Hi Scott!
Welcome onboard the Disney Parks Moms Panel! I'll bet the excitement it through the roof at your house now. Only two weeks until you set sail on your very
first Disney cruise! I say that deserves a special SAIL-ebration during your 7-night Western Caribbean cruise on the Disney Fantasy. Then again, it will already be out of this galaxy with a
Star Wars Day at Sea!
You are correct that
Grand Cayman uses a tender service to bring Guests to the island. I checked your itinerary, and the all ashore time for Grand Cayman is 10:30 a.m. The tender ride is approximately 10 to 15 minutes, and tenders run continuously throughout the day. However, there may be peak times where a large majority of Guests decide to debark and a limited number of tenders available, so factor that into your travel time. All the details you need to know about tendering will be included with your Personal Navigator newsletter in your stateroom the night before you arrive.
For your sailing, the last tender is currently listed for 5:30 p.m. But I would not cut it close at all in taking a tender back to the ship because that’s a surefire way to add stress and drama to a vacation. If an activity runs late or you encounter traffic problems, then it can make for one dicey trip back to the Disney Fantasy! For a tender port like Grand Cayman, there can be a longer line on the dock to wait for the tender boats, so you don't want to run late and find yourself missing the boat. Build in a cushion of extra time to get back to the port after your ashore adventures.
If you are doing
Port Adventures with Disney Cruise Line, then you will meet your group on the ship, and everyone in that excursion will board the same tender over to the island (and likewise for your return back to the ship). Here's one HUGE incentive for arranging excursions with Disney: the ship will do everything it can to wait for those Guests doing Port Adventures if there is a delay. I've never actually encountered a problem while on a Port Adventure, but I sure like the feeling that I won't miss the ship if something goes awry.
Scott, wishing you a fabulous time both exploring Grand Cayman and during your entire cruise. Say hi to Captain Mickey for me!
Happy Sailing!
Sherry