Length of time to disembark for excursions

[Maclean girl]

As first timers to cruising, DH and I are wondering what the proceedure is for disembarking at each port? If the time of arrival says 8 am, what time should a person arrange for private tour pick ups in the morning.

 

Also how much time should we leave at the end of the day to make certain we get back on the ship on time? We assume you would want to be back at the ship at least an hour before it sails.

 

We would appreciate any help from all of you who are experienced in cruising so we know what to do if booking our own tours etc.

[LolaWiz]

I am kind of a worry-wort so i give as much time as possible before and after so i usually arrange to be met with a private tour an hour and a half after we are scheduled to dock. However, keep a number or email of the operator incase you are not able to make it due to rough seas, illness, etc.

 

For coming back to the ship, i make sure to give two hours before we are scheduled to depart, because you never know what could happen on a tour.

That is just what i do. I have found doing tours not with the ship/cruiseline very benificial in many ports eventhough i know there is more of a "risk" i guess you could say in things going wrong (i.e. missing the ship, etc.

[grannynurse]

Hi Maclean girl,

If your ports are close to eachother as in Akaska, docking time is usually right on schedule, though in Europe we completely missed a total of 3 ports due to weather and high seas (2 cruises). We are looking at booking a private tour in Livorno and are allowing an hour and a half as HAL shorex tour pax get off first. Suite pax have priority too so it depends on if you're on a Vista ship which has more pax or on a smaller ship with fewer pax.

 

They take in the gangway 30 minutes before sailing but hold the ship for late arriving ship's tours. The daily program will tell you when the last tender leaves shore if you're anchored and not docked.

All these things make a difference in your timing but we are usually on board or at the tender station 1 hour before scheduled sailing.

Tell us the ship and where you're going and we'll try to be more help.

GN

[Maclean girl]

Thanks so much for the feedback. I am a "worry wart" also and would rather arrive anywhere very early instead of worrying about being late.

 

We are on the Rotterdam for the Jewels of Europe cruise August 22 to Sept 6. We are thinking of booking a private tour for 1/2 day in Kusadasi and possibly in a couple of other ports. My health will not allow for a lot of walking so we figure that doing something privately will give us more options.

 

Appreciate your suggestions!

[grannynurse]

Hi,

 

You will need to go to the indicated public room for a tender ticket, or if you are docked, go to the indicated gangway when they announce that the ship is cleared.

 

I'm in the "same boat" as far as walking and many of the towns we've been to in Europe have cobblestone streets and are very hilly.

The Rotterdam is our favorite ship. We've spent 60+ days on her on 3 transatlantics and a NE/Canada.

We did mostly ship tours the first time but we hate buses so we don't do them much anymore.

If you check the website for your cruise tender ports will have a superscript #1. The tender crews are very helpful and will get you on and off with no problems even when the seas don't cooperate. The method is to grab the crewperson's fore arm, not his hand, and he will grab yours and assist you over into the tender.

 

If the Captain determines that the water is too rough for tendering he will cancel the port. One in NewFoundland it was so foggy they sent the tenders over in tandem with guidance from the ship's radar.

 

Make it very clear to your tour operator when you want to be back, they know when the ship sails but tell them when you want to be there.

 

Rotterdam can dock where many larger ships cannot but some ports still require anchorage.

 

Have a Ball on "our Rotterdam"

GN

[Maclean girl]

Thanks GN for the information. I am so pleased that the Rotterdam is a great ship. This will probably be our only cruise so it is good to know we did not choose poorly!

Although only 55, I have osteo arthritis plus cancer...both of which make long walks difficult and tiring. I know that the private tours are more costly but I figure we have more control if we go that route.

 

Can you explain what you mean by the port tendering thing and about superscript#1? Where do I get that information about our ports for our cruise? Sorry to be so dumb but this is all new to me!

 

Thanks again. This CC board is full of wonderful information for us 'newbies"!

[smgapp]

If the ship is scheduled to leave port at 5 pm- the last call to be on the shop is 4:30. Sometimes the gangplank is still down after the last call since they are waiting for the pilot to board (the HAL captains do not take the ship in or out of the ports, a local captain jumps on board to do the job). I tend to live life a bit on the edge & would get to the ship close to last call- I would go to the shops by the dock so I could see how far I was from the ship and then allow the time to walk to the gangplank. We did private tours in several ports and had them get us back to the dock area at least 30 minutes before our last call.

 

There is mad rush to get off the ships in the morning, if you have a private tour & the ship docks at 8, you might want to set up your tour for 9. Our private tour guide in Dominica said that he lives on the hill overlooking the port. He gets up on the morning when he has a tour, has breakfast and as soon as he sees the ship docked, he goes the 7 minutes down the hill to meet his tour group.

[grannynurse]

The ships use small (150 pax) covered boats (tenders) to transport pax from the ship to the port when, either the ship is too big to dock in a certain port, the harbor is too shallow, or there are too many ships to tie up at the dock.

