Arlie Beach or Yorkeys Tenders

[beatleman]

2 hours ago, arxcards said:

It is partly in the timing. 

On Majestic in October 2022, the 3 x tender ports were a breeze. We had only 1 cat + 3x ship tenders in the water on the day. On each occasion, we were off early and back by 1pm when the weather was starting to heat-up. On each occasion, we were on a tender or cat within 5 minutes. After 3pm, the queues get progressively longer.

 

This picture is from a cruise mag from just 2 months ago - early November at Yorkeys Knob with Quantum of the Seas at anchor. I normally wouldn't borrow, nor mention the source, but since one of their writers likes to copy/paste comments from this forum without attribution, it is only fair. The time was 3:45pm.

 

They would have found me in the Yatch

 

3 hours ago, arxcards said:

It is partly in the timing. 

On Majestic in October 2022, the 3 x tender ports were a breeze. We had only 1 cat + 3x ship tenders in the water on the day. On each occasion, we were off early and back by 1pm when the weather was starting to heat-up. On each occasion, we were on a tender or cat within 5 minutes. After 3pm, the queues get progressively longer.

 

This picture is from a cruise mag from just 2 months ago - early November at Yorkeys Knob with Quantum of the Seas at anchor. I normally wouldn't borrow, nor mention the source, but since one of their writers likes to copy/paste comments from this forum without attribution, it is only fair. The time was 3:45pm.

 

They would have found me at the Yacht Club helping out the local economy 😛

[arxcards]

53 minutes ago, beatleman said:

They would have found me in the Yatch

 

They would have found me at the Yacht Club helping out the local economy 😛

+1. I would walk past the line and up to the Boaties to stay hydrated in air conditioned comfort till the queue was emptied.

 

I think most of us have had a horror tender day. Ours was at Esperance.  Apart from a bumpy day crossing a southerly swell at Port Douglas, QLD tendering has been pretty kind to us.

[MicCanberra]

I was on a tender by lifou once, it broke down, we bobbed around and difted for ten minutes waiting for help. Instead of towing us back to the ship or to the dock, we then had to be moved onto another tender. It was a prolonged experience as we were bobbing around. The second tender then ran out of fuel. We were towed back to the ship by a third one.

[ceeceeDee]

1 hour ago, MicCanberra said:

I was on a tender by lifou once, it broke down, we bobbed around and difted for ten minutes waiting for help. Instead of towing us back to the ship or to the dock, we then had to be moved onto another tender. It was a prolonged experience as we were bobbing around. The second tender then ran out of fuel. We were towed back to the ship by a third one.

Comedy of errors! Or were they trying to give you a taste of what it would be like to abandon ship?😯

[MicCanberra]

35 minutes ago, ceeceeDee said:

Comedy of errors! Or were they trying to give you a taste of what it would be like to abandon ship?😯

Yeah, I was wanting to swim to the shore or to the ship, either way it wasn't far.

[ceeceeDee]

2 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Yeah, I was wanting to swim to the shore or to the ship, either way it wasn't far.

Exactly. It is a very brief tender ride, which is just as well to avoid a tender hide (those seats are not comfortable)😂

[bazzaw]

On 1/16/2024 at 7:52 AM, Yehootu said:

We are on a 10day Queensland cruise and have something planned in Brisbane and a GBR tour out of Port Douglas. Not too interested in what these 2ports have to offer so here’s my question.

Wife she needs to get “stuff” for Grandkids, I need hubby day care at bar while she’s doing her thing.

I’ve read both of these ports are LONG” tender rides so which should we do?

Mahalo

There is a great little Yacht Club in Yorkeys Knob - right at the tender jetty. Here in Oz - anybody can enjoy "clubs" like this without being a member. Lunch and a few Aussie beers might suit you? 

[bazzaw]

On 1/16/2024 at 12:31 PM, Yehootu said:

Mahalo for all the replies. We usually like to ride up top. Both of have a lot of crossings between the Hawaiian Islands on small boats. Me fishing, she sailing. Guess my biggest complaint with tendering is the lines to come back to the ship. We'll go early, she can shop and it's never to early for a beer. Sounds like Arlie is where we'll get off, Yorkey can be a ship staycation.

NO NO!!! Go to the Yorkeys Knob Yacht Club for lunch!!!!!!!!! You might get to meet Yorkey - with his knob! - and go for a walk around the little town - there's nothing much there- but you might decide to come back and live there for the rest of your days!! 

Edited January 17 by bazzaw

[Tranquility Base]

I have caught the bus from Yorkeys to Palm Cove for a few hours.

Change at James Cook University station.

 

Having said that, Airlie is the place to go ashore for a beer.

'The Pub' (Airlie Beach  Hotel) is a good local spot.

First pub you'll come across after walking into town from the tender.

Whilst eating tables are in front, behind those there is a separate counter top with bar stools which overlooks the Esplanade.

 

Advise for next time, if possible try to book a smaller ship which is able to dock at Cairns.

Edited January 17 by Tranquility Base

[Vader1111]

On 1/16/2024 at 1:41 PM, ceeceeDee said:

Last time at Airlie we only had to wait about 10-15 minutes for a tender back to the ship which wasn't too bad in my opinion.

You got very lucky.  I was in Airlie Beach on Pacific Adventure, last June - many people waited for well over an hour for the tender back to the ship.

[OzKiwiJJ]

On 1/17/2024 at 7:12 AM, MicCanberra said:

I was on a tender by lifou once, it broke down, we bobbed around and difted for ten minutes waiting for help. Instead of towing us back to the ship or to the dock, we then had to be moved onto another tender. It was a prolonged experience as we were bobbing around. The second tender then ran out of fuel. We were towed back to the ship by a third one.

We had a similar problem on a tender at Geraldton. A squall came up just as we boarded the tender, we got out to the ship after a bumpy ride, a rope broke as we were tying up to the ship so we ended up wallowing around in the uncomfortable seas until they got another rope. After that we learnt to carry some Stemetil in my handbag for emergency use on tenders.

Edited January 18 by OzKiwiJJ

[willsaway]

The Yacht Club at Yorkeys is a terrific spot to spend a few hours and your wife could shuttle into Cairns. We've tendered in Yorkeys and just spent the day at the Club, getting the very last tender back to the ship with the shore staff.