Latitudes Priority Tender Tickets vs Priority Access

[thedoc29ca]

It looks like on our upcoming W.Caribbean Escape cruise we will likely be tendering in a couple of the ports.  We like to get off the ship and explore and enjoy the ports as early as possible and return to the ship when things get busy.  
 

With the goal of getting off the ship as early as possible is either the Latitudes Priority tendering perk or Priority Access add on better or they one in the same?

 

Other than GSC on a Sky cruise many years ago we have not had a tender port on NCL.  On that cruise we had a priority tender via booking an NCL excursion.  Any insights or tips on the tendering process with the goal of getting off the ship as early as possible is very much appreciated.   
 

Thanks

[NutsAboutGolf]

I'm just repeating what I've been reading.  Priority Access can get you on the first tender, otherwise your priority means it's first comes first serve to get into the priority line (and lines can form early) then suite/haven guests are allowed to cut that line.  It's not difficult for a pax without any status to receive priority tendering as all you need to do is show the staff you have an early tour; furthermore on my most recent NCL cruise the tendering staff wasn't checking to whether you had priority or not, just let everyone on.

 

Priority Access has very mixed reviews as every benefit, except for the ship to port tender, has fine print and embarkment can vary from port to port as there may or may not be a separate priority/haven security line.  Priority check in may only save a few minutes, priority security can save hours if you want to arrive at peak embarkment times.

[Georgia_Peaches]

What is the date of your itinerary, if I may ask?  And where are you getting your info about tendering?  We have an Escape cruise booked for February and our cruise docs don't mention any tender ports up front...it's like you have to find out on the back end somehow...  It would be nice to know up front for planning purposes. 

 

If I had access to priority tendering via my Latitudes status then I'd probably go with that and hope for the best over paying more money for Priority Access....unless Priority Access also means you don't have to wait for a boat to fill up. On our last cruise we were in the Haven and we had priority tendering.  That was nice except we still had to wait for the boat to fill up before we actually left.  So in our experience priority tendering meant getting on first, but not necessarily a time saver.  This was on Breakaway.  

[NutsAboutGolf]

14 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

unless Priority Access also means you don't have to wait for a boat to fill up. On our last cruise we were in the Haven and we had priority tendering.  That was nice except we still had to wait for the boat to fill up before we actually left.  So in our experience priority tendering meant getting on first, but not necessarily a time saver.  This was on Breakaway.  

 

Haven/Suite have cut the line privileges.  Very limited datapoints with Priority Access and it could vary by ship, one person claimed a note was delivered that if you wanted to be on the first tender to meet in a certain location.  It wasn't clear if you could cut the line if you didn't need to be on the first tender.  Another claim was that the concierge escorted priority access on.  Priority Access biggest benefit is if you want the Posh/Vibe pass.

[Turtles06]

27 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

unless Priority Access also means you don't have to wait for a boat to fill up. On our last cruise we were in the Haven and we had priority tendering.  That was nice except we still had to wait for the boat to fill up before we actually left.

 

I'm sorry, but do you think that any sort of priority means you get to have your own personal tender ashore?  Of course folks have to wait for the tender to fill up.  

[mking8288]

Priority Access, from the given info available, is a "paid extra, buy your way" pilot trial offer, that I believe is roughly equivalent to Latitude members with Platinum/+ (Gold ??) status in getting priority tendering and/or going ashore at designated ports (vary by itineraries & ship).  

 

However, suffice to say & reasonable to assume, Haven & full suite passengers will probably - still and likely always - be ahead of others with "priority" and even VIP (which we sometimes do ... ) guests ... the onboard concierge & butler teams will ESCORT their "members" first, following by others including the paid "access" to be ahead of most, but definitely do not expect to "cut" the line, that's highly unlikely to happen.  

 

For tendering, odds are fairly good that most (not all - especially on mega/+ ships) that wanted to be among the first will get onto the first tender boat (double decker shore-based boats from the islands can take as much as 175 to 350+ per trip, including crew members & security, etc. to sail first ...) 

 

You will have to figure out where to best seat on the boat, upon boarding somewhere during the sequence for boat #1 - to try to get OFF first ... as that can take as much as 15 minutes to go from upper to lower deck, or vice versa.

 

Chances are good that while seated & after you boarded that boat, you will find others without paid priority, joining as they booked shorex and are given priority as well, depending on the times for their tour.   Especially for the first several boats, they will load them full to capacity before leaving.

 

BTW, returning to the ship at the end of the day, zero priority and feel free to join the line like everyone else, it's likely a long wait.  Haven & suite pax, on the other hand, get to skip & cut as the concierge/butler teams will meet & escort them.  Sorry, that's how it works with NCL ... 

[david_sobe]

I don't know about Priority Access since never used it.  However, its been my experience those passengers with booked NCL excursions get priority over any latitudes membership (which only makes sense when you think about it, they are on timed paid trips).

[Georgia_Peaches]

2 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

 

I'm sorry, but do you think that any sort of priority means you get to have your own personal tender ashore?  Of course folks have to wait for the tender to fill up.  

