First time cruisers

Cruising is a great way to get out there and see the world. You essentially journey on a fantastic floating hotel, which transports you to exciting new destinations every morning. Well, most mornings – some places are further apart.

But the most exciting places in the world are often the smaller locations – historic towns, beautiful tropical islands, and even the breathtaking poles of the Earth. And many of these destinations don’t have the facilities to host a giant cruise ship.

So instead, your ship anchors out at sea, and you take a tender boat. But tender boats aren’t always easy to climb aboard, and they may not be suitable for everyone. So, let’s take a look at what tender boats do and some key things you need to know that might affect your cruise booking.

Tender boats explained

A tender boat is a small boat used to transport passengers from a cruise ship to the shore. It’s also known as a water shuttle. They’re used in destinations where there is no suitable place for the cruise ship to dock. The boats often double as lifeboats, although sometimes, tender boats from the port are used as well.

Here’s a photo of a boat belonging to the port of Guernsey that is used as a tender boat…

The tender boats kept on cruise ships can be used as lifeboats in an emergency, but they’re pretty big and can usually accommodate 150 to 200 people. These aren’t small little dinghies.

Having said that, they are still smaller boats and so they do have some drawbacks when compared to docking with the cruise ship directly. You can read more about that below.

You don’t really get a tender ship, to be clear – the tender boat meaning is a vessel small enough to be used for smaller piers. A tender ship would be a larger vessel so if it could dock at a pier, chances are your cruise ship could too.

Cruise tender ports

Tender ports are those where the cruise ship can’t dock directly at a pier, and so special boats called tender boats or water shuttles are used to transfer guests from the ship to the shore. They may have shallow waters that aren’t suitable for larger ships, or they may just lack the necessary shore space for a pier that can handle cruise ships.

Some ports have a pier that can accommodate only a single cruise ship. So if two ships are scheduled to arrive at the port on the same day, the second one to arrive will have to anchor out at sea and use tender boats to transfer guests to the shore.

There are some ports that have once been a tender port and have since built artificial piers to support cruise line docking, but that’s expensive, and so would only be beneficial for those destinations where tourism would massively benefit.

CocoCay, the private island used by Royal Caribbean Cruises, had a pier built in 2019 as part of a massive renovation.

‘Tender Required’ simply means it’s a tender port

When the information about a cruise port states “tender required”, it means the ship can’t dock at that destination, and so guests will be required to use a tender boat (water shuttle) if they want to go ashore.

These are common and are advertised in advance as part of the cruise itinerary, so you can check before you sail whether any of the ports you’re visiting will need a tender boat. 

If you aren’t sure whether you’ll be able to use a tender boat, or are worried about feeling seasick on a small boat, then you can check for cruises that only go to ports that don’t need them.

So what does ‘Possible Tender’ mean?

Ports that are listed as “possible tender” on cruise documentation are those where the cruise ship may only be able to dock directly at the pier in certain conditions. If the weather isn’t ideal, or the pier is in use by another ship, then the ship may not be able to dock. When that happens, it will anchor offshore and use tender boats.

Bear that in mind if you’re concerned about seasickness – if a cruise ship can’t dock due to the weather, then the tender is more likely to be a little bit of a rough ride.

6 things to know about cruise tenders

Here are six things you really need to know about cruise ship tenders to help you have the best cruise possible.

1. Tender boats often aren’t suitable for people with limited mobility

When a cruise ship docks directly at the pier, it can be properly anchored so that it barely moves. The gangway then gets you safely ashore just as if you were walking along a solid floor.

With a cruise ship tender though, it’s not quite as straightforward. You may need to step into our out of the boat from the hull. Sometimes there are small steps involved, or smaller entrances.

So, if you’re travelling in a wheelchair or you are someone who just has limited mobility, then using a tender boat can be difficult. There’ll be people available to assist you but even then, you might not have a comfortable experience, or it might just be completely impossible for you to board the boat.

The cruise ship’s tender boats used, and the methods of getting ashore, can vary by cruise line or destination.

Some cruise lines will require every guest to prove that they are able-bodied by stepping across a 1-metre gap that’s marked with tape on the floor. But others don’t have mobility requirements and can even accommodate wheelchair users who are happy to be assisted.

If you’re someone who does have mobility issues then you should speak directly to the cruise line to find out more about your planned itinerary, or look for cruises that don’t visit tender ports at all.

