HELP! Excursion question - booking tonight

[MomOTwins]

I'm booking my DCL excursions right now (I know, I'm an hour late, ugh, I didn't mean to be--stupid central time difference). I just realized since I've never booked an excursion before I have no idea how the timing works. So if I book a DCL 12:30pm excursion in Grand Cayman (tender port), does that mean I will have to be off the ship, at the port, waiting for our transfer at 12:30 (in which case, I'd need to leave the ship no later than probably 11am to be safe, which is not great because it would make it near impossible to have lunch on the ship), or does it mean I just have to be ready to leave the ship at 12:30, in which case I can do an early lunch with the kids around 11 and have plenty of time?

Thanks in advance!

 

[mylael]

When I've taken excursions through DCL, the given time was when we'd meet -- on the ship. So if it says 12:30, go to the meeting spot on the ship at about 12:20. The meeting spot might be a lounge or something. I recall getting a character sticker, and then when it was time for us (the people in our excursion) to exit the ship (together) they called that character, and we went. Don't forget your ID!

 

[MomOTwins]

Thanks!!! Really appreciate the quick response.

 

[clten]

Are you arriving in Grand Cayman in the morning? If so, usually the afternoon excursions do NOT meet on the ship but rather on the pier (so you do have to take the tender over to meet the excursion group). The exception would be if you are scheduled to arrive in Grand Cayman later than normal.

 

[MomOTwins]

Are you arriving in Grand Cayman in the morning? If so, usually the afternoon excursions do NOT meet on the ship but rather on the pier (so you do have to take the tender over to meet the excursion group). The exception would be if you are scheduled to arrive in Grand Cayman later than normal.

OOf, there goes my plans. The cruise gets in to GC at 10:30am, and the excursion is 12:30 pm. How long does the tender process take?

 

[BuzzLightyearInTampa]

Are you arriving in Grand Cayman in the morning? If so, usually the afternoon excursions do NOT meet on the ship but rather on the pier (so you do have to take the tender over to meet the excursion group). The exception would be if you are scheduled to arrive in Grand Cayman later than normal.

We just got off the Fantasy and took multiple afternoon excursions. They ALL met aboard ship. I think the only exception to this that I have seen are some Alaska excursions or maybe if they are tendering at some ports. Either way, they will tell you once onboard (it will be printed on your ticket that will be in your stateroom when you board). But I would not automatically assume that an afternoon excursion meets on the pier.

 

[MomOTwins]

Aaaaaahhh I am so confused. There is pretty much nothing more stressful for me than not being able to plan ahead. I miss disney world

 

[Pooh93]

Call the cruise line and ask what normally happens.

 

[jrabbit]

I didn't know that DCL ever had excursions meet OFF of the ship. In the literally 100's of DCL excursions we've taken we have ALWAYS met on the ship at the designated time.

Regardless, the tendering in Grand Cayman is pretty much back to back to back, as one tender fills up, the next one pulls up to take its spot. I don't think that there are any gaps as long as 30 minutes at any point in the day.

So take a breath and relax. Life is easier if you don't have to plan out every second of your trip 6+ months in advance ... I'm looking at you WDW !!!

Oh yea, no one ever went hungry on a DCL cruise. There's food everywhere, almost all day long ... For FREE!!!

 

[clten]

Our experience in Grand Cayman was that they met on the pier for the afternoon excursions. That way the people who got off in the morning didn't need to tender back to meet just to tender back over the island. If others have had different experiences in Grand Cayman, then perhaps they have changed it since we were last there. In other ports where we have been docked, we have done 12:30 excursions and indeed still had a meet spot on board.