Anybody else prefer tendering?

I know the general consensus is that most people prefer docking to tendering.....but am I the only one who likes to tender? Granted I know that it takes longer to get on and off the ship typically, but I LOVE getting that rare perspective of whatever ship I am on.

I know the general consensus is that most people prefer docking to tendering.....but am I the only one who likes to tender? Granted I know that it takes longer to get on and off the ship typically, but I LOVE getting that rare perspective of whatever ship I am on.

tendering does take longer but remember if the seas are not friendly you may not tender so then you spend an extra day at sea

tendering does take longer but remember if the seas are not friendly you may not tender so then you spend an extra day at sea

Yea, I obviously get that. I've tendered in bad weather a few times, but that wasn't the point of what I am asking.....

Assuming perfect weather, does anyone else prefer tendering as opposed to docking?

Mom does. She says she could ride it back and forth. Especially the puny 50pax Catalina tenders.

Took 2 hours to get off a ship once and another 2 to get back on.

We got to spend almost 4 hours exploring a large port.

Nope, not a fan of tenders.

I think you and SadieN's mom might be the only ones, bobbycruiser. :) I find it really tedious.

I'll go with the little boat ride, a very pleasant form of transport. :)

But not with the risk of the port being missed because of a heavy swell or strong winds - even when the weather is otherwise glorious.

Nor with the potential for a long wait for my tender number to come up.

Nor with standing in the long lines below decks on the ship (or, on some ships, sat for hours in a specific bar), or in hot sun on the jetty.

Nor with time taken for the operation.

Nor with that time-scale screwing up my day if I've left something (like camera, money, hat) on the ship or if I want to nip back aboard for a light lunch.

For me, the downsides greatly outweigh the pleasant little boat ride.

JB :)

At one time I did't mind tendering, but we soon encountered tender rides that lasted up to 45 minutes each direction.

And now that I have to use a Rollator, it is difficult getting on and off the tenders.

I enjoy an occasional tender ride. We are Elite with Princess, which gets us priority for the tender. When we are in a hurry to get off, we are often on the same tender as the staff bringing their setup for the pier.

Took 2 hours to get off a ship once and another 2 to get back on.

We got to spend almost 4 hours exploring a large port.

Nope, not a fan of tenders.

What was going on that made the tender process so long? Two hours to get on and off is something we have never experienced. Never in line for anymore than 15 minutes.

Most of the tender ports I've recently encountered have been on a small ship (~300 passengers), so waiting and delays are not usually a problem, and I do enjoy an occasional tender ride.

HOWEVER, on my most recent cruise, we had to completely skip one tendered port due to rough seas and another tender port (one of the spots I was most looking forward to visiting) was cut short by rough weather so that we only had about an hour ashore!

So no, I would not choose tendering over docking. If you want a pleasant boat ride, rent a small boat while in port!

I know the general consensus is that most people prefer docking to tendering.....but am I the only one who likes to tender? Granted I know that it takes longer to get on and off the ship typically, but I LOVE getting that rare perspective of whatever ship I am on.

Is this a serious thread? You like tendering better than docking? So if given the chance you would prefer to tender at every port I would gather. I would think that you are definitely the exception rather than the rule.:D

What was going on that made the tender process so long? Two hours to get on and off is something we have never experienced. Never in line for anymore than 15 minutes.

It's something we've experienced a few times.

A heavy swell, which makes boarding the tender or re-boarding the ship a slow process waiting for the tender to be at a safe height for each passenger. A long haul from ship to shore, so that there's a wait between each tender pulling alongside the ship. A tender out-of-action due to a mechanical problem. Priority for ship's excursion pax, higher-status pax etc (think the effect of such priorities on the line for regular Joe's at Disney & other theme parks). Plenty of reasons why some folk sometimes have a long wait.

Not the norm, esp for regular Caribbean ports or, in our experience, when tendering is done with large double-deck local boats. But it happens from time to time.

