Tender Ticket?

[maldenmusic]

I will be cruising on the Dream and just booked a private excursion on Grand Cayman. The excursion suggested getting a tender ticket the day before if possible. Is this done on the Dream? This will be my first time having to be tendered.

[beachbum53]

I will be cruising on the Dream and just booked a private excursion on Grand Cayman. The excursion suggested getting a tender ticket the day before if possible. Is this done on the Dream? This will be my first time having to be tendered.

 

We've never gotten tickets for the tender boat a day in advance. I didn't even know this was possible. I would suggest you go to Guest Services the day before you arrive at Grand Cayman and ask someone there. Most likely you'll be told to be at a specific location (usually the theater) at a specific time to get your tickets so that you can be ashore on time for your excursion. Typically, those with booked excursions go ahead of those that don't have an excursion booked.

[ScottsSweetie]

Tender tickets have never been given out the day before (in my experience).

 

Instructions will be given on how to get your ticket - be sure and read your Fun Times the evening before you arrive in Grand Cayman.

 

Typically, your entire party has to report to the show lounge and everyone is given a ticket. Understand that people with early Carnival excursions will be given priority for tendering. Carnival is not concerned with people who have private excursions booked - you will have to be sure you get there as early as possible in order to get a low numbered ticket.

[tea4ular]

Tender tickets have never been given out the day before (in my experience).

 

Instructions will be given on how to get your ticket - be sure and read your Fun Times the evening before you arrive in Grand Cayman.

 

Typically, your entire party has to report to the show lounge and everyone is given a ticket. Understand that people with early Carnival excursions will be given priority for tendering. Carnival is not concerned with people who have private excursions booked - you will have to be sure you get there as early as possible in order to get a low numbered ticket.

 

This...

Also if you have FTTF you can tender as priority -

[stargate fan]

I will be cruising on the Dream and just booked a private excursion on Grand Cayman. The excursion suggested getting a tender ticket the day before if possible. Is this done on the Dream? This will be my first time having to be tendered.

 

First of all, there are no tender tickets. Passengers get numbered tender stickers that they stick to clothing, hats, beach bags, etc.

 

These stickers are not available the day before port arrival. When you receive your Fun Times with turn-down service, there will be information on where and what time in the morning to get the stickers. We used to go to the designated area as soon as we saw land in the horizon. Crew members were either just setting up or just started handing out the appropriate number of stickers per party required.

 

Have a great cruise.

[ABQrobin]

And all the tender boats carry at least 200 people each, and they are loading them from at least 2 gangways. With it being just a 5 minute run to shore, unload, and back, it takes no time to unload the whole boat. There is always another tender waiting next to the ship so as one pulls off the next pulls up. It is very fast.

 

on shore watching them run

 

on the tender arriving at the ship, waiting for the last one to unload

 

looking down at the tenders from our balcony

[skrufy]

With it being a private excursion and assuming you dont have FTTF which gives you priority tendering, you will have to get to the area where they give out the stickers early, usually the theater, to assure you dont miss the excursion. You will have to remain in the lounge area so you can hear your sticker number called. Depending on how many early excursions and the amount of people wanting to get off determines how long you will have to wait for your tender. The process usually moves right along. For the exact way the operation will be run read the Fun Times the night before.

[cb at sea]

Unless you have an EARLY private excursion, there is no need to rush! Wait about 30 mins after the 1st tender...get in line, board the next tender, and voila...you're there!

[Ready2Cruise2016]

Unless you have an EARLY private excursion, there is no need to rush! Wait about 30 mins after the 1st tender...get in line, board the next tender, and voila...you're there!

 

We arrive at 7. Our excursion is 8:15. Would you consider that EARLY?

[Micahs Grandad]

If you have early tour get to distribution area early tell one of the social hosts you have early tour and would appreciate being worked in to an early tender and they will usually accommodate you

[maldenmusic]

Thanks for all the info. This will be my 11th cruise but first one involving a tender. We will get there early to get a lower number.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

It would seem, to me, that if you are paying Carnival for a port excursion you should be first in line. That would seem to be one of the perks of booking with them. Then the priority passengers, whether through a loyalty perk or for paying for FTTF should be next.

