Tenders for Key West and Cozumel??

[DB2VA]

We will be on the Victory in April. Will we be using tenders for the ports of Key West and Cozumel? Thanks!

[BNBR]

Key West definitely not.

[Scurvy Seadog]

No tenders for Cozumel either.

[BNBR]

It's been forever since I've been to Cozumel. 15 years maybe. Did they used to tender? I vaguely remember it, but might be confusing it with Belize in my mind :)

[TrqoisWtrs]

No tender for either port, although Key West has two places to dock. Downtown is fine, but if its at the Navel base, you will need to take a shuttle into town (about 10 min. ride.)

[Gamecock_Cruiser]

I think they may use tenders on Cozumel if the docks are full.

[Scurvy Seadog]

It's been forever since I've been to Cozumel. 15 years maybe. Did they used to tender? I vaguely remember it, but might be confusing it with Belize in my mind :)

 

Belize is the tender port you're thinking of. :cool:

[BNBR]

No tender for either port, although Key West has two places to dock. Downtown is fine, but if its at the Navel base, you will need to take a shuttle into town (about 10 min. ride.)

 

I've been there so many times (I live in South Florida) - I've never noticed a cruise ship at the Naval base. Is that really a thing? Learn something new every day.

[SHayesShip]

I've been there so many times (I live in South Florida) - I've never noticed a cruise ship at the Naval base. Is that really a thing? Learn something new every day.

Cruise lines have been using the Naval Base on/off for at least 5 years now with the increase of ship visits. I have had 3 cruises with stops in Key West and 2 of them were at naval station. As stated prior you are required to take a complementary tram from the ship which takes you to near Mallory Square as you are not allowed loose on the naval grounds.

[BNBR]

Cruise lines have been using the Naval Base on/off for at least 5 years now with the increase of ship visits. I have had 3 cruises with stops in Key West and 2 of them were at naval station. As stated prior you are required to take a complementary tram from the ship which takes you to near Mallory Square as you are not allowed loose on the naval grounds.

 

Ah, I see. They are "kind of" at the naval base. It's just another slip on the south west part of the island next to the public beach. I was picturing them at the large naval base on Boca Chica Key. That makes more sense.

[cfmoore76]

Stupid question probably but what is a "tender"?

[BNBR]

Stupid question probably but what is a "tender"?

 

When the ship can't dock at a port for various reasons - some ports aren't big enough to take cruise ships, it anchors and a smaller "tender boat" pulls up next to the ship, loads passengers, and transports to the port.

[CharlesKru]

Stupid question probably but what is a "tender"?

 

A tender is a small boat that is a ferry from the Ship which can not get to dock. So you step off the ship in onto a tender, and the tender then takes you into port.

 

Belize, Grand Cayman are the only two major ports that I know of that still use them.

 

Half Moon Cay, Princess Cay and some of the other smaller islands use them as well.

[OCruisers]

It is HIGHLY unlikely you'll tender in either Key West or Cozumel. :)

[InitialD]

Seven cruise ships can dock in Cozumel at one time so if you're having to tender it's too crowed! :)

[loanshark]

It's been forever since I've been to Cozumel. 15 years maybe. Did they used to tender? I vaguely remember it, but might be confusing it with Belize in my mind :)

 

Cozumel has tendered in the past, when the pier was destroyed due to a hurricane.

[Tatka]

Now there are 3 different ports (piers) in Cozumel, so plenty of space.

 

OTOH my friend tendered in St Thomas several years ago. There were too many ships.

[DB2VA]

Thank you for all your help!

[S.S.Oceanlover]

We were in Cozumel last year. There were so many ships Costa had to tender their pax ashore.

 

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[summersigh]

I've been there so many times (I live in South Florida) - I've never noticed a cruise ship at the Naval base. Is that really a thing? Learn something new every day.

2 times we've been to Key West we docked at the Navel Base. Once was Carnival and the other RCCL or HAL - I can't remember which. They run open trolley to downtown kind of rides that run about every 10 minutes or so.

[BallFour4]

Key West uses Mallory Square now, the NAS isn't used. Carnival has expanded their dock and you'll be there. No tendering.

 

 

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[moonvine]

It's been forever since I've been to Cozumel. 15 years maybe. Did they used to tender? I vaguely remember it, but might be confusing it with Belize in my mind :)

 

There was a hurricane a good long time ago that destroyed one of the piers in Cozumel. Until it was rebuilt there wasn't enough room for everyone to dock so some tendered. When I cruised in 06, we tendered.

[joepeka]

There was a hurricane a good long time ago that destroyed one of the piers in Cozumel. Until it was rebuilt there wasn't enough room for everyone to dock so some tendered. When I cruised in 06, we tendered.

 

I was going to post this same answer - Hurricane Wilma wiped out the docks in Coz in 2005 (the docks further south in Puerta Maya were not built yet) and we also tendered in 2006. When we went back in 2008, the pier in Punta Langosta (downtown) had been re-built and was operational.

[mexicobob]

We were in Cozumel 3 weeks ago on the Carnival Dream. Carnival ships have their own dock and do not have to tender. There were 9 ships there on that day. Two of them had to tender, but none were Carnival. Very crowded port on that day. Holed up in Pancho's and drank outstanding margaritas.

[PlanoDebbie]

I think they may use tenders on Cozumel if the docks are full.

 

There are 3 ports in Cozumel. Since Carnival built Puerta Maya, Carnival ships are generally docked there. International Pier is just a few blocks away from Puerta Maya. Punta Langosta is in the down town area about 2 miles away.