Eclipse Tendering in St Thomas

[retafcruiser]

Our cruise itinerary has changed and now shows we will tender in St Thomas :( Obviously this means hordes of people ashore. Has anyone tendered this port with Celebrity and know where the tenders dock?

[ondeckatsea]

That's strange. We haven't tendered in St. Thomas for 25 years. Either we are at Havensight or the other dock that use to be called "the old sub base." I'm kind of thinking it might be a typo. We are going there on Eclipse in March and I'm not going to worry about it.

[arrice2]

Our cruise itinerary has changed and now shows we will tender in St Thomas :( Obviously this means hordes of people ashore. Has anyone tendered this port with Celebrity and know where the tenders dock?

 

You didn't say what cruise you were on, but the Eclipse Nov 30 cruise used to indicate that it was tendered, but now it reads that the ship will be docked.

[chamima]

Our cruise on the Eclipse in February goes back and forth between tendering and docking every time I check it.

You might want to check on vinow dot com. That's the website for St. Thomas and they show which ship will be where and how many ships will be in port with you.

That said : if you tender it will be to downtown St. Thomas.

 

This is what it says for Dec. 11

Wednesday - December 11th

Allure of the Seas

Crown Bay

Carnival Conquest

West Indian Co.

Eclipse

Crown Bay

Norwegian Epic

West Indian Co.

Royal Princess

West Indian Co.

Edited October 21, 2013 by chamima

[UniPac]

That's strange. We haven't tendered in St. Thomas for 25 years. Either we are at Havensight or the other dock that use to be called "the old sub base." I'm kind of thinking it might be a typo. We are going there on Eclipse in March and I'm not going to worry about it.

 

I think St. Thomas will be very crowded in march... so if they don't tender then, they probably won't tender ever there :) And it if they tender it won't be a sign of hordes of people.

 

If you share sail date + ship we can check how many other ships are there. No, we are not allowed to name the site but google will help you!

[Fouremco]

For our upcoming February cruise, the general website indicates that we will be tendering in St. Thomas also. Conversely, if I log on and look at my reservation, the itinerary shows us as being docked. So flip a coin, as even Celebrity doesn't seem to know.

 

That being said, this past February we visited on the MS Noordam and were scheduled to dock at Crown Bay right up to our approach to St. Thomas, when we were diverted to Havensight at the last minute. That rather threw off the arrangements we had made for the day, but was still a great deal better than tendering.

 

[UniPac]

but was still a great deal better than tendering.

 

I love tenedring! Maybe because I did not tender lots of times, like 1 of 30 times... I do enjoy tendering! ... seems like I am alone... or not? Maybe I should start a "To Tender or not to"-thread :D

[Fouremco]

I love tenedring! Maybe because I did not tender lots of times, like 1 of 30 times... I do enjoy tendering! ... seems like I am alone... or not? Maybe I should start a "To Tender or not to"-thread :D

While I don't mind the ride in the tender vessel, it's such a s-l-o-w process. If all we are going to do is take a leisurely stroll around the port and have no need to rush, I'm quite content to have a relaxed breakfast, an extra cup of coffee and wait for the queue to diminish. But if we have have a shorex lined up, I want to get going quickly! :(

 

Start the thread; it could be interesting. :)

 

[msweebee]

I also see when Eclipse arrives at St Thomas on 11/27/13 Celebrity website schedule now indicates that the Eclipse will be tendered rather than docked. I can not recall that we have ever tendered in St Thomas with the most recent being on the Silhouette on Feb 21, 2013 . Perhaps we will get lucky as I did recently in Juneau 6/17/2013 on Solstice when we docked rather than tendering as we expected.

 

In any event, is there anyone out there who has experienced tendering in St Thomas during the 2012-13 cruising season and remembers the amount of time it took to tender (loading, transit, unloading) to shore? I have a private tour scheduled and my time can be adjusted accordingly but suspect many passengers who booked privately have a time window where they must appear or lose fees already paid. I have "googled" and it appears at first glance that Eclipse should be at WICO (West Indies) but that info appears to be related to T/A etc website and not an official port schedule from USVI. One site appears to show that no cruise ships are in port at ST on 11/27.... and at last count I believe there were 6 scheduled for ST on that day! Is it possible that Host Andy, that I am sure is on this sailing, has any info to share on tendering/docked? I am always grateful when he posts with his accurate info!

