Whats the Deal With Tenders?

[jmeincke]

Thinking of going on the Miracle to the Western Caribbean and have read you have to take little boats to shore? Why don't they have walkways. Will be going April 9

[MrsFixitCT]

If you're going to Cozumel, it's because the docks no longer exist, after being destroyed by hurricane Wilma...there's no place for the ships to dock that is big enough to take them. :(

 

Grand Cayman has no docks, so the ships "park" off shore, and tender you into the port via small boats.

 

Many ports simply don't have the "deep water" required to take ships without tendering.

[springtxbill]

Tendering is required whwn there is not a deepwater dock for the ship to tie up to. You then have to get on the smaller boat to transfer to shoere.

[Host Kat]

If this is your first cruise, 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 as mentioned above by MrsFixitCT and springtxbill.

 

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 your 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 holds true for the return trip to 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 if you really have to get to shore early.

 

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/theater. 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 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 (takes LOTS of YOUR OWN $$$$!) to get back to your ship at her next port. She WILL leave without you unless you are on one of the tours booked through the ship that has had some sort of delay.

 

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 and you have another sea day.

 

To give you a better idea, the following is the info that was in the Cruise Compass (daily newsletter) for our recent cruise on Rhapsody of The Seas. However, we did not go to Grand Cayman or any of the 3 ports on our original itinerary since we cruised the week of hurricane Wilma. I have been calling our cruise "The Boll Weevill Cruise" since just like the old song, we wandered around the Caribbean the first part of the week in 15 - 20 foot seas "looking for a home". Thanks to Capt. Teo, he found us dock space in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Progreso, Mexico.

 

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 decide to take the Miracle cruise. Please don't let the tenders stop you from having a fantastic cruise experience!

 

Kat

[afdds]

I don't like to tender! When picking a cruise, I shy away from the ones that tender. Just my quick two cents.

[MOteacher]

If you are on the pier at the time the ship says to be back but the line if long, will they leave without you? Or will they make sure that everyone that is there on time will get back on the ship? Thanks

[sea_breaze]

MOtheacher- No they won't leave if you are @ tender port on time and tenders are running late.

 

In Martinique final tender wasn't done until 2 hours and 15 minutes after we were told last tender would be leaving (I timed it). All these poor sunburnt people standing in line without any shade around for over 2 hours trying to get back on the ship. Everybody was buying bottles of water just to pour over their heads.

 

There was a beach bar where you could watch the tendering and that's what we did though girlfriend was nervous about doing this and somehow missing last tender. Worked out well for us, though I was quite drunk by the time we finally got on board. Talke about a shipload of ticked off passengers. I thought there was going to be a mutiny that night.

[MOteacher]

We are going to go to Rum Point and I didn't know whether to allow extra time for long lines. Thanks for the info.

[Sheffie]

Here is a link to some pictures of tenders in Grand Cayman: http://www.webshots.com/search?query=tender+Grand+Cayman&new=1&source=cohome&photosearch.x=16&photosearch.y=7

 

There have been some great explanations here, but maybe you'd like to see some pictures.

 

Moteacher: I know you will feel better if you ask on the ship, but as seabreeze said, if you are in line on time, they are not going to leave you.

[JLC@SD]

Thinking of going on the Miracle to the Western Caribbean and have read you have to take little boats to shore?

 

It is a real long swim to get a shore without the little boats.......:)