Riviera tenders

[lel5344]

I'm hoping someone can describe the tender experience on the Riviera.  My wife has some minor mobility issues but can negotiate most everything except extremely rough surfaces. Om occasion, she will use a cane, if appropriate.

 

Do they try to get as many as possible on a tender? Or is there an effort to make the experience somewhat pleasant?

[LHT28]

The tenders on the O class ship are awful for  going ashore IMO

 But they do not overload them at least when we have been on them

If she has problems  they have a couple of seats on the deck level  so just tell the crew she has a problem otherwise you go down the stairs into the other area

The crew do try to help people on/off  ..just let them help

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

41 minutes ago, lel5344 said:

I'm hoping someone can describe the tender experience on the Riviera.  My wife has some minor mobility issues but can negotiate most everything except extremely rough surfaces. Om occasion, she will use a cane, if appropriate.

 

Do they try to get as many as possible on a tender? Or is there an effort to make the experience somewhat pleasant?

It’s not so much the tender as it is the sea conditions that are responsible for issues that can arise when folks board or leave a tender. Two seamen assist folks to make that transition step(s) between platform/dock to and tender. If there are a lot of folks headed ashore to the same ship’s excursion, the tender benches will all be full.

[Host Jazzbeau]

We only tendered once on our Jan. 14 Riviera cruise, but the seas were fairly rough so getting on and off was dicey.  And they wouldn't let anyone sit on the high seats in the 'exit row.'

[kitty9]

In some ports, they have to use local tenders instead of the ship’s lifeboats.  Some of those local tenders are much easier to negotiate than ship tenders as they are larger and seem to be a bit more stable. 

[MEFIowa]

10 hours ago, lel5344 said:

I'm hoping someone can describe the tender experience on the Riviera. ...

Wife and I tendered off Riviera to both Harvest Caye & Belize City in 12/21. The tender to the Bahamas' island was cancelled due to high seas.

 

A KEY is TIME your tendering. The first tender or two are often the most crowded, as people like my wife & I try to get into the port ASAP for excursions & sight seeing. But they give you the schedule and if you wait say into 3rd or 4th tender, the numbers of passengers will be smaller. Hard to say how many tender back at once. Up to when people want to return.

 

We found the tender boats to be relatively easy to get on & off. And didn't mind them being full. But that's just us. Just make sure to say something to the O crew and the tender crew about mobility issues. They'll work with you. (The Belizean tender crew leaders seemed to like to tell jokes and entertain the passengers, almost a motivational speech about Belize.)

[KatieBelle]

Our experience with tendered ports over 10+ years with O has been consistent.  There were always to crew members on either side of the tender entrance offering a hand on each side and taking your elbows with the other hand.  Even with significant swells we are cautiously and carefully boarded.  We did witness one knucklehead who arrogantly refused assistance and stumbled into the tender and into a passengers lap.  Like my daddy used to say, "You can't fix stupid!"

-Katie

[Noxequifans]

Crew members were always assisted us entering and exiting. But, not sure I would do it again. As I get older I try to avoid risk prone activities. 

[CintiPam]

14 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

Wife and I tendered off Riviera to both Harvest Caye & Belize City in 12/21. The tender to the Bahamas' island was cancelled due to high seas.

 

A KEY is TIME your tendering. The first tender or two are often the most crowded, as people like my wife & I try to get into the port ASAP for excursions & sight seeing. But they give you the schedule and if you wait say into 3rd or 4th tender, the numbers of passengers will be smaller. Hard to say how many tender back at once. Up to when people want to return.

 

We found the tender boats to be relatively easy to get on & off. And didn't mind them being full. But that's just us. Just make sure to say something to the O crew and the tender crew about mobility issues. They'll work with you. (The Belizean tender crew leaders seemed to like to tell jokes and entertain the passengers, almost a motivational speech about Belize.)

Last time we tendered into Belize City we were not on Riviera’s tenders but rather those supplied by the port, which were huge, open air and easy to get on and off. Never been to Harvest Caye.