Celebrity shore excursions vs independent tours- who has priority leaving the ship?

The Celebrity website says Celebrity shore excursions have priority leaving the ship on port days. Do they actually hold back other passengers who are taking independent tours until the passengers on the Celebrity tours have left the ship? Or can you just get to the gangplank and leave the ship whenever you want?

If docked, you can get off whenever you want to. If tendered, priority goes to Celebrity shore excursions.

If docked, you can get off whenever you want to. If tendered, priority goes to Celebrity shore excursions.

In places where the tendering is slow, it might delay you for two hours or more if you have not booked a Celebrity excursion.

Some tender ports are very quick. Mykonos comes to mind as one of those. Others are terrible. Bali, some of the ports on the Around the Horn cruise of South America and Cairns, Australia are some of t those.

Generally, there is no issue getting off if the ship is docked. It can be quite an issue if tendering is required, but not always. We have had problems once or twice when tendering, and other times just walked off.

If you are on a private tour and tendering is being done then you should try to get your tender tickets as soon as they are available, and be ready to leave when your number is called.

The Celebrity website says Celebrity shore excursions have priority leaving the ship on port days. Do they actually hold back other passengers who are taking independent tours until the passengers on the Celebrity tours have left the ship? Or can you just get to the gangplank and leave the ship whenever you want?

Every business gives priority to its clients that keep their business in house.

Yes they get their tour passengers off first.

But sadly, you will see a few on every cruise that feel a sense of entitlement and push their way to the front regardless of others.

When you're docked, you simply walk off when you're ready. You will find that most aren't in a huge rush!

The Celebrity website says Celebrity shore excursions have priority leaving the ship on port days. Do they actually hold back other passengers who are taking independent tours until the passengers on the Celebrity tours have left the ship? Or can you just get to the gangplank and leave the ship whenever you want?

Santorini tendering is an interesting example. Celebrity excursions are tendered off the ship first to a different dock than the regular tender spot. After they leave the ship moves to its more permanent place and everyone else gets off. I know on our sailing some just booked a tour as a means to get off the ship early.

People that are on excursions booked through Celebrity usually are gathered onboard (usually in the theater) and all called as a group if there is a tender port involved. Sometimes, others will also be in line for that tender, sometimes not.

Besides the people that book excursions through Celebrity, suite, elite, elite + and zenith passengers are sometimes allowed priority tendering. If this is the practice on your cruise, you will be given a ticket for lining up for the tender after all these passengers.

It can sometimes take a long time to catch a tender so depending on the port, I would not book an independent tour that starts too close to the time when they drop anchor.

If docked, you can get off whenever you want to. If tendered, priority goes to Celebrity shore excursions.

Not exactly true. On a recent cruise to the British Isles, there were several ports where we were docked and there was only 1 very steep gangway, Celebrity tours were given preference, this was the beginning of the problem. Because there was only 1 gangway any person that needed a wheelchair or had problems navigating the steep gangway brought the process to a halt as the Celebrity personnel helped them off the ship. We waited in line about 45 minutes to exit even though we were docked.

There can be delays at any port that is not a regular stop for Celebrity because of equipment limitations.

Santorini tendering is an interesting example. Celebrity excursions are tendered off the ship first to a different dock than the regular tender spot. After they leave the ship moves to its more permanent place and everyone else gets off. I know on our sailing some just booked a tour as a means to get off the ship early.

Not always first. Some excursions don't start immediately - twice to Santorini on X and twice we were on the first tender for a tour on our own. I do think it would be completely different if they got in a bit later but most excursions don't start at 7:00 am

People that are on excursions booked through Celebrity usually are gathered onboard (usually in the theater) and all called as a group if there is a tender port involved. Sometimes, others will also be in line for that tender, sometimes not.

Besides the people that book excursions through Celebrity, suite, elite, elite + and zenith passengers are sometimes allowed priority tendering. If this is the practice on your cruise, you will be given a ticket for lining up for the tender after all these passengers.

 

It can sometimes take a long time to catch a tender so depending on the port, I would not book an independent tour that starts too close to the time when they drop anchor.

Right. It is but natural for Celebrity to give priority to those who have booked excursions through them, whenever it is necessary.

So who actually gets the Priority of the Priority's? :confused:

Official ships tours or Elite and above? ;)

You forgot about the ones in the suites.....they need to get off quickly and back to enjoy their privileges ;)

You forgot about the ones in the suites.....they need to get off quickly and back to enjoy their privileges ;)

As a steerage cruiser I try not to think of the blessed & fortunate........ ;)

But its a good point. :confused:

Who gets priority over priority over priority. :confused:

Santorini tendering is an interesting example. Celebrity excursions are tendered off the ship first to a different dock than the regular tender spot. After they leave the ship moves to its more permanent place and everyone else gets off. I know on our sailing some just booked a tour as a means to get off the ship early.

We have done this before. Our upcoming cruise will be tendering in Santorini at 7:00. Not sure what to do.:confused:

Since we have been there twice, we wanted to take the public transportation and tour on our own, but don't want to do this if we have to wait hours to get off.

Not always first. Some excursions don't start immediately - twice to Santorini on X and twice we were on the first tender for a tour on our own. I do think it would be completely different if they got in a bit later but most excursions don't start at 7:00 am

Are you saying that the ship tendered closer to the main dock and funicular, first? And then took the passengers with tours, back to the tour dock at a later hour?

