Questions about tendering and tendering tickets

[stephanie76]

I have a few questions about tendering. I will be on the Miracle and I intend to book excursions ahead of time through carnival for Belize and Grand Cayman. Costa Maya and cozumel I really just want fun beach resort days. Specifically Playa Mia or Paradise beach in Cozumel. I am fully aware I can do these on my own but I am a little worried with all the talk about what a nightmare tendering is. I also hear that both beaches get extremely crowded later in the morning. Is it possible, if I do not book through carnival, to get to one of the beaches at a decent hour? Or is tendering so bad its best to stick with carnival and have priority tendering into cozumel? I am sorry if you all think this belongs on the shore excursion page it is intended to be more of a tndering question.

[kcmom]

I just returned from the Inspiration. The tendering at Grand Cayman took about 1 hour. I had purchased a shore excursion through Carnival. The ticket stated that we were to meet in the Paris Lounge at 8:15 and leave at 9:00. At 8:50 we were told that a tender was ready. We ended up standing in the stairwell until 9:15, but then did tender in. We arrived about 9:30 in Grand Cayman. We were told that people that did not purchase an excursion through Carnival would be called around 9:30 to leave for a tender.

 

At Cozumel, we were issued a sticker. I had purchased a morning excursion through Carnival so that we could get off the ship. I had a private excursion booked for the afternoon. I thought that this day went much better. Again, we went to the Paris Lounge at 9:30. At 10:00, they told us that a tender was ready. We walked straight down and didn't wait hardly any time at all. We were on Cozumel by 10:15. If you did not purchase an excursion through Carnival, then you were told to wait on the Lido deck and they would issue a sticker to you. I asked one of the Carnival workers down at the loading area what would happen to someone who tried to come through without a sticker. She replied that they would deny then the opportunity to board and would send them to the Lido deck. I don't know if that would really happen, but I just thought I would pass that on.

 

kcmom

[stephanie76]

thanks for the reply!!!

[HeidiHo]

I just returned from the Miracle on Sunday. One thing I learned is that even tho they hand out tender tickets, they don't really look to see who has them and what number they have. We had an early excursion booked with an independent tour operator in Grand Cayman. We didn't really know how the tender process worked so we went to the Phantom Lounge where all the Carnival tours were meeting. We told someone running things that we had an early excursion and he said that it was no problem and to just go down to where they were loading the people for the Carnival tours and get on. Same thing in Belize. We told them we had an early excursion and they put us in with the Carnival people. We didn't have an excursion booked in Coz so I went to Frankie and Johnnies at 8:30 AM. They were supposed to start handing out tender tickets at 9:00 but they actually started at about 8:45. We got tender #1. So basically, we didn't even have to "sneak" on with the Carnival tours. We told the truth and were told to go ahead and get on the tender. It wasn't a problem at all.

[Deenyusa]

This was great information thanks. We will be tendering in Cabo San Lucas and have a early morning excursion booked, I was wondering how it would work and if we'd have to be up extra early to wait in line. Had no idea about the stickers. Now I feel better, thanks lol!

[chessie6923]

I just returned from the Inspiration. The tendering at Grand Cayman took about 1 hour. I had purchased a shore excursion through Carnival. The ticket stated that we were to meet in the Paris Lounge at 8:15 and leave at 9:00. At 8:50 we were told that a tender was ready. We ended up standing in the stairwell until 9:15, but then did tender in. We arrived about 9:30 in Grand Cayman. We were told that people that did not purchase an excursion through Carnival would be called around 9:30 to leave for a tender.

kcmom

 

We were on the Inspiration this past week also, it was about 9:30 that we were told we could leave the ship because our excursion was cancelled. It took about a half an hour before we even go to the tender.

[marktac]

We were on the Miracle on the 3/19 cruise, and the only day they used the numbers was at Cozumel. We went ashore about 9:30 on a half-empty tender. Not that many people actually left the ship in Belize. Grand Cayman was a snap.

 

Tendering is not as bad as some make it seem.

 

Mark T

[momofzeke]

I was on the Miracle with Heidi. We had a Carnival excursion booked in Grand Cayman that met on the pier. We screwed up and didn't get in line until they had already made the general announcement for everyone to tender, around 9:30. Our excursion was at 10:00. We made it over to the pier by 5 minutes to 10.

 

In Cozumel, we did Paradise Beach. We got our tender tickets at 8:50 am, and we had tender #2. They called #1 and #2 about 5 minutes apart, and 5 minutes later they called for #3, #4, and #5. They were loading 2 different tenders from 2 gangways. We got called to the tender at 9:45, got to the pier, got a taxi van and we were at Paradise Beach by about 10:30. We had our choice of chairs, and got 5 together right in the front row. It did get pretty crowded about an hour later, and then thinned out again in the afternoon. It was a GREAT day. Go get your tender ticket early, and then go have breakfast and you will get to PB in plenty of time to get good seats.

 

In Belize, we did a Carnival excursion that picked us up right from the ship, so we didn't have to tender to the pier and then to our beach. We met in the Mad Hatters lounge and they took us right to the tender. Private Island Beach Break was the excursion. Nice beach, but not as nice as Paradise Beach.

 

Costa Maya is not a tender port. You just walk off the ship and onto the pier. After 3 days of tendering, it's VERY nice!

 

Enjoy your cruise! :)

[rpplano]

So basically, we didn't even have to "sneak" on with the Carnival tours. We told the truth and were told to go ahead and get on the tender. It wasn't a problem at all.

 

 

My same experience overall. If you have a real need to get ashore, just be honest and nice about it. I've always had the staff try to help me.

[hartwelldaisy]

Should I be worried? We are cruising on the Inspiration in June and have booked an excursion with Capt. Marvin at Grand Cayman. Capt. Marvin had said we need to be at their office by 8:00. Are we going to have trouble getting off the ship this early? There are 14 of us going in our group.

[lgmtseawa]

Should I be worried? We are cruising on the Inspiration in June and have booked an excursion with Capt. Marvin at Grand Cayman. Capt. Marvin had said we need to be at their office by 8:00. Are we going to have trouble getting off the ship this early? There are 14 of us going in our group.

 

I did the same, and was worried about it. It turned out fine, however. We had room service breakfast at 5:45, and got down to the place where they were doing tender tickets at 7. We got stickers with "1" on them. There were several tours called before they started calling the numbers, but we knew we could not have done better, and in fact we got to shore in plenty of time, even showing up at Capt. Marvin's before they opened at 7:45 (the walk is very short). No guarantee every time will work out, but I will not worry next time. Hope that helps.

 

Carolyn

Conquest last week!