Many ports are ‘tender ports’ or also known as ‘anchor ports’. Tender ports are ports where cruise ships cannot dock meaning they have to anchor away from shore and the guests get taken to shore by a tender boat. The tender boat can be a lifeboat from the ship or a different vessel provided by the port authority. This means cruisers with limited mobility may struggle or not be able to get ashore from tender ports. As a result, it’s important for you to know which ports are tenders (or likely to be) if you have any physical disabilities.
Please note some ports are only partial tenders/anchors.
This is due to -
- The ship is too big - some large cruise liners are too big to enter smaller ports of call such as Royal Caribbean, (Norwegian Cruise Line) NCL, Marella, Celebrity, and Carnival for example.
- First come, first served - smaller ports may have docking piers but only a limited number. Therefore, in high season especially, ships arriving later don’t have a space to berth and must anchor in the port away from shore. This can also be the case for cruise line private islands such as Coco Cay. One solution is to sail with a smaller cruise ship or yacht such as Fred. Olsen or Regent.
Tender Ports
Below is the full list of tender port destinations -
- Europe
- Mediterranean
- Caribbean
- Asia
- North America
- Australasia
- South America
- Africa
Europe
- Bantry, Ireland
- Bornholm, Denmark
- Bronnoysund, Norway
- Cobh (Cork), Ireland
- Djúpivogur, Iceland
- Douglas, Isle of Man, England
- Dun Laoghaire (Dublin), Ireland
- Dunmore East, Ireland
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Eidfjord, Norway
- Fishguard, Wales
- Flåm, Norway
- Fowey, England
- Galway, Ireland
- Geiranger, Norway
- Guernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom
- Heimaey, Iceland
- Hellesylt, Norway
- Helsingor, Denmark
- Horta, Azores, Portugal
- Ilfracombe, England
- Invergordon, United Kingdom
- Isafjordur, Iceland
- Kirkenes, Norway
- Kirkwall, United Kingdom
- Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland
- Mamoudzou, Mayotte
- Mariehamn, Åland Islands
- Molde, Norway
- Monte Carlo, Monaco
- Nanortalik, Greenland
- Nessebar, Bulgaria
- Newhaven (Edinburgh), Scotland
- Nuuk, Greenland
- Ny Alesund, Spitsbergen, Norway
- Nynäshamn, Sweden
- Oban, Scotland
- Olden, Norway
- Paamiut (formerly Frederikshåb), Greenland
- Petropavlovsk, Russia
- Plymouth, England
- Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland
- Qaqortoq, Greenland
- Rønne (Bornholm), Denmark
- Rosendal, Norway
- Runavík, Faroe Islands
- Sarandë, Albania
- Scrabster, United Kingdom
- South Queensferry (Edinburgh), Scotland
- St Helier, Jersey
- St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, England
- St Peter Port, Guernsey
- Stornoway, Scotland
- Tobermory, Scotland
- Ullapool, Scotland
- Ulvik, Norway
- Ushuaia, Argentina
- Varna, Bulgaria
- Vik, Iceland
- Visby, Sweden
Mediterranean
- Mykonos, Greece
- Monte Carlo, Monaco
- Mgarr (Victoria), Malta
- Máhon, Spain
- Lipari, Italy
- Le Palais, France
- La Spezia (Florence, Pisa), Italy
- Kotor, Montenegro
- Korcula, Otok Korcula, Croatia
- Katakolon, Greece
- Itea (Delphi), Greece
- Hydra, Nisos Hydra, Greece
- Hvan, Croatia
- Gythion (Sparta & Mystras), Greece
- Dubrovnik, Croatia
- Crotone, Italy
- Corfu, Greece
- Cannes, France
- Calvi, Corsica, Haute-Corse, France
- Bar, Montenegro
- Augusta, Italy
- Argostólion, Nisos Kefallinia, Greece
- Alter Do Chao, Portugal
- Alghero, Sardinia, Italy
- Ajaccio, Corsica
- Agios Nikolaos (Crete), Greece
- Agadir, Morocco
- Nafplion, Greece
- Naples (Salerno), Italy
- Paros, Greece
- Patmos, Greece
- Ponza, Isola di Ponza, Italy
- Portoferraio, Elba, Italy
- Praia da Vitoria, Portugal
- Pýlos, Greece
- Santorini, Greece
- Sorrento (Capri), Italy
- Split, Croatia
- Taormina, Italy
- Villefranche (Nice), France
- Zakynthos, Greece
Caribbean
- Basseterre, St. Kitts
- Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
- Cap Cana, Dominican Republic
- Castries, St. Lucia
- Cienfuegos, Cuba
- CocoCay, Bahamas
- Cozumel, Mexico
- Devil's Island, French Guiana
- George Town, Cayman Islands
- Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
- Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos Islands
- Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas
- Gustavia, St Barthelemy
- Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
- Harvest Caye, Belize
- Isla Catalina, Dominican Republic
- Ocho Rios, Jamaica
- Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
- Road Town (Tortola), British Virgin Islands
- Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
- Saint John, US Virgin Islands
- Saint Kitts, St Kitts and Nevis
- Samana, Dominican Republic
- San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Terre-de-Haut, Guadeloupe
Asia
- Amami (Naze), Amami Oshima, Japan
