If a ship is in port from 8 am - whatever...

[clerky96]

what is the earliest time that you will be able to leave the ship? We want to take a tour and when I contacted the tour operator, he told me to meet him at 8:20, with the tour starting promptly at 8:30. According to these boards it is a popular tour, but I am not sure if we can get off of the ship soon enough to be there in time. We have been on other cruises but never had this kind of a deadline to meet, so I didn't actually pay too much attention to what the earliest was that we could get off.

BTW, we do dock, not tender at this port.

Thanks.

[Don Haynes]

Most of the tour operators will wait a while before taking off. With the docking you should be able to make this tour or the operators next tour, many times they use more than one bus, expecially if its a very popular and busy tour.They send one bus off at a time when a bus fills.

 

The tour operators want your business. They do not wish to leave you disappointed. It takes up to an hour to disembark sometimes when you book an independent excursion, and not everyone can get off the ship at the same time. Chances are if you get off early, and grab the first bus, you will leave at that time. If you get off later, you will probably get another bus and leave later. Sometimes there is more than one ship in port.

[electricron]

Actually, if you dock at a pier, and don't have to go through customs, just about everyone can get off in less than 30 minutes. But, if you don't dock next to a pier, using tenders to get ashore from an anchorage, it can take one to two hours to get ashore.

 

Good luck.

[clerky96]

I hope you are right. From the way the email read, if we aren't there by 8:30, the tour will leave without us. It is in St Lucia. Probably the best thing to do is to find out where we will disembark and make sure we are in the area extra early. I just dislike that throng of people pushing to get out. Makes me miserable. Thanks.

[newmexicoNita]

I hope you are right. From the way the email read, if we aren't there by 8:30, the tour will leave without us. It is in St Lucia. Probably the best thing to do is to find out where we will disembark and make sure we are in the area extra early. I just dislike that throng of people pushing to get out. Makes me miserable. Thanks.

Ihate the pushing; as for them leaving without you, I almost think I would check a different tour company. Most of them wouldn't make that statement as they know, if the ship isn't ready to allow disembarkation they would have little or no business. I hope this is a company that has come highly recommended.

 

Nita

[clerky96]

I went back and re-read what he wrote. It actually says that the tour will leave at 8:30. Not that it will leave without us. This tour comes highly recommended by others on the cc port of call. I am just a worry-wart. Sorry for the confusion. :o

[BruceMuzz]

Why don't you get the tour operator's mobile telephone number so that you can call him from the ship if you are going to be a few minutes late?