Swipe Right to Tender
You like big boats and you cannot lie…
Don’t conspire to be judgy Becky - there are plenty of advantages to being a “Rap guy’s girlfriend”! At CruiseAlly, we like big… boats, too! They offer room to roam, have enhanced entertainment, and feature expanded cabin selections. Big boats have everything, except anacondas.
To set expectations, big boats have one limitation, their sheer size. The higher the boat is from water level, the closer the lower half of the boat is to the ocean floor. Their width does them no favors when approaching land, either. These are sea beasts.
Tenders to the rescue! When shallow or narrow ports present a problem for large boats, tenders are used. Tenders are smaller transport boats that shuttle cruisers from the cruise ship to the dock.
Everyone swipes right - the tendering process can take some time. How are you doing now? This depends on the port, weather, distance And the number of tenders available. Most ships offer informational sessions about each port the day prior. This is a great place to ask about the process and set reasonable expectations for time management.
For a true nail biter, and to appreciate the skill needed to guide a mega cruise ship into port, watch The Secret Life of the Cruise (Free on Tubi). Specifically, watch the segment where the captain - autopilot off - coaxes a huge cruise ship into port Miami. Spoiler alert: They make it!
Do you mind a tender? Or, do you hard pass and swipe left? We would love to hear your stories. Please share them with us TalkToUs@CruiseAlly.com!