mmboogie107 Posted February 11, 2006 #1 Share Posted February 11, 2006 I will be on my first cruise in April and wanted to book an excursion. The Westerdam is scheduled to arrive at 8:00 and the excursion I want to do begins at 9. Do you think it would be safe to book a morning excursion or to just book a later one. Thanks for all your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmboogie107 Posted February 11, 2006 Author #2 Share Posted February 11, 2006 I'm sorry I should have made my post clearer. I am planning on booking a private tour with Soto's to see the sting rays. My ship arrives at 8 and the tour that I want to go on starts at 9. I have heard tendering horror stories in GC and was wondering if you think that I would be able to get off the boat in time. Thanks for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaccardi Posted February 12, 2006 #3 Share Posted February 12, 2006 I think I would book a later one. The first tenders are reserved for tours. And it takes 15-20 minutes to get in once you tender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Buffettfan 225 Posted February 12, 2006 #4 Share Posted February 12, 2006 What day is your cruise for? Our ship is due to arrive April 4th, and this is right after daylight saving time is sprung forward on Sat-Sunday night. This is a cut & paste I received from Capt. Marvin's: We are on Eastern Standard time, so if your ship is on Eastern Daylight time (which starts the weekend before you arrive), your ship's time will be one hour AHEAD of local time. If your ship arrives here at 7 AM local time, you would be able to take our early trip at 8:30, with check-in no later than 8 AM local time (9 AM ship's time if it's on Daylight time). So anyone planning tours after April 2nd may have to take into account the time change--especially to get back on time for tenders. IT helps that we arrive early, so as not so rushed to meet tour in morning, but those that may take the Rum point snorkeling tours may be getting back later as you are ending tour on island time. Confusing yes?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmboogie107 Posted February 12, 2006 Author #5 Share Posted February 12, 2006 Yes, very confusing. But thanks for the info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teresapink Posted February 12, 2006 #6 Share Posted February 12, 2006 So If I am arriving in GC on April 12th at 8am EST can I make a 9am tour with Capt. Bryan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmboogie107 Posted February 12, 2006 Author #7 Share Posted February 12, 2006 Teresapink I had the same question. People told me on this cruise not to book at 9 but maybe a later one. I've heard a lot of horror stories about tendering in GC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teresapink Posted February 13, 2006 #8 Share Posted February 13, 2006 ah geez....the later one doesn't give us any time to go to 7 mile afterwards...I better check out another tour.....I really wanted that catamaran ride and I think Bryan is th only one that has it....thanks for the info:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teresapink Posted February 13, 2006 #9 Share Posted February 13, 2006 I think we actually benefit from this time difference. If GC is an hour behind the ship then we have an extra hour to get off the ship and to the office, am I right? Coming back to the ship is where we need too be careful, I think? :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benjidog Posted February 13, 2006 #10 Share Posted February 13, 2006 On our cruise, people with ship excursions got preferential treatment for tendering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teresapink Posted February 13, 2006 #11 Share Posted February 13, 2006 Yes I know about that. GC is the only port we are NOt doing an excursion through RCI. We wanted to to this specific sting ray city tour....I hope we're not sorry now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcmom Posted February 13, 2006 #12 Share Posted February 13, 2006 I'll be in Grand Cayman on March 29th. I wanted to book with Captain Marvins but decided to go ahead with the ship's tour due to tendering time. We are scheduled to arrive at 7:00 am and Captain Marvin wanted us to meet them at 8:00. I just didn't think we could do it. I know the ship's excursion will be crowded, but I decided it was better to be safe, than sorry. If they cancel our excursion due to weather, I'm going to go ahead and get off the boat on the off chance that one of the local people will still be going and have room. This board has been great so that I feel that I am familiar with the best tours: Sotos, Nativeway, Captain Marvin, etc. kcmom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Buffettfan 225 Posted February 14, 2006 #13 Share Posted February 14, 2006 AS I tried to explain in earlier post, those arriving after April 2nd should have benefit of being "an hour ahead of island time" but will have less time on return and have to make sure they get back in time. So--as I see it the early tours should be able to tender in and make on time, but if tour is due back at 2:30 it is really 3:30 ship time. This is all based on fact I read that we stay on ship time --meaning ship never changes time and remains on time zone it sailed from ie: Tampa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcrny Posted February 26, 2006 #14 Share Posted February 26, 2006 I'll be in Grand Cayman on March 29th. I wanted to book with Captain Marvins but decided to go ahead with the ship's tour due to tendering time. We are scheduled to arrive at 7:00 am and Captain Marvin wanted us to meet them at 8:00. I just didn't think we could do it. I know the ship's excursion will be crowded, but I decided it was better to be safe, than sorry. If they cancel our excursion due to weather, I'm going to go ahead and get off the boat on the off chance that one of the local people will still be going and have room. This board has been great so that I feel that I am familiar with the best tours: Sotos, Nativeway, Captain Marvin, etc. kcmom Hi ... we will be in GC on 3/29 also with Celebrity Century. What ship are you on? First cruise ... we arrive @ 7AM and i am booking stingray/snorkel tour thru native way which leaves at 9:30. they told me this will be plenty of time to get off cruise ship. so i will most likely book thru them not cruise excursion. because not booking cruise tour, not sure how long it will take us to get a tender. anyway, have a great cruise! Cathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcpepe Posted February 26, 2006 #15 Share Posted February 26, 2006 We had booked a Capt. Marvin's stingray tour for 10 am in August of '03. We actually MISSED it because although we arrived in GC early, they wouldn't even BEGIN to tender for a couple hours due to weather/winds. We didn't get OFF the ship till 10am. Luckily with Capt. Marvin you don't pay anything ahead of time and they don't charge you if you miss it b/c of the ship. I keep reading the same thing over and over about Grand Cayman, delayed tendering or not tendering at all as was the case for one NCL cruise day recently. I'm not sure I'll even bother trying to book anything for our upcoming cruise stop at GC. I'll just wait and see what the weather holds. It just seems to be just too much of a crap shoot for that particular port. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamsaz Posted February 27, 2006 #16 Share Posted February 27, 2006 I was thinking about booking the 1/2 day trip with Captain Morgan's in GC on April 4th. I didn't know that the ships delayed tendering. Why do they call it tendering anyway?? Sorry, I'm new to cruising. Anyway, I should be ok if I book the tour from 10-1, yes? Shouldn't that give us plenty of time to spare on both ends?? Also, there's a great link that points out some free snorkeling spots in GC so if we get off the ship late for some reason we have a backup plan. I hope it's ok if I post this. Here's a link about snorkeling: http://grandcaymancruiseexcursions.com/GrandCaymanSnorkeling.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorpiorose Posted February 27, 2006 #17 Share Posted February 27, 2006 Buff fan....we're on the same cruise as you are on miracle leaving 4/2 and arriving in GC on the 4th. We booked an 8:30 tour with Cap. Marvin...meeting at 8.....so if I understand you correctly our ship says that we arrive at 7 but that would be 6 locat time giving 2 hrs. to get off the ship and where we need to be right? Thanks for the tip....scorpiorose;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.