Tendering in Half Moon Cay - Long Waits???

[cruisin'sz]

How does the tendering work in HMC? Do the boats just go back and forth with passengers waiting on amusement park type lines or is it easy enough to just get on a boat? How long does it take to get from the ship to HMC?

[Randyk47]

It's relatively easy but it all depends on how early you want to get off the ship. Obviously there's the initial "mad rush" to get on shore and, as I recall, you have to wait until your number (you'll get a boarding number). The actual trip from the ship to HMC only takes a few minutes.....probably not more than 10-15 minutes on the average. I've read elsewhere here that HAL has contracted to purchase two larger tenders that will be kept at HMC but I don't think there was a specific timeframe mentioned.

[Eileen G]

We were on the Zaandam last March and we were only at HMC from 7-2 so we got off as early as we could. When we went to the theater for our boarding tickets we were told to just get right on. They really kept the tenders going. There was always one loading. Even when it started to rain later when we were returning the wait was not to bad comming back. The line was long but there was always a tender waiting as soon as one filled up. We only waited about ten minutes.

[mhshapiro]

When we visited HMC on our transatlantic cruise on Westerdam earlier this year tendering went very smoothly. It seems like they were running tenders every 5 minutes or so, and we had essentially no wait either getting off the ship or returning.

[rebeljohn]

My one experience with the HMC tendering was great. We were on the second tender and we had about a 10 minute wait.

[Pudgesmom]

Unfortunately, my experience was not so great. Two ships were at HMC, the Oosterdam and the Rotterdam. We waited 40 minutes to board a tender, the trip to the inlet was only 10 minutes, but then we waited 30 minutes while several other tenders and excursion boats entered and exited the opening, which is only one boat wide. The entire process took about an hour and a half. We had waited on the ship to exit with a handicapped friend, and so were not able to leave as early as we might have. To say the least, this put a damper on our visit.

 

Beth

[Krazy Kruizers]

Usually the biggest rush is from 9 - 10 AM - that's when most people decide to go ashore - to do tours - get their cabanas - get their clamshells, etc.

About 10:30 things calm down.

[mrsraggy]

Our experience was really good. No waiting to tender onto the island. Don't wait for the last tender back, though, or you'll stand on line for the best part of hour and there is no shade.

 

The island is wonderful. The best port on the cruise!

Have a super trip.

 

mrsraggy

[JoyAnn]

I get on the first tender possible in the morning, and there is no line at that time. I don't wait until the last tender of the day to leave, which shortens the waiting time to get back to the ship.

[JimVrhovac]

Depends on the ship you are on.

 

There is generally a longer wait on the Vista class ships.

 

Unless you are in a rush wait until after 930am and the rush is over.....

 

Enjoy the trip

 

Jim & Ruth

[JoyAnn]

My early as possible routine worked the same on the Zuiderdam as it did on the Maasdam. We were on the first tender, there was no wait.

 

Depends on the ship you are on.

 

There is generally a longer wait on the Vista class ships.

 

Unless you are in a rush wait until after 930am and the rush is over.....

 

Enjoy the trip

 

Jim & Ruth

[drdaddy]

A previous poster mentioned about the wait when there were two ships at HMC. We will be there on Oct. 22 and it appears that Zuiderdam and Zaandam will both be there, apparently arriving at the same time (especially since they are both leaving from the same port the previous day.) How will this affect the trip in? I assume they do not have extra tenders when there are extra ships unless they use some of the larger lifeboats? Not happy about this as our last visit to HMC was a solo and although the wait in the PM was quite long, the trip in was no wait at an early hour.

 

Glad we have that cabana booked!