Boarding a tender

[Host Sharon]

Dai, your opinions are limited primarily to P&O but, whilst I accept this is a P&O thread, that should not prohibit forum members from posting about their experiences with other cruise lines.

The experience I had on Celebrity was not a figment of my imagination, it did occur, I do agree that I have also never seen P&O use a gangway to board a tender, however on Emerald Princess, a sister ship to Ventura/Azura I have seen them use a gangway to load a shore side tender at Guernsey. Unfortunately I do not believe that the Grand Princess class ships posses a lift system for wheelchairs to access the tender platform, so unless wheelchair passengers are mobile enough to use the stairs, they would be unable to use a tender.

 

I did see a "gangway" in use on Royal Princess with their own tenders, on The Cruise on TV this week.

[terrierjohn]

I did see a "gangway" in use on Royal Princess with their own tenders, on The Cruise on TV this week.

So did I Sharon, and there looked to be a lift down one of the stairs to the tender platform. Maybe Britannia could offer the same facilities, but I doubt that P&O management would be prepared to consider it.

[goodsailors]

Looking at your first post again.

 

1. no a board would not work a silly suggestion.

 

2. I can confirm that in my experience P&O has never used a board.

 

So clearly I was correct.

 

On reading further I found you meant a curved metal gangway.

 

Again not been used by P&O with tenders.

 

However I have seen them as mentioned above.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

MMMM such a silly suggestion that P and O have/are using it or maybe you are saying the friends who experienced this system on a P and O ship are lying. Also, as has been said, other cruise lines are using it so it is out there. Just accept that although you haven't seen it, it is being used without your knowledge.

 

Not sure how you think I meant a curved metal gangway, I do however, have an idea as to how this could work safely but will wait till I have a world patent on it before I publish my idea!

[Selbourne]

MMMM such a silly suggestion that P and O have/are using it or maybe you are saying the friends who experienced this system on a P and O ship are lying. Also, as has been said, other cruise lines are using it so it is out there. Just accept that although you haven't seen it, it is being used without your knowledge.

 

Not sure how you think I meant a curved metal gangway, I do however, have an idea as to how this could work safely but will wait till I have a world patent on it before I publish my idea!

 

Your original question, as I understood it, was to establish whether such a system was now the norm on P&O. It isn’t. That’s not to say that it’s never been used, but in 14 P&O Cruises we have never seen one. So, on the balance of probability you will not experience one.

[goodsailors]

Your attitude is quite odd you asked if this happened on P&O. I said no because I did not think it would work. You did not like my answer so you become aggressive. Did you only want replies which were positive.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Oh DaiB you really are a turn. Think you need to look at your responses on here and on other threads to see who is aggressive.

 

My original post was asking if anyone one had experience of the use of such devices not whether they were a silly idea and thankfully others have responded with their experiences or otherwise for which I am grateful. I therefore feel this thread has run it course and will no longer be looking at any further responses.

 

As I have said, thanks to all those who answered based on what was asked for in the OP and I look forward to tendering again, with or without the a gangway, later this year.

[daiB]

Oh DaiB you really are a turn. Think you need to look at your responses on here and on other threads to see who is aggressive.

 

 

 

My original post was asking if anyone one had experience of the use of such devices not whether they were a silly idea and thankfully others have responded with their experiences or otherwise for which I am grateful. I therefore feel this thread has run it course and will no longer be looking at any further responses.

 

 

 

As I have said, thanks to all those who answered based on what was asked for in the OP and I look forward to tendering again, with or without the a gangway, later this year.

 

 

 

Thank you for your reply you really don’t like any answer which does not conform to the response you want.

 

It is a silly idea that you could put a “board” between the ships pontoon and a tender. You clearly have not used them in poor conditions

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[terrierjohn]

Thank you for your reply you really don’t like any answer which does not conform to the response you want.

 

It is a silly idea that you could put a “board” between the ships pontoon and a tender. You clearly have not used them in poor conditions

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Dai, it's such a silly idea that progressive cruise lines are in fact using just such a gangway to help make tendering even more available to the less able bodied.

[daiB]

Dai, it's such a silly idea that progressive cruise lines are in fact using just such a gangway to help make tendering even more available to the less able bodied.

 

 

 

Not a “board” John. The only thing I have seen is the slightly curved gangway used to get wheelchairs and scooters onto the vaporetto in Venice. I do not believe it would work unless you were in the Fjords. You would not be able to use that on a tender as you cannot wheel a wheelchair on to a tender because of the steps. It would be of no value to the wheelchair user and bordering on dangerous for those who were walking. The tender moves up and down and away from the ship. Also as the tender fills the tender goes diaper in the water changing the level between the pontoon and the tender.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[terrierjohn]

Dai, why don't you read replies more carefully, in my earlier reply I specifically commented that on Eclipse at Villefranche, which can be quite choppy, they used a shore based tender, this allowed wheelchairs to stay on the same deck they boarded via the gangway, so no steps were involved, and Eclipse has a lift arrangement down the stairway from the disembarkation area to the tender platform.

The gangway was indeed a board, although quite wide and it had edges and a handrail to ensure passengers felt safe, this was the same type of gangway you would use to board any small pleasure boat, it was hinged at both ends and had small wheels, or similar, to allow for the movement between the ship's tender platform and the tender. It seemed fairly simple, safe and extremely functional. It wasn't rocket science but clearly well beyond the grasp of P&O.

[Selbourne]

Dai, why don't you read replies more carefully, in my earlier reply I specifically commented that on Eclipse at Villefranche, which can be quite choppy, they used a shore based tender, this allowed wheelchairs to stay on the same deck they boarded via the gangway, so no steps were involved, and Eclipse has a lift arrangement down the stairway from the disembarkation area to the tender platform.

The gangway was indeed a board, although quite wide and it had edges and a handrail to ensure passengers felt safe, this was the same type of gangway you would use to board any small pleasure boat, it was hinged at both ends and had small wheels, or similar, to allow for the movement between the ship's tender platform and the tender. It seemed fairly simple, safe and extremely functional. It wasn't rocket science but clearly well beyond the grasp of P&O.

 

Very interesting to read how other cruise lines are making some provision for disabled guests in tender ports. We only cruise with P&O, but as my wife uses a wheelchair and is unable to pass the ‘step test’ she has no choice but to stay on board at all tender ports. This isn’t a show stopper all the time but will be a big downer when we go to USA and Canada on Aurora in September / October as there are two definite tender ports. If any other cruise operators doing round trips from the U.K. manage to find a way around this then we could easily find ourselves switching allegiance.

[snaefell]

Interesting point,on our recent cruise on Britannia,before our call at Ponta Delgada the Captain made a point of mentioning the step test & how the crew wouldn't be lifting wheelchairs,etc on or off the ship or tenders but as we were waiting to board the tender back to the ship they did assist one disabled passenger off the tender & carried his mobility scooter onto shore,this surprised us in two ways,one was that they did that but also it was 1400hrs & we had to back on board by 1700hrs so it hardly seemed worth going ashore!