Tender Tickets

We are a group of 10 who have organized our own private tour excursion at a tender port. We will be sailing on the Volendam. I was wondering if 1 or 2 of us can pick up the tender tickets for the group, or do we all have to get in line and each pick up our own individual ticket. Thanks for the answer in advance.

As far as I can remember everybody has to be there to pick up their own tickets. They tell you to stay together as a group so that way you all can get on together.

Allan

We are a group of 10 who have organized our own private tour excursion at a tender port. We will be sailing on the Volendam. I was wondering if 1 or 2 of us can pick up the tender tickets for the group, or do we all have to get in line and each pick up our own individual ticket. Thanks for the answer in advance.

Your group will have to wait until all the Hal tours are off...

Your group will have to wait until all the Hal tours are off...

Not what the OP asked. :rolleyes:

Your group will have to wait until all the Hal tours are off...

Not what the OP asked. :rolleyes:

Plus not true. There is a perception all tours leave together, and first. In fact, there are typically tours that leave hours after the ship first arrives.

But, I have to say, getting a group of 10 off very early in the tendering process is not going to be easy.

We are a group of 10 who have organized our own private tour excursion at a tender port. We will be sailing on the Volendam. I was wondering if 1 or 2 of us can pick up the tender tickets for the group, or do we all have to get in line and each pick up our own individual ticket. Thanks for the answer in advance.

Everyone in the group must be there.

Thanks for all the advice. We will all get together and wait.

Plus not true. There is a perception all tours leave together, and first. In fact, there are typically tours that leave hours after the ship first arrives.

 

But, I have to say, getting a group of 10 off very early in the tendering process is not going to be easy.

In our experience it just depends. Sometimes you have to wait for a few, sometimes a lot and sometimes none. We usually have success showing up early and getting the first tender.

You all will have to wait together in the area designated for tender tickets. That is the only place they will call out the numbers for boarding the tenders. It is not broadcasted over the PA system.

Hopefully you do not have too early of a tour. Many of HAL tours go first but they do try to call some independent people as well from time to time.

If your idea is for an 'early bird' to pick up early tender tickets, what if that number is called before everyone arrives? Better IMO to wait where tickets are being given out until the last arrives.

It seems to depend upon the ship and the cruise.

I had our group meet us (over 20) for our transfer to Mont St Michel but I was allowed to go and get the tickets for the entire group on the P'dam and then we all waited as a group.

I should add, I had asked about this and made arrangements in advance.

It seems to depend upon the ship and the cruise.

 

I had our group meet us (over 20) for our transfer to Mont St Michel but I was allowed to go and get the tickets for the entire group on the P'dam and then we all waited as a group.

Thank you that sound promising. Did you have to speak to anyone specifically to make happen?

Thank you that sound promising. Did you have to speak to anyone specifically to make happen?

I was doing the meet and greet so that person knew we had a large roll call and invited me to talk about any arrangements.

From what I have found, if you can determine who is in charge of the tenders (Culinary staff sometimes), you can discuss with them. HAL is not as negative to private arrangements as some may think ;)

I was doing the meet and greet so that person knew we had a large roll call and invited me to talk about any arrangements.

 

From what I have found, if you can determine who is in charge of the tenders (Culinary staff sometimes), you can discuss with them. HAL is not as negative to private arrangements as some may think ;)

Thank you. This is exactly what I needed to hear. I am in charge of our Meet & Greet, and we have over 75 already. This is a 28 day cruise and luckily only 2 tender ports. I will to talk to whoever is in charge.

Be nice and just ask.

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Thank you. This is exactly what I needed to hear. I am in charge of our Meet & Greet, and we have over 75 already. This is a 28 day cruise and luckily only 2 tender ports. I will to talk to whoever is in charge.

When you get to your stateroom, there should be a letter by the person on board in charge of your arrangements confirming the meet and greet(s) with a telephone #. Great place to start. Make sure all is good, call and thank them very much for being so kind and then ask if they can help with who you should contact regarding your tender question.

Remember you get more bees with honey ;)

Otherwise just go early. Most private tours will wait - they know how tenders work ;)

Hello obsessionr.

It is difficult to determine your situation since you have not included port and type of tour.

