how to get early tender?

[Smeecanada]

I've been on multiple cruises and have tendered before, but have never had to make sure I get off in time for an excursion not booked through the cruise line.

 

Does anyone know the procedure on how to secure an early tender?  Do I go to Shore Excursion desk? 

 

Thanks

[RedneckBob]

3 hours ago, Smeecanada said:

I've been on multiple cruises and have tendered before, but have never had to make sure I get off in time for an excursion not booked through the cruise line.

 

Does anyone know the procedure on how to secure an early tender?  Do I go to Shore Excursion desk? 

 

Thanks

Procedure depends on ship. You do not go to shore excursion desk. Just off N Statendam and If you were in a suite or high end Mariner tender ticket was not required. Otherwise had to go to Lincoln Stage Center to collect ticket when it opened. There was a long line in the AM before it opened to collect tickets.

[Mary229]

As said it depends on the ship and the location.   As an early riser many times I have simply walked up onto the first tender.   Otherwise there will be a ticketing procedure announced.  Priority passengers have first dibs - 4 and five stars and Neptune and Pinnacle.  I have never been priority but get there early enough and you will ride in the same tender.  I have never waited more than 45 minutes to be ashore. 

[Sea42]

Club Orange people may also have priority tendering privileges. The promotional materials states:

"priority access to specialty restaurant reservations and tenders ashore" but I haven't read any reports confirming that.

[Hlitner]

"The early bird gets the tender."   :).  If the ship is using tender tickets, get yourself to the appropriate lounge a bit early so you get one of the early numbers.  Also beware that many on HAL (and other lines) do have priority and not much you can do about it.  On HAL those of us who are 4-5*, or in the big suites are going to have an advantage.  And if you are on a longer exotic itinerary, you may find that a majority of the ship has priority.  This used to happen to us on the Prinsendam when over 75% of the passengers were 4-5* Mariners.    

 

When most of the ship has priority, the reality is that nobody really has any priority :).

 

Hank

[oaktreerb]

5 hours ago, Sea42 said:

Club Orange people may also have priority tendering privileges. The promotional materials states:

"priority access to specialty restaurant reservations and tenders ashore" but I haven't read any reports confirming that.

Confirmed.  No need for tender ticket if you purchased Club Orange, just show room key when you are ready to go ashore.  You still have to get in line with everybody else to board the tender.

[Smeecanada]

Thanks everyone.  We'll get there early and hope for the best  - no mega stars for us or suite life.  We are on the Oosterdam.

[dfish]

Also, study the excursions that are offered and what time they leave.  They will hold you back and let those with a ship excursion on the tenders first.  So, try to go 15-30 minutes before the earliest ship excursion.  That was advice given to us by a Cruise Director one time.

[Smeecanada]

1 minute ago, dfish said:

Also, study the excursions that are offered and what time they leave.  They will hold you back and let those with a ship excursion on the tenders first.  So, try to go 15-30 minutes before the earliest ship excursion.  That was advice given to us by a Cruise Director one time.

Thanks, will have a look at excursion times.

[travelholics]

If this is for a Falklands tender, you will need to get there very early as a long queue will form an hour or so before the time when tickets start to be given out. 

[Smeecanada]

6 minutes ago, travelholics said:

If this is for a Falklands tender, you will need to get there very early as a long queue will form an hour or so before the time when tickets start to be given out. 

Thanks.  It is for Puerto Montt, Chile and Puerto Chacabucco, Chile tenders.

 

 

[travelholics]

We were on the Zaandam in 2020 and docked in Puerto Montt, so can't help with tender time. At Puerto Chacabucco we were tendered close in the bay, so fairly short tender ride. Have a wonderful trip, we loved every moment and hope to repeat

[REOVA]

Depending on the port there may be a line where tender tickets are handed out (find where on your cruise). If on a Grand Cruise or one that there are too many priority passengers, they may require everyone to get in line. On our last GWC, almost everyone was 5* so we all had to get a ticket. Lines started at 4 am to get a ticket (when they open) to most desired ports. So maybe walk by before breakfast to see if anyone is in line. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

I haven't been on HAL since the "before time," but I recall that they asked if your entire group was there and ready to go. You can't send one person down early, grab tickets, and then go back to your cabin to get whatever stuff you're taking ashore. 

 

Does someone have a more recent experience with this?

[GeorgeCharlie]

We're just off a 31-day South American cruise on the Oosterdam. As our cruise was the first large cruise ship sailing down the west side of SA, we encountered a fair number of logistical problems, which I'd hope are corrected by the time of your cruise.

 

We are 4-stars and when we queried if we could just use our status to get early access to a tender, we were told no. We had to get a tender number just like everyone else. Another thing I noticed, was that the first 2, or 3 tenders were open to whomever wanted to get on - regardless of status, ticket number, or brand of deodorant you were using. After that, the tenders loaded ship tour people, but there was usually still space on the tender for another dozen, or so people, so they would then let some of the independent people who were waiting, get on the tender.

 

Of note: A lot of the free-for-all situation we enjoyed may have been due to how disorganized the tender process was for our cruise. But, as others have noted and I know from past cruises, if you are there early and they have a tender ready to go, they will normally let you just walk on.

 

 

[trixiee]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

I haven't been on HAL since the "before time," but I recall that they asked if your entire group was there and ready to go. You can't send one person down early, grab tickets, and then go back to your cabin to get whatever stuff you're taking ashore. 

 

Does someone have a more recent experience with this?

Yes, just off the Zuiderdam, and everyone in your party needed to be present in order to get the tender tickets. 

[Smeecanada]

Thanks for all the great info.   DH and  I will be together when we go - learned that rule from another cruise line.