St Thomas - tender?, disembarking time?

[Masonpips]

1) Is there any rhyme/reason to the tender situation? I've checked the last couple of month's schedule (http://www.vinow.com/general_usvi/getting_here/usvi_cruise_ship.php) and can't really tell who does/does not tender in any given month. We'll be there November 5th, hoping the November schedule will be out in late Oct.

2) We have booked a private daysail and they are open as to starting time. What time can we realistically be off the Magic? Is the same regardless of the tender situation? I assume there will be taxis waiting at either drop-off location (or are they the same?, does the tender drop you at the typical dock area?)

3) Since we are booked outside of DCL will be waiting to get off after the DCL excursion folks (similar to Grand Cayman, did that last year, walked into WD Theater and there were only 8 folks or so, immediately were able to get on a tender and depart)?

THANK YOU!!

 

[andybear]

The St. Thomas situation is due to work being done on the dock at Havensight pier. They can normally hold 3 ships, but right now only 2. No date given for completion, but generally if 3 ships are scheduled, the 2 larger ones get pier spaces and the third anchors out. We anchored last week, and yes, Disney excursions get off first, but it really was not too bad. We scheduled our own scuba diving, and were on land at around 9:00. The tenders take you into Charlotte Amalie, not Havensight, and there are plenty of taxis available. Your only option is keep watching until the schedule is posted, but our taxi driver said the anchor deal is not all that common.

 

[Favorite Auntie]

We tendered in January, and it was a nightmare! I was booked on a DCL excursion, so they came right to the ship and got us, but my parents were doing the regular tender and it was complete chaos. Perhaps they have fixed it by now. The Cpt. said that the Magic was only supposed to tender at St Thomas one more time this year, so maybe you don't have to worry....

 

[Suecot2000]

I was also on the Magic last week and had to tender at St. Thomas. I believe that if you have booked an excursion independently or wish to disembark during the DCL "excursion evacuation" you were to send one person from you party to a certain location (can't remember it for the life of me) to received tender tickets. This way you avoided waiting in long lines for dirembarkation. They also used forward and aft tendering locations during the morning hours to speed up the process. It really turned out to be hassel free, and was dropped off at the downtown area which was a first for me.