Tender Tickets

[quietmn12]

Can anyone tell me the real deal on tenders? Do we need to get tickets beforehand prior to the tender leaving? If so, when do we get then and where? Eighteen days and counting down, still many questions. Thanks for your responses.

[Learning Conformity]

When I sailed on SOTS this past March, we tendered at St. Maarten, and just got in a small line for the boats, which left every 30 minutes (I think it was 15 minutes per departure in the morning), I believe. We didn't get tickets, just waited in line, but we also were just leaving for the island at 1:30 PM, as we were quite honestly hung over from out friends wedding celebration the night before. For the most certain advice, I'd contact RCCL directly...

The lines arent bad anyway - give you a chance to chat with other, more experienced cruisers, about how to spend your day, make friends, and get directions!

[lovetocruiserccl]

No tickets needed

[Host Kat]

Sometimes the tendering process is not understood by first time cruisers and causes them frustration at a time when they should be enjoying a wonderful vacation. The tendering process is simply getting people to shore in a smaller launch because the cruise ship cannot dock. The water may be too shallow or there may be no pier with sufficient facilities.

 

It is like a water taxi, but there is no cost or tip required (unless a ship crew member or tender operator does something extraordinary for you). The ship anchors outside of the harbor and lowers a big door/platform. You walk out onto this. It's pretty huge so don't worry. There will also be plenty of crew or staff to help you with balance if that's needed. There's a tender boat tied to this floating dock. Some ships use some of their own lifeboats too. Compared to the cruise ship, it looks small but it holds a lot of people. You climb aboard, take a seat on a bench & it will ferry you to the port. You reverse the process to get back on the ship.

 

Please remember, a tender is a small launch that carries maybe 150 to 200 people. Your cruise ship may have over 2,000 or 3,000 people trying to get to shore all at the same time. There may even be more than one cruise ship trying to send tenders to shore at the same time. The local Port Authority sometimes limits the rate at which tenders may dock.

 

The worst part of tendering is that it takes longer to get people off the ship and onto the shore than if the ship is able to dock at a pier. The same for off the shore and onto the ship. Generally, people who are going on cruise ship arranged excursions & tours make up the first groups that get loaded onto the tenders. When excursions or tours are booked through the cruise line, they are obligated to get those passengers to the shore in time to connect to their excursion or tour. That also means those passengers will get early times for the tenders. That's where frustration sets in, you are standing in a long line waiting and those people are just walking ahead of you. Don't let it annoy you, just plan accordingly. Some cruise lines now have very early-bird open tenders for those not on one of the ship booked tours that leave first.

 

On some cruise lines, you will receive instructions on where to go to get a departure number or tag, usually a large assembly area such as the showroom/theatre. You go there, get your number or color and then sit and wait in the assigned assembly area until they call it. Then you and everyone else with the same number or color will be led down to the place where you can board the tenders. This usually goes on during the AM portion of the day. As demand lets up, you can go directly to the boarding area and get in line for the next tender and go ashore.

 

Open tender seating will be later, perhaps 1 to 2 hours after tendering starts. Once the early morning rush is over the tenders go back and forth between ship and shore all day, until the final tender run.

 

Make sure that before you leave your ship, you know the correct ship's time for your last tender. (It would be best to always keep your watch on your ship's time.) Remember, now there will be the remainder of those same over 2,000 or 3,000 people from your ship trying to get back on your ship from shore. The tender dock will be crowded. Please, please, do not wait to the last minute! If you miss our last tender, your ship leaves without you and you have to make private arrangements (LOTS of YOUR $$$$!) to get back to your ship at her next port.

 

One other bad thing about tender ports is that if the weather is too rough, sometimes cruise lines will cancel the stop at that port and just make it an extra sea day. If you have made private arrangements for an excursion or tour at that tender port, it is up to you to let your private tour operator know what happened and hope that they will refund any deposit. Many will since it actually isn't your fault, but it is something to keep in mind when deciding which ports to do ship based excursions or tours and which to do private ones. The cruise lines will give refunds on excursions or tours booked through them if the tender port is canceled.

