Cruise dock repair

I understand the repairs are going to make the pier bigger and a lot of cruises have to tender. Any idea when they will be done to allow docking again. I am going to be there in Febuary and would hate to tender.

I understand the repairs are going to make the pier bigger and a lot of cruises have to tender. Any idea when they will be done to allow docking again. I am going to be there in Febuary and would hate to tender.

Would hate that as well, we will be there by 28th of Dezember!

As usually people with booked tours are going first off bord and all the others have to go second, therefore we might miss "Speedy's Ferry" to go on our own to Virgin Gorda !!! But we will see; might be that we are enough early to make it to the ferry in time.

So if anyone has any firsthand information we would be glad to hear about them; so far I haven't heard from someone who really had to tender, but only rumors about it...

We were also interested to know if the ships were able to dock, so watched the web cam of a ship we knew would be in Tortola last Saturday. It was obvious that she was not in dock and was at anchor, hence they would have been going ashore by tender. We were also hoping to get to Virgin Gorda ourselves but may well have to change plans. Sue

My wife and I are booked on NCL Pearl for December. A check on BVI cruise timetables shows NCL Pearl on December 4 in Tortola will be anchored and tenders will be used. This is very little news updates about the progress of the upgrades to the Road town Dock.

We were there on Saturday. The bigsigns on the construction site say 2015, but n o when. There's still lots to be done.

We were there on Saturday. The bigsigns on the construction site say 2015, but n o when. There's still lots to be done.

Is the drop off-point of the tenders the same place as you would go out

when docking ? Or is it any closer to the ferry terminal ?

I have no idea. Don't know where docking would happen. Didn't take a ferry.

I have no idea. Don't know where docking would happen. Didn't take a ferry.

But you took the tender to land ?

Did you came across this sign? If yes, then you land at the place where the pier was in March 2014.

And this was the Pier in March 2014 in Tortola, does it looks familiar or did you land somewhere else?

Didn't notice the sign in the 1st picture, but that doesn't mean it wasn't there.

The 2nd picture is dominated by a ship--couldn't say if that's where the tender dropped us or not.

There was a very large construction site; you could walk past it to town (or take a golf cart shuttle); the landmark I remember as we left the construction site was Banco Popular across the street.

Larger ships have always moored and tendered folks into the Road Town jetty which is where the ferries are so I would assume that's where the tenders are going now.

Larger ships have always moored and tendered folks into the Road Town jetty which is where the ferries are so I would assume that's where the tenders are going now.

That would be great; as we like to go on a ferry to Virgin Gorda; it would be great to know, that after maybe waiting for the tender, not have to walk 10 minutes to the ferry and miss it; but we will see;

the itinerary sais we arrive at 8am and Speedy's Ferry leaves at 9am,

so it might work out after all.

There was no ferry where our tender docked.

It is a quick walk to the ferry. A few passengers asked a taxi but they weren't interested for the small fare.. Hi Andee! Swimming in any gorges lately?

The ferry terminal is a short walk from the cruise pier. Not sure where in Road Town Harbor the tenders are docking, but the cruise staff certainly knows by now.

We're due to be at Tortola on January 27th 2015 with the P&O Ventura. Got an email today from P&O to say that we will be using a Tender. Just hope they don't cancel our trip to Virgin Gorda. Thankfully this we booked with P&O so at least we would get our money back. Hopefully the trip will happen as we particularily chose this cruise for some of the islands and trips.

Keith (Southend, UK)

We're due to be at Tortola on January 27th 2015 with the P&O Ventura. Got an email today from P&O to say that we will be using a Tender. Just hope they don't cancel our trip to Virgin Gorda. Thankfully this we booked with P&O so at least we would get our money back. Hopefully the trip will happen as we particularily chose this cruise for some of the islands and trips.

 

Keith (Southend, UK)

If you do it on a tour I think you'll not have a problem (as either they do the tour with a private boat or the ferry will wait for such a big group), and I just got the information from a fellow traveller, who was on the same cruise as I do, and she went to Virgin Gorda on her own with the ferry, therefore it works with the Tenders as well.

Sorry if this is a silly question (I've never tendered on any of our cruises before).

We are on the Getaway, going to Tortola in April 2015. If the pier reconstruction is complete, will that allow the Getaway to dock, or is she still too large for the pier?

How long will it take for the passengers to get off the ship in a tendering process?

Thanks!!

Due to port at Tortola in Jan on the Gem, and recently heard that since most ships are tendering due to dock work, that there is nothing really opened. Past CC'ers going there stated they were informed to stay on the ship, unless they had a ship sponsored tour. ???? Is this true? We were planning on just grabbing a taxi and doing a fast tour of the island. Is this still doable?

Thanks or any info

We to are docked one day in January. We have already booked a tour with P&O to Virgin Gorda. I would have thought the 'Island' would do everything possible to keep things running as the cruise ships are a big part of their economy.

Keith (Southend, UK)

Due to port at Tortola in Jan on the Gem, and recently heard that since most ships are tendering due to dock work, that there is nothing really opened. Past CC'ers going there stated they were informed to stay on the ship, unless they had a ship sponsored tour. ???? Is this true? We were planning on just grabbing a taxi and doing a fast tour of the island. Is this still doable?

Thanks or any info

Due to port at Tortola in Jan on the Gem, and recently heard that since most ships are tendering due to dock work, that there is nothing really opened. Past CC'ers going there stated they were informed to stay on the ship, unless they had a ship sponsored tour. ???? Is this true? We were planning on just grabbing a taxi and doing a fast tour of the island. Is this still doable?

Thanks or any info

Not true at all, at least not on my ship...

At the pier there was never a big touristy thing, they now building it together with the new pier. The tourist market is located in colorful painted wood houses near the ferry terminal, which is about 10 min by walk from where you will be dropped with the Tender, which is by the way really the same place where you would have been with the pier beeing in place.

You cannot miss all the taxi drivers which will wait for a fare.

To the question how long it takes. The first tender was about 8am and people with ship sponsered tours had priority of course, we are member of the highest memberclass therefour we just asked and could catch one around 8.30 to be right in time to catch the 9am-Speedys-Ferry for Virgin Gorda.

How is the work at the pier coming? Can anyone give us a report?

Not sure how credible this is, but I just called Speedys Ferry and they told me the pier is not completed. So I guess it's a mystery until we get there. RCCL Jewell was going to St. Thomas as an alternative but also it could tender. Recently I have had to use a cane or wheelchair and where we go or how we get there could make a difference.

Thanks

Marcia

Just off the Gem, and we had to tender in as the dock work is still going on. We had a ship tour, so we went from the tender straight onto another boat, and coming back, straight from bus onto tender. Therefore we couldn't see how much was done, or still needed to be done, but it didn't look like anytime soon. Many more shops and streets around then when we were there in 2011

Safe sailing

Also just off the Gem. The work didn't look anywhere close to being done as far as once you get one land. But maybe the dock itself will be complete soon. I have no idea. Signs on the fences just said "2015" as far as a date goes. But, they were actively working on it all.

Yeah, was there end of december and it looked, that the works will go on at least till the end of this cruising season (spring), so I would think you might

look at another 6 month or so....especially as they seam to build a whole new welcome area, as there are some for example at St.Kitts or St.Thomas...