Many cruise lines offer a list of tender ports on their websites.

Here are some examples:

2. Tender boats might make you feel seasick

Any type of boat or ship moves in the water, but the bigger the ship, the less you’ll notice it. Which, of course, means that tender boats can make the waves a lot more noticeable.

Tender shuttle journeys don’t take too long – ships don’t exactly anchor miles out to sea. Usually, if you’re one of the first on board, you might have a 20-minute journey at most, and a good chunk of that will just be waiting for everyone else to get on board.

But if you are prone to seasickness, then you need to be prepared for what might be a bit of a rough 20 minutes. It’ll generally calm down as you get closer to shore, and since you have the shoreline to look at, you can control it a little bit.

But there may be some lurching back and forth. If you do get seasick, maybe take some medication before you hop on a tender, just to pre-empt it.

Suggested read: The Best Ways to Prevent Seasickness

3. Tender ports are likely to be cancelled in bad weather

If the weather is particularly bad, there may be no alternative but to cancel a tender port. A cruise ship can only let guests board a tender boat when it’s safe to do so, and if the waves are causing the boats to move around a lot, or there’s too much fog, it might not be possible.

Cruise ships will wait a little while, but they can’t wait all day – otherwise, even if the weather does clear up, you’ll tender to shore only to have to tender straight back as the ship prepares to leave.

When a port is cancelled, you don’t generally get any kind of recompense. It’s seen as an accepted risk.

You’ll get a refund for any shore excursions you’ve bought through the cruise ship, but if you paid for third-party excursions then you’ll need to take it up with the organisers.

If you do want to visit destinations that require a tender, do a little bit of research first and find out what season the weather is worst – and maybe try to avoid booking a cruise during those months.

4. Sit by the door for the best photo opportunities

There are a number of benefits to being the last person onto a tender boat, including potentially being the first one off. But you also get some amazing photo opportunities from a tender boat, especially when you’re sitting by the door.

You’ll be able to take some absolutely stunning photos of your cruise ship as you sail away from it. It’ll loom above you, looking extremely impressive, and because you’ll be sat right by the door, you’ll get plenty of good opportunities to snap a great shot.

If the tender boat comes from the port, rather than being carried by the ship, then it may even have an open upper deck. If it does, be sure to head up there and stand up rather than taking a seat to enjoy the best views of the shoreline, and your ship.

5. There are often big queues for the first tender off your ship

Because time in port is sometimes limited, a lot of people tend to rush to the meeting point on a tender port day, because they want to be first off the ship to give themselves the most amount of time to explore.

And while there is some logic to that, it also means that you could be queuing for a long time to get off the ship – as so many others will have the same idea. Even if you think you’ve gone early, there will probably be people who have beaten you to it.

Plus, some cruise lines offer priority tender debarkation to guests who’ve booked a certain level of accommodation, or who have reached a certain level within the cruise line’s loyalty program. You might be first in line, but still have to wait for these other passengers to have their turn first.

It’s up to you – you might want to make sure you get on the first tender ashore possible, but they run the tenders throughout the day, so why not take a leisurely breakfast while the ship is a little quieter, and then after an hour or two head down to catch a tender?

You won’t have to waste precious time queuing, and you’ll still be able to enjoy enough time in port to wander around.

6. Don’t miss the last tender back!

If you’re ashore having fun, especially if you’re enjoying the many delights of local bars, time can sometimes get away from you. But you need to be careful, because if you miss the last tender back then you’re in trouble!

The ship will not wait for you – once the last tender has returned to the ship, it is going to depart. And if you’re still on land, that means you’re getting left behind.

There’ll be a couple of options available to you, but they all cost a lot of money. A ship’s agent will assist you with organising things, but your options will be to fly to the next port and meet the ship there, or to fly home, and pay to have your belongings returned to you.

In extremely rare situations, you may be able to get a pilot boat from the dock to take you out to meet the ship, but that’s at the Captain’s discretion and will cause a huge delay for the thousands of other passengers on the ship.

So in short – don’t be late!

Some popular cruise tender ports

Bar Harbor, Maine

When visiting Bar Harbor in Maine, ships will tender off the coast in Frenchman Bay, and tender boats will ferry passengers to the Town Pier, which is right in the centre. 

Lahaina

Lahaina does have one berth for cruise ships to dock directly, but it is normally a tender port. Ships will anchor in the harbour, and tender passengers right into town.