 

If you look at your ships itinerary on HAL's website: from the home page,

1. click destinations, 2. choose Europe, 3. Choose Rotterdam, 4. choose month and year. A screen will come up of all the Rotterdam cruises in that month. Click on your cruise and click view , and your itinerary will come up.

When you look at the whole itinerary you may see small superscript numbers beside some of the ports which indicate foot notes. Scroll down to read the notes. That's how you know which ports are scheduled for tendering in instead of the ship being tied up at the dock.

If you click on each port you can also see the shore excursions HAL offers for that port and it's activity level icon and prices.

I'll be glad to answer any cruise or Rotterdam questions for you.

If you'd like to see our pictures of our Rotterdam transatlantic trip to Europe and back here is a link

 

http://community.webshots.com/user/riosmom101

GN

[Maclean girl]

Thank you so much, Granny Nurse, for your very explicit instructions re finding tenders etc. I did as you said and found that only in Santorini do we use the tender rather than docking. So that is good news!

 

I also went and looked at your lovely photo's from the Rotterdam....so nice! Looks like you had a marvellous time traveling. Thanks for sharing them with me.

 

I do have question for you about the showers on a balcony room. Are all showers in a bath tub.....one that you have to climb into? Or are they ones that you can just walk into?

 

Also, did you find that there were lots of healthy choices at breakfast....like fresh fruit that a person could take with them on an excursion?

 

Thanks for your help! It is much appreciated.

[grannynurse]

.Duplicate post, sorry

[grannynurse]

Thank you so much, Granny Nurse, for your very explicit instructions re finding tenders etc. I did as you said and found that only in Santorini do we use the tender rather than docking. So that is good news!

 

I also went and looked at your lovely photo's from the Rotterdam....so nice! Looks like you had a marvellous time traveling. Thanks for sharing them with me.

 

I do have question for you about the showers on a balcony room. Are all showers in a bath tub.....one that you have to climb into? Or are they ones that you can just walk into?

 

Also, did you find that there were lots of healthy choices at breakfast....like fresh fruit that a person could take with them on an excursion?

 

Thanks for your help! It is much appreciated.

 

The showers in Veranda cabins, and in all cabins with tubs are combo and in the tub. Unfortunately the bathtubs on S and R class ships are deep and not easy to navigate, I have osteo arthritis in my knees, I can make it but it's not easy. I do love the whirlpool that the VA and VB cabins have, any lower category does not have jetted tubs.

Perhaps you should have your TA look at handicap accessible rooms in what ever cabin category you are in. (they only have walk-in, or roll-in showers). I have heard other complaints about the height of the tub sides on S and R class ships (which they corrected with the Vista ships.)

 

Breakfast at the Lido includes Meusli, all kinds of fresh fruit, and fresh-squeezed OJ. HAl has very extensive choices at the Lido including waffle and omelet stations. You can almost get anything you want. It tends to be crowded on port days so get there early or order in.

I'm not sure about carrying fruit off the ship in Europe, I know you can't in US ports as it is a violation of US law.

You can also get these choices if you order room service. If you don't find your choices on the order card that is in your room (to hang on the outside doorknob before going to bed), you can always call room service in the am, we usually do anyway.

 

Rotterdam is a very classy and elegant lady. Her art alone is worth millions.

Not a bit stuffy though. HAL cruisers are friendly and love to share their experiences. It is definitely not "snoot" city.

I'm sure you'll love her and her wonderful friendly crew. What a great choice for a first cruise!

I'll be glad to answer any and all questions. My email adress is in my profilr if you need it. Just click on my name.

GN

[grannynurse]

It happened again.... my last post didn't update but it's here. I can't understand why this keeps happening.

GN

[Maclean girl]

Thanks again, GN. My osteo arthritis is in my back so getting in and out of a tub is a bit of a pain but DH will be with me and he is a great help.

 

As for asking for an accessible room, I would be too afraid to do it after reading some of the threads on this board chastising people who ask for it who don't look like they need it! I would rather avoid the censure and get DH to help me.:)

 

Good news about the healthy breakfasts etc. Not sure what to do about taking a snack with me on excursions though. It sounds like I can't bring nuts from home, and I don't know if there are places on board or in ports where I could pick some up. If we are up early for breakfast to be ready for an excursion, then it could be a long time till we stop for lunch. Maybe with all the excitement and heat, I won't even want to be eating, but usually I need something to tide me over.

Any suggestions to offer?

[grannynurse]

Good news about the healthy breakfasts etc. Not sure what to do about taking a snack with me on excursions though. It sounds like I can't bring nuts from home, and I don't know if there are places on board or in ports where I could pick some up. If we are up early for breakfast to be ready for an excursion, then it could be a long time till we stop for lunch. Maybe with all the excitement and heat, I won't even want to be eating, but usually I need something to tide me over.

Any suggestions to offer?

 

IIRC I think you said you were taking some private tours. Why not ask to driver to stop at a cafe for a snack? You could always ask on the ship if they would provide a small box of goodies. I've heard of people doing this in the past but I don't remember the replies. If it's okay to take fruit or a small box of cereal off I'm sure they would tell you. I just know you can't do it in the US.

Maybe someone else can add to this.

GN

[Maclean girl]

Thanks GN. I am not looking for "food" but more a packet of nuts or an apple just to get me from breakfast to a later lunch etc. When traveling in Canada ( where we live) or in Australia ( where we visit family), we usually take a ziplock bag of cashews with us. That plus a bottle of water is perfect for tiding us over as we travel.

Does HAL have a convenience type store on Rotterdam where I could buy a small bag of nuts or such?

[grannynurse]

The last time I was on Rotterdam (2004) the sundries shop had a small supply of liquor, personal goods, film, etc. I really do not remember seeing nuts, I think I saw gum. They may have added to the shop with the SOE improvements. It's in the area with the other shops around the atrium midship on deck 5, upper promenade, just 1 deck below the veranda deck where I'm assuming your cabin is.

As you get off the ship, there is a crew person who has a table with bottled water (expensive, but who cares), I never wanted to bring my own on board, and I would never cart it to Europe. Some tour operators (private cars) supply water, or you may find packages of nuts in your hotel before you board.

Sorry, other than the above ideas I'm clueless.

I wish I was going with you on my favorite Rotterdam, I just love her, and she IS the flagship (along with Amsterdam).

GN

[Maclean girl]

Thanks for the tips re bottled water etc and also about the shop selling sundry items. I am probably thinking too much....and should just relax and let it all happen!

I appreciate your positive comments about the Rotterdam. As I have been reading the posts on this board about HAL, some of them have been critical and have made me wonder if we have made a mistake. However, any place where I don't have to cook or clean and can sit and view fabulous sights in the sun, will be quite wonderful, I am sure. What fortunate people we are to be even going on a cruise in the first place, eh?

[peaches from georgia]

Maclean girl-

 

You're worrying for nothing, so relax and just enjoy the anticipation. It may be your first cruise, but you have to remember that the ship's officers and crew do this everyday and the tour operators in the ports you might use know more about your itinerary and ship than you do. This is their business and they do tours for cruise ships everyday, too. They'll know when you are docking, if the ship is delayed, and where to find you. When you make your arrangements with them the most detail they really need is 'a morning or afternoon' tour, how long and what you might like to see. They'll tell you where to find them at the terminal and off you'll go. Remember it's their business and they know what they're doing. There also are always a lot of taxis and tour operators just waiting at the port terminals to pick up some pax who have decided they would like to book something right there.

 

As for taking a snack we don't normally do this, but I've never had any one in any port look in my tote bag to see what I'm bringing off the ship, have never seen any signs or warnings, and have never seen anyone have a problem. There are lots of cold cuts, cheeses and bread/rolls out in the Lido for breakfast. I see no reason you can't take a sandwich or other snack off the ship with you. There are plenty of things available in the Lido or fron room service you could take on a tour.

 

Enjoy. The Rotterdam is the best. :)

[grannynurse]

Hi,

I would never tell you that Rotterdam is perfect, we had some minor aggravations in the 60+ days we've been aboard, but we've never had anything happen aboard a HAL ship that negatively colored our experience.

Some poeple called our 2004 cruise "the cruise from Hell" because we spent so many days in fog, had to stay in Amsterdam an extra day and a half due to high winds that would have put the ship in jeopardy going through the canal to get out of port, Had a stabilizer foul on a fishing net that gave us a 30 list to port and practically emptied the lido pool which we were sitting near. Things happen at sea that we have no control over. Some of the events gave us alot of conversation miles, we still talk about them almost 3 years later. We consider them adventures, and actually who ya gonna blame?

The same cruise we got a gift from the kids that they bought through HAL's ships services. Guess what we got.....a basket of Caribbean goodies in the north atlantic. We had a good laugh over that. Our renewal of vows flowers came on day 2 of a 35 day cruise (june 6), the ceremony was scheduled for July 5th. Hey, we told them about it and they corrected it.

 

I think that some people have attitudes, and like having them. Imagine complaining about a little rust on the outside of a tender. We pay too much money to be miserable on a vacation, we could stay home and be miserable for free. Go believing that you'll have a great time and you will. I think we're all responsible for our own happiness. I don't play the blame game, some peole thrive on it. It's all subjective anyway. Go and enjoy yourself and take along an open mind and a positive attitude. You desrve a wonderful vacation.

GN

[Maclean girl]

Thanks GN for all your great suggestions and advice. I agree totally with you about choosing a positive attitude. Life is too short and we are so blessed in North America that it makes no sense to quibble about things you can't change.

 

I am so looking forward to this experience....whatever happens. It will all make great stories for when we come home!

 

You have been a great help! Thanks!

[Maclean girl]

HI GN, I tried to find your email address but could not find it. You mentioned that you would be happy to answer any questions if I emailed you and ...tried clicking on your profile to find it but there was no information there. Perhaps I am looking in the wrong place??