Ports that require tender

[dest1ny]

Hello- We are first time cruisers but extensive travelers so this whole idea of "tendering" is quite new to us. I was finally able to detemrine what it meant :) now I am trying to find out which ports we will be tendered to shore from to set up our tours as it seems I would need to add time to arrival times for our guides to meet us. We will be on Insignia BCN-IST 26APR08. Does anyone know how/where I can find this information?

Thank you

[tgg]

Because you are new to these boards and haven't gotten any responses, I'd like to suggest something. Why not list all the ports so that people who have been to those ports can give you the information you are looking for. The more detailed your posting, the more likely you are to get help.

[dest1ny]

tgg- thank you so much for the advise. Yes very new:)

We will be on Insignia Barcelona to Instanbul I am looking for information on which ports during our journey require tenders. Ports we are in need of information are :Marseille,Monte Carlo,Livorno, Positano,Santorini,Rhodes and Mitilini (Lesbos).

For those ports that do require a tender how much extra time would be suggested to get to port (1hr?). I want to st up our guides for the correct time as to not have them waiting for us too long (consideration). We are crazy early risers so I am sure we will be first off the ship most days.

[Andee]

In Rhodes, we docked very close to the old city.

[hondorner]

...For those ports that do require a tender how much extra time would be suggested to get to port (1hr?). I want to st up our guides for the correct time as to not have them waiting for us too long (consideration).

That is considerate, but I don't think you'll have to worry. The tour folks know whether or not you will be tendered, and about how long it will take. If you just let them know what time the ship will be arriving, I think they'll be able to gauge the time. I think you'll also find they will be early, regardless of what time you tell them. Cruising is all about relaxation -- you're going to love it compared to "normal" traveling. :cool:

 

Addressing your specific concerns, Oceania carries its own tenders. After anchoring, they are lowered and come to the side of the ship. Most times, the distance is quite short -- 5 or 10 minutes aboard the tender would be a lot in many ports. You should be aware that you will have to go to the main lounge and get a number, to avoid crushing lines for the tender. You should also be aware that those who are taking the Oceania sponsored tours will have priority.

[LHT28]

Santorini is a tender port

[tgg]

Hey dest1ny,

 

I knew you'd get the information you are looking for. People on this board are incredibly helpful.

 

One thing you should know about is the search function. Near the upper right part of the main page is a drop down "search this forum" box. Use it to look for any topic that occurs to you. It's always a good idea to look there before posting questions, because your question may have been answered already. There is also a wonderful "ports of call" section, with specific information about (surprise, surprise) specific ports. It's a good place to look for recommendations about guides. You get to it through the "boards" link at the top of the main page.

 

Be sure to join the roll call for your cruise (through that same "boards" link) so you can get to know some of the people you'll be sailing with. Our next cruise leaves on Monday and we will have 30 people we met on the roll call getting together for a Cruise Critic party. We've also been able to get people together for private tours.

 

You'll love Cruise Critic.

[RetiredFL]

To follow up on hondorner, ships schedules are a little less predictable than say trains or planes.

Once the ship docks, earlier or later than the scheduled time, then the local authorities have to clear it. That can take from 15 min to an hour or more. Then the tour groups have to get off first! (Usually the non-tour people are cleared to get off earlier than the time stated in the handout.)

On a recent cruise to the Greek Islands we did not know if we would dock or tender until about an hour before in Mykonos. Seems the port master has to determine what ships are in port or expected. Many small islands/ports have very restrictive docking areas.

We were also in Marsailles on an O cruise and were expected to dock at the commercial port. At the last minute a space opened up near the Vieux Port and we docked there.

In both cases the private guides found us. In Marsailles about 20 minutes after docking there was a "flotilla" of vans, cars, etc arriving at the new dock.

It is the guides jobs/livelihood to get their passengers and they have the resources to get info.

They also cooperate with each other. In Kusadasi we could not find our van and a guide from a rival company called him and found out where on the dock he was. (Always bring copies of your e-mails with cell phone numbers/names, etc).

Tourism is too valuable to many areas, especially small ones, to not know what is going on.

