Tendered port

Booked on the Carnival Glory and have a question about tendered ports in general a Belize in particular.

I've seen recommendations that you book excursions through Carnival to get tender priority but I've already paid for FTTF. Is Carnival going to put their excursion groups in front of me or will my FTTF status get me off the ship quickly so I can make my own plans? Then, if we do get off the ship quickly will we be stuck waiting for those without FTTF before an excursion transportation leaves?

I'm just beginning to research this, ideally I'll find a beach good for snorkeling and be able to grab a taxi and get there early!

Excellent question. I need the same question answered as I am looking at Belize excursions as well. Sorry. I have no input. Commented so I would get alerts on replies.

I've had faster to the fun in tender ports and a booked excursion and also neither. I have found no difference in any of the situations. I do hear that Belize is different in that the tender is quite lengthy so it takes quite a while to get catch a tender. If you have an excursion or are FTTF you will get on the first or second tender. That is is your excursion is early.

Most likely people on your excursion will not have FTTF so your excursion wont start for some time after you get to the port.

Most likely people on your excursion will not have FTTF so your excursion wont start for some time after you get to the port.

That makes sense if FTTF gets us off early. I'm going to try and make plans just for us instead of joining an excursion where we have to wait for the slowest person.

I was on the Magic last week and, for the first time, went to guest services to request priority tendering to be able to meet a non-Carnival cave-tubing excursion in Belize. We were put on the first tender and then were able to be among the first people on the river that day.

That makes sense if FTTF gets us off early. I'm going to try and make plans just for us instead of joining an excursion where we have to wait for the slowest person.

Before we became platinum we would go early to the lounge and speak to one of the social hosts about needing to get off early and they would always get us on an early tender.

I would try and set up excursion solely with other members of roll call and have all agree to get off early in order to have time to do what you are looking to do.

Booked on the Carnival Glory and have a question about tendered ports in general a Belize in particular.

 

I've seen recommendations that you book excursions through Carnival to get tender priority but I've already paid for FTTF. Is Carnival going to put their excursion groups in front of me or will my FTTF status get me off the ship quickly so I can make my own plans? Then, if we do get off the ship quickly will we be stuck waiting for those without FTTF before an excursion transportation leaves?

 

I'm just beginning to research this, ideally I'll find a beach good for snorkeling and be able to grab a taxi and get there early!

We were on the Conquest and had FTTF and found it useless. It did not get us to the front of the line. So having an excursion would insure you off the ship promptly as that is controlled.

We were on the Conquest and had FTTF and found it useless. It did not get us to the front of the line. So having an excursion would insure you off the ship promptly as that is controlled.

Now you know you don't need FTTF, be platinum, not book Carnival because you can go to GS and say you want to get off first!:eek:

We were on the Conquest and had FTTF and found it useless. It did not get us to the front of the line. So having an excursion would insure you off the ship promptly as that is controlled.

We've only had FTTF once before but I liked it. When we were boarding in San Juan my wife took a little walk and was nowhere to be found when they called FTTF boarding . . . I was not a happy camper. Once we reconnected and headed to the boarding line someone from Carnival spied our FTTF and moved us to the front of the line, sweet!

Our room was ready when we got there, luggage came a while later with no issues.

I did have to go to the desk once and actually forgot that I could have used a priority line.

Getting off after the cruise we had our luggage taken the night before but we didn't leave the ship as soon as we could. It was a bit of a nightmare getting to the front of the crowd where our luggage was but once we got it wrong were able to get right out of the terminal.

I liked FTTF, we'll worth the few dollars in my opinion, I just haven't visited a tendered port yet and am trying to figure it all out. The last think I want to do is to get off the ship early and sit around waiting for excursion transportation because of slow tendering.

Booked on the Carnival Glory and have a question about tendered ports in general a Belize in particular.