 

Passengers who book private excursions can't expect to get any kind of priority preference...since Carnival hasn't received any form of renumeration from them. The monies are all going to the private enterprises.

 

Besides, it has been my vast experience that private excursions will wait for those who have pre-paid as it is in their best interest to do so. Book an excursion and they high tail it out-of-there at a tender port and word of mouth will eventually catch up to them. Unless they have satisfied customers they will eventually loose business. Once a tender comes ashore, not fully loaded, then they should be starting the excursion, not before, since everyone has had a chance to get off the ship.

 

Why blame Carnival for a private companies inability to schedule a tour within a reasonable time frame. That's a little absurd.

[Donoiv11]

We typically skip breakfast and get to the arena by 6:15. We waited once and didn't get here until 6:30 and there were like 12 people in front of us. We still got on the tender, but it was because one of the groups had a guy who couldn't find his fanny pack - it was all out pandemonium - the rest of the group was berating him for always making them late. Needless to say, they missed the tender.... We saw one of the group associates later that week - turns out the fanny pack was in his backpack. Ugh. Why carry 2 packs... Ever??? Too much confusion. Moral of the story? Be early... Be ready... Work in a buddy system.

[elliair]

It would seem, to me, that if you are paying Carnival for a port excursion you should be first in line. That would seem to be one of the perks of booking with them. Then the priority passengers, whether through a loyalty perk or for paying for FTTF should be next.

 

FTTF paid for their FTTF excursion of priority debarkation tender. Isn't that a perk for the FTTF they paid for it? It's all through out Carnival literature, Carnival says FFTF gets all these "priorities." As a platinum guest I get to debark before FTTF. Nothing is said that people who booked an excursion gets priority tendering. This is where Carnival LIES! This is one reason I choose not to deal with them. I really hate LIARS! Go ask for your money back and see what happens. They will lie just to not give you your money back.

 

Passengers who book private excursions can't expect to get any kind of priority preference...since Carnival hasn't received any form of renumeration from them. The monies are all going to the private enterprises.

 

You're wrong there. Diamond, platinum and FTTF have PRIORITY tendering debarkation. WE PAID FOR THESE PERKS! FTTF paid for this PERK! People choose to use private excursions because CARNIVAL IS WAY OVER PRICED! It has nothing to do with the debarkation "perks" that Carnival gave to loyal customers.

 

Besides, it has been my vast experience that private excursions will wait for those who have pre-paid as it is in their best interest to do so. Book an excursion and they high tail it out-of-there at a tender port and word of mouth will eventually catch up to them. Unless they have satisfied customers they will eventually loose business. Once a tender comes ashore, not fully loaded, then they should be starting the excursion, not before, since everyone has had a chance to get off the ship.

 

The excursion people have your money upfront. No show, no go. Better hope you have travel insurance to cover being left behind. Some excursion operators don't operate in your world.

Why blame Carnival for a private companies inability to schedule a tour within a reasonable time frame. That's a little absurd.

 

 

I blame Carnival for being unorganized. I give kudos to the Captain for getting us there but zero to those staff in charge of debarkation. Worthless people IMHO. So much so, that I won't be booking another Carnival cruise for some time. I'm tired of their dirty dealings and lying. I'm not just off the tuna boat.:rolleyes:

[elliair]

Moral of the story. If you want to be off first, book thru the line as opposed to on your own. Carnival has a excursion match guarantee. Not much incentive not to book thru them

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

Per Carnival, it doesn't say I have to book an excursion through them to get off first. Here's the perks:

 

https://www.carnival.com/search?q=Platinum%20perks

 

PRIORITY DEBARKATION.

