Are reservations needed for tender?

[bandlady74]

We have booked a 7AM HAL excursion on our Amsterdam cruise while we are in Sitka. The ship is actually supposed to come into port at that time. Do we need to make an advance reservation so that we can get on an early tender and make it to our excursion? (This is our first cruise so I'm not sure what the "rules" are in regards to boarding the tender. We are in an outside cabin.)

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Amy:)

[sail7seas]

Amy.....

If you are on an HAL excursion, you will be given priority for boarding a tender for shore. Your tour ticket (which will be in your cabin when you board), will tell you where, on the ship, you are to meet your tour group and what time. You will be directed to the gangway to board a tender with your group.

 

 

[peaches from georgia]

You will get tickets for your excursion and the info on where to meet will be on the tkt. You do not need a reservation. Your group will meet in one of the lounges and go together to the tender. Not a thing to worry about! When you book a HAL excursion everything is taken care of for you. :D

[bandlady74]

Fantastic! That gives me one less thing to worry about!

 

Amy:)

[messymarie]

Did you book from Hal because it show Amsterdam arriving in Sitka at 8 A.M

[Boytjie]

If you are not on a HAL excursion but booked it independently you will have to wait untill those on early HAL excursions have been tendered. Suite passengers also get priority in boarding tenders IIRC.

[Krazy Kruizers]

OP did mention that they are on a HAL excursion.

Sitka -- if you are on the Sea Otter excursion -- we have done this a couple of times -- we met in the Explorer's Lounge -- that boat comes out to the ship and everyone gets right onto the boat from the back gangway. Once the tour is over the excursion boat drops you off at the pier in town. One time we were dropped off at the visitor's center -- the other time we were dropped off by the bridge.

Now -- if you are on a different tour -- the rest meet in the show lounge.

[bandlady74]

Wow, you all are such a great help! Yes, it's the HAL Sea Otter excursion, and yes, it's 8AM, not 7!:o

 

So it looks like they'll pick us up right from the ship. Very exciting! We plan to walk to the national park after the excursion, and also see the Russian church.

 

Thanks again,

Amy:)

[Boytjie]

OP did mention that they are on a HAL excursion.

 

And once again I have to read more carefully.... :o

[bethaniesmom]

is the train from seward to anchorage also treated like a shore excursion if booked thru HAL, that is, do we meet and disembark among the first off the ship as a group?

 

Beverly

[onapea]

Book a suite and just walk on and watch out for everyone in line get raged.

[peaches from georgia]

Suite pax do Not just walk onto the tenders. Yes, they do not have to go to a lounge to get a tender tkt, though tkts are needed only in the early morning when there is a crowd of excursion people needing to get off first. After that everyone just goes to the gangway and lines up to walk off. But when suite pax go to the gangway they get to the end of the line like everyone else and go off in the order they arrived. No reason for anyone already on line to get in a rage as suite pax do not bust into line ahead of them.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Wow, you all are such a great help! Yes, it's the HAL Sea Otter excursion, and yes, it's 8AM, not 7!:o

 

So it looks like they'll pick us up right from the ship. Very exciting! We plan to walk to the national park after the excursion, and also see the Russian church.

 

Thanks again,

Amy:)

 

I hope you have a great time on the Sea Otter excursion -- we loved it.

It is a very nice boat -- lots of shelter on the lower deck -- they provide binocluars for everyone -- there are bathrooms -- they even serve salmon pate!! You can go up to the other top deck for some realyy great pictures and views -- weather permitting.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Book a suite and just walk on and watch out for everyone in line get raged.

 

AHH -- we always book a Delux suite -- --

But when it comes to the tenders -- yes we do have piroity -- and if we don't have an excursion booked -- we try to head down to the tenders when we feel the majority of the people have gone ashore.

BUT -- a couple of times we have encountered lines at the gangway to board the tenders -- so we just get at the end of the line -- we do not push in front of others!! Very rude if others do this!!

[Jana White]

We were on the Westerdam in June and they had just started a new policy the week before for Sitka. In order to expedite the tendering, Sitka has offered up some of their bigger excursion boats to the ships for tendering. There were no tender tickets at all. When you were ready to board the tender you just went to the gangway. If you had an excursion you went to one gangway, if you were on you own you went to another. We were concerned because we had an indendent tour at 8:30am and had been warned all of the HAL excursion passengers were given priority tendering. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. This was the easiest tendering port we have ever been to and we were onshore by 8:00am having experienced no lines at all. We were very happy!

[brucory]

OP did mention that they are on a HAL excursion.

 

Sitka -- if you are on the Sea Otter excursion -- we have done this a couple of times -- we met in the Explorer's Lounge -- that boat comes out to the ship and everyone gets right onto the boat from the back gangway. Once the tour is over the excursion boat drops you off at the pier in town. One time we were dropped off at the visitor's center -- the other time we were dropped off by the bridge.

 

 

This also works in reverse for the pm version of this tour. The sea otter excursion boat actually takes you back directly to the ship. Very convenient and avoids having to mess around with tenders etc.

 

:D:D:D

[Krazy Kruizers]

We were on the Westerdam in June and they had just started a new policy the week before for Sitka. In order to expedite the tendering, Sitka has offered up some of their bigger excursion boats to the ships for tendering. There were no tender tickets at all. When you were ready to board the tender you just went to the gangway. If you had an excursion you went to one gangway, if you were on you own you went to another. We were concerned because we had an indendent tour at 8:30am and had been warned all of the HAL excursion passengers were given priority tendering. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. This was the easiest tendering port we have ever been to and we were onshore by 8:00am having experienced no lines at all. We were very happy!

 

That sounds great!!

Hope Sitka keeps those larger tenders!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

is the train from seward to anchorage also treated like a shore excursion if booked thru HAL, that is, do we meet and disembark among the first off the ship as a group?

 

Beverly

 

Yes

The evening before disembarkation you will know what time breakfast is -- early -- and you will know what time to board the train. The last few times we were in Seward, the train pulled out at 7 AM and the majority of the buses pulled out shortly after that.

[Krazy Kruizers]

This also works in reverse for the pm version of this tour. The sea otter excursion boat actually takes you back directly to the ship. Very convenient and avoids having to mess around with tenders etc.

 

:D:D:D

 

The last couple of times we were in Sitka, we did notice that the afternoon Sea Otter tour did bring the people directly back to the ship.

[ncgolferette]

Is a category B on the Amersterdam considered a suite with priority disembarkation for tenders? We have one booked for next summer.

[RuthC]

Is a category B on the Amersterdam considered a suite with priority disembarkation for tenders? We have one booked for next summer.

No, it's a mini-suite. The suite categories are the Penthouse, and the S-suites.