Any tips to easy off CB at ports??

[tcrny]

Hi ... we'll be sailing the CB this coming Monday (YEAH!!) ... and read some complaining that too crowded trying to get off ship anytime soon when it ports. Some say the gather everyone into some lounge area. I do not have an excursion booked, so will we be at the end of the line, meaning it may take an hour to get off? Just wondering how to time things as our last 2 ports of Tortola and Grand Turks, we have barely 5 hours or so in port. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Cathy

[Toto2Kansas]

Hi ... we'll be sailing the CB this coming Monday (YEAH!!) ... and read some complaining that too crowded trying to get off ship anytime soon when it ports. Some say the gather everyone into some lounge area. I do not have an excursion booked, so will we be at the end of the line, meaning it may take an hour to get off? Just wondering how to time things as our last 2 ports of Tortola and Grand Turks, we have barely 5 hours or so in port. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Cathy

 

There really isn't much you can do to speed up the process. If it is a tender port, then Princess shore excursions have priority to disembark on the tenders.

The only way to speed up the process is to have a full suite booked or have Elite Status in the Captain's Circle (over 15 cruises with princess), where you will get priority for the tenders and don't have to wait or stand in line for tender tickets.

 

But, make sure before you get in line for your tender tickets that your entire party is with you as one can not go and collect enough tender tickets for others that aren't there yet. Everyone must be present or they will make you wait even longer.

 

Good luck, wish I had an idea for you, but it is just part of cruising on the larger ships.

[tcrny]

Hi Toto .. no I don't believe these are tender ports. But no we don't have any of those preferences, so guess we'll just have to wait in line. If it is not a tender port, are there still tickets needed to get off the ship? Thanks, Cathy

[Toto2Kansas]

Hi Toto .. no I don't believe these are tender ports. But no we don't have any of those preferences, so guess we'll just have to wait in line. If it is not a tender port, are there still tickets needed to get off the ship? Thanks, Cathy

 

If it isn't a tender port, then there really aren't any worrys, no tickets required, it won't take you all that long to get off the ship. They have the Princess tours meet on the pier for docked ports, so there is no priority to leave the ship, they just get off and meet in groups with staff holding signs.

For docked ports, you shouldn't have any problems getting off whatsoever to go exploring on your own.

 

Have a great cruise.

[tvaud]

Hi ... we'll be sailing the CB this coming Monday (YEAH!!) ... and read some complaining that too crowded trying to get off ship anytime soon when it ports. Some say the gather everyone into some lounge area. I do not have an excursion booked, so will we be at the end of the line, meaning it may take an hour to get off? Just wondering how to time things as our last 2 ports of Tortola and Grand Turks, we have barely 5 hours or so in port. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Cathy

 

We were able to get off the ship rather quickly in Grand Turk. I wouldn't worry about it. You will be off in no time. Have a cup of coffee and some of those great croissants...by then, you'll be able to hop right off the ship and be on your way.

[BigGuy25]

tcrny - Here my two cents regarding getting of the ship on your trip. You'll have no problem getting off the ship in the ports where you arrive in the morning. The gangways are usually open pretty early so people get off in an pretty leisurely manner. The problem comes in at the ports where you arrive in the afternoon (San Juan and Grand Turk) where everyone wants to get off at the same time. There, you go down to the Princess Theater, and they let you off in rows. It's a bit frustrating. We just waited about 20 or 30 minutes until they made an announcement that said "the crowds have now subsided and you can proceed directly to deck 4 to leave the ship."

[serene56]

I would wait 20 minutes after the doors are opened to let passengers off. This is when the area is most congested. People start lining up BEFORE the doors even open.

[DonnaK]

We are on the CB nexxt month, for the Canada/NE itinerary, with two tender ports.

 

If I do not have tender tickets (only some of our party is in a full suite, and we are not taking Princess Excursions), approx how long will the wait be to get off the ship? Will we be herded in a waiting station?

 

This sounds ridiculous to me. I've been on much larger ships than the CB, at several tender ports in the Caribbean, and never ever had an issue getting off the ship - we just walked onto the tender whenever - no tickets required. All this is new to me, and already puts Princess at a huge disadvantage when compared to other cruise lines in my mind.

[serene56]

We are on the CB nexxt month, for the Canada/NE itinerary, with two tender ports.

 

If I do not have tender tickets (only some of our party is in a full suite, and we are not taking Princess Excursions), approx how long will the wait be to get off the ship? Will we be herded in a waiting station?

 

This sounds ridiculous to me. I've been on much larger ships than the CB, at several tender ports in the Caribbean, and never ever had an issue getting off the ship - we just walked onto the tender whenever - no tickets required. All this is new to me, and already puts Princess at a huge disadvantage when compared to other cruise lines in my mind.

 

 

what ports on that itinerary are tendered?

 

 

Not sailed the canada route---but have yet to wait to get off the ship.

Sounds like you were not among the first guest to arrive to wait to get off on your past cruises?

 

Tenders only hold so many people-- and cruiseline excursion people get first dibbs on those early seats. So if you took a tender at those times you would have needed to wait.

[DonnaK]

what ports on that itinerary are tendered?

 

 

Not sailed the canada route---but have yet to wait to get off the ship.

Sounds like you were not among the first guest to arrive to wait to get off on your past cruises?

 

Tenders only hold so many people-- and cruiseline excursion people get first dibbs on those early seats. So if you took a tender at those times you would have needed to wait.

 

The tendered ports on this itinerary are Newport RI and Bar Harbour ME. I'm really only concerned about Bar Harbour because we'd like to take a private excursion and am very confused about the time-frame if I have to factor in tendering delays.

 

On my past cruises, we have been the first onto the tenders, walking off with those on excursions - they weren't issued priority tickets and there were no need because there weren't any congestion problems. These were on very large Voyager-class RCI ships, which you'd think would have more traffic flow issues than the CB or other ships with less passengers.

 

In reading up on this, it seems that the other cruises we've been on used the local port authority's larger tender boats, and Princess is using its more limited-capacity lifeboats to tender the passengers ashore?

[belle626]

On the July 1st sailing, we found if we waited about 20 minutes after the announcement was made, we were able to walk right off in the ports were we arrived mid-day. the first port, San Juan, we didn't know that we had to wait in a lounge, and found it annoying. After that, we grabbed lunch or whatever and headed down a little later.

[tcrny]

Thanks for the help ... leaving tomorrow ... whooo hooo! We're on a big ship with lots of people so crowds are expected ... but who cares ... I'm on vacation!!!!! :D

Thanks again ... Cathy

[DGNY]

Was on CB last month and really the only issues we had was in San Juan since we had to pass through immigration (which I don't think is an issue for you).

 

Grand Turk @ 1 was busy, but manageable.

[C&F]

The longest wait we had was Grand Turk, BUT that's because in all the other ports, we were the only other ship. There was a Carnival ship in St. Thomas, but not at our dock. At Grand Turk, there was a line to get off, but it moved VERY quickly, depending on what time you get to it. We did not have the same agonizing wait to get on the ship those Carnival passengers had getting back on the ship. The looks on their faces said it all!!

[Sunny AZ Girl]

We will be going on the CB next May (Southern Caribbean Explorer route) and the only port I am concerned about is Grenada. We arrive at noon. Our itinerary says that we are tendering, but others on this board assure me that we will probably be docked. We are booking a private excursion and I hope that we will not run into a problem meeting up with our tour.:eek: