Cayman 5 ships day question

[Thebes]

So I booked an independent shorex that leaves at 11:45

Ship arrival : 10 am

What time should I get to front desk in order to get a tender ticket ? I'm not a mariner and I'm not a suite guy No pun intended :)

Thank you in advance for sharing your view :)

Oh, btw, I hate standing in lines

[RuthC]

What time should I get to front desk in order to get a tender ticket ?

There will be a designated area to pick up tender tickets. It will not be the Front Desk, and will be announced in your daily program.

You can get to the designated area as early as you please, but then you wait there until the ticket number is called. So, you will wait one way or the other---either wait to go to the designated area, or wait in the designated area. Or wait until open tender, but that may or may not work for your shore excursion.

 

Not everyone can be first. Bring something to read while you wait, and relax.

[sail7seas]

If there are five ships tendering at Grand Cayman, it is going to be very slow.

Grand Cayman made a choice some years ago to not enlarge/improve their tender dock area and the facilities are not ample to handle many tenders coming and going. Each ship's tenders will have to wait their turn.

 

Just a heads up......

 

[peaches from georgia]

We had EIGHT ships at Grand Cayman last time we were there. I stayed on the ship, but DH tendered. The whole time there was waiting for a tender to dock and then leave to get back to the ship.

[sail7seas]

We stayed on Westerdam last November/December when we last called at Grand Cayman. Nothing we wanted to do badly enough on the island to deal with the tendering inconviences when there are a lot of ships in.

 

[OCruisers]

It's not at all unusual (actually normal) for Grand Cayman to have five ships in port when you'll be there in February.

Go ahead with whatever you're planning... especially if being on the first tender is not important to you.

 

LuLu

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[cruz chic]

It's always crazy in grand cayman. I stayed on the ship last time too. It was rough as well so that didn't sweeten the pot either.

 

I've got a secret Thebes. Everyone (or almost everyone) hates standing in lines:D;).

[Thebes]

It's always crazy in grand cayman. I stayed on the ship last time too. It was rough as well so that didn't sweeten the pot either.

 

I've got a secret Thebes. Everyone (or almost everyone) hates standing in lines:D;).

 

You're funny Lorene :)

Thank you and thank you everyone for giving input.

[ScriptOhio]

If there are five ships tendering at Grand Cayman, it is going to be very slow.

Grand Cayman made a choice some years ago to not enlarge/improve their tender dock area and the facilities are not ample to handle many tenders coming and going. Each ship's tenders will have to wait their turn.

 

Just a heads up......

 

 

FWIW, there are three different tender docking terminals in Georgetown (i.e. north, south, and Royal Walter):

 

 

Overall they can handle more than 5 tenders at a time. They did improve their tender docking facilities/capabilities a few years ago by building the Royal Watler facility.

 

In addition some of the cruise ships will utilize the local (larger) tenders:

 

[sail7seas]

FWIW, there are three different tender docking terminals in Georgetown (i.e. north, south, and Royal Walter):

 

 

Overall they can handle more than 5 tenders at a time. They did improve their tender docking facilities/capabilities a few years ago by building the Royal Watler facility.

 

In addition some of the cruise ships will utilize the local (larger) tenders:

 

 

 

 

There were serious requests for upgrades and Grand Cayman refused.

 

Tourism is not their major revenue source and they do not depend upon cruise ships as much as other islands.

 

[mamaofami]

I would stay on the ship too if there were so many ships in port. I can get sun, shade, a pool, a deck chair and food on the ship. Beats dealing with all the crowds.

[Lauranne]

I would stay on the ship too if there were so many ships in port. I can get sun, shade, a pool, a deck chair and food on the ship. Beats dealing with all the crowds.

 

I think getting off or staying may on depends on your cruise history. As a newish cruiser who perhaps has not been to the particular country/port before I would be getting off ship. If I had been to that country/port many times I may stay aboard. It would be awfully funny to reply when asked back home how I like Grand Cayman, not being there before, and I replied that it looked lovely from the ship. :p

[cruz chic]

It doesn't break my heart to miss grand cayman either. It's way to many people for me.

[innlady1]

It doesn't break my heart to miss grand cayman either. It's way to many people for me.

 

As much as I like to get out of the cold in the winter, that's way too many people for me, too.

 

We tendered in Grand Cayman last winter and, if memory serves me correctly, there were three ships. So it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Even so, the tender lines were fairly long. Even though the Ryndam seemed to be the only ship using the tender facility we were at.

