Priority Tender

[heron45]

We just arrived at 4 star status on the last cruise. Looking forward to priority tendering, but would like to know how it works. Is there a special line? Wouldn't seem nice to march to the front of the line and cut in.

[sue1898]

I just emailed HAL today to ask about this because since we were in a Neptune Suite last week we should have had "priority tendering" in Bar Harbor. When we presented our room cards we were given a tender ticket like everyone else and ours was the 4th tender called after we arrived. Our "priority tendering" resulted in an over 30 minute wait. Only issue of our cruise so I'm not complaining just curious how it is meant to work.

[shrimpboat123]

We just arrived at 4 star status on the last cruise. Looking forward to priority tendering, but would like to know how it works. Is there a special line? Wouldn't seem nice to march to the front of the line and cut in.

 

It just means you don't have to get the tender tickets before hand. When you're ready to go ashore, you go down to the tender area and get in line with everyone that has tender tickets. No special line.

 

Sometimes you may still have to wait till the HAL Shore Excursions leave first. They seem to have priority over everyone.

[POA1]

You don't need to get a tender ticket, but people who booked an excursion that requires early tendering can still be in front of you.

 

Updated - Shrimpboat123 posted about the same time as I did. His answer is better.

Edited July 7, 2015 by POA1

[Krazy Kruizers]

Having been in Neptune and PS suites for years we have had priority boarding for years.

We just go down to the tender deck and join the back of the line. We do not attempt to cut in front of anyone. When we get up to the person collecting the tender tickets we just show our cabin/ID card. It is a different color card than the other passengers -- gold.

You do not have to show room to get a tender ticket.

We usually wait a while for the majority of the tours to leave the ship before we go down to the tender area.

[shrimpboat123]

You don't need to get a tender ticket, but people who booked an excursion that requires early tendering can still be in front of you.

 

Updated - Shrimpboat123 posted about the same time as I did. His answer is better.

 

Always the Gentleman. :)

[Padraic]

In the Spring on the Prinsendam, the 4 Start Mariners were given red tender tickets. Red tickets were called before the regular tickets.

[Krazy Kruizers]

In the Spring on the Prinsendam, the 4 Start Mariners were given red tender tickets. Red tickets were called before the regular tickets.

 

 

Remember that the Prinsendam is smaller and different than the other ships.

What about 5 star Mariners?

[DaveOKC]

Remember that the Prinsendam is smaller and different than the other ships.

What about 5 star Mariners?

 

I think that the rule is that 5 Stars go to the back of the line and are last off, since most do not go ashore anyway (having been to so many places already)! I AM JUST KIDDING OF COURSE!

 

From what I have seen, 5 stars are treated the same as 4 stars and Neptunes for tendering.

[jtl513]

When we presented our room cards we were given a tender ticket like everyone else and ours was the 4th tender called after we arrived.

Since most people with priority tendering know to not even go to the place where the tender tickets are given out, it's possible that the person giving them out had never seen a gold card and didn't know that you were any different than those with blue cards.

[rafinmd]

When I was on the Prinsendam the CD explained the process quite thoroughly, and it was different for mariners vs suites. Suite guests were to go directly to the tender line and show their cards while 4 and 5 star mariners went to the showroom for a special tender ticket.

 

I had HAL tours at all the tender ports so I don't know what it would be like for other people.

 

When I was in Bar Harbor a couple of years ago I went to church there and had no priority. The evening before the CD suggested lines might not be long early in the morning and that's what I did. I was ready immediately at 8AM and cleared for immediate boarding. I'm quite sure people who arrived later in the morning had a wait )probably even with priority when tours started leaving so a bit of flexibility is useful.

 

Roy

[GRACECRUISE]

On our last 3 cruises everyone had to go to the showroom. We are 4 star and get the priority tendering. We were not given tickets. Tours were called. Priority were called in between or when needed to fill up a tender. At times there were only 10 to 15 of us. They would line us up and send us down the stairs or an internal staff elevator. We never waited more than about 5 minutes. This eliminated people taking the elevators down and getting out to a line and crowd of people. It worked great.