1. Is it an all day tour not offered by HAL?

2. Would it be difficult for your group not being on early tender?

3. Do you have four and five star Mariners in your group?

On my last two cruises I was allowed early tender for my groups perhaps because I met all three criteria. The Cruise Director made a brief appearance at the Meet and Greets and we had a nice chat with me following up with providing a list of names to the CD's office. The CD then notified me by phone that my very polite request (it is a request) for early tender was approved. CD then asked that we gather in a specific area by a certain time and then we were approved as a group to go ashore. One of these times the CD gave me tender tickets for each person in the group. On another ship the CD just called and said come on down.

Thank you that sound promising. Did you have to speak to anyone specifically to make happen?

Try the hotel director or the cruise director a few days before the port. Once saw a large group get tender tickets the day before because they asked the hotel director but most often this will not happen.

Thanks for all of the advice.

The first tender port we are in is Koh Samui, Thailand. We are only there from 8-3 and naturally the guide would like us off at 8:00. I have let him know this was probably not possible, but he did say that we would work out the tour and see what we could. There are 16 of this tour, but 5 have priority tender. We should be able to make this work as long as everyone is on time to pick up tickets.

The next tender port is in Halong Bay, Vietnam. This tour will be a little more of a challenge since we are a very large group of 29 (2 buses). There will be 6 on the tour with priority tender. The good news is we are in port from 7am-8pm. The tour is supposed to be 11 hours. Again, the guide has said try to get off at once, but I'm sure the tour can be adjusted as needed.

The first thing I do when I get on board, is take everyone's advice. Be nice a pie and speak with whoever will listen. I have been told that HAL's meet & greet is not like other lines. They do not have officers come talk to the group, so probably will not get to meet cruise director or hotel director at this time. I will make every effort to contact them at least before the Halong Bay port. This port is 12 days into the cruise, so I should have a definite answer before.

Again, thanks to all that answered. I must say Cruise Critic is an amazing website, and the people who took the time to answer were a great help!

Thanks for all of the advice.

 

I have been told that HAL's meet & greet is not like other lines. They do not have officers come talk to the group, so probably will not get to meet cruise director or hotel director at this time. I will make every effort to contact them at least before the Halong Bay port. This port is 12 days into the cruise, so I should have a definite answer before.

Must be cruise specific or luck of the draw as I have always had a few senior officers, including the master captain a few times, and if I remember correctly, always the cruise director at the 1st meet and greet.

The hotel director often has their office next to the front desk and if the door is open, just pop in. They are usually very helpful. I would go early in the cruise and ask about all the tender ports you mentioned; they will probably ask how many in total and how many 4+ star mariners. If you have a President's Club member, it may also help a lot.

Must be cruise specific or luck of the draw as I have always had a few senior officers, including the master captain a few times, and if I remember correctly, always the cruise director at the 1st meet and greet ....t.

It is a change. I think it was earlier this year, that ship officers will no longer attend the M&G. I don't know if that also includes the Cruise Director.

It is a change. I think it was earlier this year, that ship officers will no longer attend the M&G. I don't know if that also includes the Cruise Director.

This is what I had heard. I read that they have a big ship to run, and to take them from their jobs for a small group of guests is something they will no longer do. I'm sure I can speak to someone on the ship and ask for assistance.

re: Ship Officers attendance at Meet & Greet

I think either I read somewhere or someone posted something about ship's officers not at Meet and Greet. The reason they are no longer attending is because it may interfere with the M&G speaking about private excursions. It is discourteous to discuss private excursions with the Officers attending. On my last cruise they just showed up to say "hi is everything o.k." then left immediately. Another tip is "appoint" a four or five star mariner to request the early (do not say first) tender and if you are going somewhere different to the ships excursion you may want to point this out.

An example would be "we would like very much to go to see the Komodo Dragon and snorkel at Pink Sand Beach. The ship excursion only goes to Komodo Dragon. Would you be kind enough to grant our request for early tender etc."

Thanks again for everyone's advice. I will ask the 4 & 5 star Mariners to join me when we ask for early tender. Obviously we won't ask for first. The good thing is the ship only holds 1,400, so it shouldn't take that long no matter how many tenders go. We will make it work.

Just of the Volendam.

On our cruise tendertickets had to be picked up the day before on a number of tenderports. They were distributed so as to mix in with the haltours. This came to a crashing halt when one of the tenders got a rope in her screw. From then on only hal tours could get off on the remaining ones. The same happened when the swell became too much.

Everything seemed to be well organised and we had a wonderfull cruise (indonesia )