If you're not booked on a Celebrity excursion, are you the last off the ship?

[LF2C]

Sometimes you take a cruise to jut not worry bout things like this, let people rush off, get to where they have to, and you can basically get off any time you want do whatever you want to do in the hours you have at port.

 

To watch people run off is better than watching t he best Tv show ever, Lol that is what a vacation is about being relaxed!

 

Here Here.

Relax, chill and enjoy :cool:

[ECCruise]

Gold1953,

 

In some ports lifeboats ARE used for tendering. In other ports tge towns you are visiting supply tenders, perhaps you have not seen a place where lifeboats are used but it is far more common that tge ships boats are used than that the port supplies the tenders

 

I think you are misunderstanding the poster's comments.

On each ship, there are tenders and there are lifeboats and they are not the same. You can clearly see the difference here:

 

On the left is a tender, which would be used as a lifeboat in the event of an emergency but its purpose is to tender passengers to shore. On the right is a lifeboat, which is never used as a tender.

[blordos]

I don't mind sitting the life boat if I get faster off board.

 

When tendering, those on Celebrity tours, those in suites, and those with high status in the loyalty program do get priority.

 

I am neither of the three category and I have booked a private tour in Kotor which is according to Celebrity a tender port. We have to get early in line if we want to meet our guide in time.

[WestLakeGirl]

I see what you mean. Lifeboats aren't used for tendering, but tender boats are used for lifeboats, is that it?

[bwgreen]

A question about tendering tickets - can one person pick up several (i.e. 4) as there are 4 of us going on a non-Celebrioty tour?

 

Sorry about the hijack!

[hcat]

We're considering a Celebrity cruise and haven't sailed with them before. I'm a little concerned by the number 1 advantage of booking a shore excursion with them as listed on their website;

 

"1 - Guaranteed First Off Ship - Guests booked on our tours enjoy priority departure in port"

 

We much prefer to tour independently, not with ship excursions, but I dread the thought of having to cool our heels waiting for all the ship excursions to leave before we can, particularly in ports where we would tender such as Santorini, Mykonos and Split.

 

Can those of you who've sailed before tell me how strictly regulated this is? If we're up early can we just walk off/get an early tender, or will we really have to wait for ship tours to go first? Thanks.

 

In our experience, Celebrity excursions go first...others must get tender tickets and then wait to be called, Suites, Elite, etc also get priority. In non tender ports, early excursions get off first but then anyone can get on line to get off the ship.

 

In Santorini those with excursions went off first on a tender to another landing area...not by the cable car. We met our bus there and were at Oia before any other tour busses

 

in Mykonos we were on our own and had no issues...it was not a tender port but I vaguely (?) recall a small bus or tram to get to the main harbor area..

 

have not been to Split....

 

on a recent Reflection cruise where Grand Cayman was a port, we stayed on board...we hate to tender...as we were finishing up lunch in Bistro on 5, they called the FIRST open tender group...so those folks did have a fairly long wait to get off the ship. Best bet to avoud waiting on line for tenders is to book a ship's excursion!

[acctgtogo]

When we stopped in Grand Cayman, I went about 30 minutes before the time stated to get tender tickets. There were several people in line in front of me, but we were all allowed to get the number of tickets needed for our group (they did not need to be there). I was given tickets for Group 2. We had an extremely short wait - as soon as Group 1 was finished boarding and on its way to shore, we started loading. The process didn't take long at all. I would imagine that after the all of the tenders were filled for the first time things would go slower as the tenders would have to make their way back from shore and only one tender at a time was being filled. We were on shore extremely early for our private tour - so did our shopping before taking our snorkeling tour. It worked out well. We were impressed with how smoothly it went as on other cruise lines we remembered it not being run so efficient.

[Tiggertastic]

Never had to wait behind celebrity excursions in 12 cruises, even in St Petersburg where the do scare stories of having to wait. We've sometimes found they take the excursions off one gang plank and the rest another.

[stipmom]

I have been sailing celebrity for almost. 20 years and on my May Equinox cruise they offered no priority tenders for elites etc.

[need2cruisesoon]

A question about tendering tickets - can one person pick up several (i.e. 4) as there are 4 of us going on a non-Celebrioty tour?

 

Sorry about the hijack!

 

yes, I got 6 for our entire party. no problems.

[cle-guy]

Remember not all tender ports use the Celebrity Tenders.

 

Some ports (I think especially in Greece) require use of the local companies to do tendering. Sometimes thee tenders are larger and carry more people, but take longer to load (would be same for any ship in those ports).

 

If in a tender port, research to determine if it is ship tenders or shore tenders in use.

[cle-guy]

I have been sailing celebrity for almost. 20 years and on my May Equinox cruise they offered no priority tenders for elites etc.

 

It's definitely a listed perk

• Priority Tender Service in Tender Ports of Call

I have received a ticket the night before arrival in tender ports with the Celebrity Today on the bed.

 

Here's a copy of the ticket from my November 2014 Sillie sailing where we tendered in Grand Cayman.

Binder2.pdf

Edited August 20, 2015 by cle-guy

[ShadowzBtlr]

I see what you mean. Lifeboats aren't used for tendering, but tender boats are used for lifeboats, is that it?

 

Yes, that is correct.