JB :)

Is this a serious thread? You like tendering better than docking? So if given the chance you would prefer to tender at every port I would gather. I would think that you are definitely the exception rather than the rule.:D

Yes, it was a serious question. I genuinely love getting on the small tender and being that close to the ship and when coming back just being in awe of how big the ship really is.

My questions should have been this....."Assuming perfect weather conditions, and that the wait time was next to nothing for a tender, would people still prefer to dock rather than tender?"

I don't mind tendering. It is a change of pace and often the walk on a pier is rather long. In actuality it doesn't matter to me one way or the other.

I generally don't mind tendering, BUT, I had a very rough tender experience on a Med cruise that I would prefer not to have to repeat. To say it was a wild ride would be putting it mildly. We had to hang on for dear life not to be bounced out of our seats and I actually became a bit seasick. Also, the windows on the tenders don't tend to be clean enough to get that great of a view of the ship or take photos.

Yes, it was a serious question. I genuinely love getting on the small tender and being that close to the ship and when coming back just being in awe of how big the ship really is.

 

My questions should have been this....."Assuming perfect weather conditions, and that the wait time was next to nothing for a tender, would people still prefer to dock rather than tender?"

Nope - still no ;)

I would be happy to never have to tender in any port. :)

Yes, it was a serious question. I genuinely love getting on the small tender and being that close to the ship and when coming back just being in awe of how big the ship really is.

 

My questions should have been this....."Assuming perfect weather conditions, and that the wait time was next to nothing for a tender, would people still prefer to dock rather than tender?"

DOCK:D

Just lie down on the pier and look up if you need to get the perspective of how big the ship really is. You will save a whole lot of time and you won't have to listen to the rest of us complain about having to take a tender either.:D

I enjoy tendering, but I grew up on a boat. I don't have the patience for long waits and stupid people in close proximity to me though, so I would probably pass on the tender to avoid those. If I am not in a hurry to make an early excursion and people are being friendly and unselfish, then I can really enjoy the whole process - even (maybe especially) if the seas are crazy :D

No.... definitely prefer not to tender. Tenders have hard uncomfortable seats, they're generally crowded, either stiflingly hot or freezing cold, smell of fuel/exhaust drifts over you, lines to get on, lines to get off, then lines for the elevators when 100 people get off at once and all want an elevator at the same time. Once was even life threatening, in Cabo when a sudden high sea arrived with 8-12 foot swells. Each person had to be physically lifted between swells (not too delicately, by crew members' hands on our butts!) from the tender up to the platform. One crew member fell off the platform, landing between it and the ship - very scary. We won't skip a port we want to see just because it's a tender port, but would never choose a tender over a nice stable gangway. Yes, we've occasionally gotten a nice picture of the ship from the tender's perspective, but nothing that would make me deliberately choose the tender.

Tendering is inconvenient. A lot of hurry and wait in line.

Interesting question. I go both ways. Sometimes a tender offers easier access to the port city center than a berth way beyond that requires bus transport. It just depends. Sometimes it's better, sometimes not.

I think you and SadieN's mom might be the only ones, bobbycruiser. :) I find it really tedious.

I think it goes back a few years--- seas were a little choppy in the Channel (it's always choppy in the Channel) and the tender Capt. had a gleam in his eye. Revved it up and we did several donuts while waiting our turn to board. :D. He got his hand slapped for doing it but what fun.

Other times we've been escorted on by dolphins and sea lions.

Now Carnival is using 200 and 400 pax tenders. Kind of hard to do donuts in those.

Being ex Navy, I understand exactly what the OP asking. The otherwise unavailable unobstructed views you get of your cruise liner are mind blowing. It is really just about the only way to appreciate the majesty of your temporary home. I really loved "Hands to Swimming Stations" out in the middle of the ocean, when the ship was stopped and everybody went for a swim. Then, even a relatively small warship looked huge.

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