Tender process in grand cayman

[grangergirl]

Our family of six will be going to the western caribbean on the Fantasy in June 2018. Can anyone tell me how the process works for tenders in Grand Cayman? We would like to book a tour with an independent tour operator. The ship will dock from 10:30 to 5:30 if everything goes according to schedule. We would need to meet the tour on the pier at 11:30.

Does Disney take their shore excursion passengers on the first tenders? Do we have to stand in a line to get a number for the tender?

If anyone has done this recently, I would sure appreciate hearing from you about the best way to make an early tender!

[Cruise>Work]

Last time we stopped at Grand Cayman in October they were tendering based on excursion times for Disney booked excursions, you had an assigned place to meet and then you were given a number and then when your numbers were called you went to the tender boat. As I recall they had general tendering for those not booked on excursions after those with assigned excursion times. I am not sure if you could get one of the earlier tender boats if you had an earlier private excursion. They did seem to shuttle folks to shore pretty efficiently with a steady stream of tenders running.

[moki'smommy]

Tender priority is given to concierge level guests and those on DCL excursions. As above, a DCL excursion group will meet at the assigned place (usually a club or Promenade Lounge, theatre, whatever) and when the group is ready they are escorted to the front of the tender line.

 

If you do not fall into one of those groups, you get your entire group ready and TOGETHER go to the assigned location (usually BV theatre) where you are given tender tickets. You are then seated by order you came in and as there is room in the tenders, you are escorted to the tender area. It is very orderly and goes quickly. As to time, unless you are determined to be on the first tender, there is no real issue. Once we waited maybe 10 minutes in the theatre, the next time my bottom barely hit the chair before we were on our way.

 

How many tenders are serving "our" ship depends on how many ships are in that day. We had one early arrival where we had three tenders! As soon as one was loaded and pulled out, another one tied up. You could see that one was always at the tender terminal, one in transit, and one loading up. As soon as another ship dropped anchor, one of the tenders went over to that ship...but by that time they'd basically emptied the Magic! Since you are a late arrival, you'll have at least 2 tenders, even maybe a third if the earlier ships are largely finished with the process. As the day goes on, they reach a point where each ship only has one tender going back and forth. It is actually a pretty easy process.

 

Best way to get an early tender if you are not concierge and not on a DCL tour--your entire party needs to have their act together and be at the appointed place for tender tickets 10 minutes or so before the appointed time. You will not get a tickets together if 5 of you are there and one is being a straggler. You'll have to choose whether to go on or to wait for the lost person. They are reasonably strict about this--there is no line cutting or other crap about the tender process that the CMs see and can control.

 

And then you hope that the first tender wasn't needed for a medical or legal situation. If it is, everyone is delayed!