Tender timing

[DukeASUGirl]

If you haven't reserved a shore excursion through Carnival, when can you expect to be able to take a tender ashore? This is Cabo, in case that matters.

 

Our times in port are 10 am to 6 pm, and we're planning to walk to Medano Beach for the meeting location for our private tour, so I'm just trying to figure out what time we should book.

[Mike45LC]

Your mileage may vary.  And I've only tendered on Carnival at Cabo once.

 

August 2023, Carnival Panorama, our visit to Cabo was scheduled for 6:30 to 1:30.  My group of five lined up for the tender at 7:17 a.m.  We were docking at 7:32, and we were ashore at 7:37.  This was amazingly fast based on my experiences with Princess and Celebrity.

[DukeASUGirl]

Thanks! Can you just line up and go?

 

We tendered at Cabo on Royal Caribbean and it was a huge process. Our visit was scheduled for noon-8, and we had to line up in the morning beginning at 9 am for tender tickets. I got into the line at 9:04, and it was already super long although it moved quickly. I ended up with tickets for Tender 27.

 

They told us to wait on a certain deck beginning at 12:30 so we would be ready when our group got called, and only then could we head to the deck where they were boarding the tender.

 

They announced the tender groups beginning at about 12:30, and Group 27 didn't get called until after 2 pm, and we were ashore roughly 2:30, making us late for the tour we'd booked. Fortunately they tour company waited for us because it was a private tour, but I was so surprised that it took about 2 1/2 hours after the scheduled docking time before we could go ashore.

 

Hoping it's not like that on Carnival.

 

Based on our Royal experience, I wouldn't book before 1 pm, but it would be great if we could go earlier.

[mz-s]

8 minutes ago, DukeASUGirl said:

Thanks! Can you just line up and go?

 

We tendered at Cabo on Royal Caribbean and it was a huge process. Our visit was scheduled for noon-8, and we had to line up in the morning beginning at 9 am for tender tickets. I got into the line at 9:04, and it was already super long although it moved quickly. I ended up with tickets for Tender 27.

 

They told us to wait on a certain deck beginning at 12:30 so we would be ready when our group got called, and only then could we head to the deck where they were boarding the tender.

 

They announced the tender groups beginning at about 12:30, and Group 27 didn't get called until after 2 pm, and we were ashore roughly 2:30, making us late for the tour we'd booked. Fortunately they tour company waited for us because it was a private tour, but I was so surprised that it took about 2 1/2 hours after the scheduled docking time before we could go ashore.

 

Hoping it's not like that on Carnival.

 

Based on our Royal experience, I wouldn't book before 1 pm, but it would be great if we could go earlier.

 

It's pretty much the same process on Carnival.

[BlerkOne]

Some people buy the cheapest shore excursion and abandon it after tendering. Otherwise it is tender tickets and people start lining up LONG before the distribution begins.

[Mike45LC]

I think my Panorama tender experience was so fast because it was 7 a.m.  There were no long queues yet.  With an afternoon arrival, Celebrity Eclipse took hours.

 

[jiggs]

46 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Some people buy the cheapest shore excursion and abandon it after tendering. Otherwise it is tender tickets and people start lining up LONG before the distribution begins.

really?  that seems like quite the investment to get off the ship faster...I know it can be long, but that seems crazy.

[BlerkOne]

1 minute ago, jiggs said:

really?  that seems like quite the investment to get off the ship faster...I know it can be long, but that seems crazy.

Probably crazy for Cabo but perhaps not for a once in a lifetime visit to a distant port.

[Honolulu Blue]

12 hours ago, DukeASUGirl said:

If you haven't reserved a shore excursion through Carnival, when can you expect to be able to take a tender ashore? This is Cabo, in case that matters.

 

Our times in port are 10 am to 6 pm, and we're planning to walk to Medano Beach for the meeting location for our private tour, so I'm just trying to figure out what time we should book.

When you can get a tender depends on a lot of factors.  Here's the general order:

 

1. People with shore excursions bought through Carnival
2. High status cruisers (Platinum & Diamond)
3. Everyone else

The good news is that eventually the lines for tenders go down to a point where you can just go down and board one (and wait).  The bad news is that it can be 2 hours or more to get to that point.

[Crusin Hogs]

If you are diamond or platinum  a Carnival employee  will walk you to the front  of the tender line and put you on that tender or the next one coming  

[DukeASUGirl]

12 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Some people buy the cheapest shore excursion and abandon it after tendering. Otherwise it is tender tickets and people start lining up LONG before the distribution begins.

 

For a 10 am port call, what time should we line up for distribution? On Royal, distribution began 3 hours before port, so would distro begin around 7 am here? And we should line up by 6? 

 

How many tickets can you get? There are 13 of us in our group, and I'm just trying to figure out if I can be the one lining up for everyone while they're sleeping in or eating breakfast, or if I'll need others.

[jsglow]

You haven't mentioned what ship you are on. It takes way longer to empty a 6000 pax ship than a 2000. And absolutely queue up for your tender pass well before they begin distribution. If they say 9a, be there by 8:30a.

 

One other way to improve your situation is to purchase Faster to the Fun on Carnival for each and every CABIN in your group (per cabin, not per person). One of the perks gives you comparable priority tender access to that enjoyed by the Diamond and Platinum guests. In their case, they are often asked to gather in the dining room and are escorted directly to the 'next' tender. They do not have to get tender tickets and wait on their number. Do note that this privilege is often suspended on Journeys cruises for all priority guests. You don't know 'tough' tender lines until you do the lifeboats in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland. I had a 6a alarm set to get into line for our passes. I believe we were Tender Group #2; necessary for our early excursion.  

Edited December 9, 2023 by jsglow

[jsglow]

2 minutes ago, DukeASUGirl said:

 

For a 10 am port call, what time should we line up for distribution? On Royal, distribution began 3 hours before port, so would distro begin around 7 am here? And we should line up by 6? 

 

How many tickets can you get? There are 13 of us in our group, and I'm just trying to figure out if I can be the one lining up for everyone while they're sleeping in or eating breakfast, or if I'll need others.

 They will tell you onboard when the distribution happens. Judge based on that.

 

You will need multiple people. It is totally acceptable for husband/wife to send ONE person getting two passes. You will not be handed 13, I can guarantee.

[Honolulu Blue]

19 minutes ago, Crusin Hogs said:

If you are diamond or platinum  a Carnival employee  will walk you to the front  of the tender line and put you on that tender or the next one coming  

This may be true if there's no one else waiting, but this did not match my last tender boat experience.

 

I was in Belize on the Magic. I was Platinum and we were asked to wait in our designated meeting area until a tender was available for us. When it was, we were told to follow the line out to the boat.

[jsglow]

1 minute ago, Honolulu Blue said:

This may be true if there's no one else waiting, but this did not match my last tender boat experience.

 

I was in Belize on the Magic. I was Platinum and we were asked to wait in our designated meeting area until a tender was available for us. When it was, we were told to follow the line out to the boat.

True, but you had access to that immediate line. If you had Tender Pass number 45 and your number wasn't called, you wouldn't.