Restricting Who Gets Off The Ship First

I read a recent post about RCI not letting passengers off until the passengers that had booked tours thru the ship were off first. I think this is crazy and it would make me mad.

I made a couple of posts in response to what others had said about it. I am starting a new thread because the original post was not about this. I didn't want to turn their post into something different.

Here is the link to the thread I am talking about.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2071829&page=5

It starts at about post 176.

I have copied and pasted some of the post so that ya'll know what I am referring to.

I would like to know who else has had this experience and what are your thoughts about it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HokiePoq View Post

.......On one of our RCCL cruises, the staff, including the cruise director made the CC tours and anyone else trying to get off the ship wait until EVERY ship's excursion had left. This would have ruined a number of the tours. Our fearless Aussie leader held up the Australian flag on an umbrella and we marched off after him looking the other way as they tried to stop us.....

This happened on our 2010 Eclipse cruise, it took us 3 hrs to get off the ship in Split. CD John Grantham announced later that the only way to ensure getting off the ship early, was to take a ship's tour.

 

 

How did they know who was on their tours and who wasn't? Where did they stop the people? Did they have a list of names that they checked when people were trying to get off? On the cruises (Celebrity and RC) that I have been on I have never seen this. Either it didn't happen or I wasn't aware of it. On my cruises they would get the ship tour people to gather off of the ship and then march them off to their bus. Also, the ship tours were scheduled at different times since there were several in a day. All the passengers were coming and going as they pleased. Didn't someone complain? I would have been super ticked and they would not have heard the end of it from me. That is just plain wrong. I would also never, ever sail on that cruise line again.

 

As I said, I have certainly even kept waiting until all ships's tours are off the ship, BUT it can be controlled if tenders are used.

 

However, now that I am Elite, I get priority tender tickets, my experience in Split was when I was still 'Select.'

 

Ok. That makes sense if there were tenders involved. I guess I missed that part. I have only had to tender one time. I would still be super ticked. I only live 45 minutes from their office and they don't want me showing up. ; ))

 

Is this something that is common or is it just done by certain CD?

 

We are elite plus and know that shore excursions are given priority over priority tender. This was especially so on the Solstice although perhaps not as noticeable on the millennium class ships. We asked at the time and were told shore excursion guests are priority for tenders. I had never seen this in writing until I saw it in a flier I received in the last month from Celebrity. I have cut and pasted it below:-

 

 

Celebrity Shore Excursions:

Why would you trust your experience to anyone else?

 

 

1 Guaranteed

first off the ship

 

2 No cancellation

penalty

 

3 Guaranteed

return to ship

 

 

Guests on our tours enjoy priority departure in port

 

A change in plans is hassle-free

 

If your tour is delayed, we won't sail without you*

 

So, let me know what ya'll think.

As far as I know it was always a given that those on the ship tours were first off.

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I also think that it only applies in tender ports.

Only when it involves tendering into a port. In that situation, those on ship-sponsored tours have been given priority.

I don't have a problem with it at all.....we almost always book private tours and set up the start time accordingly. I think one would expect the cruiseline to FIRST cater to those that have booked their tours. Having said that I also agree that this really only affects tender ports....and even then our wait has been less than an hour, the only time I know of that people waited a long time was Santorini, Greece.

My experience, over a number of cruise lines, is the same as others - ship's excursion passengers have had priority at tender ports only. Their tenders, their rules.

But I've seen the occasional comment that it's happened elsewhere - that seems to be the case with the Aussie mentioned in the OP.

And has been the case with Princess, but not other cruise lines, at St Petersburg where the objective was to get their excursion passengers into the immigration line ahead of those on private tours. This was reported to Russian immigration, who rapped Princess over the knuckles.

I suspect that occasions when independents are held back when tenders aren't involved are rare, and if a cruise line stopped me from going ashore their excursion guests would have to climb over me at the gangway :p

JB :)

I've experienced ships using 2 tender stations. A fwd one for ship tours leaving after meeting in the theatre. Another set of tenders from a midship/aft location for other passengers using numbered tender tickets.

