Tendering line BACK to ship? How much time?

[2Okies]

Everyone always asks questions on here about getting OFF the ship in the morning for tendering, but I don't see a lot of discussion about the lines, time required, etc for getting back ON the ship in the afternoon.

 

We have an excursion planned (starts at 9AM) where they pick up up, and bring us back. Its a 3 hr trip, so I'm assuming we'll be back around noon or so.

 

The excursion says they will drop us off at 7 mi beach or in town (by the pier?) to shop.

 

Whatever we decide to do, I'm wondering about the tendering lines getting back ON the ship? Do they tend to be long, should we play it safe and just say take us back to the pier and we can hang around the shops there so we know how the lines are forming? The Carnival capers I've looked at say the last tender is 3:15, and ship sails at 4PM.

 

When should we be at the port to catch a tender to make it back by then? Considering standing in line, etc.?

[Lionesss]

The actual tender can be as long as 30 min from the time you get in line till you put your foot on board the ship.

Why?

You get in line.

Go thru sea pass check

Fill the tender to the gills

Hopefully get a seat if not stand

guessing about 8 min. to get to ship

Wait for everyone ahead of you to do the Carribean 500 to be the first off the tender.

Get thru security on board, and someone somehow will hold up the line.

As long as you make the last tender you will be fine, it just takes awhile.

Oh Just came back from the Freedom of the Seas and the tender in Grand Cayman, the last one the tender boat was moving as the Freedom slowly pulled away and people were exiting:eek:

7 mile beach is nice, hot, we were suppossed to be there for 3 hours, two years ago, we chose to leave after 1 hour and that included lunch.

Nothing to do but swim

One person had to stay with our beach stuff

Did I say too HOT!

Safe travels.

Oh, next time Grand Cayman will be a ship day

Sue and crew

[2Okies]

Thanks for the info! I've also heard the beach is hot. We might just opt for the shopping around the port, and maybe grab something to eat. I imagine we'll be hungry anyway. I've heard there is some decent snorkeling right by the pier, by Paradise Grill?

 

I'm not sure if we'll want to snorkel some more or not. We're taking Moby Dicks snorkel/stingray tour that morning, so we may be ready to just shop for a little while & eat & get back on the ship.

 

What happens if you are in line before 3, but you can't get on a tender boat by 3:15 because there are too many in line in front of you??? :eek: Then what? Swim for it? :)

[Lionesss]

If you are in line, you will be ok

They have 4 or 5 tender boats for each ship, and they unload two at a time.

I would be in line by 2:30, the nervous nilly I am

Safe travels

Sue and crew

[2Okies]

I too am a nervous nilly! I do NOT want to be left at port. As beautiful as Cayman is, I wouldn't want to be left!

 

I've been there before, and tendered before at Cayman, but we didn't do it at the regular port because the waves were high that day. Everything was different, so I didn't know the "norm".

 

Thanks for all your help.

[Tweety63]

Hi all! I was on the Freedom last week also, seems like forever and already time for another cruise:) We had not been back to Caymen in twenty plus years and it's still a beautiful island and the people are always friendly. We took a cab $2.50 per person each way, walk a block away from the pier to avoid the overpriced cabs/buses. We didn't rush to get off in the morning and still had time to go to Hell, yep an actual "town" with post office and Cemetary Beach. A truly beautiful beach and trees for shade and best of all NOT crowded, 15-20 people max. Only drawback, no facilities, if that matters for you. Waited maybe two minutes to catch a cab back to the pier and did about 30 minutes of shopping. Yes, there was a line for the tender, but buy a cold drink in the little plaza while you wait. For us, maybe 10 minutes, then a packed tender back. We were in the Windjammer watching those last two tenders catch the ship! No worries, tendering is a bit different, but appreciate the differences,you're on vacation! Happy Cruising

[roccomom1]

I am also a worry wart about getting where I need to be on time. We have a 9 A.M. tour and I was concerned about how early we should try to get off, considering that we have to tender to shore. The trip is on island time and I don't even know if the ship will change times to island time. I have heard conflicting answers to this one. So if anyone can give me some advice, that would be helpful.

Thank you.

[clackey]

 

 

When should we be at the port to catch a tender to make it back by then? Considering standing in line, etc.?

The tendering in the Caymans is the worst that we have had so far, and we have been to at least four tender ports.

When we were there last february we arrived back at the pier 15 minutes before the "last" tender. There had to be a minimum of 350-400 people in line. We stood in line for over 45 minutes.

 

I will be back to the pier at least an hour before last tender, when and if I go back.

[cb at sea]

It's true....if you are IN LINE, they will not just up and leave you standing there! As long as you are back at the tender dock at the time they tell you, you're fine.