Cozumel

Cozumel is an extremely popular port, and while it does have piers that can dock cruise ships, it will be treated as a tender port when too many ships are visiting at once. Up to 8 cruise ships can visit Cozumel on one day. Guests will be tendered to the pier.

Cabo San Lucas

Cruise ships visiting Cabo San Lucas will anchor offshore next to the famous rock arches. Guests will then be tendered to the marina, which is about a 10-minute walk from the centre of town.

Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman’s port is George Town, and it is a tender port. Ships will anchor in the main bay and transport guests to shore on a tender boat to one of the three piers, all of which lead to the main Harbor Drive where there are many shops and a couple of bars.

Belize

Cruise ships visiting Belize will anchor off shore at Belize City, due to the shallow waters. Tender boats will get guests ashore in 20 minutes, where guests may wish to take a taxi for the drive into the city itself.

Bonaire

There are two piers on Bonaire – a North Pier and a South Pier – where cruise ships can dock. They cannot anchor, but they will be supported by buoys. Therefore it is not a tender port.

Monterey

Cruises ships sailing to Monterey will anchor in front of the main harbour, allowing guests to then take a tender boat to Fisherman’s Wharf. From here it’s easy to explore the town.

Santa Barbara

Cruise ships to Santa Barbara will anchor offshore and tender guests to the Santa Barbara Waterfront, at Sea Landing. From here guests can walk to explore the rest of the Santa Barbara Harbor, or use a shuttle to get downtown.

Santorini

Santorini has two different ports – Athinios Port and the Old Port of Fira. Neither can support a cruise ship being docked, so ships will anchor offshore and transport guests to the port via tender. Guests can travel to either, with Fira being closer to Fira town.

Mykonos

Smaller ships can dock directly at Mykonos, but larger ships will anchor in the bay and be tendered to the old harbour, which is within walking distance of the town.

Related posts:

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me

If you’re new to cruising (or even if you’re not) you might be wondering whether there are any cabins under the water line. You might be thinking you would like a window out into the ocean to get up close and personal with the marine life. 

In general, this isn’t part of the cruising experience and the majority of cruise liners don’t have underwater cabins for guests, but let’s take a closer look at cruise ships below the waterline and find out whether you can book an underwater stateroom…

To help you avoid any cabin you wouldn’t want to book, I’ve created a cabin checklist that you can get for free.

Just enter your email address below and you’ll receive it in your inbox straight away.

There are rooms below the waterline, but typically not for passengers…

The lower decks of cruise ships are generally not used for passenger cabins or for areas accessible to passengers.  The crew of the ships will generally have their quarters below the waterline and you will also find store rooms, fan rooms, and other utility rooms on these levels.

In modern cruise ships, you will often find the engine room, water treatment (clean and dirty), air conditioning, fuel bunkers, water storage tanks, and lots of plumbing below the water line, along with a large percentage of crew cabins.

On most ships, Deck 2 is the first deck fully above the water line, it may be numbered differently, but generally, that’s the deck you get on and off at when you reach port. So getting a cruise ship underwater view room isn’t really possible.

The Blue Eye Lounge

One interesting exception to this design rule is the Blue Eye Lounge which has been included on the 180-passenger Ponant Explore class ships. This is the world’s first underwater communal lounge and it has been designed by the French architect and oceanographer Jacques Rougerie. 

The Blue Eye lounge has been designed as a multi-sensory experience with huge windows, underwater cameras, and microphones outside to pipe in the sounds of the sea.

You can find this stunning feature on Le Lapérouse and Le Champlain, Le Bougainville, and Le Dumont-d’Urville. It looks amazing and must be the perfect place to pretend to be a Bond villain!

You can see more of Ponant’s underwater Blue Eye Lounge in this video: 

The majority of cruise shops are far more mundane below the water line! Much of the space is given over to staff accommodation, who are often provided with fairly basic and cramped quarters shared with their crewmates.

The location below the water line means that they lack natural light and there are obviously no balconies. More senior staff are generally placed on higher levels. 

For larger cruise ships it would be challenging to incorporate underwater viewing lounges. Not only would it be very expensive to build safely, but it would be very hard to maintain and keep a clear and scratch-free view. The high speeds travelled through deep water mean that there is also a limited chance of seeing much more than murky water. 