Seems like a reasonable way to get everyone off as quickly as possible.

While we agree with the OP's sentiments we need to point out a few things. Over the years DW and I have cruised on 14 different cruise lines and more then 70 ships. On every one of those cruises, the ship's own excursions have been given priority at tender ports. The general pecking order at tender ports is that the cruise ship's own excursions get the highest priority, then there are often other priority groups such as Platinum and Elite on Princess; Elite, Elite Plus etc on Celebrity; Diamond, Diamond Plus on RCI, etc. Some lines also give special priority to those in the more expensive suites. Once all those priority groups are accommodated they will begin a tendering process generally based on first come first serve.

So the bottom line for the OP is that this is just the way it is! If you do not like the procedure you can either not cruise, take cruises with no tender ports, or just go somewhere and cry. One other alternative is to cruise a lot and get yourself into one of the higher categories of frequent cruisers that get tender priority.

Hank

This happened on our 2010 Eclipse cruise, it took us 3 hrs to get off the ship in Split. CD John Grantham announced later that the only way to ensure getting off the ship early, was to take a ship's tour.

 

I have tried not to book cruises that have tender ports after this experience.

However, I accepted that's how it was, but I am relieved that I am now Elite.

 

I've experienced ships using 2 tender stations. A fwd one for ship tours leaving after meeting in the theatre. Another set of tenders from a midship/aft location for other passengers using numbered tender tickets.

Seems like a reasonable way to get everyone off as quickly as possible.

 

The problem in Split was that the Town tender that was arranged didn't happen and there was only one jetty anyway, so even the ship's tender were waiting to moor along side.

What is the difference between giving frequent cruisers, or purchasers of suites, or simply people who pay extra fees ("faster to the fun"), certain precedences over everyone else, and giving purchasers of ships' tours first shot at tenders?

Sure, it's annoying to non-participants, but that is just the way things are.

I have had ths happen last year in Alaska when the ship was not tendered. Those guests that had booked tours were given a lounge to meet in and then assigned numbers based on their tour start time. When it was time to leave the ship you were let off based on the number you were assigned. When all tour groups had departed anyone who did not have a tour was let off. This only happened in one port and I believe it was because there were two Royal ships in port at the same time and the tour groups from both the ships were shared.

As others have explained, this is usually done by ALL cruise lines but only in ports requiring a tender. Since tenders are limited to about 130 passengers at a time, it makes sense that those with ship-sponsored tours would be taken first.

Much ado about nothing.

As far as I know, this applies to all cruise lines. Do I like it? No, I don't really think it is fair or right, but, unless we don't cruise, there is not much that can be done. (We almost never book the ship tours.)

In some cases, Santorini as an example, a time is given for picking up tender tickets in advance. I think it was 9 in the morning; we were 15th in line and got tickets on the first tender. The ship tours left at a slightly different area and slightly earlier.

We never book the excursion with the ship. We use private companies and even at ports that use a tender, this has never interfered with our getting to the place where we meet our guide. We still get ahead of the ship's excursions because there are the logistics of getting them loaded onto their bus/shuttle, while we simply get into the car and leave. There are so many tenders filling up that we are never left waiting or felt that we were being ignored or held up just for the benefit of the people on a ship excursion. It's honestly not anything that's going to hold you up from getting ashore in a timely manner.

as John Bull says above, Princess allowed their tour groups off first in St. Petersburg and everyone else had to wait. and I do mean WAIT. we were not on the ball, as we should have been more on top of the situation but even though we left for the exit in what should have been enough time we were 2 hours late for our tour!!!! it was handled very poorly and since that was the Royal Princess' first time in the Baltics I have to hope they do better from now on.

With some exceptions, it is most usually not a big deal.

If you do not like the procedure you can either not cruise, take cruises with no tender ports, or just go somewhere and cry. One other alternative is to cruise a lot and get yourself into one of the higher categories of frequent cruisers that get tender priority.

