How many tenders would Cozumel need to replace the functionality of the piers?

[emeraldcity]

Believe me. I'm trying to understand how this really has a chance of working, but the sheer logistics of what is being proposed make the project questionable.

 

I counted 9 ships in Cozumel's port the last two times I was there. I've been reading the posts and there are repeated assertions that the services of tenders can replace the lost piers. How many tenders would be needed to adequately service 9 ships? And where would they come from? I doubt there's a new or used tender lot that has these things ready for immediate delivery.

 

I only tendered once during my last two cruises and that was at Labadee. This would be the one port where there is only one ship using the tenders. The lines were incredibly long getting off -- and to get back on,the line stretched way past the main beach starting early afternoon.

 

Fortunately, I'm not on one of the Guinea Pig cruises that will be the first to try it in the coming weeks. By late March there should be a pretty clear idea of whether this is workable. I have plenty of time to make my decision. So far, the best prospect of having a good time in an attractive setting is opting to stay on board that day.

[PTarbay]

I don't know how many tenders would be needed but it works in Grand Cayman with as many ships in port.I think the ships a lot of times use their own tenders.

[MGoBlue2]

Most likely the ships would use some of their lifeboats as tenders.

[kitty1]

I am one of those guinea pigs. We are going next week and will one of the first group of ships to return to Cozumel.

 

I imagine it will be like any other place that they tender at and the ship will use their own tenders. Last Year we were on the Serenade and had to tender in St Lucia because the pier was being worked on and they used the life boats as tenders. They tendered way out of view of the town.

 

I will let you know when we return.

[SRQfireman]

A previously mentioned.....all the ships carry all the tenders you'll ever need to get people back and forth....

[PelicanBill]

Some ship's lifeboats are not as suited to be tenders as others, and you need quite a few qualified captains to run them. A large ship like the Voyager of the Seas would have needed to run 6 of its lifeboats to tender. We watched a much smaller ship running 4 of its lifeboats in Grand Cayman.

 

The other issue will be space at the ferry dock. Commercial traffic and cruise tenders all waiting to load. I bet the limit will be 2 or 3 cruise ships a day until a dock gets repaired.