We cruise at the end of January and I think that time frame has the largest impact of people wanting to get out of the cold weather.

[Thebes]

I think getting off or staying may on depends on your cruise history. As a newish cruiser who perhaps has not been to the particular country/port before I would be getting off ship. If I had been to that country/port many times I may stay aboard. It would be awfully funny to reply when asked back home how I like Grand Cayman, not being there before, and I replied that it looked lovely from the ship. :p

 

Agree. Totally. It actually depends on a few factors. Yeah, that would be funny to say " I didn't get off the ship" for a first timer.

[sail7seas]

I think getting off or staying may on depends on your cruise history. As a newish cruiser who perhaps has not been to the particular country/port before I would be getting off ship. If I had been to that country/port many times I may stay aboard. It would be awfully funny to reply when asked back home how I like Grand Cayman, not being there before, and I replied that it looked lovely from the ship. :p

 

 

I agree. :)

 

[cruz chic]

As much as I like to get out of the cold in the winter, that's way too many people for me, too.

 

We tendered in Grand Cayman last winter and, if memory serves me correctly, there were three ships. So it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Even so, the tender lines were fairly long. Even though the Ryndam seemed to be the only ship using the tender facility we were at.

We cruise at the end of January and I think that time frame has the largest impact of people wanting to get out of the cold weather.

I like to get out of the cold of winter too. I just don't care where the ship is as long as it's warm. I'd be pretty ok if Hal got rid of this port and subbed in a docked port since they don't care for tourists. Just don't sub in Jamaica.

[cruz chic]

I think getting off or staying may on depends on your cruise history. As a newish cruiser who perhaps has not been to the particular country/port before I would be getting off ship. If I had been to that country/port many times I may stay aboard. It would be awfully funny to reply when asked back home how I like Grand Cayman, not being there before, and I replied that it looked lovely from the ship. :p

 

Absolutely. Generally if I haven't been somewhere I'm going to get off the ship. One exception was in Ecuador when the authorities were making it very difficult for the pax. They kept switching what they wanted from pax to get off the ship. Life is too short to put up with that drama.

[OCruisers]

I think getting off or staying may on depends on your cruise history. As a newish cruiser who perhaps has not been to the particular country/port before I would be getting off ship. If I had been to that country/port many times I may stay aboard. It would be awfully funny to reply when asked back home how I like Grand Cayman, not being there before, and I replied that it looked lovely from the ship. :p

 

Absolutely get off the ship! Since you've never been, it would be a shame for you to miss it. Having to tender is really not that bad at all. :)

 

We've been to Grand Cayman too many times to remember but still always get off there unless it's pouring down rain!

 

LuLu

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[summersigh]

If you end up at the port early, there are a lot of little shops right there where you can amuse yourself browsing until your independent tour meets.:)

[ScriptOhio]

If there are five ships tendering at Grand Cayman, it is going to be very slow.

Grand Cayman made a choice some years ago to not enlarge/improve their tender dock area and the facilities are not ample to handle many tenders coming and going. Each ship's tenders will have to wait their turn.

 

Just a heads up......

 

 

There were serious requests for upgrades and Grand Cayman refused.

 

Tourism is not their major revenue source and they do not depend upon cruise ships as much as other islands.

 

 

Apparently Grand Cayman is still pursuing a cruise ship dock, see recent news articles:

 

Port estimates run at least $100m

Thursday, 7 November 2013 8:18 pm

PricewaterhouseCoopers has developed the plans for the two-finger dock and estimates it will cost at least $100 million to build. Government says it’s looking at a public-private partnership to make the piers a reality.

It says it wants to work with several cruise lines as part of the finance plan. This is to avoid a monopoly on the port by any one cruise company.

http://www.cayman27.com.ky/2013/11/07/port-estimates-run-at-least-100m

 

New pier project for George Town harbor

08 November, 2013

A second pier project, proposed for George Town harbor, “will not compete” with government’s project to build cruise berthing facilities, according to Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell.

http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2013/11/08/New-pier-project-for-George-Town-harbor/

 

Pier project hinges on cruise line cooperation

10 November 2013

Tourism chiefs keen to avoid a monopoly

A project to bring two new cruise piers to George Town will require the direct involvement or support of both Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruise lines, collectively responsible for the bulk of Cayman’s cruise passenger numbers.

http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2013/11/07/Pier-project-hinges-on-cruise-line-cooperation/

[sail7seas]

And still.......... years later, they are still 'talking about it'. :)