Dock or Tender In Caribbean Ports?

Does anyone of a website that shows whether a ship docks or uses a tender in port? Going on the Rotterdam to the Caribbean in December 2018. Ports are Key West, San Juan, St Thomas, St Johns, Saint Lucia, Curacao, Aruba, and Georgetown Cayman Islands. Want to purchase excursions (Not through Holland America) and need to know if we can make them if we have to tender off the ship. Thanks so much.

Pretty sure your only tender Port is Grand Cayman but not sure about St John?

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Agree with the above poster. St. Johns is the question. If it is the Virgin Island by that name, it will be a tender. If Antigua, most likely a port docking.

Also agree

I looked at a couple of December itineraries and they all say "St Johns" -- clicking on the interactive map, it shows St Johns, Antigua -- definitely not a tender port.

So Grand Cayman will be your only tender port.

Definitely Grand Cayman. We weren't able to tender in the day our HA ship was to dock, as Captain said it was too rough. Didn't look it to me, but I'm not the Captain. Disappointing, but we enjoyed an extra sea day.

All ships tender in Grand Cayman ... normally, easy tender ride.

Enjoy! :)

GC is an easy tender ride...about 5 mins once you leave the ship' side until you dock. It takes longer to load 150+ people onto the tender than it does to actually make the trip!

Hmmm. This is weird. According to the following HAL document (https://www.hollandamerica.com/content/dam/hal/marketing-assets/Accessibility/port-tender-list.pdf) San Juan is also tendered in addition to Grand Cayman. I don't believe SJ is true. Maybe that pdf is old. I previous contacted HAL about SJ and here is what they told me:

Dear Karen,

Thank you for your recent correspondence with Holland America Line.

The pier that you will docking at in San Juan is:

Paseo Concepcion de Gracia

Pier # 4

San Juan, P.R. 00901

Please feel free to contact us if we may be of additional assistance or visit us online. We look forward to welcoming you onboard in the near future!

Does anyone of a website that shows whether a ship docks or uses a tender in port? Going on the Rotterdam to the Caribbean in December 2018. Ports are Key West, San Juan, St Thomas, St Johns, Saint Lucia, Curacao, Aruba, and Georgetown Cayman Islands. Want to purchase excursions (Not through Holland America) and need to know if we can make them if we have to tender off the ship. Thanks so much.

You should have this info on your cruise itinerary .I have never tendered to St.Thomas,St.Lucia,Curacao ,San Juan or Aruba.

Want to purchase excursions (Not through Holland America) and need to know if we can make them if we have to tender off the ship. Thanks so much.

Are you on the Dec 2 sailing from Tampa? If so, you might consider signing up for our Roll Call here on Cruise Critic. I am hoping we start talking about private excursions as a group. The RC has been a bit slow, but people are starting to trickle in. Karen

Hmmm. This is weird. According to the following HAL document (https://www.hollandamerica.com/content/dam/hal/marketing-assets/Accessibility/port-tender-list.pdf) San Juan is also tendered in addition to Grand Cayman. I don't believe SJ is true. Maybe that pdf is old. I previous contacted HAL about SJ and here is what they told me:

Dear Karen,

Thank you for your recent correspondence with Holland America Line.

The pier that you will docking at in San Juan is:

Paseo Concepcion de Gracia

Pier # 4

San Juan, P.R. 00901

Please feel free to contact us if we may be of additional assistance or visit us online. We look forward to welcoming you onboard in the near future!

Three whale tails and one RCI at San Juan, PR. Pier 4 aka Muelle 4 is the closest to the camera

Pier 4 on the below map is Muelle 4

Copper 10-8, Nice picture. Thanks.

Copper 10-8, Nice picture. Thanks.

Anytime! Enjoy Rotterdam!

of the great many times we've sailed to Sn Juan, we have always docked.

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We once tendered -- only once in St. Thomas. There were many ships in and noordam tendered from inner harbor. very s hort ride and very convenient s they dropped us in the center of Charlotte A malie, fast and easy. EVERY other time we were in St.Thoms we docked.

We have always docked in Key West

FUN port. :)

How do I sign up for roll call for the Dec 2 Rotterdam out of Tampa, Karen? Thanks

How do I sign up for roll call for the Dec 2 Rotterdam out of Tampa, Karen? Thanks

I'll walk you through and link you. Read through the posts. I'm sure the RC will start to get more active now that we are getting closer, and I'm hoping people will be offering ideas for excursions. I know I will be.

Right here on this page near the top, you will see "Find Your Roll Call" and select that, on the next page you will see Any Cruiseline, Any Ship, Any Month. Just select those drop downs. Then once you get to ours, go to "View Discussion". Introduce yourself there. If you want to attend the Cruise Critic Roll Call meeting on our first "SEA" day, let me know. It will be in the morning around 10:00-10:30 in the Crow's Nest.

See you on board. Karen

Here's the link: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2613055