Well ahoy there Stephanie, and welcome back aboard planDisney!
It's so wonderful to see you coming back to ask our team questions ahead of your trips to Disney Destinations, even from over a decade ago on your first Walt Disney World Resort visit! I definitely remember when you came to us about
suggestions for a stateroom that would help lessen the feeling of the motion of the ocean while cruising. I'm so glad that you came to ask about tendering as they may very well be the bane of many a seasoned sailor - while we've earned our sea legs and grown accustomed to larger vessels like cruise ships, these smaller tender boats sometimes seem to feel every wave and wake by comparison.
I'm compiled a few bits of nautical knowledge for you to help mitigate any worries you may have about tendering, and perhaps a few handy tips and tricks to make the process feel a bit smoother:
- The tendering process at Grand Cayman involves boarding one of several tender boats that will transport you from the disembarkation point on the ship (typically located on Deck 1) to the tender terminal designated for your ship in George Town.
- These are local tenders hired by Disney Cruise Line which tend to have two levels of seating, an overall capacity that may range between 200 - 300 passengers and take just a few minutes from the ship's mooring location to the dock.
- Bear in mind that unlike cruise ships, as smaller boats take on more passengers this can greatly affect the center of gravity and weight displacement on board and result in a greater sensation of movement while you're on it; this may especially be felt as folks board and disembark the tenders and less while it is in motion and everyone is seated.
- In my experience, (provided that there are no delays and the conditions on the water are stable) the tendering process is usually the most easygoing at the very beginning of the process and then immediately gets more hectic as folks head down after breakfast. The very early birds tend to be rewarded with lesser waits, while the busier tender times may require an additional bit of patience; this is especially true as they try to load each boat up to capacity which may mean sitting on a tender as it bobs alongside the ship for quite some time loading fellow guests.
- For the most relaxed experience possible, I personally wait until "open tenders" are announced across the ship which usually means that boarding group tickets that may have been distributed earlier are no longer required. I would also take a moment to look out from the side of the ship facing the Port to observe the tendering process from above, to gauge whether there is anything like strong winds or rough waves affecting the tenders before taking any necessary medication and heading down.
- Whenever possible, aim to be on a lower level and towards the middle as long as there is ample airflow - and if you can, look to the horizon in the direction the tender is heading and not at a mobile device.
I hope that this was helpful to you Stephanie, please come back to planDisney to
ask me any more questions ahead of your next voyage out to Disney Destinations!
Wishing you a Grand adventure at Grand Cayman!
Prince