Do excursion times include the tendering to port?

[once was not enough]

Here is one of those "silly" questions... If I book an excursion through the ship and it says 3.5 hours is that the duration of the activity itself or does it possibly include traveling time. Thanks in advance for helping me wrap my head around this :confused:

[fishywood]

Generally the listed tour time is assumed to be from when the bus/boat/walk leaves the pier, to when it returns to the pier (unless it is a tour that ends in town with shuttles back to the ship available throughout the day). At a docked port you are usually instructed to meet your group either onboard, or in the terminal, or in the bus parking area 15 minutes before scheduled start time. For tender ports--especially if the tour is scheduled for arrival time--you will be instructed to meet in a lounge onboard 30-45 minutes before tour time so they can organize your group and have everyone on the same tender to shore.

Edited June 15, 2014 by fishywood

[KirkNC]

Yes it includes from the time you leave the ship.

[once was not enough]

Thanks Fishy - I am still very new to this cruising business and am trying not to go "overboard" LOL in planning activities on our sailing to Hawaii - It is not till Jan 2015 but I'm too excited not to look at excursions.

[boogs]

Yes it includes from the time you leave the ship.

 

My experience is that it includes only from the time the bus or other mode of transportation departs and returns. The transport time to and from the ship at a tender port is NOT included in the excursion time. You will, however, be instructed to meet at a designated location at a specific time early enough to get you to your excursion's transport vehicle before the excursion leaves. That transport vehicle could be anything from a bus, a mini van, a boat, a train, or even a shuttle tram for local excursions. We have used all of these on various excursions.

Edited June 15, 2014 by boogs

[sail7seas]

Yes it includes from the time you leave the ship.

 

My experience is that it includes only from the time the bus or other mode of transportation departs and returns. The transport time to and from the ship at a tender port is NOT included in the excursion time. You will, however, be instructed to meet at a designated location at a specific time early enough to get you to your excursion's transport vehicle before the excursion leaves. That transport vehicle could be anything from a bus, a mini van, a boat, a train, or even a shuttle tram for local excursions. We have used all of these on various excursions.

 

 

 

Yes, ^^ that.

 

Sometimes you might tender ashore on your own but more often you would go to a designated meeting place on the ship and be tendered ashore with your group. The time of the excursion technically begins when you all join the excursions vehicle as described above.

[SPacificbound]

Here is one of those "silly" questions... If I book an excursion through the ship and it says 3.5 hours is that the duration of the activity itself or does it possibly include traveling time. Thanks in advance for helping me wrap my head around this :confused:

 

Have you discovered the Hawaii forum?

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=62

[once was not enough]

Have you discovered the Hawaii forum?

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=62

 

Thanks Jeannie!

WOW! I can't believe how much there is to this site and how friendly everyone is!

[OCruisers]

My experience is that it includes only from the time the bus or other mode of transportation departs and returns. The transport time to and from the ship at a tender port is NOT included in the excursion time. You will, however, be instructed to meet at a designated location at a specific time early enough to get you to your excursion's transport vehicle before the excursion leaves. That transport vehicle could be anything from a bus, a mini van, a boat, a train, or even a shuttle tram for local excursions. We have used all of these on various excursions.

 

We've always found the above to be true!

LuLu

[NMLady]

My experience is that it includes only from the time the bus or other mode of transportation departs and returns. The transport time to and from the ship at a tender port is NOT included in the excursion time. You will, however, be instructed to meet at a designated location at a specific time early enough to get you to your excursion's transport vehicle before the excursion leaves. That transport vehicle could be anything from a bus, a mini van, a boat, a train, or even a shuttle tram for local excursions. We have used all of these on various excursions.

 

That has been my experience too.

[Keith1010]

Yes, it normally takes all of this into account.

 

Keith

[fortinweb]

Yes, it normally takes all of this into account.

 

Keith

 

I'm not sure what you are telling us. That the excursion time listed INCLUDES tendering, or that it DOES NOT, as most people here are reporting? Your post is not clear and is not helpful at all, and only confuses the topic since it appears to be contradicting what most are saying - with no information to back it up.

 

Please be be less cryptic with your posts and provide relevant information that actually helps.

Edited June 16, 2014 by fortinweb

[dsrdsrdsr]

On P&O, a 3-hour excursion will be three hours from when the bus leaves the quayside to when it comes back. Tender times are not included.

 

I can't speak for your line because you haven't said who it is. Most likely it would be the same, otherwise they'd have to have a dedicated tender waiting for your coach to return so as not to miss the timing.

Edited June 16, 2014 by dsrdsrdsr

[SantaFeFan]

I'm not sure what you are telling us. That the excursion time listed INCLUDES tendering, or that it DOES NOT, as most people here are reporting? Your post is not clear and is not helpful at all, and only confuses the topic since it appears to be contradicting what most are saying - with no information to back it up.

 

Please be be less cryptic with your posts and provide relevant information that actually helps.

 

It's because he's only trying to get his post count up as high as possible. In just the past few days he has increased his posting count by 600 posts! Yesterday alone he posted on 71 different threads!!!!

 

All of his posts are equally brief and without any useful content. And often his brief non-comments only cloud the discussion, as in this case.

Edited June 16, 2014 by SantaFeFan

[once was not enough]

We are on Carnival and what you (and most everybody else) have said makes excellent sense - we will book our excursions accordingly (if there are any left....) Thank you for your helpful explanations and I hope you cruise soon!!!!

[fortinweb]

It's because he's only trying to get his post count up as high as possible. In just the past few days he has increased his posting count by 600 posts! Yesterday alone he posted on 71 different threads!!!!

 

All of his posts are equally brief and without any useful content. And often his brief non-comments only cloud the discussion, as in this case.

 

I get it now. Your note motivated me to look at his posting history. It is quite clear that he is a true "drive-by" poster, quickly passing through threads just long enough to post a one line, pointless note for the single purpose of increasing his post count.

 

I just added him to my "ignore" list. If he has nothing to contribute, I would rather not waste my time scrolling through his useless posts.

Edited June 16, 2014 by fortinweb

[Cruisin' Chick]

One major tip is not to overbook excursions in one port. If you want to do one in the morning and one in the afternoon, make sure you put in enough padding between when one is scheduled to end and the other is scheduled to begin. Not only because of time to get back to the ship, but also because sometimes the start times may change for one or both between the time you book and the time you get your tickets on board. That has happened to us a couple of times, but we try to never book more than one/day (and most of the time we don't do excursions). Sometimes two different groups will be merged together (which happened a few cruises ago so that everyone can get to the destination on one bus -- both the Sea Life Park goers and the Swim with the Dolphin participants).

 

Our experience is that if we're going on an early morning excursion in a tender port, we're given a lounge to be at by an appointed time so we could be escorted as a group to the front of the tender line. For excursions at a docked port, we're told where to meet in the terminal.