When did Carnival change it's tender process

[Troy McClure]

I just got back from a 5 day on the Victory and was shocked that we had to get tickets for the tender. I was on a cruise last March and don't remember the process. I saw it in the Fun Times, but thought that must be for the people who have FTTF or excursions booked.

 

It went fast enough but had I known ( the communication was less than stellar) I would have gotten our butts down to theatre earlier. There was 1 chair on Half Moon Cay by the time we got there and 700 people were still waiting behind us.

[ScottsSweetie]

This procedure has been in place for quite some time - I'm thinking at least three years or so, if not longer.

[latitude918]

It might be just the way they do it at HMC, because I don't remember them doing it that way when I was at Grand Cayman

[Tapi]

Don't know when Carnival specifically started, but I've seen the practice of tender tickets as far back as the mid 1990's

[Midwestgal]

I just got back from a 5 day on the Victory and was shocked that we had to get tickets for the tender. I was on a cruise last March and don't remember the process. I saw it in the Fun Times, but thought that must be for the people who have FTTF or excursions booked.

 

It went fast enough but had I known ( the communication was less than stellar) I would have gotten our butts down to theatre earlier. There was 1 chair on Half Moon Cay by the time we got there and 700 people were still waiting behind us.

 

Ok I thought I was crazy, we too have never had to get a tender ticket before but dd on our last cruise. We thought that maybe we had just overlooked it and no one called us on it.

[ScottsSweetie]

It might be just the way they do it at HMC, because I don't remember them doing it that way when I was at Grand Cayman

 

So, how did they do it?

 

It's been years since I've been to Grand Cayman, but I remember the ticket procedure there because we had booked a private excursion and had to get to the ticket place early to make sure we were off the ship quickly.

[Rena921]

It's been that way since my first cruise in 2005. But if there are no tender lines or it's not a peak times, they will let you right on the tender.

[ibcnusoon]

So, how did they do it?

 

It's been years since I've been to Grand Cayman, but I remember the ticket procedure there because we had booked a private excursion and had to get to the ticket place early to make sure we were off the ship quickly.

 

We got caught by surprise too when we arrived in Grand Cayman. How was I supposed to know you needed a tender TICKET and that the tender wait was over 2 hours!! This was our first Carnival cruise. I went to the person handing out the tickets and told them that, it was our first Carnival cruise and I never had to wait for a tender so they let me go with the next group. We had a private excursion that we would have missed if we didn't get off that ship!

 

From what I read to do now is get a tender ticket, go to breakfast when you are ready to get off the ship use the ticket for the next tender group off the ship, providing your tender number hadn't been called.

Edited January 14, 2014 by ibcnusoon

[Corby114]

Tender tickets go back to the 1980's. Normally, tender tickets are needed when the first group of passengers rush to leave the vessel. After the beginning groups leave the ship they stop the requirement that tender tickets are needed to leave the ship. Most passengers with scheduled excursions are the first to leave. My family waits until after the rush to leave the ship.

[rrraydon]

I've been to GC and HMC and never needed to get a ticket. Never knew there was such a thing. :confused:

[golfadj]

I've been to GC and HMC and never needed to get a ticket. Never knew there was such a thing. :confused:

 

Been tender tickets needed for years. 5 years ago (before we became platinum) we used to get tickets

[nitro2448]

Tender tickets are not given on every ship or every port. When we were on the Conquest we had to get tickets for GC, when we were on the Paradise we did not.

[MsMot]

Don't know when Carnival specifically started, but I've seen the practice of tender tickets as far back as the mid 1990's

 

We didn't need tickets in 2010 or 2012.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Got tickets on the Pride in 2004. I remember we got up early to be close to the first to get off. Got up showered, ate, and then our port stop was cancelled due to rough conditions.

 

Bill

[tigereye]

I think you only need a tender ticket if you want to be off the ship early. If you are not in a rush to get off, just wait till the crowd thins.

[ibcnusoon]

It took hours to get off at Grand Cayman. We arrived at 10:00am but did not know that the seas were rough and tendering talking longer than usual. When we showed up to get off the ship at Noon (figuring the crowds were gone) there was a 2 hour wait.

[Ehpride]

I had to get tender tickets last January on the Legend. In fact, I remember it in GC for all my previous cruises.

[Sinjan]

When I joined in 2010 one of the common pieces of advice handed out to new cruisers was to go early for a tender ticket if you had an excursion. If not, you could wait till the crowds died down and get on without a ticket. There was also something about platinum and those with Carnival excursions getting priority or something, but I didn't pay enough attention to that part to remember it.

I just know that based on that advice, when we sailed the Dream we had a tender port and went to the designated area half an hour early and got tender 1 or 2, but when we sailed Conquest we purposely went later after the initial rush and didn't need a ticket.

Edited January 14, 2014 by Sinjan

[jks336]

always been that way at least since I've cruised that if you want an early tender you must go down to get the tickets. they used to make your whole party be there to get them.

[mrpayroll]

Just wondering if the 1 chair available was before or after you got yours ? :)

[sturderick]

They have issued tickets for years but only if it gets really crowded and backed up. They will start out just letting people on until the line gets long. That's how it was explained to me by Carnival. We've been getting tickets for years but not on every cruise.

Edited January 14, 2014 by sturderick

[JasonV1]

As others have said, this is usually for the first X tenders off the ship when there is not sufficient capacity.

 

Tickets went away when demand died down, at least that is what I'm used to.

[Daddyfto]

Tendering Information is included in your "Fun Times" delivered to your cabin the night before. Its on the back page so you may have missed it...

[meliss35]

If we want to get off the ship by tender in Belize, we should get to the area 1/2 hour before they start giving out the tickets? Would we get on the 1st tender?

[Topo Gigio]

I think you only need a tender ticket if you want to be off the ship early. If you are not in a rush to get off, just wait till the crowd thins.

 

If it's a tender port, I usually get off the ship after 10. No tickets needed.