Question for recent Magic cruisers

[luv that cruise]

What time have you been able to easily get off the ship in Grand Cayman? I don't need to be first off but also don't want to be standing at the end of a long line. What time does the disembarkation crowd thin out? Thanks

 

[luv that cruise]

I think I have the only zero responses on the first page Can anyone help on this one? thanks

 

[HoustonMom1]

I can't help but would like to know the answer also. We have friends that will be vacationing in Caymen when we are in port, and they have offered to pick us up at the port. I have no idea what time I should tell them to come get us...and if anyone can recommend a meeting spot that would be great too!

 

[MandyGirl]

We were off on the first tender this past week onboard the Magic at 7:30. Arrived at Buena Vista a little early to receive our tickets and wait in the chairs there they directed us too. Were ashore by 7:45 for an 8:00 excursion.... but due to the time change and Disney not doing what Nativeway predicted... we ended up being an hour early (Nativeway had not realized what DCL would be doing the week of the time change for daylight savings and had given us instructions like all the other weeks - no big deal, we just waited in the port area as it was better to be early than late)

Of course, we only had about 1800 onboard, so not a full ship. 11:00 is when they had stated in the Navigators no more tender tickets required (or sooner if crowds thinned)

 

[tmclanton]

How is determined who gets tendered first? Is it just who gets in line first or is there a method to the madness?

 

[luv that cruise]

we are on a non-disney excursion. I know they take their tours off first. What i am inquiring is when others can leave the ship? I am hoping it is before 11. Regarding Daylight Savings Time - Disney Does adjust for that time zone. If I remember correctly we are in the same time zone as grand cayman so I supposed I need to ask about this. Thanks - you have given me something else to consider!

 

[dizmomof2]

We were on the non Disney excursion and were still on a 7:45 tender and in Grand Cayman by 8 am. Disney usually adjusts their ship clocks to standard time so if you are crossing time zones you will change the time on board. If you are sailing out of Galveston you will move your clocks ahead one hour. Our problem last week was Disney decided not to observe day light savings time on Saturday so we were already on local time and that through off the schedule a bit.

 

[luv that cruise]

Thanks for the response. Wondering if Grand Cayman recognizes Daylight Savings Time. I sent an email but will wait & hear from them.

 

[MandyGirl]

How is determined who gets tendered first? Is it just who gets in line first or is there a method to the madness?

Last week on Magic - stand in line at Buena Vista, receive tender ticket, proceed inside to sit on certain aisle they tell you, and then they call your tender to proceed to the gangway on deck one. You hand your ticket over when about to board the tender and swipe your KTTW card. Very organized. We did not have a DCL excursion since our daughter was too young. For those with DCL shore excursions, they have a separate meeting place and fill in the tenders as well - so you may be an independent shore excursion like we were, riding on the same exact tender as the first shore excursions.

 

[MandyGirl]

And completely off topic... thinking of disembarkation times while they are fresh on my mind... we set our bags out the night before and were among the first in line in lobby atrium to disembark (family of 4 including 2 year old). We were told that would not happen until 8:30 but waited anyway... After all the express walk-off passengers disembarked, we were called shortly after 8:00. Had to wait for elevator due to stroller I had - they would not let me collapse it and go down escalator. Cleared security, found bags (took a few minutes to locate one bag), took the shuttle to Port of Galveston Parking Lot B and were loading car by 8:25. The time stamp on my luggage check-in at Southwest ticket counter at Hobby was 9:21 and at the gate by 9:35. And for bonus points... my large checked bag weighed only 44 pounds - so both my bags were checked for free.

 

[sissy_ib]

we are on a non-disney excursion. I know they take their tours off first. What i am inquiring is when others can leave the ship? I am hoping it is before 11. Regarding Daylight Savings Time - Disney Does adjust for that time zone. If I remember correctly we are in the same time zone as grand cayman so I supposed I need to ask about this. Thanks - you have given me something else to consider!

Most tours don't start that early. I was on the same cruise as Mandy Girl. We got to the theater around 8 an waited no more than 10 minutes before we were headed to a tender. People in concierge can get priority tenders if they want it and yes the early DCL tours. We actually saw a lot of tour people getting of the ship after we did.

