for all of those passengers to get off the ship? Can one person in the group get everyone's tender tickets? or does each person have to get his own? How early can you pick up your tender ticket? Is it for a specific time?

 

Should I have the group meet before they pick up tickets and we all go together to get them? and then all tender together? Where do they usually hand out the tickets?

 

FYI to those who gave me some advice on organizing private tours....I was able to schedule three private tours and fill them.

[Krazy Kruizers]

HAL will take care of their excursions first.

HAL's excursions will meet either in the show room or the Wajang Theater and the others who want to go ashore independently will meet in the other place.

Yes need to all be together to get your tender tickets and be ready to go together as a group.

There is no telling how soon your group will be called.

One time we were taking Oli's Trolley on our own -- 10 AM. and barely made it.

Your 9 AM excursion is risky as many people will be on those first tours.

[ksqueak]

I've heard it's quite a wait at Bar Harbor to get off the ship. In a previous experience (different port of call) it was about a two hour wait from when the ticket was collected to when we got off the ship. Even though we were there at the earliest time you could collect a tender ticket.

[cruz chic]

HAL will take care of their excursions first.

HAL's excursions will meet either in the show room or the Wajang Theater and the others who want to go ashore independently will meet in the other place.

Yes need to all be together to get your tender tickets and be ready to go together as a group.

There is no telling how soon your group will be called.

One time we were taking Oli's Trolley on our own -- 10 AM. and barely made it.

Your 9 AM excursion is risky as many people will be on those first tours.

 

Agree with KK. It takes a while. I'm a 4 star so can get a tender anytime I want and couldn't make a independent tour ashore for 9 am. You never know with tendering. You might be ok.

Edited May 27, 2014 by cruz chic

[superoma]

Depending on where you are coming from when you get to bar harbor, the ship may need to clear u.s. Immigration. Bar harbor was our first U.S. stop on the maasdam Montreal to Boston run and everyone went through immigration first before anyone was allowed off. This will delay tendering as the speed at which immigration is completed depends on how many agents come on board and how well everyone heeds the call to present themselves to immigration.

 

 

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[Krazy Kruizers]

OP is on the Veendam -- leaving Boston and heading to Quebec City.

So they will not have to worry about immigration in Bar Harbor.

[superoma]

Oh great, that will make it easier.

 

 

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[kqcallahan]

Curious what/where the other private excursions you booked?

[sppunk]

I did this cruise last October, but we came to Bar Harbor from Canada. We stepped onto land from the tender at 9:45 a.m. - we were one of the first non-HAL-excursion pax to get a tender ride.

 

Without immigration I'm not sure how much faster they can do it, but 9 a.m. seems doable if you all are up and ready to go and the ship has no issues. To be safe I'd advise the tour leader to not leave if you guys don't make it right at 9 a.m., though.

[3rdGenCunarder]

OP is on the Veendam -- leaving Boston and heading to Quebec City.

 

So they will not have to worry about immigration in Bar Harbor.

 

That will save a lot of time. I just looked in my journal from our Canada cruise, and Immigration went well, and nearly everyone was cleared by 9:00, when they announced, "Anyone who has not yet cleared Immigration..." AT 9:20 they read about 20 names. At 9:40, they read about 6 names. So all it takes is a few lazy/inconsiderate passengers and Immigration can be stalled.

 

We were not on a HAL tour and had about an hour wait from the time we got our tender ticket to the time we were able to go to the tender. We were not the only ship in port, so we had to share dock space with the tenders from the other ship. If Veendam is alone in Bar Harbor, that might allow tendering to go more quickly.

 

It annoys me that HAL lets their tours tender before any independent passengers can tender. I sometimes wonder if they do this to 'encourage' people to book tours. Cunard manages to stagger tours in tender ports, so they can allow nontour passengers to start going ashore early, too.

Edited May 27, 2014 by 3rdGenCunarder

[DaveOKC]

That will save a lot of time. I just looked in my journal from our Canada cruise, and Immigration went well, and nearly everyone was cleared by 9:00, when they announced, "Anyone who has not yet cleared Immigration..." AT 9:20 they read about 20 names. At 9:40, they read about 6 names. So all it takes is a few lazy/inconsiderate passengers and Immigration can be stalled.

 

We were not on a HAL tour and had about an hour wait from the time we got our tender ticket to the time we were able to go to the tender. We were not the only ship in port, so we had to share dock space with the tenders from the other ship. If Veendam is alone in Bar Harbor, that might allow tendering to go more quickly.

 

It annoys me that HAL lets their tours tender before any independent passengers can tender. I sometimes wonder if they do this to 'encourage' people to book tours. Cunard manages to stagger tours in tender ports, so they can allow nontour passengers to start going ashore early, too.

 

Of course they do this to encourage taking their tours and I fully understand and accept this. The more they make off of these passengers the better for all of us I feel.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Of course they do this to encourage taking their tours and I fully understand and accept this. The more they make off of these passengers the better for all of us I feel.

 

I have no problem with the ship offering tours. I'd estimate we take a ship's tour about half the time. But if we've been somewhere multiple times, as we have with Bar Harbor, we don't want to take a tour. However, we'd still like to have our time ashore without waiting for hours. HAL should try to merge some of the nontour people with the tour people. If Cunard can organize this with a greater number of passengers, HAL could do it, too.

[jack's mimi]

Thanks for the help. Do you know if they state time and location to pick up tender tickets in the Daily Bulletin or do they make a general announcement that morning?

 

I'm not worried about missing the excursion. At your service taxi is taking us around Acadia and Bar Harbor. They will wait until we get off the ship.

 

If I wanted specific info about tendering, who would I speak to on board? Ship excursion office??

[jack's mimi]

Curious what/where the other private excursions you booked?

 

We are doing a 3 hr van tour with At your Service Taxi in Bar Harbor,

a 6 hr van tour to Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, Peggys Cove with Nova Scotia Van tours and a 4 hr tour of the north shore of PEI with Duncan Island tours.

I will post a detailed review after our cruise. I've gotten so much helpful info from this forum.....I'd like to reciprocate.

[RuthC]

Thanks for the help. Do you know if they state time and location to pick up tender tickets in the Daily Bulletin or do they make a general announcement that morning?

Both of the above' date=' and then some. It's hard to miss the tender ticket system.

It will be in the daily program, announced at the show the night before, and will be announced over the PA system. Many times you will hear an announcement that the tender line is short, and there's no waiting at the moment. [/color']

If I wanted specific info about tendering, who would I speak to on board? Ship excursion office??

You could ask them, or you could ask the CD if you see him. He will also be able to answer your questions.