How do we get on the first tender,

[lavafun]

Can you tell me how to get on the first tenders without fighting with the cruise lines.We made the mistake of booking a cruise with 3 tenders yuck!!! We booked our tours outside the ship and need to be off on the first tenders.We know this to be a issue as we've cruised lots.Any secrets you might have to this problem would be greatly appreciated.

[scapel]

Can you tell me how to get on the first tenders without fighting with the cruise lines.We made the mistake of booking a cruise with 3 tenders yuck!!! We booked our tours outside the ship and need to be off on the first tenders.We know this to be a issue as we've cruised lots.Any secrets you might have to this problem would be greatly appreciated.

 

3 tenders-how many passengers on ship? How many passengers does each tender carry?

How do you fight with the cruise line? If you have crusied lots, you should be skilled in the art of getting extra special treatment.

I would suggest you not fight, ask the CD or Social Hostess if one available and explain your situation. These people are usually out to help you have a good time. If you run into a brick wall with one, be nice and try another person.

[Plant]

I think the OP means 3 ports they'll have to tender into :confused: ?

 

lavafun,

 

You could try the "help me, please" route, but I doubt if it will make any difference. People who've booked through the ship are always first!

 

If it were me, I'd contact the independent operators and tell them you might not be there on time and ask if they'll wait for you. They might do this anyway, as they realize that not everyone can get off the ship at the same time :) .

 

Good luck!

[isujim]

Give us the cruise line........each operates a little differently and we can go from there.

[dforeigner]

Can you tell me how to get on the first tenders without fighting with the cruise lines.We made the mistake of booking a cruise with 3 tenders yuck!!! We booked our tours outside the ship and need to be off on the first tenders.We know this to be a issue as we've cruised lots.Any secrets you might have to this problem would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

Book a full suite and you get priority tender access.

[silentbob007]

I'm sure it will depend on the cruise line, but my experiences on RCCL and Carnival have been that they would let us on an early tender if we showed confirmation of an early private tour.

[chasetf]

Can you tell me how to get on the first tenders without fighting with the cruise lines.We made the mistake of booking a cruise with 3 tenders yuck!!! We booked our tours outside the ship and need to be off on the first tenders.We know this to be a issue as we've cruised lots.Any secrets you might have to this problem would be greatly appreciated.

Good luck.... I think as you know the lines give preference to their own tours. I would look seriously at pushing back the tours if you can. You never know if some other thng might delay the start of tendering.

 

As some mentioned (but not knowing what line you are sailing), you could book the cabin category that gets tender priority, or another idea is you could book a cheap ship tour that leaves first, then do your tour.

[Seabee]

And whatever you do...please don't come back and be upset with the Cruise line if it doesn't work out. And don't demand compensation for a missed tour or file a lawsuit.

 

It is amazing how people go into things with their eyes wide open and then blame others when they don't prevail. Not that the OP would do any of these things.

[DukeFamily]

People who've booked through the ship are always first!

 

Now that's not true; they are not always first. On our recent cruise on RCI, they had first come/first served tendering from 7:00 to 7:45. If you were tendering after 7:45 you had to get a ticket that I guess had a time on it or something. Pax who were taking ship sponsored excursions were all gathering in various venues around the ship and tendering together in groups - those excursions are the ones that left later. We had no problem in GC meeting up withour tour operator by 8:15 and there was no line or crowd trying to catch those earliest tenders.

[lavafun]

We are going to be on the Princess Grand.We took our granddaughter last year on a Celebrity and missed out on our tour all together it was a bad day.We are always nice but it seems to be getting harder to get off early.We are doing the caves and zip in Belize and need the whole time.

[caribbean dreams]

Now that's not true; they are not always first. .

 

Well, you don't really know if thats" not true" because i have been on some Carnival ships and if you did not have a ships excursion, you had to wait until there was room on a tender and i have also been on ships where you just walk on and nobody says a word.

There are many factors to how the tendering is handled, one being how many people booked on the ship.

[spongerob]

We are going to be on the Princess Grand.We took our granddaughter last year on a Celebrity and missed out on our tour all together it was a bad day.We are always nice but it seems to be getting harder to get off early.We are doing the caves and zip in Belize and need the whole time.

You'll have to get up early and have your group ready in the Explorer lounge to get early tender tickets. Belize isn't as big a problem getting off early because a lot of tours depart directly from the ship, and the local tenders that go into Belize City are quite large. You just have to be an early bird.

 

I wouldn't bank on anything in Cozumel. That's a whole different deal if you have to tender. Do your best to be prepared early, but don't be suprised if it takes you an hour to get to shore. We docked at both Roatan and Costa Maya.

 

And, as others have said, if you ask nicely, there can be exceptions made. I needed to go in early at one port of call to meet the guide for a private tour. When I explained my situation to the people running the tender tickets, they sent me downstairs immediately and I got to go in to port with the port agent, first passenger off the ship.

[DukeFamily]

Well, you don't really know if thats" not true" .....

 

Yeah, that's why I said they aren't always first. Sometimes first, yes, but not always. As you can see, my experience was exactly the opposite - ship sponsored excursions left later. So, therefore, they aren't always first.