ttmoff Posted October 5, 2011 #1 Share Posted October 5, 2011 How bad does the weather have to be to prevent tendering? Do we just head to the next port if we can't tender? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted October 5, 2011 #2 Share Posted October 5, 2011 How bad does the weather have to be to prevent tendering? Do we just head to the next port if we can't tender? Usually Or the captain can sit there bobbing for a few hours;) If the tenders are bobbing up & down so much that they cannot board them safely from the platform... then it is bad Lyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imagineer Posted October 5, 2011 #3 Share Posted October 5, 2011 ...or they will sail to the nearest safe tendering location if possible, case in point, when we were last on the Regatta and supposed to visit Amalfi/Positano, the sea conditions were not favorable for tendering and we moved around the peninsula to Sorrento where the conditions were calmer and we tendered in to Sorrento... cheers, the Imagineer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TERRIER1 Posted October 5, 2011 #4 Share Posted October 5, 2011 The weather can be delightful but a swell on the seas can prevent tendering. Our first cruise we could not tender at Amalfi and moved to Sorrento and did two days there instead. Sorrento was close to the original tender port of Amalfi so it worked out well. The second cruise we were able to tender at Amalfi. In Bonifacio Corsica we could not tender and moved to Porto Vechia (sp?) up the coast. Both these were on the smaller "R" ships which have less passengers so tendering is simplier and I would imagine easier to find another tender location. This last cruise (on the Marina) we missed St Jean de Luz. The day was clear but the swells made tendering difficult. We did not make another port but instead the day became a sea day. I do not know if this has to do with the size of the larger Marina. In the past the smaller ships tendered at another location not far from the original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondorner Posted October 5, 2011 #5 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Weather can even prevent docking. On Marina's Maiden Voyage, the outer sea was pretty calm but the harbor at Malaga was kicking up pretty bad and Marina was not permitted to dock. We went on to Casablanca, our next port. On one of the mainstream cruise lines several years ago, we were not permitted to dock at a Mexican port because of weather. The itinerary was quickly rearranged and we made what was supposed to be our last stop next, with Roatan added later as our new last stop. Neither of these involved tendering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted October 5, 2011 #6 Share Posted October 5, 2011 The weather can be delightful but a swell on the seas can prevent tendering. Our first cruise we could not tender at Amalfi and moved to Sorrento and did two days there instead. Sorrento was close to the original tender port of Amalfi so it worked out well. The second cruise we were able to tender at Amalfi. In Bonifacio Corsica we could not tender and moved to Porto Vechia (sp?) up the coast. Both these were on the smaller "R" ships which have less passengers so tendering is simplier and I would imagine easier to find another tender location. This last cruise (on the Marina) we missed St Jean de Luz. The day was clear but the swells made tendering difficult. We did not make another port but instead the day became a sea day. I do not know if this has to do with the size of the larger Marina. In the past the smaller ships tendered at another location not far from the original. The larger size of the Marina has its' pluses and minuses, when it comes to tendering. They try to deploy the Tender Docks on the "lee side" of the ship. That is to say, the side that is most sheltered from the elements by the bulk of the ship. Theoretically, the larger the ship, the more shelter is provided. Of course, a larger ship inevitably means more passengers, and while we felt that the 1200 on Marina seemed manageable at tender ports, it can be a real headache when the numbers inch above 3000. The Emerald Princess, pictured here, is rated for 3500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddmel Posted October 5, 2011 #7 Share Posted October 5, 2011 The status of the tides is another factor at the shore dock. Lines (ropes) between dock and tender are used to stabilize the tender for high and low tides ... but there are instances where they won't even manage a potentially dangerous situation. Also, the weather may look fine early in the AM but the captain may see unfavorable conditions later in the day and choose to avoid the port. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TERRIER1 Posted October 5, 2011 #8 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Of course, a larger ship inevitably means more passengers, and while we felt that the 1200 on Marina seemed manageable at tender ports, it can be a real headache when the numbers inch above 3000. The Emerald Princess, pictured here, is rated for 3500. I can't even imagine how a ship would tender 3500 people. Do ships that large actually do it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted October 5, 2011 #9 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Well, you just saw a photograph of the Emerald Princess doing just that, so yes larger ships do tender. At present, the owners of the very largest cruise ships, the Oasis and Allure of the Seas, which each carry north of 6000 passengers, have made the decision to only operate those ships between ports at which they are able to dock. This virtually confines them to ports where Royal Caribbean has built specialized port facilities in the Eastern and Western Caribbean. Both ships, however, carry as their lifeboats, 18 custom built 370 passenger tenders, in case they might ever need to sail to more distant harbors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capecodder2 Posted October 5, 2011 #10 Share Posted October 5, 2011 No one mentioned wind, but that can also have a lot to do with tendering. Of course, wind usually produces heavy chop or swells, which add to the mix. Once we were in the Shetland Islands on a ship about the size of the Marina, the wind was so bad that the ship couldn't hold anchor and the captain decided not to remain there. Same thing happened off Taormina on the Regatta and we went to dock at Messina. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttmoff Posted October 6, 2011 Author #11 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Thanks to all for the feedback. We will be on the Marina October 11 - 21, Venice to Rome. Wish us luck with all of our tendering and docking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lalique Posted October 6, 2011 #12 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Thanks to all for the feedback. We will be on the Marina October 11 - 21, Venice to Rome. Wish us luck with all of our tendering and docking! Let us know how it works out with tendering - and also the weather. We are going Oct. 29th - Barcelona to Venice. Hoping for decent weather and calm seas!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmgmd50 Posted October 7, 2011 #13 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Thanks to all for the feedback. We will be on the Marina October 11 - 21, Venice to Rome. Wish us luck with all of our tendering and docking! We are on your cruise also. I checked the weather (at least for the first few days of the cruise) and it is expected to be exceptionally warm for the time of year. I certainly wish you great weather! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco12 Posted October 7, 2011 #14 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I apologise if this is a silly question but how do you know? I am new to cruising, hence my question. We will be on the TA from Rome to Miami and stop at Barcelona, Tangiers, Funchal (Madeira) and Bermuda. I have checked the O website and brochure and could find nothing about tendering. I'm sure the information is there, I just can't locate it. Many thanks Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TERRIER1 Posted October 7, 2011 #15 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I apologise if this is a silly question but how do you know? I am new to cruising, hence my question. We will be on the TA from Rome to Miami and stop at Barcelona, Tangiers, Funchal (Madeira) and Bermuda. I have checked the O website and brochure and could find nothing about tendering. I'm sure the information is there, I just can't locate it. Many thanks Chris The first time you hear from Oceania if the port is dock or anchor is in the blue book you receive with your documents. There was a thread here trying to piece together shuttles in ports and some of the information stating if the port was dock or tender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillPizzaiolo Posted October 7, 2011 #16 Share Posted October 7, 2011 On a recent Marina cruise we had lots of fog so we had to miss OPorto in Portugal due to foggy conditions. We went as close as the harbor master allowed but the Captain and Pilot were waved off. After a few hours of waiting for the fog to lift we went to the next port. Safety first is the rule of thumb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoHoHo Posted October 8, 2011 #17 Share Posted October 8, 2011 I apologise if this is a silly question but how do you know? I am new to cruising, hence my question. We will be on the TA from Rome to Miami and stop at Barcelona, Tangiers, Funchal (Madeira) and Bermuda. I have checked the O website and brochure and could find nothing about tendering. I'm sure the information is there, I just can't locate it. Many thanks Chris There are websites that will give you port information such as what ships are in a certain port that day, the number of pax, tender or dock etc. There can be variations between them and please do realize that they can change, I can't recall the one I've liked best but cruisett is a good start. The size of the ship makes a difference too. Assuming you are on one of the R ships you may dock right in Hamilton. It is a great cruise in and out the harbour into Hamilton. Be sure to be on deck or on your balcony. Funchal is a beautiful stop too- take a tour, ride the gondola. It is a lovely place. From my experience all the ports you mention we have docked with O - no tenders required, Enjoy the cruise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCNslr Posted October 8, 2011 #18 Share Posted October 8, 2011 We were wisely sailed past Delos & Mykonos because of high winds making the sea too rough to tender. Went on to Kusadasi and had more time there. Now I have a reason to return on such a trip!:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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