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quote:Originally posted by Salaison:Okay guys question, I was going through a couple of pictures and i noticed that a good few of the ships coming out only have lifeboats no tenders for example Oasis of the Seas, Voyager class, Carnival Dream to name a few. Is it fair to say that those ships have no plans on being on anchorage? Are they guarantee a berthing spot? even if a port maybe over crowded with other cruise ships? and if they do anchor one is to assume arrangement would be made with smaller companies to transport their passengers ashore. Is it cheaper to use companies rather than their own tenders?
Operating the ship's own tender is obviously cheaper for the company, than rent/hire tender service from the locals. The cruise ship itself can utilize their own deck department crew to run their own tender boats. When the PRIDE OF AMERICA anchors in Kona, the company hires local boat drivers to run our tender boats, but used the un-licensed seamen for line handling.
I do not think a ship not equipped with tenders has anything to do with having no plans on being at an anchorage. Ships such as the OASIS of the SEAS, VOYAGER-class ships, and CARNIVAL DREAM operate the Caribbean bus tour itineraries, and these Caribbean ports are filled with tender services. (I recall visiting the Grand Cayman Islands some years ago, and the cruise ship I was on used their own tender boats, while VOYAGER of the SEAS and another CARNIVAL DESTINY-class ship hired local tender boats). Other ships visit more remote places where there may be a lack of tender boats, and having their own tenders is a must.
On a side note....I recall reading somewhere lifeboats on the OASIS of the SEAS can also be used a tender boat.
[ 01-05-2010: Message edited by: Waynaro ]
As can be seen in the last picture, these tenders are much bigger than a tender would be from the ship (and the tender boat in that picture was the smallest one used in this port, the other ones were much bigger).
Maybe it is due to the amount of people onboard? "Own" tenders would be too small, and a lot of them would be needed?
In the case of other ships, it is at least assumed that if they are going to be in a port where tenders are required, local tenders will be available, and will probably be larger than any the ship can carry.
If you look at these ships that do not have tenders, they are generally not ships that tend to call at out-of-the-way ports with limited infrastructure. Ships that are designed for wide-ranging, worldwide itineraries tend to carry their own tenders.
[ 01-06-2010: Message edited by: LeBarryboat ]
That said, they weren't used on our Solstice cruise last autumn. We docked at all ports of call except Santorini, and at that port local tenders are always used, by all ships.
[ 01-07-2010: Message edited by: Tom Burke ]
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