Difficult to tender?

[kerry1379]

As a follow up to another thread I saw about tendering, how difficult is it to get on and off the tendering boat? Are there rails to hold onto? Is there room for me to stand beside someone to assist? Do you need to take a big step or jump the gap between boats or does the ramp go right into the tendering boat? I have a 13 year old who has moderate cerebral palsy. He can walk pretty well on solid, level ground without assistance but add the rocking of a boat and he will need to hold onto me. Because he does struggle with walking long distances, he has a special needs stroller that folds up to about the size of a umbrella stroller (a bit larger than an infants though) and I can put that across our lap while sitting. Are there restrictions against strollers? We stop at Grand Caymen on an upcoming cruise and I need more information to try to decide if a port excursion will be possible.

Thank you to whoever posted that tendering video on the other thread. I found that helpful! Now I just need to learn more about getting on and off the tendering boat.

Thank you!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

As a follow up to another thread I saw about tendering, how difficult is it to get on and off the tendering boat? Are there rails to hold onto? Is there room for me to stand beside someone to assist? Do you need to take a big step or jump the gap between boats or does the ramp go right into the tendering boat? I have a 13 year old who has moderate cerebral palsy. He can walk pretty well on solid, level ground without assistance but add the rocking of a boat and he will need to hold onto me. Because he does struggle with walking long distances, he has a special needs stroller that folds up to about the size of a umbrella stroller (a bit larger than an infants though) and I can put that across our lap while sitting. Are there restrictions against strollers? We stop at Grand Caymen on an upcoming cruise and I need more information to try to decide if a port excursion will be possible.

Thank you to whoever posted that tendering video on the other thread. I found that helpful! Now I just need to learn more about getting on and off the tendering boat.

Thank you!

There is a little (sort of) gangway that sits across the space between the ship and the tender. It moves up and down with the tender. Often there is a CM, or tender crew person, here assisting people across into the tender. Not a lot of support, just sort of a hand to grab onto.

I have a picture, but it's on a different computer. If someone else doesn't come up with one, I post it later.
Typically, from what I've seen, a stroller is allowed (without a child in it). Same with wheelchairs, but the person in the chair must be able to get out of the chair and actually get on the boat (with some assistance) themselves. The strollers & wheel chairs are stored on an upper level for the trip into shore.

 

[MunFam]

One thing I want to add to this is when we tendered in Cabo, it was glass water in the morning and very easy to get IN to the tender. When we returned that afternoon, the wind picked up and it was super rocky. They were timing us off the tender with the waves and you would get off the tender and rush up the ladder/steps because the waves were washing up over the ship's platform. This seemed normal for the crew, but do keep this in mind when you get off the boat. Our three year old, with the help of the crew, had to get off the tender and up the stairs on her own. DH went before her and I got off after her.

 

[ImDMous]

When we tendered in Cabo it was a bit choppy also. There were two tender crewman on one side and two Disney crewman on the other and they were pretty much throwing people across the gap timed with the waves. It was a big step/bit of a hop and the guys on the receiving end would grab both your arms and pull to make sure you made it. Definitely one at a time across and up the stairs.

 

[dumbox2]

we tendered in grand cayman and they assisted in getting my wheelchair on and off and I never had to get out of it

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

we tendered in grand cayman and they assisted in getting my wheelchair on and off and I never had to get out of it

That is what I observed in Grand Cayman as well. Someone in a wheel chair who didn't have to get out of it at all, they positioned themselves in a spot near the exit as well, rather than going over to the benches (which would have been a tight fit). It may be different at different ports due to different tenders. And there were many CMs to help out as needed.

 

[Captainkate]

It was real easy. Just a little gang plank with rails and the boat is real close to the ship. It was all very safe.