HAL Tendering in Norway (and specifically in Flam)

[MisterBill99]

This is a two part question.

 

First, how does HAL handle tender tickets in general, and for Norway in particular? I read either a post or a review here and someone reported needing to get tickets the previous day at 8am (with people getting on line at 7am) to get off the ship early. The same post/review said that they also gave them out in the afternoon but when the person tried going then, tickets before 2:45pm (or so) were no longer available, so they started getting on line at 7am. Is this true? We're sailing on Koningsdam next year and are only 2* Mariner and not in a suite, so we won't get any priority.

 

Second, does HAL tender or dock in Flam? The itinerary for my 6/10/18 cruise says tender, but the port schedule located here says it will be docked (kai = docked per another thread here). If we tender, then I'll need to make sure I get one of the first tenders to make the train I want to book, which might be difficult. If I can just walk off, then I won't have a problem. I saw a similar discussion about Flam a couple of years ago, but the OP never reported back on what actually happened.

Edited September 28, 2017 by MisterBill99

[Tennessee Titan]

Did NOT tender in Flam when we were there in June.....

[madda]

We were there a couple of years ago on the Prisendam and had to tender

[jhannah]

I've never heard of getting tender tickets the day before. We have always just gone to the lounge and gotten them just prior to leaving the ship. We wait there until our color-number is called then proceed to the gangway.

[Alphen]

This is a two part question.

 

First, how does HAL handle tender tickets in general, and for Norway in particular? I read either a post or a review here and someone reported needing to get tickets the previous day at 8am (with people getting on line at 7am) to get off the ship early. The same post/review said that they also gave them out in the afternoon but when the person tried going then, tickets before 2:45pm (or so) were no longer available, so they started getting on line at 7am. Is this true? We're sailing on Koningsdam next year and are only 2* Mariner and not in a suite, so we won't get any priority.

 

Second, does HAL tender or dock in Flam? The itinerary for my 6/10/18 cruise says tender, but the port schedule located here says it will be docked (kai = docked per another thread here). If we tender, then I'll need to make sure I get one of the first tenders to make the train I want to book, which might be difficult. If I can just walk off, then I won't have a problem. I saw a similar discussion about Flam a couple of years ago, but the OP never reported back on what actually happened.

 

 

Port authority schedule (in your link) usually knows best and on your visit, the other ship (Costa), shows to be at anchor, so no worries there, since Koningsdam has docked there before, it will fit so you can easily walk ashore.

 

Regarding HAL tendering in general, this is not always the same on every ship and even can change on the same ship from crew by crew and can also change when many 4/5 star priority passengers are on board, so not easy to predict how it will be when you will be on board in 2018.

 

If you want to be at ease, choose a HAL excursion at tender ports, than be it more expensive, you do not have to worry getting ashore on time! Many things can happen that delay tender operations (technical problems with tenders, weather or priority for Medevac) that delay tendering, but being on a HAL excursion, they will always get you on your excursion, no matter what!

Edited September 28, 2017 by Alphen

[RuthC]

I've been to Flam on HAL twice, and docked each time. That is not to say that tendering is not possible, however. I have read that it happens there.

 

Whenever I have tendered on HAL I have had to go to the lounge for a tender ticket before I went ashore for the day; never picked up a tender ticket the day before, and certainly not at 7:00 AM! :eek: I've never heard of that, either.

When on a HAL tour, the meeting place has been in a separate lounge than those going independently. We were sent down as a group.

[MisterBill99]

Did NOT tender in Flam when we were there in June.....

Thanks. Had the itinerary indicated that you would tender or dock?

 

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[Hlitner]

The tender process can vary somewhat, depending on the Captain and Cruise Director's methods. But the norm would be that you would have to go to a public lounge in the morning, get your tender tickets, and then wait for your ticket number to be called...at which time you proceed down to the tender area. On our recent Voyage of the Vikings cruise where over half the passengers were 4 or 5 Star Mariners, we had to also get tender tickets. But they gave the 4 and 5 Star Mariners Red tickets (the remainder of passengers got Blue) and then gave the Red numbers....priority. If there are not too many 4-5 Star...then these folks will normally be told to simply go down to the tender area whenever they please. We have been on lots of HAL cruises and this was always the procedure.

 

Hank

[MisterBill99]

I found the thread where I read about getting tickets the day before. Here is a link to the post.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=50695822&postcount=1

 

It was from last year on Koningsdam on the same 14 night Norway cruise I'm sailing on next year. According to the post, they ended up docking so the tendering issue was moot.

