Tenders ashore in Belize

[Cwolf]

We are on the Pearl (2/11) and going ashore in Belize. We are booking a private excursion there and would like to get on one of the first couple tenders ashore. I know the early tenders are usually reserved for passengers booked on ship excursions first. Will it be difficult to get on one of these first tenders since I am not booking with the ship? Would our concierge be able to help in getting some of these early tender passes? Any suggestions on getting ashore as early as possible? thanks

 

Carl and Amy

[tjosh7]

Assuming you are booked in a suite, penthouse, or above, yes, you can get priority tendering tickets from the conceirge. These allow you to board any tender.

 

Any other cabins, you will have to get tender tickets as soon as they are available.

 

And yes, you are right, the first tenders are reserved for person's booked on NCL's excursions.

[rufusrex]

We were on the 1/7/07 sailing of the Dawn in a mini-suite with access to a concierge, and after calling twice we were shot down both times on priority tendering tickets. I inquired at the information desk and the lady said you needed to purchase a VIP package before boarding. When I asked what that was she didn't know. Our tendering in Belize was very chaotic, they told us that over 1200 had purchased shore excursions, so we would have to wait. We also had purchased a shore excursion (not from NCL) and were anxious. After waiting over 2 hours we pleaded with them and explained our situation, and then finally they allowed us to squeeze onto a tender. So, be persistent and state firmly that you have an excursion and they will probably help you out.

[clerky96]

TWO HOURS!:eek: That is terrible! And you weren't even on a latter tender! We are actually booked on a NCL tour for Belize, but I think that is a excessive amount of time to have to wait to tender to shore!:confused:

[80spit]

I was on the Sun over Christmas and when we were In Belize, I got the tender tickets as instructed, then after the first tender left, I just went down to the

tender station with my family, acted real dumb and smiled alot, asking if my # had been called yet, even though I knew it hadn't!! they let me through and board the 2nd tender over,

this has worked for me on several occasions, Funny thing , we still ended

up waiting on shore for the rest of the people who booked the same independant excursion!! (cavetubing.com) . We had a great day in Belize,

you will too

Cheers

Gerry

[Cwolf]

Thanks for the advice. We are in a mini-suite and have concierge services, so I will give that a try. We are also going with cavetubing.com on an excursion, was impressed with the reviews this outfit got. I guess if worse comes to worse I'll just have to plead a little.

[Don Haynes]

It takes up to two hours to disembark a ship at a cruise terminal and at ports of calls with a dock. It does not surprise me it takes up to three hours to disembark a ship at a tender port. No surprise whatsoever.

 

While its not a bad idea to book a shore excursion with an independent firm at ports of calls with a dock, in my opinion its a lously idea to book a shore excursion with an independent firm at ports of calls when tendering.

 

Shore excursions booked through NCL are off the ship first when tendering. Then the suites have priority, and then the rest of the ship. This is a very fair process. Unfortunately, at almost every tender port I see ugly human nature. Everyone wants off the ship FIRST....Many cut in line acting innocently.

 

They are the same ME FIRST Bozos that do the same when disembarking. I am tired of being near the end of the line of express disembarkation, the ones who should carry ALL of their luggage off, and see hundreds of felllow express disembarkation passengers searching through the pile of luggage for their luggage they didn't carry off.

 

I think its time for NCL to review their express disembarkation policy. Obviously those with early flights should be the first off the ship.

 

And in my opinion those who cut into tender lines should be forced to walk the plank. You really don't accomplish anything, they will still wait for the others who play by the rules before departing.

 

Cutting iis and always will be ugly human nature.

[tjosh7]

Cwolf:

 

Being in a mini-suite, as I stated above, you are considered a VIP and should be allowed on ANY tender including the first one. Again, talk to the concierge about getting VIP priority tendering tickets. You should have no problems. I speak from first-hand experience having been in a penthouse twice and have NEVER had a problem.

[electricron]

They are the same ME FIRST Bozos that do the same when disembarking. I am tired of being near the end of the line of express disembarkation, the ones who should carry ALL of their luggage off, and see hundreds of felllow express disembarkation passengers searching through the pile of luggage for their luggage they didn't carry off.

 

I think its time for NCL to review their express disembarkation policy. Obviously those with early flights should be the first off the ship.

 

That will spoil my fun watching them wait for the luggage they didn't carry off. Watching them get inpatient, and stewing for another hour for their bags to arrive......

[ortley]

Just returned from Pearl's first 5 day western carribean which tendered in

belize. We were the furthest out of the 3 ships there that day. 15 minute nice comfortable boat ride.

 

We had a private excursion planned and no priority tickets. We just waited in line at the reception desk at 8AM (as they had intructed everyone to do) and they promptly distributed pink numbered tickets

 

. When you hear the set of numbers BEFORE yours called go down to deck 4 and you will have no problem.

 

Lots of people get their priority tender tix or have pink tickets with low numbers and then aren't ready when their # is called, so the later #'s end up being called in rapid succession to fill the boat so it can leave. We had number in the 300 set (started at 1) and were off the boat at 9:00.

 

In my opinion an even bigger problem is the dock in Belize is so crowded with all those excursion people waiting for their group to get it together, they clog up the terminal and you can't reach the other end.

 

VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION - The People you are meeting will not necessarily be allowed INSIDE the terminal!!! Make sure you are very clear on where you are meeting them. The entrance is gated and you need some sort of ID/pass to get in. Also I think if it is too crowded the guards get nervous and won't let any one in even with a pass. We had to have the gentlemen at the Belize info desk (VERY HELPFUL!) call our excursion office so they could phone the driver to walk over to the guard's gate and the man from the info office walked us thru the crowd....

 

I think the country if fairly new to such large cruise ship passengers arriving all at once - and they will work this out but for now - for warned is for armed.