Some tender ports are very quick. Mykonos comes to mind as one of those.

When we went to Mykonos, we docked. Had to wait on a Celebrity transportation bus, however, to take us to town.

 

 

 

Are you saying that the ship tendered closer to the main dock and funicular, first? And then took the passengers with tours, back to the tour dock at a later hour?

 

On neither Millie or Connie did we make two stops. One anchor and we got on the first tender. 7:00 am is too early for most excursions to leave. We walked the caldera so wanted to get an early start.

As a steerage cruiser I try not to think of the blessed & fortunate........ ;)

 

But its a good point. :confused:

 

Who gets priority over priority over priority. :confused:

It all seems to work out. Many suite passengers or regular repeaters have been to ports involved numerous times and aren't usually pushing their way to the front of the line at 7 a.m. The shore ex staff leads groups as a unit and they, along with the gangway staff, have orchestrated this rodeo before.

But I guess it depends on the itinerary and port. If suite people or high repeaters have some time-sensitive early independent arrangement, they probably make their needs known for that tender port to the concierge/butler staff ahead of time and obtain an early priority ticket if tickets are in use. Then just quietly join the queue at the agreed-upon time.

I did witness an episode, I think in Maui, where a passenger showed up and loudly complained about the indifference to his importance to any staff person he could corral to try and get to the head of the crush going ashore while the tour staff folks were trying to get the all-day tour people onto the tenders early. It was one of those moments where you're almost embarrassed for the blowhard. Definitely for his wife.

On neither Millie or Connie did we make two stops. One anchor and we got on the first tender. 7:00 am is too early for most excursions to leave. We walked the caldera so wanted to get an early start.

We will be on the Reflection, but getting there early will hopefully help.:) I'll take a look at the Celebrity excursion times.

Priority Tendering - We are Elite Plus, but those traveling with us are not. All of us will be staying in a standard cabin, so not Priority there. :(

UPDATE: Checked excursion times and there is one that starts at 7:45. others starting at 8:00.... I guess we better be ready to go at 7:00. My adult children are not going to be happy with me! :D

You forgot about the ones in the suites.....they need to get off quickly and back to enjoy their privileges ;)

Yes we go to Michael's Club and are escorted down to the tenders by the concierge. Sometimes we get the velvet rope and carpet to get back on the ship. Suite Life is great.

X gets priority.

Every business gives priority to its clients that keep their business in house.

Every passenger is a Celebrity client.

Upsetting those who do not book cruise line excursions can mean less repeat business in the future.

As a steerage cruiser I try not to think of the blessed & fortunate........ ;)

 

But its a good point. :confused:

 

Who gets priority over priority over priority. :confused:

Was at a tender port and had queued with the regular passengers because there wasnt a red carpet ("Oh the horreur"), the next tender pulled up and I was about 10th in line when a gaggle of suite passengers who had been milling and b*tching tried to make a rush for it. I just held out my suite card in front of them and they backed off and "mingled" into the regular queue.

We've only done one cruise with another coming up shortly.

Two things worth remembering:

1. Celebrity, like any business charging $k per customer, has a massive incentive to get all aspects of the customer experience right: repeat business is the cheapest marketing. They're not going to be trying to screw with people's arrangements for shore tours and tenders. They want it to work for you, even if you're not using one of their tours. Sure, they want it to work a little better if you defer to their tours.

2. Also consider the tour operators. The good ones don't want to pay the big marketing margins to the cruise lines if they can avoid it, so they run great tours very much focused on 5star reviews on web review sites. If you've booked with an operator based on good reviews, you can be very sure that they know your cruise ship's tender operations pretty well, and will make sure everyone has a smooth experience.

The cruise line wants to offer "advantages" to anyone who pays them extra for things. But everybody who is taking your money (if reputable) wants you to get value. The main thing you need with tenders is to keep your own patience in check. Everything else will work out just fine if you let it. Sure, a 7 hour tour might become a 6 hour tour, but you'll still get the hand-picked highlights if you've chosen a good operator.

Its never really an issue tbf as most of the in house excursion guests are seated in an area until a specific time (the theatre or a bar) meaning you just walk off past them anyway whenever you want. The only time its more controlled is during tender ports

We have done this before. Our upcoming cruise will be tendering in Santorini at 7:00. Not sure what to do.:confused:

 

Since we have been there twice, we wanted to take the public transportation and tour on our own, but don't want to do this if we have to wait hours to get off.

 

 

 

Are you saying that the ship tendered closer to the main dock and funicular, first? And then took the passengers with tours, back to the tour dock at a later hour?

 

 

 

When we went to Mykonos, we docked. Had to wait on a Celebrity transportation bus, however, to take us to town.

How I understood it is there are 2 docks at Santorini, First dock has a road and room for buses to drive up the hill to Thira, second dock is where you can catch the cable car or donkeys. We did not book an X tour and frankly don't remember if we made two stops or not to let the X excursions off at the first dock. We got off at the regular dock and grabbed transportation from the Vendors on the pier where they took you to the other dock, bussed you to Oia, and then bussed you back to Thira. In expensive and a convenient way to do it on your own. Do not recall any real wait to tender in so they may have let the tours off early at the other dock.