Question about port arrival times

[BaltoTraveler]

I'm going on my first cruise in December (Mariner, 12/18), and the scheduled time in port at Grand Cayman is extremely short, especially considering the wait for a tender to go ashore and come back. Is the stated arrival time (10:30 in our case) a definite, or will they let people off earlier if the ship arrives earlier?

 

My hope is that that 10:30 is the "semi-guaranteed" arrival time, but that we will be able to go ashore at, say, 9:00 if the ship makes good time and is anchored and ready to unload by that time.

[RiverRev]

Three thoughts for you...

 

The time of a port call is determined on where you are coming from, but also on other ships arriving in the port on the same day (in which case, ships are assigned use of the port entrance much like planes are lined up for landing).

 

Most of the time our cruise arrived early in port. At the same time, once - I think it was Cozumel - we had to wait while the ship cleared all of the necessary legal issues of the port before the hatches were opened.

 

Grand Cayman is a busy port with limited dock space - even for tenders.

[Iamthesea]

I had to take a look at your schedule to see what times you were talking about. That's an odd schedule with only 5 days. What's up with that? Anyway, the 10:30 time will be on target. You may get in a little earlier and be able to tender by 10:30. The 5 hours you will have in port will be plenty, though. ;) If you take a private excursion, they will know when to expect you off the ship and you really don't need to worry. Plan the first/early excursion times so that you will be sure to be back on board in time for leaving.

[BaltoTraveler]

... That's an odd schedule with only 5 days. What's up with that? ... If you take a private excursion, they will know when to expect you off the ship and you really don't need to worry. Plan the first/early excursion times so that you will be sure to be back on board in time for leaving.

They shaved 2 days off the usual 7-night itinerary so the ship could be inactive on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Stops at Haiti and Jamaica were eliminated (no great loss from my perspective), so it's direct from Port Canaveral to Grand Cayman.

 

We have booked a trip to Stingray City and a snorkeling site (on Native Way) from 11:45 - 2:45. The timing of the boat trip should work fine, but we won't have much, if any, time for anything else.

[Iamthesea]

No Christmas on the ship? :( I'm surprised! I have always wanted to do that.

 

From my experience with NativeWay, they will have you meet under a gazebo near the pier (to the right) until all of their passengers arrive. Get off the ship ASAP and you can check-in with Eldon. Once you do that, you can run across the street and get a little shopping in. Just keep an eye for the tour to leave. They walk down the sidewalk about two blocks to the boatyard and catch a bus. When you return, you should have plenty of time to look around before catching the tender back. ;)