Regatta Tendering Process/Grand Cayman & Belize

[Avidsnorkeler]

Hello All,

Does anyone know how to debark by tender from the Regatta in Georgetown, Grand Cayman, and Belize? Who gets to go first? How could we get to go first? How long does the tendering take? How can you get in an early line? We don't want to miss our Independent Tours in those two ports. Nor miss the ship tendering back. How much time would we need to allow to tender back to the ship and to tender in to the port? Do the Oceania tour passengers get to go first? And then we would have to wait til they all debark? Would we have to pay to get off early? Do suite passengers get to go first? Do you know about the time it takes to clear customs, before passengers can debark at each port?

Oceania was very vague about this. I'd appreciate info from cruisers who have experienced this with the Regatta...

Thanks!

[roothy123]

First, if you post this in the regular Oceania forum on Cruise Critic, you might get more responses. That area can be accessed by going into the Forums and finding the Cruise Lines a to P (or somewhere along there) section, and then Oceania.

 

In general, Oceania tries to give out tender tickets to independent travelers along with the people going on Oceania excursions, but it does depend upon how many tenders there are, and when, and how many people are asking for tickets to go ashore on their own. In Belize, when we visited on O's Marina (larger ship), the tendering was done by Belize tenders, and they were quite a bit larger than O's tenders. I was doing an O excursion, so can't really help you on when you'll be able to get off. Usually, however, it has been our experience (on 9 O cruises) that we've been able to get on a reasonably-early tender, and often the first one going out. It's even more likely there will be space available if there's only one of you going. It really is hard to predict, however. The vendors, of course, will wait for you to get ashore, but in a tender port, I usually plan on meeting a private vendor at least 45 minutes after the ship is due to arrive, or maybe really that should be at least 45 minutes after the first excursion is scheduled to depart.

 

I think we did tender in Grand Caymen, but I don't remember for sure, and don't remember at all how it went. We were in no big hurry to get off there (planned a day on our own using public buses) so timing didn't matter that much to us.

 

Hope that helps. Might want to post in the other (Oceania) section as well - and possibly even in the Ports of Call section, too, although people's experience may not be typical of what you'll experience with Oceania. I've read tales of people taking hours to be tendered to a place (Santorini is one place that comes to mind) but most cruise lines do it fairly quickly, and they do try to get the indy folks ashore fairly quickly, mingled with excursion folks.

[Avidsnorkeler]

Thank you, Roothy!

[roothy123]

Oh, missed part of your question. As to how to do it, you just go to where they are dispensing tender tickets (a lounge) and ask about going ashore as an independent. Go early, and be ready when you go to get off immediately if possible (i.e., don't have to go back to room, have any others in your party ready and with you). Once you've got a ticket, then you get in line to go off.

 

If you're talking about simply getting off for an excursion, the above applies. If you're actually leaving the cruise at that point, things might be different, but I'm assuming you're just talking about going off the ship for the day. I think the ship will have been cleared by immigration/customs folks in Belize or Caymen Islands before anyone is allowed to go on a tender, so once you tender, you're free to go wherever you want. (In most ports, especially tender ports, someone comes on the ship to look at passenger manifests, and occasionally passports, and the passengers don't have to anything to be allowed into the port.) I think there was a terminal building in Belize City, but it was just for purposes of lining up people to get on buses for excursions, with no passport check or anything like that. If I remember correctly, in Grand Caymen, we were simply tendered to a pier. If you're meeting a tour guide, he/she will know where to meet you. Look at where the pier is so you know how to get back if you're not coming back with the guide. There will be an Oceania flag and chairs set up, with a couple tender personnel stationed there. The time of the last tender back in the afternoon will be posted (usually half hour before departure of the ship, but check each time). We usually don't wait until the very last one, however, just to be on the safe side.

 

I can't remember how long tendering took in either place (maybe 15 minutes?) but as I said above, if we're using a tour guide, car rental place, etc., I usually assume the earliest we'll get there is 45 minutes after the ship drops anchor in a tender port. In non-tender ports, I count on about a half hour after arrival to allow time for the ship to be cleared, gangplank set up, and security folks ready for you to exit.

Edited October 26, 2015 by roothy123