No, my whole point was that either way one has to wait so I wouldn't pay extra for priority access.

Edited December 28, 2019 by Georgia_Peaches

[NutsAboutGolf]

47 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

I don't know about Priority Access since never used it.  However, its been my experience those passengers with booked NCL excursions get priority over any latitudes membership (which only makes sense when you think about it, they are on timed paid trips).

 

In my limited experience you meet your tour group at a certain time and location on the ship, then you all head to the tenders as a group cutting the line if there is one.  I've only been on two NCL cruises, one tender port and a dozen non-tendering ports, none of the NCL tours whether ports or tenders required you to be one of the first ones off the ship.  Often it was 30mins-2 hours after the ship was scheduled to dock and I wonder if that's because there's a built in buffer in the ship isn't immediately cleared.  Does GSC even have NCL tours?

[david_sobe]

5 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

In my limited experience you meet your tour group at a certain time and location on the ship, then you all head to the tenders as a group cutting the line if there is one.  I've only been on two NCL cruises, one tender port and a dozen non-tendering ports, none of the NCL tours whether ports or tenders required you to be one of the first ones off the ship.  Often it was 30mins-2 hours after the ship was scheduled to dock and I wonder if that's because there's a built in buffer in the ship isn't immediately cleared.  Does GSC even have NCL tours?

Yes of course excursions allow time for people to get off the ship. I was simply stating my experience with loading the tenders.  Yes, GSC does have NCL excursions like snorkeling and parasailing, jet skis, etc.  Your NCL excursion ticket is your right for priority tender.

[shof515]

3 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

What is the date of your itinerary, if I may ask?  And where are you getting your info about tendering?  We have an Escape cruise booked for February and our cruise docs don't mention any tender ports up front...it's like you have to find out on the back end somehow...  It would be nice to know up front for planning purposes.

 

Cozumel is overbooked with ships, some ships unfortunately  have to tender when they call there sometimes

 

Ports that require tenders:

Caribbean, Mexico & Panama Canal

    Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas
    Basseterre St. Kitts*
    Harvest Caye, Belize*
    Belize City, Belize
    Cozumel, Mexico*
    George Town, Grand Cayman
    Punta Cana (Cap Cana), Dominican Republic
    Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras*
    Castries, St. Lucia*
    Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
    Panama Canal/Gatun Lake, Panama
    Santa Barbara, California
    San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
* Indicates a port where ship can dock or anchor, varies by call.

Edited December 28, 2019 by shof515

[heatherc73]

5 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

What is the date of your itinerary, if I may ask?  And where are you getting your info about tendering?  We have an Escape cruise booked for February and our cruise docs don't mention any tender ports up front...it's like you have to find out on the back end somehow...  It would be nice to know up front for planning purposes. 

 

If I had access to priority tendering via my Latitudes status then I'd probably go with that and hope for the best over paying more money for Priority Access....unless Priority Access also means you don't have to wait for a boat to fill up. On our last cruise we were in the Haven and we had priority tendering.  That was nice except we still had to wait for the boat to fill up before we actually left.  So in our experience priority tendering meant getting on first, but not necessarily a time saver.  This was on Breakaway.  

I’ve found that info on my cruise confirmation document (when you first booked your cruise) 

the PDF document contains passenger names etc and at the bottom is the itinerary.  One of the columns says dock or tender.

[bonvoyagie]

We have only tendered a couple of times - the last was in Bar Harbor in 16. This was also our first US port after being in Canada so we had to go through a quick passport check before going ashore. We met with the concierge in one of the meeting rooms and were escorted through our own line for that process. We then were told to go back to our cabins and prepare for going ashore then meet back in the same room where we were escorted in groups of 8-10 down the back way to the top of the ramp leading down to the tender. Here is where they broke the line and inserted us. The only time we tendered away from a suite was in Hawaii where we had an NCL tour arranged - the tickets to the tour were also our tendering tickets. We were off in plenty of time for our tour. But that was back in 06 and the details are fuzzy now. We will be tendering at least twice on our upcoming cruise - Santa Barbara and Cabo for sure - however we are both platinum and in a suite so we will see what happens.

[thedoc29ca]

9 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

What is the date of your itinerary, if I may ask?  And where are you getting your info about tendering?  We have an Escape cruise booked for February and our cruise docs don't mention any tender ports up front...it's like you have to find out on the back end somehow...  It would be nice to know up front for planning purposes. 

 

If I had access to priority tendering via my Latitudes status then I'd probably go with that and hope for the best over paying more money for Priority Access....

We are sailing March 14.   Many of the recent Western Caribbean Escape reviews have complained about the tendering process in Roatan and Cozumel being slow and inefficient.  
 

Looking at the Roatan port schedule (https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/roatan-island-port-29?tab=schedule&month=2020-03#schedule) Symphony of the Seas is in port an hour ahead of us and I believe Coxen Hole has only one berth.  
 

Cozumel has six ships in port.  

[Paul Bogle]

Six ships is no problem for Cozumel, you will dock downtown at Punta Langosta. In Roatan you will probably tender as Royal Caribbean seems to have priority.