 

[luv that cruise]

hmmm. we are concierge and have been corresponding the shoreside concierge services. I specifically asked about tenders and was told that priority tender services were not offered to any passengers.

Once we board I'm sure the staff on board can give us an idea about what time we can expect to get off the ship. I was hoping to give the boat charter captain a specific time we could meet him. He has a large van to take 16 of us to the boat location about 15 minutes away.

I suppose with the tender tickets everyone must be present to get one? i.e. we can't send an early bird to collect tickets for all of us? So tickets are given out at the Buena Vista Theater and then you immediately go in to a designated row and are then called when it is your turn. Is that correct? When they call you is it pretty orderly and quick?

Thanks for the help.

 

[sissy_ib]

hmmm. we are concierge and have been corresponding the shoreside concierge services. I specifically asked about tenders and was told that priority tender services were not offered to any passengers.

Once we board I'm sure the staff on board can give us an idea about what time we can expect to get off the ship. I was hoping to give the boat charter captain a specific time we could meet him. He has a large van to take 16 of us to the boat location about 15 minutes away.

I suppose with the tender tickets everyone must be present to get one? i.e. we can't send an early bird to collect tickets for all of us? So tickets are given out at the Buena Vista Theater and then you immediately go in to a designated row and are then called when it is your turn. Is that correct? When they call you is it pretty orderly and quick?

Thanks for the help.

Yes, everyone must be present to get a ticket. They hand you one then you go sit in the theater. They will call each row one at a time and you just follow in a line down to deck one. It is pretty orderly because groups stay together and there is no need to rush at that point because you will all be getting on the same tender. As for giving him a specific time, that is hard in any port. Weather could be bad and cause a delay, local customs could cause a delay, etc..

 

[sinnika]

Another thing to consider is whether or not your tender can dock in Georgetown at the main tender pier. We were on the Halloween cruise on the Magic and we dropped anchor in another calmer area, and came into another pier, and were given complimentary bus vouchers to drive us to Georgetown. The bus ride took an additional 10 or 15 min. The buses had a DCL card in the windshield so we knew what bus to take on the return. Waves were crashing over the pier in Georgetown and DCL beach excursions were cancelled. I know many went to Stingray city on their own excursion and they mentioned the snorkeling stops were a bit rough with the waves. The bus vouchers were handed out with our tender tickets in the Buena Vista theatre.

 

[MandyGirl]

Another thing to consider is whether or not your tender can dock in Georgetown at the main tender pier. We were on the Halloween cruise on the Magic and we dropped anchor in another calmer area, and came into another pier, and were given complimentary bus vouchers to drive us to Georgetown. The bus ride took an additional 10 or 15 min. The buses had a DCL card in the windshield so we knew what bus to take on the return.

Good point --- That also happened to us once on a Holland America cruise. Buses were also provided by HAL as well. When we were trying to decide where to get married on a cruise, we researched Grand Cayman but eventually chose St John because of all the reports Grand Cayman had of ships missing port due to winds... and this was ten years ago when we had it narrowed down to those to islands to exchange vows on. Darn waves

 

[luv that cruise]

Thanks everyone. I guess I will have to turn my cell phone on that morning and i can text them and vice versa. Texts aren't that expensive but I have to remember to turn my phone back off!

We have discussed bad weather conditions and they have assured me that if it isn't safe they will not go out. If the tender boats can't run then we won't be charged.

 

[Kimmiebr80]

We were concierge, and were advised to call them when we were ready and they'd tell us which tender was ready and where to go. We called and met Danny at the forward tender and he met us there with our tickets, towels and bus tickets to get us into town, since weather had us docked on the other side of the island. We never had to meet in a theater.

 

[luv that cruise]

We were concierge, and were advised to call them when we were ready and they'd tell us which tender was ready and where to go. We called and met Danny at the forward tender and he met us there with our tickets, towels and bus tickets to get us into town, since weather had us docked on the other side of the island. We never had to meet in a theater.

We are concierge but 12 others with us are not. We all need to be on the same tender to meet the van that will take us to the boat. We will go to the theater so we can stay with the rest of our party. Thanks for the info.

When I first posted I had memories of people all packed in like sardines extending up to the 2nd floor waiting to disembark. I wanted to avoid that. But now that I am thinking about, it I do remember the tender disembarkations are more orderly. It will all be good.