Tour at 8:45 AM will I make it?

Hi,

I have booked a non-NCL tour and have to meet them in port at 8:45 AM.

I don't have priority tenders, will I be able to get off the ship early enough? On Epic.

Thank you

Which port?

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Which port?

 

 

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Sorry forgot that bit...... Grand Cayman

make sure you are on the first or second tender

If you can somehow get on one of the early tenders you can make it, but you are really going to have to rush, even if you are on the first tender, unless the ship begins tender operations early. Make sure you can get a refund in case the port is missed. Unfortunately GC is missed on occasion.

Hi, I have booked a non-NCL tour and have to meet them in port at 8:45 AM. I don't have priority tenders, will I be able to get off the ship early enough? On Epic. Thank you

Get an early tender number as soon as possible. "priority tendering" only allows those to join the tender line with everyone else without a ticket. It does NOT get them on the tender first. (Haven Guests are moved to the front of the tender line).

I do not have any recent experience with the Epic in GC. The last time we did tendered from the Epic to GC, they were using their own lifeboats as tenders (and it was a disaster). I believe that they have hired local tenders more recently.

One one of those cruise war stories, one of the engines on our lifeboat tender from the Epic to GC overheated and was spewing smoke out of the floor. We were dead in the water for a while. They were talking about towing us back to the ship (wrong direction!). Finally, the captain gave the tender crew permission to use the one remaining engine and complete the journey to shore,,, slowly,,, and we made our shore ex.

Your tour guide KNOWS you have to tender....pretty sure there will be some leeway. This is their living, and they know how this works!

When people say get to the tender early, how early? And how do you get a tender number?

There will be a notice in the Freestyle Daily of when and where they will be giving out Tender Tickets. Get there 60-90 minutes before that time!!!

If a majority of folks are composing the tour - the tour operator is certainly going to wait.

Obviously if you and your unknown tour participants are on first few of tenders there

should be no problem waiting until the tour is at full compliment.

Depending on the tour if the timing goes a bit askew the tour operator may speed things

up omit a phase to get you back to the ship timely.

Even if it is not a NCL sanction tour the tour operator knows enough that his business

is depending on providing a service - bad feedback is not welcome for continuing business.

You can of course help in this by getting those priority tender tickets.

If someone in the tour group is in a Suite tag along with them for the priority.

If your cruise is having a M&G party pop the question to see if there are more participants.

With enough folks the Hotel Director or Concierge can assist in getting you to your tour.

In the case where this is a private tour for just 2 or 4 of you - still should be no problem

the tour operator is going to wait for you.

Realizing that this is a stressful situation - relax - it will all work out - the only complication

maybe the length of tour being delayed and getting back to the ship timely before sailing.

Any tour operator worth his salt is not going to let this happen.