I'm a cruise newbie with lots of ????

[april]

were going on a cruise in March on the spirit.we Will be going to mexico. I was wondering can you walk from the ship to shopping? or walk right to the beach to snorkel?

[brneyes]

It depends upon what island/s you are going to. Some of them you can walk to shore, others will take you by tender, which is FREE.

[april]

What is a Tender? we will be going to Acapulco, zihuatanejo and Manzanillo...Thank for your help.

[Dave]

A tender is a small boat or sometimes a small ferry which transfers passengers from an anchored cruise ship to the pier. There are times and places where a cruise ship cannot dock and has to anchor out in the harbor. In those cases, the tenders will be used. You should be able to get a general idea by looking at your cruise itinerary on the Carnival website.

[Frase]

Here is a photo I took of a tender approaching my cruiseship (Sovereign of the Seas) to pickup passengers and ferry them to CocoCay. I took this picture while onboard another tender as it was also heading towards Cococay. This was during my very first cruise in Nov. 2004:

This is what I saw onboard the tender I was on:

[travelgal]

April, Welcome to cruising. The best way to get answers to your questions is right here at Cruise Chat. Read as many of the posts as you can, there is a wealth of information for the new as well as the experienced cruiser. I have cruised for years and have learned lots of new ideas since joining this group. If you can't find the answer to your specific question just post it, someone will be able to help you. March maybe your first cruise but I'll bet it won't be your last.

[gdjoslin]

Originally posted by april:
were going on a cruise in March on the spirit.we Will be going to mexico. I was wondering can you walk from the ship to shopping? or walk right to the beach to snorkel?

Your first Port will be Acapulco. There is some shopping at the pier, both inside the gate and outside. The beach and beach life is a short walk.


Your next port will be Zihuatanejo. You will tender in at this port. There is plenty of shopping and beach at the pier. We found the best shopping and prices here.




You next port of call is Manzanillo. There is no beach or shopping here. You will have to take a bus to the shopping district. It is at the pier and cost about $3.00 round trip. We did not go there on ours last trip. We do plan on seeing the shopping district next week when we cruise again.

Hope this helps. Feel free to look at my Cruise photos in the link below. We really enjoy that cruise and the Spirit.

[april]

Thank you all so much! I love the pictures they were great. Now I know what to look forward too.

Free Cruise Tickers

[brneyes]

The tender is a small boat, or could be a large boat. Generally the smaller one holds about 25 - 30 people. I have seen the larger one that holds 100 people or more, but generally it is the smaller one. Generally you go to the lowest floor (you will see everyone else headed that way also)to get on the tender. Sometimes the wind/waves can be pretty rough, and you really have to hold on tight (the crew will help you)to step on the boat. There is NO cost for this. It generally takes about 20 - 30 minutes to get to shore, depending where the ship is anchored. As I said before, if it is docked at shore, then you just get off and start walking to where you want to go or get a taxi.

If you have any other questions, and I can help, please ask. If I don't know, I will let you know.

[brneyes]

Hi Dave, I just replied to this also.

I just wanted to let you know a long time ago you replied to my question in regard to staterooms. I have kept that ever since, and use it all the time. Here lately it has really come in handy, as we have chosen the Carnival Liberty, and now know where our deck/room is located.

Have a great weekend.

brneyes