On S-class ships, there are 3 tender/lifeboats and 8 lifeboats per side.

On M-class ships, there are 2 tender/lifeboats and 7 lifeboats per side.

[need2cruisesoon]

Concierge cabins were provided the high-speed tender (4 people occupant).:D

 

Edited August 20, 2015 by need2cruisesoon

[Fouremco]

While we normally do DIY or private shore excursions, those ports where tendering is required always take further consideration. If we can't arrange something because of tender timing, we'll simply go with a Celebrity shore excursion.

[cle-guy]

While we normally do DIY or private shore excursions, those ports where tendering is required always take further consideration. If we can't arrange something because of tender timing, we'll simply go with a Celebrity shore excursion.

 

This is always my advice. I DIY everything but in a tender port, unless in a Suite or with priority tickets, it makes sense to do the Celebrity excursions to make the most of time.

[QuilterGirl]

On a Celebrity cruise of the Baltic a few years ago, it seemed that about half the ship's passengers were taking the Celebrity excursion to Berlin via train. The other half were booked on private tours to Berlin, via bus. The Celebrity excursion folks (a huge line of them) were ushered from their meeting place in the theater to the ship exit, and those on the private tours were left to fume in the (very hot) stairwells, barred from exiting until the Celebrity-tour folks had all gone. The exit line moved very slowly. The ride to Berlin was long either way, via train or bus, and everyone wanted to get going. The private tour folks revolted and, led by a high-school principal, broke through the barricade and the ship's personnel and joined the exit line. Celebrity heard (from those with private tours) about this exclusionary exit procedure and apologized the next day, saying that was not how they did things and there had been a misunderstanding. To make up for it, they provided free shuttle service to town at our next stop (which was useless for those of us who had already booked tours).

 

Another time, we went to the theater to get our tender tickets some 45 minutes before we needed to exit the ship in order to arrive in town in time for our private tour, and were told that the tender tickets for the next two hours were all taken. (Apparently the regulars on this line knew to go get tender tickets before breakfast.) This meant that we would miss our private tour. (In the end, the ticket-hander-outers took pity on us, and "found" two tickets for the next tender for us - but who can count on THAT happening?)

 

Hopefully these things would not happen to you, but if time is of the essence, I would suggest booking a ship's tour.

[PoppyandNana]

On a Celebrity cruise of the Baltic a few years ago, it seemed that about half the ship's passengers were taking the Celebrity excursion to Berlin via train. The other half were booked on private tours to Berlin, via bus. The Celebrity excursion folks (a huge line of them) were ushered from their meeting place in the theater to the ship exit, and those on the private tours were left to fume in the (very hot) stairwells, barred from exiting until the Celebrity-tour folks had all gone. The exit line moved very slowly. The ride to Berlin was long either way, via train or bus, and everyone wanted to get going. The private tour folks revolted and, led by a high-school principal, broke through the barricade and the ship's personnel and joined the exit line. Celebrity heard (from those with private tours) about this exclusionary exit procedure and apologized the next day, saying that was not how they did things and there had been a misunderstanding. To make up for it, they provided free shuttle service to town at our next stop (which was useless for those of us who had already booked tours).

 

Another time, we went to the theater to get our tender tickets some 45 minutes before we needed to exit the ship in order to arrive in town in time for our private tour, and were told that the tender tickets for the next two hours were all taken. (Apparently the regulars on this line knew to go get tender tickets before breakfast.) This meant that we would miss our private tour. (In the end, the ticket-hander-outers took pity on us, and "found" two tickets for the next tender for us - but who can count on THAT happening?)

 

Hopefully these things would not happen to you, but if time is of the essence, I would suggest booking a ship's tour.

 

Sorry for your experience. However, we sailed X to the Baltic, the Med (twice) and Norway to the arctic circle. Not one excursion was booked through the ship. We never waited to exit. After the ship cleared customs we simply walked off the ship and met our contact on the pier. The security folks at the gangway don't know if you are on a tour or not. The only exception was St. Petersburg. We had to show our tour tickets.

[need2cruisesoon]

Sorry for your experience. However, we sailed X to the Baltic, the Med (twice) and Norway to the arctic circle. Not one excursion was booked through the ship. We never waited to exit. After the ship cleared customs we simply walked off the ship and met our contact on the pier. The security folks at the gangway don't know if you are on a tour or not. The only exception was St. Petersburg. We had to show our tour tickets.

 

Did you tender at any of these ports?

[Fouremco]

Sorry for your experience. However, we sailed X to the Baltic, the Med (twice) and Norway to the arctic circle. Not one excursion was booked through the ship. We never waited to exit. After the ship cleared customs we simply walked off the ship and met our contact on the pier. The security folks at the gangway don't know if you are on a tour or not. The only exception was St. Petersburg. We had to show our tour tickets.

Walking off is not the issue here, it's priority (or not) tendering, a very different subject.

[lovemylab]

As others have stated, those on ships excursions do leave first. Elite and those staying in suites can get priority tender tickets. I am pretty sure this is how it works on most cruise lines.

 

We are visiting Santorini on an upcoming cruise and have opted for a ships excursion. We dock at 2pm and figure most people will be trying to get off at the same time. The excursion through the ship was reasonably priced and for us it's worth it to not have to deal with line ups for tender tickets and then another line for the tender.