How does Priority Tendering work?

[pilotboy1985]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm trying to figure out how Priority Tendering works? I'm in a GS and that's listed as one of my perks.

In Grand Cayman I need to be one of the first tenders off in order to meet my tour, however my understanding is you must get tendering tickets at 9am. Do I still go down and get a tendering ticket and they give me a ticket for the first one off? How exactly does this work?

 

Boat arrives in Grand Cayman at 11am grand cayman time, and my tour is for noon. In a different thread I had a few people tell me I'll make it, and I had a couple tell me not a chance, I won't make it. Trying to figure out my options,

Thanks for the info! :)

[cruisenfever]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm trying to figure out how Priority Tendering works? I'm in a GS and that's listed as one of my perks.

In Grand Cayman I need to be one of the first tenders off in order to meet my tour, however my understanding is you must get tendering tickets at 9am. Do I still go down and get a tendering ticket and they give me a ticket for the first one off? How exactly does this work?

 

Boat arrives in Grand Cayman at 11am grand cayman time, and my tour is for noon. In a different thread I had a few people tell me I'll make it, and I had a couple tell me not a chance, I won't make it. Trying to figure out my options,

Thanks for the info! :)

Since you are in a GS and will have use of the Concierge Lounge, I suggest that you speak with the Concierge as they are usually the ones that are issued the "priority" tender tickets.

 

On our recent cruise on Radiance to Australia, there were no priority tender tickets issued. The Concierge in both lounges either got #1 tendering tickets or they escorted folks down to the proper deck.

[torpeedo]

You need to let your concierge know what time you need to be on the tender and he/she will escort you to the tender, no tickets needed, and get you on which ever one you want.

[dz9yvr]

Is the tour scheduled through RCCL? If so, don't worry you'll be on the first tender.

[K L B]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm trying to figure out how Priority Tendering works? I'm in a GS and that's listed as one of my perks.

In Grand Cayman I need to be one of the first tenders off in order to meet my tour, however my understanding is you must get tendering tickets at 9am. Do I still go down and get a tendering ticket and they give me a ticket for the first one off? How exactly does this work?

 

Boat arrives in Grand Cayman at 11am grand cayman time, and my tour is for noon. In a different thread I had a few people tell me I'll make it, and I had a couple tell me not a chance, I won't make it. Trying to figure out my options,

Thanks for the info! :)

 

 

I'm glad you asked, because i was going to! We are also in a GS, and our stingray sandbar excursion is at 9am. It is not booked with RCL- we did it with an outside tour group so we'll need to be off early to make it!

[critterchick]

Is the tour scheduled through RCCL? If so, don't worry you'll be on the first tender.

 

As I recall from another thread, it is not. Otherwise they'd just be meeting up in the theater and going to the tenders as a group.

 

You will either get a #1 ticket or a tender pass (if you have more than one tender port, as we did on Rhapsody in May) that gives you priority. The Concierge may or may not escort you down - I imagine that s/he will if you speak with him or her the night before and tell him/her that you have to be off the ship promptly.

 

And I think you'll be fine. We've had a couple of independently booked tours where we had to be someplace at x:xx and still waited for up to an hour as the operator tried to fill up the tour with people who were still looking for something to do. Worst case you burn a minute on your cellphone calling them to tell them you're running late.:)

[pilotboy1985]

I'm glad you asked, because i was going to! We are also in a GS, and our stingray sandbar excursion is at 9am. It is not booked with RCL- we did it with an outside tour group so we'll need to be off early to make it!

 

you may be using the same place as me? I'm also doing a Stingray Sandbar and Snorkel excursion and it's NOT booked through RCL.

 

They have an AM tour and a PM tour.

 

I'm surprised we're not getting into Grand Cayman until 11am, I think that's one of the latest ports I've been to (then again, I've only been on two cruises, lol)

[Lionesss]

The last time we sailed we did not use the priority tendering, because it was offerred at noon and we too docked at 11am.

The note in our grand suite was to meet in the CL at 12 and we would be walked down.

On our own we walked down to the exit at 11:15ish and got right on a tendering boat..........mind you it was packed, but we had no wait.........

Safe travels.

[KimberlyBear]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm trying to figure out how Priority Tendering works? I'm in a GS and that's listed as one of my perks.

In Grand Cayman I need to be one of the first tenders off in order to meet my tour, however my understanding is you must get tendering tickets at 9am. Do I still go down and get a tendering ticket and they give me a ticket for the first one off? How exactly does this work?

 

Boat arrives in Grand Cayman at 11am grand cayman time, and my tour is for noon. In a different thread I had a few people tell me I'll make it, and I had a couple tell me not a chance, I won't make it. Trying to figure out my options,

Thanks for the info! :)

 

The last time we tendered - all we had to do was show our gold card for being suite guest and we were on. No tickets or escorts were required.

 

Kimberly

[K L B]

you may be using the same place as me? I'm also doing a Stingray Sandbar and Snorkel excursion and it's NOT booked through RCL.

 

They have an AM tour and a PM tour.

