Port Adventures Meeting Spot - Always on ship?

[Ariel 2021]

For our first cruise (during lots of COVID restrictions) we did one port adventure at a tender port (Cabo) and had to meet at the D-Lounge on board before the excursion to go on shore along with everyone else all together. Is this the normal procedure? Or are you ever allowed to meet on land at a meeting location?

For our next cruise (tender port as well) I want to go on shore and then meet up with the excursion on shore so that I don't have to get back on the boat. Is that ever allowed? It's Catalina Island and I happen to know that the port adventure leaves from the same main dock that the tender will drop us off at.

On our last cruise they also made everyone go back on ship as part of the excursion, all together. It didn't seem to be enforced thought and some people kind of just wandered off (we went back because we wanted to anyways). Is that normal? What if people want to stay on land to explore on their own after the excursion is over?

 

[limespy]

Where you meet is dependent upon what time your excursion happens relative to docking time of the ship. On our last cruise, we had one excursion where we met on the ship because it was early. Once the excursion was over, we were free to return to the ship at our leisure. Another excursion (which started a couple hours after docking) met on the pier.

 

[Marc D]

As PP said, it depends on how they set up the check-in process in relation to all ashore time. One thing Is certain : it’s all or nothing. You can’t meet up with the group somewhere else than the designated meeting point. They distribute stickers, establish the final count of checked-in guests, check that you are on the list…

 

[lklgoodman]

As PP said, it depends on how they set up the check-in process in relation to all ashore time. One thing Is certain : it’s all or nothing. You can’t meet up with the group somewhere else than the designated meeting point. They distribute stickers, establish the final count of checked-in guests, check that you are on the list…

All good points. Plus, at tender points DCL puts people who have excursions booked through them on the tenders first. If you don't go with your excursion group you may be waiting awhile while all the excursion groups at that time are leaving. Now that the covid restricts have been lifted, you should be able to explore once your excursion is over. We went to GC last March(also a tender port). There was a DCL person waiting for the bus we used for the excursion. We gave them our name when we got off and then we were free to go off on our own.

 

[limespy]

One thing Is certain : it’s all or nothing. You can’t meet up with the group somewhere else than the designated meeting point.

Oh yes! Great point!!