Advise your ship and docking time and they will figure it out.

[dest1ny]

Thanks retiredFL - This is all very new to us - hopefully we will find it to our liking otherwise we will be back to planes,trains and automobiles:)

I appreciate all the insight.

[Boreus]

Mitilini is a tender port. My experience has been that we docked in Marseille, Monte Carlo, Livorno, and Rhodes. Your final travel documents will note whether Oceania thinks they will be docking or tendering in each port, but the final decision on that is up to the Harbor Master and may be made only a day or two before your ship is to call at the port.

[conan]

Positano is a tender port usually at Amalfi. Remember too that those who have purchased for Oceania shore excursions are usually tendered off first. The ship is only 685 passengers and each tender craft holds almost 100 people. With 4 boats in the water, it doesn't take long.

[LovesAffens]

We had a different experience. I had never been on a cruise where one was required to get "tickets" for a tender so by the time that we figured it out, we were on tender 17 :eek: . The seas were rough in myconos and the tenders were stopped before we were allowed to go into port. It was very disappointing to me since I had traveled there years ago and have friends there that I planned to see. Get there early - although that won't help completely because O tours go first.

[roothy123]

We tendered at Amalfi and Santorini (and Portofino, although I guess you don't go there). We docked at Marseille (quite a ways from "downtown"), Rhodes, and Livorno. The tender process is pretty quick. I was always chomping at the bit to get off the ship, but I don't remember ever waiting more than 45 minutes TOPS to hit land, including the time we waited for the ship to be cleared and the time we waited for the tours to be tendered in so that we could go. But of course as others have mentioned, the "clearing the ship" part is a bit variable, since Oceania is kind of at the mercy of the local authorities! I'm surprised that Oceania even had a 17th tender in Mykonos - must have been a LOT of people wanting to go ashore early...or maybe nobody much going on tours?? 17 tenders is a lot for Oceania!

[conan]

Last year, the Nautica docked at Mykonos Island, the landing being about 3 or 4 km north of the town. Oceania offered a shuttle bus.

Sometimes it gets quite windy in that channel. Perhaps it was too windy for Oceania's vessel to safely dock for the voyage mentioned by the previous cruiser. But certainly, if it was too windy to dock, it would have been too windy to tender.

[Oregonian]

Hi, dest1ny, we're on the same April 26 cruise as you. Please join our roll call at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=584253 and we can share questions and port ideas (and maybe tours).

 

Ira

[drwong]

We've docked in Monte Carlo, but we've also tendered ashore there once (when the pier was occupied). Practically every ship has to tender its passengers ashore at Santorini - but note that you may arrive at one of two different cities. If you're on a ship's tour, the tender takes you to a landing beach accessible to buses. Otherwise, you'll tender ashore at the base of Fira, where you can take a cable car or a donkey ride to the top of the steep cliffs. (you can also walk it if you have the stamina and don't mind the stench of donkey offal!) :p

[orchestrapal]

Since "offal" is "viscera and trimmings of a butchered animal often considered inedible by humans" that is not what we smelled walking down the donkey path. It is, after all an animal path, and somewhat slippery. It can get crowded due to many donkeys coming and going, but what you get are some of the best views both of the sea and of the Island. If you have the stamina walk down!:)

[scdreamer]

If you get on the earliest tender (after the ship tours, of course) you can walk up the path before the donkeys start for the day. Much lower levels of smells, but by the time you're ready to go down, there's just no avoiding it!

 

(I have a fear of heights, so being in the cable car was not an option - and, besides, after all that wonderful food onboard, walking up the hill seemed like a good idea!)

[Druke I]

I too try to avoid those aerial cable cars. I don't do well with heights either!

[LHT28]

(I have a fear of heights, so being in the cable car was not an option - and, besides, after all that wonderful food onboard, walking up the hill seemed like a good idea!)

 

I am also afraid of heights but I did do the cable car and coming down was OK

I just focussed on the ship and hung onto DH !!!:D

I could not do the stairs in the heat and more afraid of the donkeys :eek: