tendering

[abbypa]

hi everyone. i hope someone can help me. im going on royal caribbean in jan the western caribbean im a little concerned about tendering from the boat. i have had a knee replacement and also i have a slight case of cerebal palsey. the knee replacement was done on my stronger side therefore i have to depend on my weaker side. anyway ,has anyone have had trouble tendering off the boat? also are there any excursions i should avoid? any information will be great. dont want to ruin my families vacation by falling in the sea .lol thank you:confused:

[kitty9]

I had polio as a child and both my legs are weak and I walk with a cane. I don't take tenders as I never feel secure stepping onto and off them. Most times the tenders are very bouncy. Once, a few years ago on Legend of the Seas, I didn't follow my own brain and tried to tender because I wanted to see Costa Rica. As I stepped onto the tender, it rose up three feet, and I fell into the tender breaking my foot. So to be sure, I never do tenders as they scare me too much.

[Splinter]

We tender often, even though my mother cannot stand or walk at all. She either gets lifted in her chair, or uses a tender lift.

 

The ship may refuse to take her if it is rough, but we prepare for that with other plans for tendering ports...we don't want to risk it if it is too rough either.

 

The ship's crew are pretty used to helping elderly and semi-disabled people onto and off the tender. Use their help. If you have one able-bodied seaman on either side take an arm, they will help you on/off the tender. Have you arms and hands completely free (ask a companion to carry your purse, camera or beach bag) to make this safer. Only attempt to board when they direct you.

 

Life has risks. If you take a few with an understanding of precautions, you will get to enjoy some of it.

[DEL67]

We also tender fairly often. As long as the water is not rough, the ship's crew will carry my husband, in his manual chair, down the tender steps and into the tender and, if necessary, the tender crew will lift him out of the tender. In addition, the tender crew are very careful to assist all passengers, even able bodied ones in and out of the tender.

 

However, after reading your post, I was concerned how you were going to get around aboard the ship. Are you taking a scooter or wheelchair? If not I would suggest you do so since ships are quite large and require a lot of walking. In addition, walking can be difficult if you hit rough water.

[KruznKupl]

I have been on three cruises and tendered on all of them. To add to the mix I was born without arms, just two fingers attached at the shoulder on each side, and in more recent years I have begun traveling with a manual wheel chair as oteoarthritis in my hips has taken its toll on my distance walking. On my first cruise when I walked onto the tender the crew members made sure I stepped across safely and made it to a seat on the tender and sat down before they let go of me. Since I've had the chair they have lifted me across in the chair from the ship to the tender and onto the dock from the tender. I just close my eyes. :D We're heading for a cruise through the Panama Canal in Jan. I plan to disembark at every port.

 

If they're willing so am I because I'm not going to miss out on going ashore someplace new if I don't have to. Seriously, I have never felt unsafe. These have just been my experiences and as they say "your results may vary". We each must do what works for us.

 

Happy cruising!

[gail811]

These posts are very helpful to me! I am taking my sister on a western itinerary in April and we have three ports we will tender into! She is "newly" challenged from a stroke and has limited mobility on her left side. It is nice to know that tendering should be an option for her!