 

Ahhh, Been There and Done That many times so if too much hassle to go ashore maybe an excellent time to stay aboard, enjoy quiet time, and reflect on how fortunate I am to be able to cruise on Celebrity (or any ship) before hearing the annoyances of some passengers returning in afternoon, however, I do commiserate with those on their 1st ever cruise and who may be disappointed but they frequently are the guests who are least vocal about grievances! From experience I have learned to stay out of crowded elevators until after happy hour on less than perfect port days!

 

 

Less than 30 days to go - luggage tags have arrived, kennel reserved, mail & newspapers scheduled to stop, a couple excursions booked, specialty and select dining times reserved so the anticipation builds daily!

[miched]

You didn't say what cruise you were on, but the Eclipse Nov 30 cruise used to indicate that it was tendered, but now it reads that the ship will be docked.

 

 

I looked at the Itinerary yesterday and posted it earlier today on the Nov 30 roll call that St Thomas was listed as tendered. It was also listed that way for the March and Nov 2014 cruises.

 

So if it is listed as docked it must have changed overnight. :confused:

 

 

I like to tender. It is like a free excursion.

 

.

Edited October 21, 2013 by miched

[chamima]

I also see when Eclipse arrives at St Thomas on 11/27/13 Celebrity website schedule now indicates that the Eclipse will be tendered rather than docked. I can not recall that we have ever tendered in St Thomas with the most recent being on the Silhouette on Feb 21, 2013 . Perhaps we will get lucky as I did recently in Juneau 6/17/2013 on Solstice when we docked rather than tendering as we expected.

 

In any event, is there anyone out there who has experienced tendering in St Thomas during the 2012-13 cruising season and remembers the amount of time it took to tender (loading, transit, unloading) to shore? I have a private tour scheduled and my time can be adjusted accordingly but suspect many passengers who booked privately have a time window where they must appear or lose fees already paid. I have "googled" and it appears at first glance that Eclipse should be at WICO (West Indies) but that info appears to be related to T/A etc website and not an official port schedule from USVI. One site appears to show that no cruise ships are in port at ST on 11/27.... and at last count I believe there were 6 scheduled for ST on that day! Is it possible that Host Andy, that I am sure is on this sailing, has any info to share on tendering/docked? I am always grateful when he posts with his accurate info!

 

Ahhh, Been There and Done That many times so if too much hassle to go ashore maybe an excellent time to stay aboard, enjoy quiet time, and reflect on how fortunate I am to be able to cruise on Celebrity (or any ship) before hearing the annoyances of some passengers returning in afternoon, however, I do commiserate with those on their 1st ever cruise and who may be disappointed but they frequently are the guests who are least vocal about grievances! From experience I have learned to stay out of crowded elevators until after happy hour on less than perfect port days!

 

 

Less than 30 days to go - luggage tags have arrived, kennel reserved, mail & newspapers scheduled to stop, a couple excursions booked, specialty and select dining times reserved so the anticipation builds daily!

 

 

 

From vinow dot com

 

Wednesday - November 27th

Allure of the Seas

Crown Bay

Carnival Conquest

Crown Bay

Crown Princess

West Indian Co.

Eclipse

West Indian Co.

Norwegian Epic

West Indian Co.

Royal Princess

West Indian Co.

 

 

Looks like the port of St. Thomas expects you to be at Havensight.

However, as a previous poster said - that can change even the morning you get there.

[TeaBag]

We are showing as docked Nov 13, 2013. Thank goodness.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Last time I went to St. Thomas on the Eclipse we were supposed to dock. We tendered instead. Or I should say the ship tendered. You couldn't pay me to take a tender into overcrowded St. Thomas. They were still calling tender numbers in the early afternoon.

