How does the Volendam handle tendering in Halong Bay?

[txmrs]

Next month we will be on the Volendam which stops near Halong Bay. I know that there were be tenders to port but I have seen conflicting accounts of how the tendering is handled. Does Holland board their shore excursions to Tuan Chau (where the junks sail from) directly from the Volendam, or do all passengers regardless of what kind of shore excursion they may be doing, have to tender to shore? We are planning an early private excursion to Halong Bay but wonder if we will be competing for tender spots with Holland-sponsored excursions.

[BruceMuzz]

Next month we will be on the Volendam which stops near Halong Bay. I know that there were be tenders to port but I have seen conflicting accounts of how the tendering is handled. Does Holland board their shore excursions to Tuan Chau (where the junks sail from) directly from the Volendam, or do all passengers regardless of what kind of shore excursion they may be doing, have to tender to shore? We are planning an early private excursion to Halong Bay but wonder if we will be competing for tender spots with Holland-sponsored excursions.

 

When Volendam arrives at the anchorage in Halong Bay, a barge pulls up to the aft tender doors and is secured to the ship. Most of your fellow cruisers will already have booked shore excursions through the ship. The private boats that carry them on those excursions all pull up to the barge at the aft end of the ship. Those people depart the ship very quickly; the barge is large enough to allow 6 or 8 private boats to load simultaneously.

 

The ship's tenders use the forward tender platforms. The number of people tendering ashore is rarely large.

The ship's tenders take you to the side of the harbor where many ( but not all) of the junks are based. If you want to do any shopping or see the city area, you will need to take a taxi across the bridge to the other side of the harbor.

[John Bull]

The norm. for tendering, though I can't be sure for HAL, is that a large square wooden pontoon is moored to the ship allowing a number of boats to load at the same time. You step from ship to pontoon to boat. Ship's cruise junks sail directly from that pontoon, as do other junks which tender folk to the pier. So ship's junk cruises shouldn't affect you but their SHORE excursion passengers will probably have priority over you.

Because a number of boats can be loaded at the same time the process should be pretty quick, but the junks ferrying passengers to shore are dreadfully slow - quite frustrating.

 

As with any port anywhere in the world, experienced tour operators will know the routine and approx timings, so no need to worry about it.

 

JB :)

[ROCruiser]

It was very easy to get on the tender if you are on private tours. We did not have to get tickets ahead of time. There was no line, no waiting. We just walked down to the gangway where the tender was, got our landing cards stamped by the Vietnamese officials and on to the tenders. Here is my blog post for Halong Bay.

[txmrs]

Thanks so much BruceMuzz, John Bull, and ROCruiser. Your information has helped tremendously in planning our private tour in Halong Bay. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.