How to get off shop earlier on port days?

[dana r.]

Are there any hacks, tricks, or tips about getting off the ship earlier on port days? Or, is it something that's unavoidable where the passengers who signed up with the cruise's shore excursions always get to be the first to leave?

[sail7seas]

If the ship docks, everyone can leave as soon as the ship is cleared. An announcement is made.

 

If guests have to tender ashore, guests on ship's excursions usually are accommodated first (for early tours), then suite guests and those with 'priority boarding' which is often due to high number of days they have sailed that cruise line.

 

Each ship has a procedure which is followed for issuing tender numbers and if you are going off independently, you will have to abide by the instructions about which all guests are advised.

Edited May 8, 2015 by sail7seas

[paul929207]

First one on line will get off first. So just be at the front of the line

[Hlitner]

There are various ways. For frequent cruisers (in the higher repeat cruiser categories) we get priority tendering in ports. But if its a port where you dock it is simply first come first serve. Of course one solution is to cruise on the high-end smaller ships where there are seldom any lines or hassles. And as to the lovers of the huge megaships we would offer this tidbit When you look at the really ultra-luxury lines (Seabourn, Silverseas, Sea Dream, etc) they all have something in common. Those who pay the big bucks prefer much smaller ships (often fewer than 300 persons). We have yet to understand the attraction of a massive floating resort that requires advance reservations for dinner, shows, etc...and has queues for just about everything else.

 

When we stroll through a ship in the early (or later) evening we do not expect to be walking through a shopping mall with tables all over a large atrium (like a shopping mall). But I guess it is different strokes for different strokes.

 

Hank

Edited May 8, 2015 by Hlitner

[CruiserBruce]

If you want to get off first, have status with the cruise line, or be in a suite.

 

That being said, in standard ports where your ship docks, you should have little problem being off the ship within 30 minutes of the ship being docked.

 

What is the rush? It is only a matter of a few minutes, when docked. Tendering is another topic.

[zqvol]

There are various ways. For frequent cruisers (in the higher repeat cruiser categories) we get priority tendering in ports. But if its a port where you dock it is simply first come first serve. Of course one solution is to cruise on the high-end smaller ships where there are seldom any lines or hassles. And as to the lovers of the huge megaships we would offer this tidbit When you look at the really ultra-luxury lines (Seabourn, Silverseas, Sea Dream, etc) they all have something in common. Those who pay the big bucks prefer much smaller ships (often fewer than 300 persons). We have yet to understand the attraction of a massive floating resort that requires advance reservations for dinner, shows, etc...and has queues for just about everything else.

 

When we stroll through a ship in the early (or later) evening we do not expect to be walking through a shopping mall with tables all over a large atrium (like a shopping mall). But I guess it is different strokes for different strokes.

 

Hank

 

 

Agree with you completely. Though I will go on the mass markets, we much prefer to spend our days on Sea Dream with a maximum of 110 other passengers, and as you know its usually a lot less than that.

[NMLady]

Are there any hacks, tricks, or tips about getting off the ship earlier on port days? Or, is it something that's unavoidable where the passengers who signed up with the cruise's shore excursions always get to be the first to leave?

 

If the ship is docked there is no specific order. Anyone can walk off when the "okay to go ashore" announcement is made.

 

It is only when the ship is anchored so tenders are needed that there is a priority order. In that case try to get one of the earliest tickets when they are distributed.

[sail7seas]

Agree with you completely. Though I will go on the mass markets, we much prefer to spend our days on Sea Dream with a maximum of 110 other passengers, and as you know its usually a lot less than that.

 

I shiver at the thought of such a small ship. You couldn't give me a free cruise on a ship with max 110 pax. :eek:

 

That is what is so fantastic about choices. For all us cruisers, there's a ship out there for all of us.

 

I love the large suite experience on HAL ships but am trying one on an upcoming NCL cruise....... for a multitude of reasons. Never thought I'd ever be on a NCL ship so 'ya never know. :D

 

[GUT2407]

I shiver at the thought of such a small ship. You couldn't give me a free cruise on a ship with max 110 pax. :eek:

 

That is what is so fantastic about choices. For all us cruisers, there's a ship out there for all of us.

 

I love the large suite experience on HAL ships but am trying one on an upcoming NCL cruise....... for a multitude of reasons. Never thought I'd ever be on a NCL ship so 'ya never know. :D

 

 

 

If they offer you one, please send them my way.

