Water Taxi?!

[jreeves6]

I'm going on my first cruise that will be stopping at ports that include water taxis, including Grand Cayman. I'm wondering how it exactly works when the ship docks and what they have the passengers do. Do you get to the port fairly quickly on the water taxi? Do the water taxis run back and forth the entire time the ship is docked at the port? I'm going to book an excursion for Stingray city and want to make sure I schedule a good time to meet up with the excursion company at the port. It only lasts a few hours so I'm wondering if we wanted to get lunch after if we could board the ship again or if the water taxi only transports at the arrival/departure? Thanks!

[LHT28]

the tenders usually run continuously all day

Usually the ships tours get priority over independent travellers for getting off early

You can ask on the specific cruise line forum how it works in GC

[Keith1010]

LHT28 has it right. As mentioned best to ask on the cruise line board for the line/ship you are sailing.

 

Keith

[easyboy]

Notice is given on the start time of tender sailing, including the time for the last sailing from port to ship. Regular transfer sailing is done in between those times, that you may also take repeatedly.

 

 

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[cb at sea]

In GC, the tenders take about 5 mins. from ship to shore...of course, the 1st couple of trips takes time to fill the tender, so there may be a 10 min. wait until the tender gets underway. Once all who want to go ashore are there, the tenders run about every 15-20 mins....back and forth, all day.

[John Bull]

Just to clarify, boats ferrying passengers between ship & shore are known as "tenders", not water-taxis.

 

In some ports the ship's own adapted lifeboats are used, in other ports local boats are used.

At Grand Cayman local boats are usually used - they're large and specialised for this work, and the tender system is very efficient.

There's no charge for using any tenders

 

Priority from ship to shore for those on ship-sponsored excursions, sometimes also priority for those in higher-grade cabins.

For everyone else, different cruise lines arrange ............

either - One of your party collects numbered tender tickets from a specified place (eg a bar or restaurant or ship's theatre) at a specified time (around 8am?), then you do whatever you want on the ship until your tender number is called over ship's loudspeakers for you to go to the disembarkation point. To be sure of an early tender you need to get to the ticket collection point 30 minutes or more before the advertised time.

or - You go to a specified place (usually restaurant or ship's theatre) when you're ready to go ashore and wait there until you're called. That sounds like you could have a long boring wait, but we've always found it surprisingly quick.

After the initial demand - usually about 90 (?) minutes - there's no need for tender tickets, "open tenders" will be called & you just go to the disembarkation point & get on the next tender.

 

Tenders run back-and-forth all day although it's rarely worthwhile to go back-and-forth to the ship just for lunch

 

For all ports, you'll be told in ship's news-sheet and on loudspeakers and on a notice at the disembarkation point, what time you have to be back. Do make a note of that time - forgetting what time you have to be back is one reason folk occasionally miss their sailing. (And too much alcohol is one reason why some folk forget :rolleyes:)

 

There's no priority for tenders from shore back to the ship, everyone just joins the line at the pier.

"Last tender time" is usually 60 minutes before the scheduled sailing time (at ports where your ship berths at the pier it's usually 30 minutes before scheduled sailing time).

But that's the latest time you need to be at the pier - not the latest time you have to be on the ship.

If there's still a line on the pier at "last tender" time, the tenders will continue until the line has been mopped-up.

 

Tour organisers know the tender arrangements.

But if Stingray City is a shared tour (you miss it if you get there too late) it's probably best not to book it for too early. Mebbe even have brunch on the ship first, that way you can disembark at your leisure.

The tender ride itself is no more than about ten minutes, but with the loading and waiting it's gonna total a half-hour or so from the time you get to the disembarkation point.

If you're ashore earlier than planned, there are plenty of cafes, bars, shops and other distractions at the pier.

 

Your first tender ride will be fun. After a dozen or so the novelty wears off.

 

Stingray City is brilliant. Remember to take snorkel gear and an under-water camera if you have (no need for flippers, the water's no deeper than waist-high on the sand-bar)

 

Enjoy

 

JB :)

[Bonnie J.]

You have to take a boat to get to Sting Ray City and they will hand out snorkels and masks but not flippers. You stand in maybe shoulder high water so there is no need for flippers and they don't want you to step on a ray with a flipper! Take an underwater throw a way camera to take pictures. They will take pictures of crew holding a big ray over your head but think they charge $25 for a copy so have someone else take your picture when they do this.

 

You will be given squid to feed the rays. Their mouth is in the middle of their underside and they have no teeth. They just suck the squid into their mouth!

 

Also check out Capt. Marvin on Google. I highly recommend his tours to Sting Ray City. He has been leading these tours for many years and is fantastic. Often they will take you to two other snorkeling sites, not just to the rays. And, he is a lot less $$$$ than the ship's tour!