Bar Harbor - Tendering?

[Laszlo]

Does NCL use its lifeboats or does the town have tenders?

[mking8288]

@Laszlo - short answer, NCL's own lifeboats ... BH itself doesn't have any tenders, just like Newport, RI 

 

Allow extra time, get your priority tender tickets and/or refer to shorex time ... with the *Away/Plus ships, I believe they use both Fwd & Aft tender platforms to load the tenders.  

These were from the Dawn in 2019 ... should give you some idea

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2662250-semi-live-dawn-canada-new-england-5112019-our-old-favorite/?do=findComment&comment=57479255

 

[shof515]

Yesterday the escape used the lifeboat as tendering. some of the lifeboats still show up on the marine traffic website 

[Laszlo]

25 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

@Laszlo - short answer, NCL's own lifeboats ... BH itself doesn't have any tenders, just like Newport, RI 

 

Allow extra time, get your priority tender tickets and/or refer to shorex time ... with the *Away/Plus ships, I believe they use both Fwd & Aft tender platforms to load the tenders.  

These were from the Dawn in 2019 ... should give you some idea

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2662250-semi-live-dawn-canada-new-england-5112019-our-old-favorite/?do=findComment&comment=57479255

 

Thanks, will be on the Gem. Might move up to Suite just to avoid the tendering lines

[1025cruise]

Last year they hired a local boat to help with tendering, besides the lifeboats.

[FLAHAM]

Yet another perk of Club Balcony Suites:  automatic availability of the first morning tender.

[Ellis1138]

I was there on last week's sailing. The Escape used lifeboats, but there was also a local Nature Tour boat being used as a tender. 

[dbrown84]

6 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

Last year they hired a local boat to help with tendering, besides the lifeboats.

they did the same on my trip last month.  the local boat held at least twice as many people as the lifeboats

[Two_UW_Badgers]

How efficient were the tenders? Last cruise we had long long lines for Great Stirrup Cay; hoping this cruise to NE is better. 

[dexddd]

10 hours ago, Two_UW_Badgers said:

How efficient were the tenders? Last cruise we had long long lines for Great Stirrup Cay; hoping this cruise to NE is better. 

GSC totally different.  Using at least two of the old tenders off SS Norway.  Those are larger than any of the ship's lifeboats.

[zounds]

Last week Escape tendering to Bar Harbor was very frustrating as we waited in the theater forward.  They finally marched our group all the way aft, but the boat was full, so they wanted us to go back to the theater, but a few of us stayed aft and waited for the next one. We had allowed 1 hr. to get ashore, but still missed our 10 am tour.  Luckily the Co. (not NCL) understood and refunded .

[mking8288]

13 hours ago, Two_UW_Badgers said:

How efficient were the tenders? Last cruise we had long long lines for Great Stirrup Cay; hoping this cruise to NE is better. 

Can't speak to recent times at BH, our Newport, RI "Escape" stop was a known tender only port and without the possibility of enhanced, extra, local tender boats to assist.  Arrived as schedule, cleared & started tender operations by 7:30 to 8 AM once ship was cleared by local authorities ... We had a choice of 10 AM or 12 Noon "priority" tender tickets pre-reserved by CruiseNext/Latitudes Desk, and even for noon tender - numbers were still being called, not yet switched to "open" tender on a full ship with 4,850 pax (subsequent week with 5,100 pax reported to be onboard) - all abroad/last tender being 3 PM.  Suffice to say, more than 50:50 chance for someone booked on a private tour to miss anything "early" and/or mid-morning.  From being escorted to the tender platform/gangway pre-security to feets on solid landing at the pier is 30+ minutes as the lifeboat ride is 15 minutes itself.  

 

Ships like the Dawn, Gem, Pearl & Sun with fewer pax headcounts are "quicker"  All these are best when not returning first from Canada ports as then the first U.S. port always mean mandatory US CBP inspection are required for all pax before one is allowed to proceed to tender.  

