Tendering-Westerdam

[Italy52]

We are thinking about taking a New Year's Eve cruise on board the Westerdam. Since Half Moon Cay is a tender port, how long would the tender process take --- we have only one previous cruise with HAL so I am sure we have no priority.

 

Also, if anyone else has taken the New Year's cruise on the Westerdam I would love to hear from you.

 

Many thanks for any help you can provide.

[RuthC]

The tender ride itself is fairly short---maybe 10 minutes. But since the ships use the island's tenders, which are large, it does take what seems like forever to fill the tender before it leaves. If you're one of the first aboard, be prepared for a long wait.

I suggest you head to the lower level immediately, as that's the level you leave on when you get to the island.

[Boytjie]

There is only priority tendering for those in suites and 4 and 5-star Mariners and for those on excursions.

[Italy52]

Thanks for the responses, I appreciate it.

[Dobermangal]

They are huge tenders so take quite a while to load but the trip itself is quick once you are underway.

Carla

[summersigh]

It does take a good while to load the tenders but we enjoy chatting with fellow passengers while we wait so the time seems to go by quickly.

 

Since we're never really in a hurry to get to the island we normally sit up top for the views of the loading and of the ocean. :)

[Dave in NJ]

If there are two HAL ships at Half Moon and one is a Vista or larger an the other an R-class or smaller, chances are that the large island tenders will be used exclusively on the larger ship, the smaller relying on it's own tenders which may slow the process down a bit. As of just 3 days ago on Maasdam they were issuing tender tickets in the showroom, I assume this is pretty much standard procedure, at least it has been in the past, so you might want to go there early to get a low number if you want to get ashore really early. In any case, by about 10AM the rush is pretty much over.

[cb at sea]

Unless you MUST be 1st off, there's really no big rush..have a nice breakfast...let the "rushy" people wait in line, and then, head to the tenders...get on, and when it's full (or there are no more in line), off you'll go!

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have been to HMC when there were 2 Vista class ships and 1 Vista class and 1 Signature ship.

One of the ships used their own tenders while the other one used the island tenders. We had no idea which ship would use the island tenders until we got there.

If it is a beautiful day, the beach will be packed as well as the BBQ.

[Italy52]

Thanks for the additional comments, I appreciate them.

[Copper10-8]

You're thinking about traveling on WEDM, a Vista-class ship so you will be guaranteed the use of the large island tenders. At HMC, HAL uses four island tenders at HMC; the twin sisters Henry Hudson and Anne Bonny, holding 245 pax each, the Stingray, holding 250 pax and the Rookie, holding 140 pax. Once you make your way down to B-Deck, the crew will have positioned a gangway from the WEDM to the island tender. Loading will take as long as it takes to load 250, 245 and/or 140 pax, think boarding a commercial wide-body airliner at an airport

 

Once loaded, the tender will take in her gangway and unhook her lines from the WEDM and will then depart for the approx. 10 min ride to the island. It might take a bit longer if another tender is departing from the island since the man-made entrance channel is not large enough to accommodate two tenders at the same time. At/in the Marina the tender will be secured to one of the large docks. Hudson (and Bonny) have a front loading ramp that lowers down onto the dock making for easy loading and unloading.

 

 

 

Henry Hudson

 

 

Anne Bonny

 

 

Rookie

 

 

 

Stingray

 

 

Rookie, having exited the channel and coming back to the dam ship at anchor, while a ship's tender and Anne Bonny are about to enter the channel to head for the Marina

[Italy52]

Many thanks again to all of you kind people who answered my post --- I can now cross the tender discussion off my list of questions.

[Koshlong]

Copper10-8, what happens with tenders when Zuiderdam and Eurodam share the island? I believe this will happen on our cruise in March. Is it first come, first served, or does E'dam get the honours as the bigger ship?

 

[Copper10-8]

Copper10-8, what happens with tenders when Zuiderdam and Eurodam share the island? I believe this will happen on our cruise in March. Is it first come, first served, or does E'dam get the honours as the bigger ship?

 

 

Evenin' Koshlong, EUDM is bigger, as you said meaning she will get, at a minimum, Henry Hudson and Anne Bonny. The two staff captains will more than likely get together ahead of time (e-mail or radio) and develop a game plan re: the use of the Stingray and/or Rookie, in combination with ship's tenders. Enjoy HMC! :)

[Koshlong]

Wow! You always come through. Thank you.