[Beach Ball]

We tendered in St. Thomas last Feb. while on the Eclipse. We ate breakfast in the MDR and then went and got a tender ticket. We were on the third tender at about 9:15. It was a quick tender ride (10 min.) and we were dropped off in the middle of town. There was someone there from the taxi assoc. to help load the cabs. We were at Frenchman's Reef a little before 10:00 for a great day at the beach. We found the whole experience not bad at all. Getting a tender at the end of our day only took a few minutes, too. So I wouldn't worry too much about tendering in St. Thomas if it is necessary. Chris

[pinkrosesdeb]

Does Celebrity use the lifeboats as tenders like HAL does? I like that Royal uses regular tender boats instead of lifeboats.

[MartinsCruise]

Last time I went to St. Thomas on the Eclipse we were supposed to dock. We tendered instead. Or I should say the ship tendered. You couldn't pay me to take a tender into overcrowded St. Thomas. They were still calling tender numbers in the early afternoon.

We were also on this cruise and what made it difficult, was that it was not planned. Originally we were to dock but upon arrival the authorities would not allow it. Under normal circumstances I don't think tendering would be that difficult but doing it at the last minute was not good.

 

Sue

[miched]

We are showing as docked Nov 13, 2013. Thank goodness.

 

 

I am on the Nov 30 cruise. When I look at the itinerary in the manage my cruise section it shows docked.

 

When I look at the section to plan a cruise that gives the prices it shows tendered for both cruises, the Nov 16 and Nov 30. :confused:

 

.🎃

[pattypawz]

For the November 30 Celebrity Eclipse cruise, I've been checking the ********** website for months, and it still shows that we will be docking at Crown Bay on December 11th. I called Celebrity about it, stating that when we first booked, it showed we would be tendered. Later, it said it would be docked. A nice young man put me on hold for a while, came back and said that it appears we will be docking at Havensight. Vinow still shows we are at Crown Bay. Wherever we dock, it looks like it will be a busy day in St. Thomas.

[retafcruiser]

It was a quick tender ride (10 min.) and we were dropped off in the middle of town.

 

Thank you! I am referring to the cruise that starts 30 Nov, and I also have my doubts about tendering in St Thomas with all the dock space they have. I am just preparing for the eventuality. The plus side is arriving in the middle of town if it comes to that.

[Allis154]

I'm cruising in January. X has posted that we tender here, but also lists us being docked. Guess we will just have to wait and see when we get there.

[TravelerThom]

Does Celebrity use the lifeboats as tenders like HAL does? I like that Royal uses regular tender boats instead of lifeboats.

Use of port based tenders versus lifeboats is more a function of what is available in that particular port rather than the particular cruise line. I have definitely used RCI lifeboats as tenders (I have pictures, but can't figure out how to resize them small enough to post here).

 

Actually if you want to go to downtown in STT, tendering may be the easiest way to get there. Remember that everyone used to tender in Sint Maarten, but when the pier was built those same port based vessels are now used as payment required water taxis from the pier area to downtown:rolleyes:

 

thom

[pinkrosesdeb]

I don't mind the tendering process but I don't really like the lifeboats...I know they could save my life one day but they are a little claustrophobic for me. We would probably stay onboard. And, we are diamond plus with Royal and have yet to have to use a lifeboat for tendering, guess we got lucky! Thanks for the help, truly appreciate your knowledge. Deb

[mahdnc]

Checkout the VIPA website.

 

According to their published port schedule for cruise ships during the next 11 months, Eclipse will be docking at Crown Bay (AMNS--Austin Monsanto North Side) on the following dates:

 

Dec 11 2013

Jan 22 2014

Feb 19

Mar 5

Mar 19

Apr 2

Apr 16

 

As for the other dates--Nov 27, Jan 8 and Feb 5 (Eclipse skips St Thomas on Dec 25)--there is no location specifically listed other than an ominous asterisk. We will be aboard Eclipse on Jan 8. With 5 other ships docking at St Thomas, Celebrity has our sailing designated for tendering.

[miched]

Is the ship charged a different port fee if they tender instead of docking?

 

If you don't leave the ship do you get a refund for the port fee that you paid as part of your fare?

 

 

 

.🎃

[Fouremco]

If you don't leave the ship do you get a refund for the port fee that you paid as part of your fare?

Interesting thought, but you are provided with the opportunity to do so and the money has been spent, whether or not you choose to take advantage of it. There are many common costs, from providing evening entertainment to keeping the swimming pools clean, but you don't get a refund for each activity that you don't participate in.

 

Nice try though! :)