Glacier wind charter timing query with tendering at ISP

[Aussiepommie]

Hi everyone

We are arriving in ISP aboard infinity on June 7 2016 at 3pm. We are booking whale watching with Glacier Winds and they have suggested the 4pm tour. We will be tendering so wondering if this is enough time to get to them?

New to cruising let alone alaska so seeking advice from the experts on CC!

How does tendering work?

Thanks in advance

Sue

[Cruisingthesuitelife]

Hi

 

I did a tour with Glacier Winds last month - great choice - they are superb! I don't know about tendering on your ship. However, we had a meeting time of 7.30am and were arriving at 7am. The ship was actually ready to start tendering straight away as we had arrived early. I would see how your specific ship deals with it - whether you need to get tender tickets etc and if so, get the first ticket number. There was nothing like this on Royal Caribbean but we went down as soon as the announcement was made that we could start going ashore and we were off and ashore by about 7.15am and Teresa was waiting for us just outside the small port area.

 

With at least an hour between arrival and meeting, I cannot see that you will have any problem at all, just aim to be on the first tender going ashore.

 

CC member Deeliteful is doing a semi live report from Infinity... http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2219134# ... Might be worth asking about tendering on her thread :)

Edited June 21, 2015 by Cruisingthesuitelife

[watchdiva]

ISP is building a floating dock that is expected to be ready for the 2016 cruise season...this was reported on Cruise News just last week. We are hoping that it will be ready in time for the first Pearl cruise of the season next May.

[Budget Queen]

Since you state you are "new" to cruising, this time could be an issue. The big negative is the port time- EVERYBODY will be up and want off the ship at the same time, so, it could definitely take a couple hours to get everyone tendered. It's a whole different story with the 7am times and the late sleepers, and have to eat breakfast people. The "new" will also mean, no priority- I'm assuming? Sorry, you can't go to the desk, and say- I need to be off the ship "early", because of a private tour. It doesn't matter, unless you booked a ship tour.

 

To ensure you are near the front of the line, then you probably would need to be either in the line, or tender ticket line, at least an hour ahead.

[Cruisingthesuitelife]

ISP is building a floating dock that is expected to be ready for the 2016 cruise season...this was reported on Cruise News just last week. We are hoping that it will be ready in time for the first Pearl cruise of the season next May.

 

That would be great!

[fleckle]

I would advise taking a cell phone with you so that you can contact Glacier Wind after your ship arrives and tendering begins to assure them that you are really there trying to get ashore and keep them updated on your tender situation.

 

Just noticed that you are from Australia.

If you do not have a cell phone that will work in the USA, take the phone number for Glacier Wind with you and ask just about any American passenger with a cell phone to make the call for you.

It is hard to imagine that anyone would not be willing to do so.

 

[Budget Queen]

I would advise taking a cell phone with you so that you can contact Glacier Wind after your ship arrives and tendering begins to assure them that you are really there trying to get ashore and keep them updated on your tender situation.

 

Just noticed that you are from Australia.

If you do not have a cell phone that will work in the USA, take the phone number for Glacier Wind with you and ask just about any American passenger with a cell phone to make the call for you.

It is hard to imagine that anyone would not be willing to do so.

 

 

Not sure, if this would accomplish anything? I would not be expecting them to wait or hold up other passengers, who may have had priority in tendering, because I was running late.

 

I would be contacting them further in advance, if anything can be done IF I were to call? Not waiting until the last minute and when full cancellation fees are in place.

Edited June 22, 2015 by Budget Queen

[Aussiepommie]

Thanks for all your replies. I Confirmed my thinking on this. I will see if I can have a later excursion as agree it isn't fair to hold up others and miss out ourselves.

Thanks

Sue

[Cruisingthesuitelife]

Speak to Teresa, she will be great about working out a solution. I very much doubt there will be a later tour as the company only have one boat. Also, you will be in 3pm to 10pm and a 4 hour tour starting at 4pm is probably as late as they will want to start a trip, to ensure plenty of time to get you back to the ship tender.

 

Prior to our excursion she put me in touch with the others who would be on the tour with us. We all communicated prior to the cruise and swapped cabin numbers so that we could meet up on the ship and take the tender together. That way, nobody was worried about delaying anyone else. Also, if people in your group have priority tendering (and you don't), I bet they could arrange for you to go with them, so that you can all still get off together. I had priority tendering as I was in a suite and I spoke to the concierge in advance who arranged for the others to 'priority' tender with me.

 

The tenders generally hold over 100 people and they have more than 1 running, so there is never usually a huge wait or delay.

 

I can understand your concerns but there are several ways around this. At the end of the day, you are all in the same boat so to speak!

Edited June 22, 2015 by Cruisingthesuitelife

[Cruisingthesuitelife]

I meant to also add, don't forget, as already kindly pointed out by watchdiva, the floating dock should be operational by next June so these tendering concerns may not even be relevant :)