Preferential treatment to those on excursion if water shuttle required?

[latebuyer]

Sorry i know there is another term for it but i can’t remember what it is. I’m wondering if those who take princess excursions get off first.

[TRLD]

4 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

Sorry i know there is another term for it but i can’t remember what it is. I’m wondering if those who take princess excursions get off first.

If the departure time of their excursion requires it.

 

Princess usually feeds the excursion passengers, priority passengers and some regular in some mixture. The exact mix depends upon a lot of things. You might have 4 excursions scheduled at the same time, yet have as much as 15 to 30 minutes between when the first is sent down, until the 4th is sent down.

[memoak]

Yes. But in coordination with tour time

[latebuyer]

Thanks, so probably a good idea to book excursion? Its tendering, thats the word i’m looking for.

[memoak]

31 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

Thanks, so probably a good idea to book excursion? Its tendering, thats the word i’m looking for.

Unless you want to get off real early it is rarely an issue after an hour or 2 and why book an excursion unless it is something you really want. We rarely book ship tours unless they go pretty far away from the ship 

Edited May 24 by memoak

[latebuyer]

Thanks i had booked a private excursion that leaves an hour after the ship arrives. So i'm thinking this won't work.

[TRLD]

1 minute ago, latebuyer said:

Thanks i had booked a private excursion that leaves an hour after the ship arrives. So i'm thinking this won't work.

A lot depends upon the port. How far the excursion meets from the tender location, etc.

 

You will want to get to the location where tender tickets are being handed out early to make sure you are on one of the first tenders.

 

 

[memoak]

15 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

Thanks i had booked a private excursion that leaves an hour after the ship arrives. So i'm thinking this won't work.

Just get tender tickets early and you should be ok as long as the ship is on time

[karatemom2]

Will the excursion wait for you if it takes a little longer to get off the ship then you anticipate? My advice, find out the lounge where tickets are being provided for people with independent plans, and get there at least 30 minutes before it opens. We have seen people lining up an hour early, so you want to make sure you are toward the front. Also, make sure your entire party is with you. They won't give you your tickets until your full group is there. If you do this, chances are you will be among the first groups exiting the ship.

[latebuyer]

Thank you all for the advice. I will need to check when the excursion gets back too as i imagine there are lines then too.

Edited May 24 by latebuyer

[SCX22]

27 minutes ago, memoak said:

Just get tender tickets early and you should be ok as long as the ship is on time

 

This could or could not work.  On some sailings, people start to line up so early, it's ridiculous.  Last year on the Majestic in Skagway (tendering due the rock slide), tender tickets were being distributed at Bellini's, and the line at 7:00 am for an 8:00 am start to the tenders, snaked through The Shops of Princess and to Princess Theater.  The ShoreEx people were not amused because they also had tour meeting at Princess Theater and the crowds were getting mixed up.  Same long lines happened on the Emerald in Cabo this year; then again, the ship arrived at noon so all passengers were pretty much out and about.  

 

I think the only way to guarantee you're one of the first on the tenders is to use the Elite benefit.

 

 

[memoak]

9 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

Thank you all for the advice. I will need to check when the excursion gets back too as i imagine there are lines then too.

There is no priority or tickets for the tender back to the ship you just get in line and wait 

[NavyVeteran]

1 hour ago, latebuyer said:

Thank you all for the advice. I will need to check when the excursion gets back too as i imagine there are lines then too.

 

1 hour ago, memoak said:

There is no priority or tickets for the tender back to the ship you just get in line and wait 

Everyone is in the same line waiting for the tender back to the ship. Passengers returning from Princess excursions, Elite passengers, and passengers in suites do not have a priority for the return tenders. However you don't have to worry about the all-aboard time at a tender port - you just have to worry about the posted time for the last tender. If you arrive at the tender location by the posted time, you will be returned to the ship before it leaves no matter how long the line is. You may miss your dinner reservation because of long lines, but you won't miss the ship.

[cr8tiv1]

Yes....It's like the bear story (you just have to be ahead of the last person).  I was on an independent excursion in Panama.  Ran into traffic.  I was on the tender with the trash cans/stanchions/officers.  Way too close for comfort.

[EDVM96]

3 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

I was on the tender with the trash cans/stanchions/officers.  Way too close for comfort.

Happened to me once in Belize. Ship's time was not local time for somewhat reason in this port.

Luckily , from the tiki bar I saw the crew started packing all in. So I left the bar in a hurry for the last tender. 🤣

[memoak]

23 minutes ago, EDVM96 said:

Happened to me once in Belize. Ship's time was not local time for somewhat reason in this port.

Luckily , from the tiki bar I saw the crew started packing all in. So I left the bar in a hurry for the last tender. 🤣

Ship time is different from local time sometimes and there is a big mention in the patter and usually in the sign at disembarkation location

[Rick&Jeannie]

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Yes....It's like the bear story (you just have to be ahead of the last person).  I was on an independent excursion in Panama.  Ran into traffic.  I was on the tender with the trash cans/stanchions/officers.  Way too close for comfort.

Did they make you carry the used towel container as punishment? 😄

[DallasGuy75219]

2 hours ago, NavyVeteran said:

However you don't have to worry about the all-aboard time at a tender port - you just have to worry about the posted time for the last tender. If you arrive at the tender location by the posted time, you will be returned to the ship before it leaves no matter how long the line is. You may miss your dinner reservation because of long lines, but you won't miss the ship.

Yes, they will keep running tenders until everyone in line is back on the ship.  It sometimes delays departure when large amounts of guests return at or shortly before the last tender time.

[Torfamm]

If the meeting point is on the ship, those on excursions are led to the tenders as a group. I have never seen whether priority is given for those meeting on shore

Edited May 25 by Torfamm

[latebuyer]

If i have an excursion in afternoon, am i to assume they wouldn’t meet on the ship but on shore if tendering?

[memoak]

12 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

If i have an excursion in afternoon, am i to assume they wouldn’t meet on the ship but on shore if tendering?

Your tour ticket in your cabin will tell you when and where to meet   No reason to even think about it ahead of time

[NavyVeteran]

12 hours ago, Torfamm said:

If the meeting point is on the ship, those on excursions are led to the tenders as a group. I have never seen whether priority is given for those meeting on shore

 

3 hours ago, latebuyer said:

If i have an excursion in afternoon, am i to assume they wouldn’t meet on the ship but on shore if tendering?

 

2 hours ago, memoak said:

Your tour ticket in your cabin will tell you when and where to meet   No reason to even think about it ahead of time

If your tour ticket says to meet on the ship, then you will have priority tendering to get to shore. If your tour ticket says to meet on shore, then you will not have priority tendering. Tours leaving soon after ship arrival never meet on shore. Tours leaving several hours later will often meet on shore, but by that time, there should be no waiting for tenders to get to shore.