 

To give you a better idea, here is the info that was in the Compass (daily newsletter) for our recent cruise on Rhapsody of The Seas:

 

IMPORTANT TENDERING INFORMATION

 

Rhapsody of The Seas will be anchoring off in Grand Cayman and tendering guests ashore. In order to ensure a safe & successful tendering operation, please read the departure information below.

 

If your tour meets in the Broadway Melodies Theater - You should arrive there at least 10 minutes before the time printed on your tour ticket.

 

If your tour meets on the Pier in Grand Cayman - You must be on the tender at least 30 minutes before the meeting time printed on your tour ticket indicating "Meet on the Pier."

 

Guests not on tour - Must obtain a complimentary tender ticket in the Schooner Bar, Deck 6.

 

Please collect your complimentary tender tickets from 7:45 am from your Cruise Director's Staff in the Schooner Bar on Deck 6. Please wait comfortably in any public lounge until your tender ticket is called over the P. A. system. You will then proceed to the Centrum, Deck 2 lobby holding area. Please do not collect your tickets until ready to depart the ship. Early-bird tenders are available from 7:00 am - 7:45 am which do not require a tender ticket (subject to space availability).

 

Please remember that the last tender back to the ship leaves the dock at 3:15 pm. You must be on the pier by 3:15 pm in order to return to the Rhapsody of The Seas prior to sailing. The ship will sail at 4:00 pm. Guests returning to the ship do not require tender tickets.

 

I sincerely hope you have a very happy new year and a wonderful cruise!!

 

Kat

[MrsBoo]

If you are on a ship's excursion, they will make sure you get off in time.

 

When we were on Radiance, they were needed. They had you go up to the pool deck to get a tender ticket (sometimes all in your party are required to be there to get one). They tell you not to get tickets until you are ready to depart the ship (not good advice if you need to get off the ship for a self-booked tour).

[Guest cruzr44]

We also had to go to the pool area to get tickets. The tickets have a tender number on them. Most people had them in hand but there were those who just got on with everyone else. They either don't read the Compass or don't care. It is a painless process.

[madforcruising]

Kat already gave a very detailed explanation of the procedure, so I only have to ad one thing I didn´t read (maybe I just not recognized it, if so I´m sorry).

 

If you are entiteled to Concierge Service there will be priority tender tickets for you.

These tickets don´t have any numbers on them and you can just walk down to the Tender area and leave the ship at your own pace.

 

On the way back shore to ship it´s first come first serve aka stand in line until it´s your turn;)

If you are on your own avoid the time when all ship excursions come back as the lines will be very long then. It takes some time until multiple busloads of people are tendered back to the ship.

[suezyq50]

Make sure you have your picture pass ID with you. This is processed getting off and getting back on.

[larkwind]

Another little thing to remember is that sometimes, when the weather's a bit rough, but the ship still makes port, the ship's excursions (diving, snorkeling, etc) might be cancelled but your independently arranged tours are still a 'go'--you need to contact your operator to find out--don't just go by the ship's announcement.

[DannyS]

Tickets are generally required in ports where a large number of people will be attempting to leave the ship at the same time.

 

The week of December 3rd, I was on Voyager, and we tendered at Labadee, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. Tickets were only required in Cozumel - we didn't get there until 10AM, so just about everyone would want to get off the ship as soon as we got there. Tickets were distributed, and you could leave any time after your number had been called. If your number had not yet been called, you had to wait.

 

By noon, tickets were no longer required. It was a painless process.

[Ocean Boy]

When we were on Serenade she tendered in St. Lucia. They said tickets with numbers were required. However, no one asked to see them when we actually went down to board the tender.

[suezyq50]

larkwind: If the ship can not dock due to weather and you have reserved an excursion through a private tour group, how due you contact them?:confused: