Tendering for suite passengers

[isutru]

My family will be in a suite (SA) for the first time. With regards to the tenders, do we get on with the Holland America shore excursion guests, or after they are all ashore? Anything else I should know? Thanks!

[bishop84]

My family will be in a suite (SA) for the first time. With regards to the tenders, do we get on with the Holland America shore excursion guests, or after they are all ashore? Anything else I should know? Thanks!

 

It depends on the port, normally those guests in the Suite can just go straight to the tenders when they are ready to go ashore. The one exception I know about is Santorini in Greece where the tours go first but only because they go to a different point on the island. Of course there are no privileges when you return and everyone has to wait in the same line, if any, for a tender.

[sail7seas]

Only one time (out of many) did they make us wait at the gangway until everyone on tour was on a tender. Someone had a bit of 'tude' that morning. :rolleyes:

 

Always, when we are ready to go ashore, we go to the gangway and get in line for the next tender. The line is never long as they only let people on ship's excursions go to the gangway in controlled groups. When the call them in the lounge to say a tender is ready, they then allow a certain number of guests to proceed there. It isn't like the whole ship is in line waiting. :eek:

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

We do the same thing. When we are ready to go ashore, we just go down to the gangway and get at the end of line.

Have never encountered any problems.

[sail7seas]

Used to be a tender pass was issued to Suite guests the night before a tender port but no longer. ID/Key card is all you need. Suite card is a different color. When they ask for your tender number at the gangway, just show them your card. No need to say anything. They know suites do not need to collect a number.

[Krazy Kruizers]

When we were on the Noordam everyone had the same color ID card -- GOLD.

It was a bit of a hassle for our tender ports as the crew had to check the names of us on the computer if we didn't have a number.

[sail7seas]

Funny.... we never had that problem.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Anymore you just never know what color Key Card you are going to get. In October on the Oosterdam Suite passengerr had blue and non suite had gold. I was told that because HAL had an excess surplus of the gold they changed it around. So then we get on the Eurodam in Decmeber and the firs week we were in a Suite and had the gold and non suite had the blue. We return to the Oosterdam in February and it was the same as October. So next up was the Statendam and it too was the same as the Oosterdam with Non Suite passengers having gold cards and Suite passengers having Blue. So now the guessing begins we will see what we have Sunday on the Westerdam :D

It almost makes me wonder if HAL is not looking to change the cards all together and they are trying to get rid of the surplus gold and they may have new cards in the future???? Possibly like Princess that designates the status of how many cruises you have done or possibly will have something to do with the new changes coming up with the Drink Cards :confused:

[sail7seas]

Now that you mention it, Lisa....

 

For the first time since they started having blue and gold cards, on Eurodam guests in Suites had blue cards. I had forgotten that. Both weeks, we were given blue cards.....not that it mattered to us what color. :)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Now that you mention it, Lisa....

 

For the first time since they started having blue and gold cards, on Eurodam guests in Suites had blue cards. I had forgotten that. Both weeks, we were given blue cards.....not that it mattered to us what color. :)

Yeah but you have to admit I am sure it was a bit of a shcokc when you checked in and they handed you the blue card ;) I know it did us on the Oosterdam in October :D

[sail7seas]

:o I'm embarrassed to admit I didn't look at the card. Slipped it into the spot in my purse I always keep it after being scanned aboard and it was a day or two until I realized. I commented about it being blue to DH and he shrugged. It wasn't until our second week aboard and we got the card for our next cruise that I asked the concierge. She shrugged too. :D So, I never did find out the 'why'.