Tendering in Cayman Islands

[JoeMini]

Hello All,

 

I will be on the Conquest this summer and I have booked an outside tour with Nativeway. I know Carnival takes care of it's people who booked with them first, and then the other groups next.

 

I've read where it's no problem and such, but I was wondering for those cruisers who have been to Cayman Islands before, do you have any tips for us first timers for getting off the ship faster? I don't have a problem getting off early, wandering around, and waiting around if need be, I just don't want to miss our long awaited plans and day of fun.

 

Any suggestions or tips would greatly be appreciated...thanks

[caribbean dreams]

Been to Cayman 3 times and have always booked outside tours, i have never had a problem getting to the tenders in the morning, everything so far had gone smoothly (knock on wood) we are going again in a few months. But i have heard many horror stories.

[Lady Hop]

We also went to Grand Caymen but it was in 2003 on the Triumph. They may have changed the rules about tendering. Cant remember it being any big deal about getting off back then.

 

Sorry I couldnt be more help.

[luvgreys]

Just get to the theature early. That is where they handed out the tender tickets when we were on the Conquest. :)

[zydecocruiser]

Conquest is usually one of the first boats to Grand Cayman and also usually has a pirmo parking spot, but the best advice is to be ready to go and get to wherever they are handing the tender stickers out early, as mentioned.

 

Most companies will wait a while, but they like you to try to get on the the earliest tender possible.

 

Of course, if you are on the first available tender, there is a good chance you will be waiting for some people that weren't. Just do your best and don't sweat the small stuff.

 

And how many people? It is often possible to merge in a group and bypass the tickets/stickers altogether. (Sticker? I know I had one - it must have fallen off :D)

[SomewhereBeyondTheSea]

And how many people? It is often possible to merge in a group and bypass the tickets/stickers altogether. (Sticker? I know I had one - it must have fallen off :D)

 

I must admit that I am guilty of this. We had an outside tour booked while in Belize. We did get to the theatre but were on the 9th boat out. I was a little worried that I wouldn't get to our tour group in time, so the 6 of us tried to blend in with everyone else. We were on the first tender boat out of there.

[cardinalfan]

I just got off the Conquest and we did tender in Caymen. I don't believe you will have any problems. The tendering goes quickly. If you get to the lounge early it is possible you will even be on one of the first boats to leave. It was fairly painless.

[JoeMini]

Thanks everyone....we'll just be up bright and early and get our tender tickets.

 

hey cardinalfan....would that be STL Cards?

[GayleR]

JoeMini,

 

We were on the Conquest last week and we booked our Stingray tour with Nativeway. Read my review if you like. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=317498

 

We booked the 10:30 tour and we were on the 17th tender and had plenty of time to shop prior to meeting our tour group. I don't think you will have any problems.

 

Gayle

[Kaki321]

Hey everyone! Can I jump in with a related GC tender question?

 

We are on the Miracle in May. We tender at GC at 7 am. We have no shore excursions booked, but simply will want to get off at our own leisure. We have 3 kids under 5 in our party and want the most stree-free tendering experience possible!

 

At what time would suggest we head on down to get off the boat? Are most of the booked excursion people off by 9 am?

 

thanks!

[GayleR]

Hey everyone! Can I jump in with a related GC tender question?

 

We are on the Miracle in May. We tender at GC at 7 am. We have no shore excursions booked, but simply will want to get off at our own leisure. We have 3 kids under 5 in our party and want the most stree-free tendering experience possible!

 

At what time would suggest we head on down to get off the boat? Are most of the booked excursion people off by 9 am?

 

thanks!

 

Kaki,

 

There were still a lot of people on the ship when we left at 9am. If you don't have any excursions planned, I would personally just wait a little while to get off the ship. Are you planning on going to the beach? Keep in mind that depending on what day you are in GC, it may be very crowded. I think there were 6 ships in on the day we were there, and it was packed! It was hard just walking around the shops! Hope this helps.

[bfallen1]

Where do you get them?

1 post in this thread states lounge and another says theater :confused: …..

Also what time do they begin handing them out?

 

Thanks,

[tara n angel]

Approximately how many people fit on the tendering boats?

[GayleR]

Where do you get them?