 

Vive la difference

[sail7seas]

If they offer you one, please send them my way.

 

Vive la difference

 

Will do. :)

 

[cb at sea]

It's only at TENDER ports where there may be a delay (and I'm talking 20 mins. or so...that's all!) in departing the ship.

 

At docked ports, you simply leave when you're ready.

 

There is generally no big rush to get off the ship!

[lifeofbrian]

I was thinking same, I am on the Voyager (3000 passengers) stopping at Airlie Beach which is by tender, how long could it take to get off (and on) the ship if you are not first in the queue, cos the stop is for 11 hours and most of the trips are about 6 hours, so could be seriously pushed for time?

[SadieN]

For tender ports with no ship excursions purchased and no priority for tender lines. We have always been able to get off around 11am (three hours after tendering starts) with not much wait.

Just know that ships use a ticket system to know who's where in line. If your whole group wants to be together, they have to arrive together. No getting tickets for others.

[vacation luvver]

It's only at TENDER ports where there may be a delay (and I'm talking 20 mins. or so...that's all!) in departing the ship.

You are SO wrong. On a Celebrity Summit New England and Canada cruise, there was always a delay of at least one hour, and sometimes several hours, for the people who had booked ship's shore excursions to get off the ship, and I'm not talking about the people who hadn't booked the ship's shore excursions. They even had to cancel a number of ship's shore excursions because they couldn't get the people off the ship in time.

 

At one of the ports, we were told that the last tender would leave land at 7:30 PM to get back to the ship. Our ship's shore excursion group was waiting on line for a tender at 6:45 PM. 7:30 PM came and went, and we were still standing on line, as were hundreds of people behind us. We didn't get back to the ship until after 11:00 PM.

 

Once, when on an NCL ship, I had a ticket for the first tender to their private island that would sail immediately after the people who had bought water sports excursions had taken their tenders. We got into the tender, and we sat there next to the ship, going up and down in the ocean, up and down and up and down and up and down for an hour and a half before the tender set sail for the island. I'm sure there was a good reason that we didn't set sail right away. Still, sitting in the tender for an hour and a half going up and down and up and down was not a whole lot of fun. Since that time, I've been on two NCL cruises that went to their private island, and both times I decided to stay on the ship.

[geoherb]

Our worst experience tendering was in Bar Harbor on one of HAL's ships (Veendam) with about 1,300 passengers. Sometimes larger ships have more tender boats operating and do things better. Fortunately, we had been there a couple of times before and were not anxious to get off the ship early.

 

So, if you're at a port where they are tendering passengers and don't have an excursion booked through the cruise line, the best bet is to have everyone in your party ready and be at the designated location as soon as they start handing out tender tickets. Then be prepared to wait. A lot of times, they'll allow small groups of people with tickets onto a tender so they don't have to split a larger tour group.

[Cruisin' Chick]

You are SO wrong. On a Celebrity Summit New England and Canada cruise, there was always a delay of at least one hour, and sometimes several hours, for the people who had booked ship's shore excursions to get off the ship, and I'm not talking about the people who hadn't booked the ship's shore excursions. They even had to cancel a number of ship's shore excursions because they couldn't get the people off the ship in time.

 

At one of the ports, we were told that the last tender would leave land at 7:30 PM to get back to the ship. Our ship's shore excursion group was waiting on line for a tender at 6:45 PM. 7:30 PM came and went, and we were still standing on line, as were hundreds of people behind us. We didn't get back to the ship until after 11:00 PM.

 

Once, when on an NCL ship, I had a ticket for the first tender to their private island that would sail immediately after the people who had bought water sports excursions had taken their tenders. We got into the tender, and we sat there next to the ship, going up and down in the ocean, up and down and up and down and up and down for an hour and a half before the tender set sail for the island. I'm sure there was a good reason that we didn't set sail right away. Still, sitting in the tender for an hour and a half going up and down and up and down was not a whole lot of fun. Since that time, I've been on two NCL cruises that went to their private island, and both times I decided to stay on the ship.

 

Never had a problem with tender ports. We had an excursion booked through Princess a few cruises ago. We went to the meeting place listed on our tickets, and were escorted as a group to the gangway. I think we got the very next tender.

