How long to get off the ship at ports? On final day in Vancouver?

[azguy]

Hello,

 

This is our first cruise. I'm sure there are some older posts dealing with this topic, but I was hoping to get some up to date times/advice.

 

We are sailing with Princess, stoping at Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway. WE have booked all of our tours independently at the ports. How long does it normally take to get off the ship when at port? How about re-boarding?

 

On our final day we are arriving at Vancouver at 7:30am, a Saturday morning. How long will it take us to get off the ship and retrieve our luggage? If we are just taking a cab or walking to a hotel, do they take our bags or can we just get off with them ourselves?

 

We are trying to book a tour in Vancouver for the day we arrive, and we're looking at either a 10:00am (that's probably more up our alley) or a 2:00pm (that allows some buffer to get off the ship and to the hotel).

 

Thanks.

[wolfie11]

Get up early, find out what time first disembarkation is and get there 20 minutes beforehand. Eat breakfast in your room if you have to. Otherwise you may get caught up in the herd getting off for their packaged tours.

 

Have a great cruise!

[Budget Queen]

Did you tell the independent venders WHAT ship you are coming in on and schedule the tours according to their recommendation? Usually you can be off the ship close to the times posted. The problem will be if you tender, since they give priority to ship tours. I am ready to go and in line an hour before posted, I have never failed to get off the ship on the first tenders.

 

In Vancouver ship arrival and disembarkment are 2 different things. You may be pushing it getting a 10 am tour. Does this tour pick up right at Canada Place? Since you post you are going back and forth to your hotel, I would book the pm tour.

[azguy]

Did you tell the independent venders WHAT ship you are coming in on and schedule the tours according to their recommendation? Usually you can be off the ship close to the times posted. The problem will be if you tender, since they give priority to ship tours. I am ready to go and in line an hour before posted, I have never failed to get off the ship on the first tenders.

 

In Vancouver ship arrival and disembarkment are 2 different things. You may be pushing it getting a 10 am tour. Does this tour pick up right at Canada Place? Since you post you are going back and forth to your hotel, I would book the pm tour.

 

I did tell one of the venders at one port but not on two of them. I'll go back and double-check with them. Dumb question, but what does it mean to "tender?" Is there a way to know in advance if we are doing this?

 

The Vancouver tour picks up our hotel so it looks like we may need to go the afternoon route. Thanks for the advice.

[CruiseIsGood]

http://www.claalaska.com/schedules.htm

 

From a post by SharkieRools.

 

You'll have to use the berth codes .pdf to find out if you're tendering.

 

It's pretty quick getting off the ship if you're not tendering. Tendering means you are not at the dock, you are at anchor, and you take a small boat from the ship to shore.

[azguy]

http://www.claalaska.com/schedules.htm

 

From a post by SharkieRools.

 

You'll have to use the berth codes .pdf to find out if you're tendering.

 

It's pretty quick getting off the ship if you're not tendering. Tendering means you are not at the dock, you are at anchor, and you take a small boat from the ship to shore.

 

Thank you so much for the explanation of tendering. The link did not seem to work for me but I'll try to go to the "com" link and do some exploring to find the schedule.

[jdr2alaska]

Try it with html instead of htm on the end:

 

 

JR

[azguy]

Try it with html instead of htm on the end:

 

 

JR

 

Got it, actually had went to www.claalaska.com and it worked too. I appreciate your catching the missing "l" in there.

 

This was quite a handy web-site. I've already added to my own port notes if we are docking (all but once) or tendering (once). Nice to know this in advance.

 

Thanks to both of you for the info.

[cruisingbug]

I'm pretty sure you tender (take small boats from the ship to the dock) in Ketchikan. Not sure about the other two - my parents went up to the docks last year on Sun Princess in Skagway and Juneau but I'm not sure if it's first come first served. Tendering definitely takes more time and official shore excursions get priority for getting off first. Otherwise, pulling up to dock, figure an hour or so from the time you reach the dock to the all clear to go ashore.

 

Pretty much all you have to do is tell the vendors what ship you're on and the date - they have the timetables for all the lines and ships handy, as it's their primary source of income, and they're very familiar with the rules. They also know when you have to be back onboard, and making you miss your ship is BAD PR.

 

We also get into Vancouver at 7:30 am (also Princess) and the cruise line's docs say to allow 4 hours for disembarking (sounds about right - there are all kinds of delay possibilities). Most of your bags will be off the ship before you - you have to leave all but an overnighter in the hallway the night before so that customs can check them over, then you claim them off the ship. Most likely if you get disembark in Vancouver earlier than you planned, you can contact the tour company and they'll accommodate you on the earlier one.

[judynorth]

Jdr2alaska,

 

I am assuming that ANR by the ship's name means that it is anchored and you will be tendered. Right? Our itinerary says that we will be tendered in Ketchikan. Ships must take turns tendering since the next time the Coral is in Ketchikan she will be docked. What does DYN mean?

[azguy]

Jdr2alaska,

 

I am assuming that ANR by the ship's name means that it is anchored and you will be tendered. Right? Our itinerary says that we will be tendered in Ketchikan. Ships must take turns tendering since the next time the Coral is in Ketchikan she will be docked. What does DYN mean?

 

All of the abbreviations are listed on the berth and/or port codes documents on this same site.

 

http://www.claalaska.com/schedules.html

[judynorth]

Thanks. I found that out after looking further on the website. I just expected them somewhere on the chart with the dates.

[Budget Queen]

I did tell one of the venders at one port but not on two of them. I'll go back and double-check with them. Dumb question, but what does it mean to "tender?" Is there a way to know in advance if we are doing this?

 

The Vancouver tour picks up our hotel so it looks like we may need to go the afternoon route. Thanks for the advice.

 

 

 

You NEED to verify with ALL the independent booked venders your ship times, then go with THEIR recommendation.