Priority debarkation for tenders.

[mvh]

How does priority tender access work if we are gold members? Does it actually get you on the tender any faster or is it pretty much a joke? Is there a separate line? Can the two other passengers we are linked to join us even if they are not gold? Thx

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, mvh said:

How does priority tender access work if we are gold members? Does it actually get you on the tender any faster or is it pretty much a joke? Is there a separate line? Can the two other passengers we are linked to join us even if they are not gold? Thx

Do not know how one with 'just' gold or diamond can get priority without some assistance (like a YC butler) in getting down to the gangway. Everyone would be lined up crowding the hallways.

  How many gangways ? Sometimes depends on security linking computers to more than one gangway when docked. When we anchored, only one gangway. MSC hired 5 tenders to ferry guests to Grand Cayman. (these tenders are complimentary) All the MSC purchased tours would meet in designated lounges, no tender tickets needed. Tours and Yacht Club guests have priority getting off. All guests with private tours or on their own have to get tender tickets given out on a first come first serve basis at the casino bar and now the sports bar. Tenders for tours and YC began around 8-8:30 and tender ticket numbers were not called until 11:30 for everyone else. Getting back was another long wait. We also had another port change from Belize City to Cozumel. Something to look out for. Belize City requires tendering as well, only the ships must anchor farther away and regular tenders take an hour both ways. Our cruise, the ship got word from the tender company in Belize City that their larger capacity hydrofoils were having engine problems and could not reach speeds to keep the trip down to 20 minutes both ways. They could only provide tenders taking 1 hour both ways. We got a notice "Due to operational reasons, your cruise itinerary has been amended" and went to Cozumel instead. One time with over 5500 passengers, even our butler reported he had trouble butting to the front of the tender line with so many guests trying to get off. He said something about not being able to pick up a pencil should one be dropped. So now one has to wait.

Edited August 4, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[JAGR]

2 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Do not know how one with 'just' gold or diamond can get priority without some assistance (like a YC butler) in getting down to the gangway. Everyone would be lined up crowding the hallways.

Very valid points about the logistics, however the OP is correct in that the list of Gold perks does indeed, show that they have priority disembarkation at ports where tenders are used.  I haven't done it, but I assume that Gold members would go to the auditorium and ask for some sort of priority.  

[ferretktf]

Priority to get off the ship … you get on the next available tender (but on a cruise with a lot of gold+ members that might not actually be the very next one)

 

no priority to get back on though … 90 minute queue for all apart from YC and MSC Tours on my last voyage 

[CruisingFox27]

It's been a while since we did a tender port but, as I recall you receive a priority ticket in your cabin. All non priority passengers have to go to the meeting point and obtain a numbered ticket and are then called in numerical order. Priority ticket holders can just go to the tender embarkation point. 

It has been a while so things may have changed but I definitely remember getting the ticket in the cabin. 

[alyssamma]

12 hours ago, CruisingFox27 said:

It's been a while since we did a tender port but, as I recall you receive a priority ticket in your cabin. All non priority passengers have to go to the meeting point and obtain a numbered ticket and are then called in numerical order. Priority ticket holders can just go to the tender embarkation point. 

It has been a while so things may have changed but I definitely remember getting the ticket in the cabin. 

In Europe now on the Poesia so no YC. I think what @morpheusofthesea described is correct for the Caribbean and YC equipped ships. I'll find out in a couple.of days, but we were told the procedure is as @CruisingFox27 said. With priority, you basically show up and get in the next available tender. No need to wait for your number to be called.

[CruisingFox27]

16 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

In Europe now on the Poesia so no YC. I think what @morpheusofthesea described is correct for the Caribbean and YC equipped ships. I'll find out in a couple.of days, but we were told the procedure is as @CruisingFox27 said. With priority, you basically show up and get in the next available tender. No need to wait for your number to be called.

We've tendered in the Caribbean, on a YC ship but we were non YC and that was the procedure I described, as I recall. Tickets were delivered to the cabin, we didn't attend a meeting point etc. 

 

Hope you're having a fabulous trip @alyssamma