How do you know which ports you dock at and which you tender in to?

[galileo111]

I am looking at a Med cruise for dh and I, and there are so many ports to choose from! We are certainly interested in seeing some of the lesser known ports, and are planning to be on a mid size to small ship (thinking one of the luxury lines). Is there anyway to know ahead of time at which ports you will be able to dock directly and which you have to tender into? I imagine that smaller ships, such as SS or SB are able to dock directly in some towns that the larger ships are not, but there must still be some ports that even the small ships have to tender in. I just can't figure out which! Looking at the cruise lines websites I don't see any indication of whether a tender is required or not.

Thanks in advance! Newbie here...

[lmcpark]

If you go onto the website of the cruiseline , find the cruise and on the itinerary it should say docked or tendered on the port days. Which cruise line are you going on? Or ask you TA.

 

Have a great cruise!!

[fann1sh]

Six star cruise line websites aren't always as full of details as mass market lines. So, if you can't find out there, I'd go to the forum of the line you're considering and query there. For example, here is the Silversea forum:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=183

 

Here is Seabourn:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=130

 

Here is Regent Seven Seas:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=176

 

You don't mention that you're considering Crystal, and those ships are bigger, but here's the forum in any case:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=30

 

Another place to look is in the Ports of Call forums. Here is the forum for the Med, both east and west:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=234

 

On that board, you could do a search (upper right of forum header) and use the name of the port for keywords. If you don't find your answer that way, just start a thread with your question.

 

Incidentally, you don't mention if you're using a travel agent. There are some online TA's that specialize in luxury cruising, and I'd consider booking through one of them, instead of direct with the line. They also would be a source of information.

 

Have a fabulous cruise!

[cb at sea]

It should state if you'll be tendered in the itinerary..if it doesn't say tendered, assume docked.

Once you actually book, you can go to the board for that particular line, and you will get major details on that line and it's itineraries.

[DanJ]

Something to keep in mind to is that while it may seem more convenient to simply walk off the ship, quite often the pier is in an out of the way location requiring a taxi or shuttle ride to where you want to be. Tenders in many ports drop you off right where you are going. And on smaller ships like you are looking at, there are a lot shorter lines for tenders.

[sail7seas]

Many itineraries have asteriks beside listed ports. Of course, there are then footnotes indicating the asterik (or mark) means such as tendering, conditions permitting or other pertinent information.