 

I'm surprised we're not getting into Grand Cayman until 11am, I think that's one of the latest ports I've been to (then again, I've only been on two cruises, lol)

 

hmmm...i had to re-read your post. you get in at 11am? According to our itinerary, we arrive there at 8am. different schedule perhaps? or am i missing something wacky with 'grand cayman time'? when they show the itinerary, i'm presuming they show what time you land locally on each island. is that correct?

[pilotboy1985]

hmmm...i had to re-read your post. you get in at 11am? According to our itinerary, we arrive there at 8am. different schedule perhaps? or am i missing something wacky with 'grand cayman time'? when they show the itinerary, i'm presuming they show what time you land locally on each island. is that correct?

 

I'm sailing on Mariner Of The Sea's and according to the RCL website we're scheduled to arrive at 10am SHIP TIME ( 11am grand cayman time).

 

Most ships get there in the morning, but for some reason we're arriving really late.

[Ashland]

The last time we tendered - all we had to do was show our gold card for being suite guest and we were on. No tickets or escorts were required.

 

Kimberly

The one time a few years ago that we were going to use our priority tendering option there was a long line..We didn't feel comfortable moving to the front ahead of everyone else and so just waited inline...

[K L B]

I'm glad you asked, because i was going to! We are also in a GS, and our stingray sandbar excursion is at 9am. It is not booked with RCL- we did it with an outside tour group so we'll need to be off early to make it!

 

you may be using the same place as me? I'm also doing a Stingray Sandbar and Snorkel excursion and it's NOT booked through RCL.

 

They have an AM tour and a PM tour.

 

I'm surprised we're not getting into Grand Cayman until 11am, I think that's one of the latest ports I've been to (then again, I've only been on two cruises, lol)

 

 

are you with stingraysailing dot com? they get excellent reviews on tripadvisor.

[pilotboy1985]

The one time a few years ago that we were going to use our priority tendering option there was a long line..We didn't feel comfortable moving to the front ahead of everyone else and so just waited inline...

 

 

Ashland, I was just thinking that exact thing! If there is a huge line up, I don't want to be like "Excuse me, Excuse me....gold card coming through" lol. ( I obviously wouldn't say that!) I'd be too timid and I'd end up waiting in line and possibly missing my tour.

 

I'll ask the concierge for an escort. Apparently our concierge is brand new so she might not do it, but I'll explain the situation and hopefully she complies.

[pilotboy1985]

are you with stingraysailing dot com? they get excellent reviews on tripadvisor.

 

 

Yes, that's exactly who I'm using. I've been in contact with them this week and they are very speedy at getting back to me via e-mail.

[K L B]

I'm sailing on Mariner Of The Sea's and according to the RCL website we're scheduled to arrive at 10am SHIP TIME ( 11am grand cayman time).

 

Most ships get there in the morning, but for some reason we're arriving really late.

 

So, if my itinerary on our booking says we arrive at 8am, I would presume this is 8am ship time? is that 9am Grand Cayman time? that would really mess up my plans because i need to be on land at 9am grand cayman time. i'd never make it.

[pilotboy1985]

So, if my itinerary on our booking says we arrive at 8am, I would presume this is 8am ship time? is that 9am Grand Cayman time? that would really mess up my plans because i need to be on land at 9am grand cayman time. i'd never make it.

 

If you're leaving out of Florida you'll already be on Grand Cayman time.

 

I'm leaving out of Texas which is an hour behind florida, hence the chance of times for Grand Cayman.

 

8am ship time for you = 8am grand cayman time.

 

8am ship time for me = 9am grand cayman time.

 

It's all to do with our port of departure. :)

[K L B]

If you're leaving out of Florida you'll already be on Grand Cayman time.

 

I'm leaving out of Texas which is an hour behind florida, hence the chance of times for Grand Cayman.

 

8am ship time for you = 8am grand cayman time.

 

8am ship time for me = 9am grand cayman time.

 

It's all to do with our port of departure. :)

 

 

ah thank you! i've learned something new today.

[pilotboy1985]

Okay guys, LISTEN TO THIS... How freaky is this???????

 

I just got an e-mail, not more than two minutes ago, from the Concierge! How weird is that? We were all just talking about my Concierge and then she e-mails me.

 

Perhaps she reads the boards? lol.

[DFWNewCruiser]

I was Voyager last week and we were scheduled to arrive at 7:30a in Grand Cayman. They told us the night before that people with excursions or priority tickets would get first access to tenders and they would start handing out tender tickets in Cleopatra's lounge starting at 8:30a thru 11a for everyone else. The note in the compass stated if you have a private excursion all you had to do was show your receipt / tickets and you could hop right on with the ship booked excursion folks.

 

We ended up anchoring a little after 7a and the first few tenders had already left by 7:30a when an announcement was made that it was open tendering until 8:30a. We fortunately had just finished getting ready to go and rushed down the stairs and right onto the tender without any lines.

[silentbob007]

I was surprised on the Freedom that there were no tender tickets. We asked the concierge and were told to just go get in line. There was, of course, a mad scramble to be early off the ship with lines backed up up the stairs and others using the elevators to circumvent the line.

[Tamerella]

I have read that in some tendering ports, there is a "priority return tender" line for Gold Seapass and D+...meaning...when you want to return to the ship, you have a special (expedited) line to get on a tender. Has anyone experienced that in Grand Cayman??