[Laszlo]

11 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Can't speak to recent times at BH, our Newport, RI "Escape" stop was a known tender only port and without the possibility of enhanced, extra, local tender boats to assist.  Arrived as schedule, cleared & started tender operations by 7:30 to 8 AM once ship was cleared by local authorities ... We had a choice of 10 AM or 12 Noon "priority" tender tickets pre-reserved by CruiseNext/Latitudes Desk, and even for noon tender - numbers were still being called, not yet switched to "open" tender on a full ship with 4,850 pax (subsequent week with 5,100 pax reported to be onboard) - all abroad/last tender being 3 PM.  Suffice to say, more than 50:50 chance for someone booked on a private tour to miss anything "early" and/or mid-morning.  From being escorted to the tender platform/gangway pre-security to feets on solid landing at the pier is 30+ minutes as the lifeboat ride is 15 minutes itself.  

 

Ships like the Dawn, Gem, Pearl & Sun with fewer pax headcounts are "quicker"  All these are best when not returning first from Canada ports as then the first U.S. port always mean mandatory US CBP inspection are required for all pax before one is allowed to proceed to tender.  

Thanks for the info, will be on the Gem coming from Bermuda

[mendi]

We did not have excursions on either tender port (Newport/Bar Harbor) so tendering was no issue. 

We had paid for Priority Access which includes Priority embark, tender and disembark so we just went to tender whenever we wanted and got right on. Albeit it was not at first arrival. Newport is 6 a.m. and Bar Harbor 8 a.m. so without an excursion planned no real reason to get off the ship that early, nothing is open except maybe a coffee shop. If you have early excursions it may not be a bad idea to look into Priority Access. We were on board the ship at 11:45 and having lunch at Savor by 12:00. They try and push everyone to the buffet but the restaurant is open from 12:00 to 1:30. Much better relaxing option on embarkation day IMHO. 

[mugtech]

1 minute ago, mendi said:

We did not have excursions on either tender port (Newport/Bar Harbor) so tendering was no issue. 

We had paid for Priority Access which includes Priority embark, tender and disembark so we just went to tender whenever we wanted and got right on. Albeit it was not at first arrival. Newport is 6 a.m. and Bar Harbor 8 a.m. so without an excursion planned no real reason to get off the ship that early, nothing is open except maybe a coffee shop. If you have early excursions it may not be a bad idea to look into Priority Access. We were on board the ship at 11:45 and having lunch at Savor by 12:00. They try and push everyone to the buffet but the restaurant is open from 12:00 to 1:30. Much better relaxing option on embarkation day IMHO. 

Worth repeating

[Ellis1138]

2 hours ago, zounds said:

Last week Escape tendering to Bar Harbor was very frustrating as we waited in the theater forward.  They finally marched our group all the way aft, but the boat was full, so they wanted us to go back to the theater, but a few of us stayed aft and waited for the next one. We had allowed 1 hr. to get ashore, but still missed our 10 am tour.  Luckily the Co. (not NCL) understood and refunded .

 

I had an NCL excursion and getting onto a tender was an absolute chaotic nightmare. And we did make our excursion on time. I had forgotten all about that. For our next one, on PoA, we're going to try for the 7 am early bird no ticket needed tenders. 

[mking8288]

@Laszlo - Oooh, returning from Bermuda to first U.S. port ... expect CBP to board the GEM first, go thru mandatory immigration clearance first, and that's going to take at least hour to 90 minutes before the priorities & Haven, suite guests to be able to get on the first tender.  Typically, it's organized & funneled thru different sections (MDR and smaller MDR, etc.) and US nationals vs. foreign passports holders only ...  Code word is "patience" and be prepared, safe travel & cheers. 

 

P.S.  Once cleared by CBP, they put a colored sticker on everyone's Guest Keycard, without it - can't proceed to the tender deck to go ashore. 

Edited September 29, 2023 by mking8288

[Laszlo]

2 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

@Laszlo - Oooh, returning from Bermuda to first U.S. port ... expect CBP to board the GEM first, go thru mandatory immigration clearance first, and that's going to take at least hour to 90 minutes before the priorities & Haven, suite guests to be able to get on the first tender.  Typically, it's organized & funneled thru different sections (MDR and smaller MDR, etc.) and US nationals vs. foreign passports holders only ...  Code word is "patience" and be prepared, safe travel & cheers. 

At least we are there from 10am-7pm. We haven been there before, not planning on doing an excursion. Might rent some bikes