At most ports, the ship will stay at the pier or dock, allowing you to walk down the gangway to the quayside. However, occasionally the water is too shallow for the ship to get close enough.
When this is the case, at these 'Tender Ports', small boats are used to take you from ship to shore and back again. Most of the time the ship’s own lifeboats serve this purpose but the local port authority do provide their own tender boats in some ports of call.
For any guests who are full-time wheelchair users, or with any serious mobility limitations, we advise you to carefully check your cruise itinerary at the time of booking to see if any ports of call included are shown as a Tender Port. This is because your opportunity to leave the ship at said port may be restricted by the Cruise Line Health & Safety Regulations on Tender usage, especially under inclement sea conditions.
If your booking has been affected by Covid-19 or you have any concerns, please see our dedicated pages for all the information regarding the latest coronavirus updates such as cancelled cruise dates, flexible cancellations, refunds, FAQs and more.