Tendering in Phuket

[suvat]

Hi all,

 

First time poster, first time cruiser.

 

My gf and I will be going on Mariner of the Seas at the end of the year and the ship will be tendered in Phuket. A must do for us is the Phi Phi island speedboat tour. However, the official RC tour costs at least 2x as much as the others I see online.

 

Therefore our options are:

1. Book with RC

2. Book another tour online

3. Book something on the day once we get onshore

 

Our ship is supposed to be tendered by 7am. Most of the tours start around 8:30am and we don't want to book something and miss it just because the process to transfer onshore is delayed or takes too long.

 

Does anyone know:

1. The exact location in Phuket which the ship will be tendered.

2. What the process for coming onto shore is, how long it is expected to take and whether the cost is included in the cruise fare

3. The operating hours of the transfer vessels

4. How frequently the transfer vessels operate

5. Whether passengers who book shore excursions through RC get priority boarding on the transfer vessels

6. Which tour operator RC uses for its official Phi Phi island tour?

 

Any insight to any of the above would be greatly appreciated, including suggestions on which option to go with. I've also emailed RC but judging by the time it took for them to reply to my last email it may take a while before I get a response from them.

 

Thanks everyone!

[boulders]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

You may find some better answers on Phuket on the Ports of Call boards.

 

Hi all,

 

First time poster, first time cruiser.

 

My gf and I will be going on Mariner of the Seas at the end of the year and the ship will be tendered in Phuket. A must do for us is the Phi Phi island speedboat tour. However, the official RC tour costs at least 2x as much as the others I see online.

 

Therefore our options are:

1. Book with RC

2. Book another tour online

3. Book something on the day once we get onshore

 

Our ship is supposed to be tendered by 7am. Most of the tours start around 8:30am and we don't want to book something and miss it just because the process to transfer onshore is delayed or takes too long. If you book a shore excursion through the ship, you will be given a meeting place and time to meet. It would be pretty hard to miss a ship's excursion. If the 8:30 excursion an independent excursion in Phuket, and it's not a private excursion, then you're taking a risk.

 

Does anyone know:

1. The exact location in Phuket which the ship will be tendered. This will not be known until the day you arrive. It depends on sea and traffic conditions.

2. What the process for coming onto shore is, how long it is expected to take and whether the cost is included in the cruise fare The cost is included. How long it takes depends on whether or not the ship needs to be cleared by authorities and how many people want to get off.

3. The operating hours of the transfer vessels They will operate from the time the ship clears until the ship sails.

4. How frequently the transfer vessels operate Depends on many factors, but for getting off the ship, they keep them going as fast as they can. Same thing for embarkation just before sailing.

5. Whether passengers who book shore excursions through RC get priority boarding on the transfer vessels Yes

6. Which tour operator RC uses for its official Phi Phi island tour? I can't answer that question. Has Royal Caribbean been to Phuket before? Generally ships will not allow tour providers to book people who are on the ship. They'd be risking their contract if they did.

 

Any insight to any of the above would be greatly appreciated, including suggestions on which option to go with. I've also emailed RC but judging by the time it took for them to reply to my last email it may take a while before I get a response from them. As you can see from my answers above. Many of the answers to your questions are "It depends". These are operational decisions that are made by the Captain or the authorities, or by other officers or staff onboard. Don't expect Royal Caribbean to give you an answer.

 

Thanks everyone!

[suvat]

Thanks Boulders, super helpful!

 

I have posted my question in the Phuket forums also.

[SamFritz]

Just out of curiosity, how us the name if that port pronounced? Does the "PH" make an "F"sound?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk, please excuse all the typos.

[agc291]

Just out of curiosity, how us the name if that port pronounced? Does the "PH" make an "F"sound?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk, please excuse all the typos.

 

 

I believe it is POOket

[Brigbound]

i believe it is pooket

 

+1 :)

[SamFritz]

I believe it is POOket

 

I'll feel a lot better if I ever stop there now. Thanks.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk, please excuse all the typos.

[JM-1972]

Hi

I usually do DIY on shore and weigh up the risks of things going wrong, usually you can get a taxi or bus if transport breaks down, this is not so easy when you go by boat.

I have taken a speedboat tour in Phuket which went to Phang Nga (James Bond Island) it was fabulous! We have wonderful memories. I would be concerned that the boat had engine trouble as most of the time we were on our own without many other boats in sight. I personally would not risk missing the ship to do DIY for the speed boat trip I would go with the RCCL trip.

Edited November 10, 2013 by JM-1972
s

[suvat]

Thanks guys,

 

I'm not too concerned about being late on the way back as the ship will be tendered to the port overnight - unless the tender boats stop operating by a certain time and we'll have to sleep on shore for the evening?

 

What's generally the operating hours of tender boats if a ship does not leave until the next day?