Life jackets on tenders?

New to NCL. Sailing in December. Thinking about the duck boat in Missouri. Do tenders normally give pax life jackets? Better to be safe, than sorry.

New to NCL. Sailing in December. Thinking about the duck boat in Missouri. Do tenders normally give pax life jackets? Better to be safe, than sorry.

Yes there are life jackets on the tenders, you aren't given one, nor are you instructed how to use them; the tenders are in fact also lifeboats, so one of the 'safest' places to be (in theory).

Also, the tenders would not be running in the conditions that the sunken boat was in Missouri.

New to NCL. Sailing in December. Thinking about the duck boat in Missouri. Do tenders normally give pax life jackets? Better to be safe, than sorry.

Life jackets are on all vessels, but they are not normally passed out as a matter of course.

They will absolutely give you one to wear if you request it.

Also, a lifeboat or tender will float even when completely filled with water. It's been known since 1944 that duck boats will sink like a rock in any kind of sea, or when it develops a leak. I've been preaching against them for years, unsafe on water, unsafe on land.

Thanks everyone.

Also, the tenders would not be running in the conditions that the sunken boat was in Missouri.

Very true. If the winds are too great or if it's bad weather conditions, they won't run the tenders as it is too hard to transfer pax on and off without a serious risk of injury. Heck, the ship itself won't dock if the weather is bad enough. Costa Concordia aside, they generally they don't take chances with a $1B+ ship.

A couple of things to note different from other answers.

- Sometimes the lifeboats are used as tenders. But most ports that tender regularly have their own tenders and those are not lifeboats. Great Stirrup Cay, Grand Cayman for example. These are port boats. Yes, they have life jackets. And as said, the boat operators won't mention it at all. You will see signs. If you are not comfortable, and want to know where they are or want one in your hands, ask a crew members. Better yet, ask an NCL officer.

- I have seen tender boats operate in questionable conditions. The most frequent situation is when a storm blows up later in the day and many have already gone ashore. On GSC they will try to clear the island quickly and get you run back. At other ports they can't recall all the tours... so you get on when you return no matter what. I have seen people be VERY unhappy on these boats.

If tendering makes you really nervous then don't book a tour you can't get out of, and make your decision when you get there, and learn to watch the weather for yourself. Storms can form so fast you cannot get back to port and over to the ship faster than the storm arrives.

That said, the most likely danger of tendering is being injured while getting on or off a tender boat when it is rising and falling against the ship or a shore dock. The tenders are big ships themselves and the type of hull is meant for sea conditions. They don't flood or flip. The captains know the waters.

Also, the tenders would not be running in the conditions that the sunken boat was in Missouri.

Not true at all. The tenders can run in much worse weather, but they are much safer because they are designed for use at sea, and not as a landing craft for use by the military.