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Journey's cruise-Tendering for non-priority passengers


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We will be in Cabo in January on a Journey's cruise. Cabo is a tender port and we are not priority level cruisers. If there is anyone with experience that can tell me, as a lowly red card holder, am I ever going to be able to tender before like 11 AM or will the line keep getting in front of me, the red card holder? Am I just over thinking this or do I really need to make sure I book a Carnival excursion? I have another excursion in mind that is not though Carnival.

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If you want to get off the ship early in Cabo, you're best bet is to book a Carnival excursion and get down there early. The line backs up rather quickly for Cabo with guests wanting to maximize their port time there. You're probably already going to have quite a few platinums and diamonds on your journeys cruise, plus add in to that the FTTF guests. In our experience the line can get a bit hectic. Cabo is a great port. The water is clean and beautiful! Have a wonderful cruise!

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Thank @Lil2,

This will be our third visit to Cabo, but the first time actually booking an excursion. I am told by Carnival excursion dept. that no FFTF will be available this cruise. We have a great (sounding) whale watching tour booked with the Rissalena,

we are to meet at 9:45 AM. We don't pay until the trip is over so I guess if we can't get there in time, we will be out of luck. I guess I will do like what you and @Sadie suggested and be in line before it opens. That is probably what we have done in the past. Thanks!

 

If you want to get off the ship early in Cabo, you're best bet is to book a Carnival excursion and get down there early. The line backs up rather quickly for Cabo with guests wanting to maximize their port time there. You're probably already going to have quite a few platinums and diamonds on your journeys cruise, plus add in to that the FTTF guests. In our experience the line can get a bit hectic. Cabo is a great port. The water is clean and beautiful! Have a wonderful cruise!
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Don't give up on FTTF. Lots of times more of that excursion pops up with no rhyme or reason, and the closer your sail date gets, the more frequently I would check. By then, they have a pretty good general idea about how many Diamonds and Platinums will be on the ship.

 

Have a great cruise!

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We will be on the Miracle for the Panama Canal transit and my mom read somewhere our ship will have 200 Diamond and 900 Platinum cruisers on board which is about half the ship. Also note that the Splendor Panama Canal transit was offered as a Premiere cruise so there may be even more on your ship. I have been on ships where Carnival let people who booked off ship excursions off early.

 

 

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Get ready for some snob action, or to at least hear about it. An older man on our bus got slammed for having a gold card. "I can't believe they let golds on this ship. You're delaying our tour." More than half the ship were Diamond and Platinum, some of whom, made their importance known.

 

While everyone was well behaved in the beginning, the conflicts, F bomb, shoving, line cutting, caughing and sneezing on people, peaked by day 14. Someone even threw a plate at staff. :eek:

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Journeys cruises attract a large number of more experienced passengers which results in many, many more Diamond and Platinum cruisers. As someone else stated, that also results in Carnival choosing not to sell any FTTF period. With that large number of Diamonds and Platinums, even without any FTTF passengers, the usual priority perks like priority tendering will be much more crowded than usual. If it were me, I'd plan accordingly for delays in tendering. This might be a good example of when it is even more beneficial to book a Carnival excursion.

 

Hope you have a great Journeys cruise.

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Hi

 

Once they have started the tenders process, it goes very quick. The big wait is when everyone wants to be first and create massive lines because they get in line half an hour or an hour before. Then they went to issuing tender tickets similar concept to the debarkation (final day) process. Either way the only waiting is before the tenders are ready.

 

Just have a later breakfast, you will have a buffet area that is much less congested. Prepare yourself to get off the ship an hour after the tender process has started and you will have little wait. The only wait will be the time it takes to fill the tender boat. It is similar to the difference in the first day check in/boarding process if you show up at 10 a.m. vs. 1:30 p.m.. One you wait, and one you don't. If you have to be off the ship first then you have to be ready early and will wait. If there is no urgency take your time and there will be no wait.

 

hope this helps

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Speaking from personal experience after sailing on a Journeys cruise and having FTTF, it was a total fiasco when trying to get off the ship in any port. There were so many Platinum and Diamond guests (well over half the ship's passengers) that went before the FTTF people, at times it took us well over an hour to get off the ship. It was a total waste of money to buy FTTF. Carnival would also not let any of the Platinum or Diamond cruisers to take additional people with them that were not Platinum or diamond. Maybe things have changed since March.

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Speaking from personal experience after sailing on a Journeys cruise and having FTTF, it was a total fiasco when trying to get off the ship in any port. There were so many Platinum and Diamond guests (well over half the ship's passengers) that went before the FTTF people, at times it took us well over an hour to get off the ship. It was a total waste of money to buy FTTF. Carnival would also not let any of the Platinum or Diamond cruisers to take additional people with them that were not Platinum or diamond. Maybe things have changed since March.

 

Things have changed. They no longer sell FTTF on Journeys cruises. I am guessing for the reason you and other listed. When you pay $60 or $70 for FTTF and priority lines are longer than the regular lines it loses all value. Typically even rooms ready aren't accomplished because of the high volume of higher tier guests.

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