1 post in this thread states lounge and another says theater :confused: …..

Also what time do they begin handing them out?

 

Thanks,

 

On the Conquest they passed then out in the theater. I think they start handing them out around 6am. I'd have to check my capers.

[sealgs2000]

We booked with Nativeway while on the Conquest in December. We had a great time, just be sure you are clear with them what time you are to be back.

 

We were suppose to be back on the ship a 3:00 and we pulled up at 3:10. On the day we were in GC the winds were high and we did not tender in the normal location we were tendered on the other side of the island and the tendering was really slow. Our ship never got all the people back on untill 4:00 but for those few minutes as we were driving to the ship and I could see the smoke comming out of the funnel, I was sure the ship was leaving us. NOT FUN!!!

[GayleR]

We booked with Nativeway while on the Conquest in December. We had a great time, just be sure you are clear with them what time you are to be back.

 

We were suppose to be back on the ship a 3:00 and we pulled up at 3:10. On the day we were in GC the winds were high and we did not tender in the normal location we were tendered on the other side of the island and the tendering was really slow. Our ship never got all the people back on untill 4:00 but for those few minutes as we were driving to the ship and I could see the smoke comming out of the funnel, I was sure the ship was leaving us. NOT FUN!!!

 

I think this is a pattern with Nativeway. We were still in the van at 3:00 also. (We were on the Conquest last week.) We arrived at the pier at 3:07 but were relieved to see 100's of people in line to get back on the ship. I honestly believe that Carnival tells you the last tender is at 3 so that everyone will be back on by 4:30 or so.

[mitchpam]

We just returned from the liberty last week. We aklso took the Rays, Reef and Rum Point with Native way. Amazing, professional, helpful, and fun folks. They have a very well run operation. Withing 15 minutes of the tendering process we went down to the Venetian Palace (theater), they gave people stickers as the came in one side of the doors, and as they calle dyour sticker number you exited out the other side of the room. It was a matter of 10 minutes all together. Our ship had the "premium" docking as we were the closest to the pier. It was a five minute ride in. Looked to me as if the other Carnival ship and the Royal Carribean ship had about a ten minute ride. Once we got there Native Way had big signs and directed people out of the congested area before telling us where to meet them and at what time. We got in early enough to look around for about half an hour, I was able to get to the duty free liquer shop before the rush and have our 6 bottles delivered to the ship.

 

Hope this helps ease your mind... and I hope you have as much fun as we did.

[walkswife]

Can one person in the group run down and get tender tickets for the whole group early and the rest show up a bit later when tendering starts?

[mitchpam]

I do not think it would work, no. You need to have your group together. They move people through there as quickly as possibe and do not want people shoving to the front of the line to get with others. They also just give you the sticker as you enter the room, so it is done on a first come first served basis. I do not think that the nubers really mattered when we got on the tenders, they did not even look at them. It is just so that in case there is a build up of people waiting that they can know whos next. We were fortunate and there was no build up.

[chine_1]

Whats native way's web address? I tried nativeway.com and don't think thats it...

[mitchpam]

Go to Google and type in native way grand cayman, hit the i'm feeling lucky tab, you should be there.

[Kaki321]

Kaki,

 

There were still a lot of people on the ship when we left at 9am. If you don't have any excursions planned, I would personally just wait a little while to get off the ship. Are you planning on going to the beach? Keep in mind that depending on what day you are in GC, it may be very crowded. I think there were 6 ships in on the day we were there, and it was packed! It was hard just walking around the shops! Hope this helps.

 

Hey Gayle,

 

Thanks! Yeah, with the 3 little ones the most we will do is beach it, and walk around a bit. Which beach did you go to that was so crowded? thanks

[GayleR]

Hey Gayle,

 

Thanks! Yeah, with the 3 little ones the most we will do is beach it, and walk around a bit. Which beach did you go to that was so crowded? thanks

 

Sorry, didn't mean to imply the beaches were crowded. I meant just walking around shopping it was packed. No room on the sidewalks. We did the Stingray/Island tour with Nativeway.

[joepeka]

Whats native way's web address? I tried nativeway.com and don't think thats it...

Try: http://www.nativewaywatersports.com/shiptours.html

[JoeMini]

This board is great...thanks for all the help!