 

I've seen recommendations that you book excursions through Carnival to get tender priority but I've already paid for FTTF. Is Carnival going to put their excursion groups in front of me or will my FTTF status get me off the ship quickly so I can make my own plans? Then, if we do get off the ship quickly will we be stuck waiting for those without FTTF before an excursion transportation leaves?

 

I'm just beginning to research this, ideally I'll find a beach good for snorkeling and be able to grab a taxi and get there early!

You have to remember that not all excursions need to go to shore. Some are picked up directly from the ship and taken to their destination. They meet somewhere on the ship and go out a different exit. I think it was in Belize I saw this. I might be wrong, so don't pounce on me.

You have to remember that not all excursions need to go to shore. Some are picked up directly from the ship and taken to their destination. They meet somewhere on the ship and go out a different exit. I think it was in Belize I saw this. I might be wrong, so don't pounce on me.

That's exactly the way we were treated on our Carnival Starfish Island excursion. Picked us up at the ship and sailed directly to Starfish Island. Return was the same -- island direct to ship.

You have to remember that not all excursions need to go to shore. Some are picked up directly from the ship and taken to their destination. They meet somewhere on the ship and go out a different exit. I think it was in Belize I saw this. I might be wrong, so don't pounce on me.

Ok here is my concern with that. If your excursion picks you up directly at the ship, brings you to the excursion then back to the ship, what happens if your excursion is only 4 hrs on a 7-8 hr port visit? If you want to go to town, do you then need to catch another tender from the ship to shore and are they running all day long? I might want to do shopping after the excursion but will be annoyed if I have to go to the ship to go back to the beach.

We were on the Conquest and had FTTF and found it useless. It did not get us to the front of the line. So having an excursion would insure you off the ship promptly as that is controlled.

We've only had one instance with FTTF and tendering. We went to guest services, showed our card and were escorted to the front of the line for the first tender. We didn't have an excursion, just wanted to get off early and find something we wanted to do.

Ok here is my concern with that. If your excursion picks you up directly at the ship, brings you to the excursion then back to the ship, what happens if your excursion is only 4 hrs on a 7-8 hr port visit? If you want to go to town, do you then need to catch another tender from the ship to shore and are they running all day long? I might want to do shopping after the excursion but will be annoyed if I have to go to the ship to go back to the beach.

I'm guessing you go back to the ship, really not a big deal. The excursion will be transporting, not Carnival, to what is being offered. I think bringing you back completes their obligation.

Belize uses larger tender boats, but it takes awhile to get to shore. We've gotten lucky at this port & were on the 1st or 2nd tender out without FTTF, CCL excursion or Platinum. We just lined up at the loading area as soon as possible. There are tender boats going back/forth all day. The speediness depends on how many ships/passengers are in port that day too.

Went to Belize on Freedom two weeks ago. This is how it worked. FTTF got of first. Everyone with a ship Excursion meet in the lounge at a specific time and they called each excursion and they were sent to the Tender in groups. So the FTF got off first but the people with ship bought excursions didn't have to rush either.

I thought it was very efficient.

Ok here is my concern with that. If your excursion picks you up directly at the ship, brings you to the excursion then back to the ship, what happens if your excursion is only 4 hrs on a 7-8 hr port visit? If you want to go to town, do you then need to catch another tender from the ship to shore and are they running all day long? I might want to do shopping after the excursion but will be annoyed if I have to go to the ship to go back to the beach.

The excursion tender is not the port tender. When you get back from your excursion, you then go the port tender station and take it to the port. When you're ready to go back to the ship, you will board the tender in the port to take you back to the ship.

There will a time posted for 'Last Tender' in your Fun Times. Don't miss it. :)

The excursion tender is not the port tender. When you get back from your excursion, you then go the port tender station and take it to the port. When you're ready to go back to the ship, you will board the tender in the port to take you back to the ship.

 

There will a time posted for 'Last Tender' in your Fun Times. Don't miss it. :)

I said the same in post #15, looks like NoJolt will be "annoyed".

I would ask the tour company if it would be possible to drop you on shore instead of the ship.