 

Hank

There is one other option. Sail on a small ship. Two of the ones I've enjoyed on Med cruises are the Aegean Odyssey (Voyages to Antiquity) and the Minerva (Swan Hellenic). Each carries about 350 passengers total and often sails with somewhat less than a full complement.

With only 350 passengers, even tender ports are no big deal. And because these ships are smaller, you DO end up with some rather off-the-beaten-track smaller ports, like the Greek islands of Ithaca and Skiathos, or Tasucu in Turkey.

 

So the bottom line for the OP is that this is just the way it is! If you do not like the procedure you can either not cruise, take cruises with no tender ports, or just go somewhere and cry. One other alternative is to cruise a lot and get yourself into one of the higher categories of frequent cruisers that get tender priority.

 

Hank

Best answer yet.

DON

Tender ports present a challenge to the ship staff. They have to come up with a fairly simple way to get 3000 or more people off the ship and to the port. One way would be to tell passengers to just line up. then you might have 2000 or more in the line. People cutting in to join their "friends", fights breaking out, people passing out from standing. So there must be some way to control the process. So they give priority to those on the ships tours.

Total depending on ship have two exits from ship using one for yours so that the tours get away on time

If on a private your they will usually also let you off with theirs if your nice about it

But usually second exit covers you

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This is not new information. You have started a thread to bash the cruise line for something that is well known.

...I have had ths happen last year in Alaska when the ship was not tendered. Those guests that had booked tours were given a lounge to meet in and then assigned numbers based on their tour start time. When it was time to leave the ship you were let off based on the number you were assigned. When all tour groups had departed anyone who did not have a tour was let off. This only happened in one port and I believe it was because there were two Royal ships in port at the same time and the tour groups from both the ships were shared.

I'm sorry, but I do not understand what you were waiting for. Was it simply the time it took for security officers to scan each cruiser's key card as they left the ship? This wouldn't seem to be an appreciable wait.

While we agree with the OP's sentiments we need to point out a few things. Over the years DW and I have cruised on 14 different cruise lines and more then 70 ships. On every one of those cruises, the ship's own excursions have been given priority at tender ports. The general pecking order at tender ports is that the cruise ship's own excursions get the highest priority, then there are often other priority groups such as Platinum and Elite on Princess; Elite, Elite Plus etc on Celebrity; Diamond, Diamond Plus on RCI, etc. Some lines also give special priority to those in the more expensive suites. Once all those priority groups are accommodated they will begin a tendering process generally based on first come first serve.

 

So the bottom line for the OP is that this is just the way it is! If you do not like the procedure you can either not cruise, take cruises with no tender ports, or just go somewhere and cry. One other alternative is to cruise a lot and get yourself into one of the higher categories of frequent cruisers that get tender priority.

 

Hank

Another option is to just have a leisurely breakfast, return to your cabin, brush your teeth, gather your guide book, etc., and leisurely show up at the location where tender tickets are being handed out. Because my hubby hates waiting in line, we often wait an hour or so, and by that time, no waiting for the tenders.

We have also booked a ship's tour for a tender port (as stated, you meet in a lounge and are then escorted to the front of the tender line among those with top loyalty status on the line or in top category cabins), but because we were interested in the tour. Else, we just go out in the port and do our own thing.

To me, it makes perfect sense to allow those on the ship's tours to get priority.

There is one other option. Sail on a small ship. Two of the ones I've enjoyed on Med cruises are the Aegean Odyssey (Voyages to Antiquity) and the Minerva (Swan Hellenic). Each carries about 350 passengers total and often sails with somewhat less than a full complement.

 

With only 350 passengers, even tender ports are no big deal. And because these ships are smaller, you DO end up with some rather off-the-beaten-track smaller ports, like the Greek islands of Ithaca and Skiathos, or Tasucu in Turkey.

I was going to suggest the same thing, only with Windstar as the cruise line. Ships carry 180 to 300 passengers, never a line or wait for anything. Agree that the small ships get into some great ports that larger ships can't. :)