- Bali (Padang Bay), Indonesia
- Benoa (Bali), Indonesia
- Boracay, Philippines
- Coron, Philippines
- Halong Bay (Hanoi), Vietnam
- Hirara (Miyakojima), Japan
- Ishigaki, Japan
- Jayapura, Indonesia
- Jeju (Cheju) City, South Korea
- Kanazawa, Japan
- Ko Samui, Thailand
- Komodo Island, Indonesia
- Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Lembar,Lombok, Indonesia Malacca, Malaysia
- Lombok, Indonesia
- Malacca, Malaysia
- Male, Maldives
- Muara, Brunei Darussalam
- Naze (Oshima island), Japan
- Nha Trang, Vietnam
- Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russian Federation
- Phuket, Thailand
- Probolinggo, Java, Indonesia
- Sabang, Indonesia
- Trincomalee, Sri Lanka
- Uligamu, Maldives
- Utheemu, Maldives
North America
- Astoria, Oregon
- Avalon, California
- Bar Harbor, Maine
- Belize City, Belize
- Bora Bora, French Polynesia
- Cartwright, Newfoundland, and Labrador
- Catalina Island, California
- Charlottetown P.E.I., Canada
- Gloucester, Massachusetts
- Hilo, Hawaii
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Huahine, French Polynesia
- Icy Strait Point, Alaska
- Ile des Pins, New Caledonia
- Juneau, Alaska
- Kahului (Maui), Hawaii
- Kailua Kona, Hawaii
- Ketchikan, Alaska
- Kona, Hawaii
- Lahaina (Maui), Hawaii
- Martha's Vineyard, USA
- Monterey, California
- Moorea, French Polynesia
- Nawiliwili (Kauai), Hawaii
- Newport, Rhode Island
- Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts
- Papeete, French Polynesia
- Raiatea, French Polynesia
- Red Bay, Newfoundland, and Labrador
- Rockland, Maine
- Saguenay, Canada
- Santa Barbara, California
- Sitka, Alaska
- St Anthony, Newfoundland
- Sydney Nova Scotia, Canada
Australasia
- Airlie Beach, Queensland, Australia
- Akaroa, New Zealand
- Albany, Australia
- Alofi, Niue
- Alotau, Papua New Guinea
- Bahia de' Opunohu, Moorea, French Polynesia
- Bay of Islands, New Zealand
- Bora Bora, French Polynesia
- Cairns, Australia
- Cascade, Norfolk Island
- Champagne Bay, Vanuatu
- Christmas Island, Australia
- Conflict Island, Papua New Guinea
- Cooktown, Queensland, Australia
- Denarau, Fiji
- Dravuni Island, Fiji
- Easo, Lifou, New Caledonia
- Easter Island, Polynesia (Chile)
- Eden, New South Wales, Australia
- Esperance, Australia
- Exmouth, Australia
- Fakarava, Tuamotu, French Polynesia
- Geraldton, Australia
- Gisborne, New Zealand
- Gladstone, Queensland, Australia
- Hamilton Island, Queensland, Australia
- Hapatoni, Marquesas
- Huahine Iti, French Polynesia
- Isle of Pines, New Caledonia
- Kaikoura, New Zealand
- Kangaroo Island, Australia
- Kiriwina Island, Papua New Guinea
- Kitava Island, Papua New Guinea
- Kuri Bay, Western Australia, Australia
- Kuto, Île des Pins, New Caledonia
- Lautoka, Fiji
- Lifou, Loyalty Island
- Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia
- Moorea, French Polynesia
- Moreton, Queensland, Australia
- Mystery Island, Vanuatu
- Nosy Be, Madagascar
- Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia
- Oban (Halfmoon Bay), New Zealand
- Ouvea (Wadrilla), Loyalty Island
- Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island, Australia
- Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia
- Port Arthur, Tasmania, Australia
- Port Denerau (Nadi), Fiji
- Port Douglas, Australia
- Rangiroa, Tuamotus, French Polynesia
- Rarotonga, Cook Islands
- Savusavu, Vanua Levi, Fiji
- Tabuaeran (Fanning Island), Kiribati
- Tadine, Mare, New Caledonia
- Tahuata, French Polynesia
- Taiohae, Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia
- Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Vava’u, Tonga
- Waitangi (Bay of Islands), New Zealand
South America
- Abraao, Ilha Grande, Brazil
- Alter Do Chao, Brazil
- Armação dos Búzios, Brazil
- Banana Coast (Trujillo), Peru
- Belize City, Belize
- Boca De Valeria, Ilha de Tinhare, Brazil
- Bora Bora, French Polynesia
- Buzios, Brazil
- Cabo Frio, Brazil
- Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
- Castro, Chile
- Cozumel, Mexico
- Fuerte Amador (Panama City), Panama
- Golfito, Costa Rica
- Icoaraci (Belem), Brazil
- Ilha Grande, Brazil
- Ilhabela, São Sebastião Island, Brazil
- Ilheus, Brazil
- Isla de Providencia, Colombia
- Isla Robinson Crusoe, Chile
- Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico
- Parintins, Brazil
- Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
- Porto Belo, Brazil
- Puerto Chacabuco, Chile
- Puerto Montt, Chile
- Punta del Este, Uruguay
- Quepos, Costa Rica
- Samana, Dominican Republic
- San Blas Islands, Panama
Africa
- Jamestown, St Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
- La Digue, Seychelles
- Lüderitz, Namibia
- Mossel Bay, South Africa
- Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- Praia, Cape Verde
- Praslin, Seychelles
- Richard's Bay, South Africa
- Zanzibar
For more information on what is a tender port, please see here.