[bcummin]

The tender process can vary somewhat, depending on the Captain and Cruise Director's methods. But the norm would be that you would have to go to a public lounge in the morning, get your tender tickets, and then wait for your ticket number to be called...at which time you proceed down to the tender area. On our recent Voyage of the Vikings cruise where over half the passengers were 4 or 5 Star Mariners, we had to also get tender tickets. But they gave the 4 and 5 Star Mariners Red tickets (the remainder of passengers got Blue) and then gave the Red numbers....priority. If there are not too many 4-5 Star...then these folks will normally be told to simply go down to the tender area whenever they please. We have been on lots of HAL cruises and this was always the procedure.

Hank

 

Surprises can happen. On our recent Voyage of the Vikings we were supposed to dock in Eidfjord, Norway, but we ended up tendering. It looked like the Viking ship had priority for the dock.

In Isafjordur, Iceland, we were supposed to tender, but ended up docking.

 

Barbara

[dfish]

Thanks. Had the itinerary indicated that you would tender or dock?

 

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It indicated that we would tender, but we did dock.

 

In Geiranger, we tendered. The cruise director suggested that we get our tender tickets before 8:45 am as ship excursions would be leaving around 9 and they had priority.

 

We tendered in Honningsvag, but I did a ship excursion so I don't know how things worked for those on private excursions. I know they made it off as I ran into some of them at Nordkapp.

[RJ2002]

We were in Flam this year on the Zuiderdam and docked, but there was an Azamara ship anchored. Probably will depend on how many ships are there on the day you visit.

 

You probably know this, but the train station is very close to the dock.

[highland cruiser]

In May on the Rottedam we did a 7 and then 14 day cruise back to back. Went to Flam twice. Tendered the first time, docked the second time. I think it depended upon how many ships were in port.

Tender tickets have also varied for us depending upon how many 4/5 stars are on board. We are 4 star and sometimes we have needed a ticket, other times we just go down and are put on a tender. One cruise we had to get a tender ticket even though we were in a Neptune suite. It was a red priority number 1 but had to show it as we got in line for the tender. We just get in line, enjoy visiting with people, and never seem to have a long wait to get off to meet our tour. Always seems to work out just fine!!

[MisterBill99]

In May on the Rottedam we did a 7 and then 14 day cruise back to back. Went to Flam twice. Tendered the first time, docked the second time. I think it depended upon how many ships were in port!

OK I found your cruises on the 2017 schedule.It looks like the week you tendered the Queen Elizabeth was also in port, so you lost. The second week. the Prinsendam was the second ship, so you won.

 

I guess HAL puts down tender because you MAY tender at the port, and they don't customize it based on the schedule for that specific cruise. Maybe it's also because things can change, but it is unnecessarily confusing for both independent passengers who need to take into account time to get off the ship and those in wheelchairs or who use scooters, since in addition to "TR Tender Required" the port is also coded as "NW Wheelchair Access Limited".

[NC_Traveller]

I was on the Koningsdam in July for the 14 night Norway Midnight Sun Cruise (It was wonderful BTW) and we docked in Flam. As far as tendering you usually get your tickets in a common area when EVERYONE in your party is ready to leave the ship. Remember with the Koningsdam there are a lot of people so it does take a while if you tender. Overall the tenders were run very efficiently in my opinion on the Norway cruise.

[MisterBill99]

We tendered in Honningsvag, but I did a ship excursion so I don't know how things worked for those on private excursions. I know they made it off as I ran into some of them at Nordkapp.

Are you sure about that? My itinerary shows us docked there. In fact, the only two ports we're supposedly docking at are Flam (which seems to be incorrect) and Geiranger.

[dfish]

Are you sure about that? My itinerary shows us docked there. In fact, the only two ports we're supposedly docking at are Flam (which seems to be incorrect) and Geiranger.

Yes, I am looking at the When &Where for Honningsvag and there is a section called Tendering Ashore. We were there from 11 am to 6 pm with the last tender at 5:30 pm. The directions for those not on a HAL excursion is to pick up tender tickets in the Queens Lounge when the whole party is ready to go and to listen for announcements beginning around 10 am.

[Btimmer]

Last year on the K’s first visit to Flam, we got to dock while the Rotterdam had to tender.

 

 

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[dfish]

Are you sure about that? My itinerary shows us docked there. In fact, the only two ports we're supposedly docking at are Flam (which seems to be incorrect) and Geiranger.

You may very well dock. If I recall, there was another ship there that did dock.