[sharonny]

"With Carnival’s onboard lounge tour dispatch system, tour operators come onboard to meet shore excursion participants and tours depart from a shipboard venue versus the previous method of tour operators assembling large groups of guests on the pier, thus providing a more streamlined, organized and expedited departure. Carnival is the only cruise operator in the Caribbean to have local tour operators involved with this enhanced service option"

 

Copied from here:

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2854/related/1

 

This may explain why a group may have gone ahead. :confused:

 

The way I see it is Diamond, Platinum, FTTF, Carnival Excursions and Suites are all pretty much on the same playing field when it comes to tendering.

Edited August 3, 2016 by sharonny

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

I blame Carnival for being unorganized. I give kudos to the Captain for getting us there but zero to those staff in charge of debarkation. Worthless people IMHO. So much so, that I won't be booking another Carnival cruise for some time. I'm tired of their dirty dealings and lying. I'm not just off the tuna boat.:rolleyes:

 

It's attitudes like this that make others see "loyalty" customers as entitled and insufferable.

 

A cruiseline has the "right" to prioritize their priority customers. If they feel that paying for a ship sponsored excursion is more "important" than a loyalty customer that is their call. Priority doesn't always mean that someone is "top dog" in all situations...weddings always embark before priority guests no matter if the wedding party is a first time or long time customer, same with excursions and tendering. If Carnival decides that their priority rank is FTTF (which also states "priority") ranks ahead of loyalty customers that is their choice. Live with it or move on.

[Micahs Grandad]

Very easy to get off early going on private excursion. See my above post and enjoy your excursion.

 

Private tours are better, cheaper and less crowded.

 

Why tour in a bus of 50 people when you can do the same and see more in a van of say a dozen?

[TerReuv]

Very easy to get off early going on private excursion. See my above post and enjoy your excursion.

 

Private tours are better' date=' cheaper and less crowded.

 

Why tour in a bus of 50 people when you can do the same and see more in a van of say a dozen?[/quote']

 

This! You can usually get the same tour (maybe not exact to price match) or a better or less crowded tour on your own vs. using Carnival. We paid the same for a the four of us to get a driver for the day in Cozumel and did the things we wanted than any "see the area" type tour from Carnival.

 

[QUPTE=First and Ten]Moral of the story. If you want to be off first, book thru the line as opposed to on your own. Carnival has a excursion match guarantee. Not much incentive not to book thru them.

 

Carnival's excursion match is almost impossible to match to. The excursions have to match EXACTLY! That is nearly impossible. There is much incentive to not book with Carnival. Start taking a look at excursions on your own vs. the cost of Carnival's. You will find you can do more things that YOU want to do instead of what EVERYONE wants to do. In addition, you will be doing in with a whole lot less people crammed in together. You will also be doing it cheaper.

 

I have to say that we have never had a tender ticket. Not sure why. Our first cruise we didn't have FTTF (wasn't around yet) yet we went to Half Moon Cay and I swear I am pretty sure we just went downstairs and got on the tender. When we went to Grand Cayman we did have FTTF and went to the front desk and was escorted down. Neither time did we go to any other location and get a ticket.

[Sabalon]

I had a little of both experiences in Grand Cayman. We were on the Glory.

 

Since we were on a carnival excursion, they had us meeting in the theater, where they would give out the stickers and guide groups down to the tender.

 

We had the time wrong for our excursion and missed that whole thing. At that point, for general people leaving the ship, they had you go to the Alchemy bar and get a tender number. We did that, and then remembered we had FTTF, which had you go to the Golden dining room to get your FTTF priority sticker and they take you down and get you on.

 

So, depending on what you're doing, determines where you need to be. As others said, they are pretty good about getting the info out. So since you are on a private excursion, just pay attention to where to be to get your tender ticket number, unless you have FTTF.

 

Best I can remember, we "got in port" around 7, but the first excursion people were leaving at around 8am. The whole thing moves pretty fast for the most part. The whole group needs to be there to get the tender numbers IIRC - you can't go up and say "I need 5". And there will be different areas of the ship to get on the tender to speed things up - fore, mid and aft possibly.

 

But no night before ticket - perhaps they are thinking of a different cruise line or something.