Excursions not booked thru carnival. HELP!

C

chrissyinct

Guest
I've been reading about people who booked excursons outside of the cruiseline and how they saved money and how the experience was more enjoyable.
The boats were less packed and they got more of a personal experience.
I do have a few questions..
First i hear alot about tendering. At the risk of sounding stupid, what exactly is it? Exactly How does that work if you book an excursion outside the line?
How do you get your tickets? How do you get off the ship? are there any risks? How soon in advance should I book it?

Iv'e cruised before but never booked anything outside the cruiseline..

Thanks

Chrissy

Carnival Inspiration 4/06
 
J

jleq1

Guest
The vast majority of the time, you dock at a pier. However, there are a few ports (such as Grand Cayman} where you can't dock. A smaller boat, called a tender, takes you from your ship...anchored offshore...to the shore itself. If you have a need to get ashore less than about three hours after docking, you pick up a "tender ticket" in one of the lounges. Your ticket will tell you when your individual tender leaves the ship. First come, first served.

After about three hours, "open tendering" commences. Basically, all you do is "show up" where the tender is.

You can "book" an excursion whenever you want to. Most reputable vendors will let you do it online. The reply is your "ticket". If, for reasons beyond your control, the ship doesn't make it to the port, most vendors won't charge/refund any charges on your credit card for an excursion.
 
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