 

For other tender ports, we'll just have a leisurely breakfast, go back to the cabin to brush our teeth, and gather whatever we're taking with us, and go to the MDR where priority tickets are being given out. Never a really long wait. Other times, we'll kick back even more and listen to the announcement that you can just go to the gangway directly. Again, not a major wait in line at all.

 

We might have a wait in line for the return, but we try not to wait til the last minute -- maybe get to the tender area on the pier with about an hour to go before all aboard. Again, not too much of a wait. My hubby hates waiting in line, so this is what we aim for, rather than wait til the last minute and then be stuck in a really long line.

 

Usually we don't book excursions at all (and then most of those through the cruise line for convenience sake) so we don't worry about being late to catch a tour.

[vacation luvver]

Never had a problem with tender ports.

Well, good for you, but geoherb and I and probably other people here have had problems, so just because one person never had a problem doesn't mean that other people will never have a problem.

 

We might have a wait in line for the return, but we try not to wait til the last minute -- maybe get to the tender area on the pier with about an hour to go before all aboard. Again, not too much of a wait.

Are you saying that when our ship's shore excursion got in line for a tender at 6:45 PM, 45 minutes before the last tender was supposed to leave, it was all our fault for not being there one hour ahead of time? There were a lot of people ahead of us on line, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of them had been there for more than 15 minutes (meaning that they got on line an hour before the last tender was supposed to sail), and we were all still standing on line at 7:30 PM, the time the last tender was supposed to leave, because not one tender had shown up in the last 45 minutes, and I have no idea how long the people at the front of the line had been waiting. As I said, we didn't get on the ship until after 11:00 PM.

 

It's the luck of the draw - some people will say that they had no problems whatsoever, while others have problems with the tender that were completely unavoidable.

[SadieN]

You are SO wrong. On a Celebrity Summit New England and Canada cruise, there was always a delay of at least one hour, and sometimes several hours, for the people who had booked ship's shore excursions to get off the ship, and I'm not talking about the people who hadn't booked the ship's shore excursions. They even had to cancel a number of ship's shore excursions because they couldn't get the people off the ship in time.

 

.................

 

 

A big bottleneck are the photos on the gangways.

[boating girl]

The ship shouldn't do the pictures at tender ports if it holds up the process. Grand Cayman is the port I enjoy least due to the long delays I've experienced. I have experienced long delays getting on and off there on 4 different lines. The delays always seem to happen there.

[WaveSplasher]

If it's tender then its the excursions who probably will go first but when the ship is docked, be there at the gangway a few mins after they put the gangway out. Then you will be the first off the boat...

 

We did that during our trip and always was the first few to leave. We once had to wait at level 1 for a while because the machine wasn't set up yet. :D

[marco]

Where are you sailing? If the Caribbean, our experience has been that when they announce "The ship has been cleared, you may proceed ashore", there is only a trickle of passengers getting off as most are not ready to. If you are ready to, it's pretty quick. And our experience with tendering, I don't think we've every waited LESS than an hour from getting our "number" in the lounge until time to proceed to the gangway. Then again, we didn't hightail it into the lounge to be one of the first to get a number.

[CruisingSince2012]

If the ship is docked there is no specific order. Anyone can walk off when the "okay to go ashore" announcement is made.

 

It is only when the ship is anchored so tenders are needed that there is a priority order. In that case try to get one of the earliest tickets when they are distributed.

 

On Princess, no announcement was made to the cabin speakers. I waited a long time for an announcement that never came. Finally Mom asked a crew member in the hall if we are allowed off the ship yet. After the cruise, my TA, who sailed over 45 times on 11 cruise lines, said they are all like that.

[CruiserBruce]

On Princess, no announcement was made to the cabin speakers. I waited a long time for an announcement that never came. Finally Mom asked a crew member in the hall if we are allowed off the ship yet. After the cruise, my TA, who sailed over 45 times on 11 cruise lines, said they are all like that.

 

With all due respect, your TA is incorrect. HAL announces when the ship is cleared.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I seem to remember hearing announcements on Princess that you can leave the ship now, and with tender ports, perhaps announcements that you can go directly to the gangway now.

[OCruisers]

On Princess you can only hear the announcements in the hallways or a public area. Often quite early.

They can not be heard in cabins to not disturb those sleeping. :)

LuLu