Cabins below the waterline? Only on river ships…

The majority of ocean cruise ships do not have cabins below the water line. The space is used for storage and utility rooms and for staff accommodation. You do, however, find cabins below the water line on most river cruise ships. 

As you can see from this photo, there are indeed some options for a cruise ship bedroom below the water, although the windows are just above the surface.

River cruises generally have fewer categories of cabins than their ocean-going counterparts and you do not get inside cabins on river cruises. What you do get is window only or ‘river view’ rooms’. These rooms are under the water line for the most part but will have a window higher up, above the water line, so that some natural light reaches your room. 

These rooms are on the lower deck and the window will be at shoulder height (or higher) so you won’t get too much of a view and if you’re particularly short, you may even find that you have to stand on a chair to watch the world go by from your cabin.

Here’s what it looks like from the inside.

Of course, these windows are only just above the water line and will not open because if they did, you would get pretty wet! These rooms are the least expensive on the ship and are sometimes (unofficially) and humorously referred to as aquarium class. 

Underwater decks on a cruise ship

A cruise ship will generally have one or two decks underwater, depending on its overall size. On these decks, you will find all the areas that are inaccessible to passengers such as staff accommodation, air conditioning units, the engine room, laundry, and even a jail. 

Cruise ships are enormous, but you might be surprised to learn that they actually don’t extend that far underwater. Usually no more than 30 feet (9.1 metres) of the ship sits under the water, this is only about 10% of the ship’s overall height. 

The distance that a ship continues underwater is known as its draft. Naval architects appreciate that an excessive draft would limit the commercial viability of a cruise ship by limiting the number of ports it can use. This is why the draft of a cruise liner is so much smaller than large container ships or oil tankers. 

Cruise ships look top heavy with very little of the ship underwater compared to that above. But the superstructure of the ship is very light, and all the heavy equipment, like engines, generators, etc, is at the bottom of the hull. This means that the ship is well-balanced and perfectly designed for cruising from port to port.

If you’ve ever wondered how cruise ships stay upright with only 10% of the ship underwater, then I suggest you read this next: How Do Cruise Ships Float And Not Tip Over?

The reason you don’t get underwater windows

You might think that it would be pretty cool to have windows under the water so that you can look at the fish during your cruise. But in reality, you wouldn’t see anything other than water for the vast majority of the time, so it would be disappointing. 

Nothing swims that close to a cruise ship when it’s moving, and seawater isn’t always as clear as you’d hope.

In addition to this, glass can never be as strong as steel, so having a window underwater would be a weak spot that could be vulnerable in the case of an accident. There’s also the pressure of the water to consider, particularly in rough seas.

The window would also need cleaning regularly on the outside, which could be a tricky and expensive maintenance job. And eventually, it’s going to get scratched and not look so nice. 

To conclude

As you can see, there is a lot going on beneath the waves on a cruise ship. Whilst most of it is not really that exciting (and is not accessible to passengers), the underwater deck of a cruise ship contains a lot of the essential parts of the ship that work to make your cruise a success (including the crew!).

So, whilst you may have hoped to get a view of passing fish and dolphins, that is not really an option on most cruises.

If that is what you’re looking for, you could check out the Blue Eye Lounge on the Ponant Explore class ships, which look very impressive. Or you could try aquarium class on a river cruise and keep an eye out for flying fish!

But, to be honest, a cabin higher above the water with a nice balcony is the preferred option for most people. That said, I do love an inside cabin!

Related posts

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me

Cruise ships are some of the largest vessels in the world. So if you’ve ever wondered how cruise ships float and don’t tip over, you’re certainly not alone.

With as many as 20 decks, heavy swimming pools on the top, and not much ship below the water… How does a cruise ship float and not topple over?

To find out, I spoke to a helpful cruise ship pilot by the name of John, who explained the physics in a way that we can all understand…

The science of floating

Cruise ships stay afloat because they have a U-shaped hull that displaces water outwards and downwards. As the water tries to fill this space, the energy pushes the ship upwards. This law of physics is known as Archimedes’ principle.

Archimedes’ principle states that a body immersed in a fluid is subjected to an upwards force equal to the weight of the displaced fluid. This is known as ‘the first condition of equilibrium’.

The upward buoyant force that is exerted on a cruise ship in the water is equal to the weight of the water that it displaces.

For example, Anthem of Seas displaces 78,130 metric tonnes. This is equivalent to 76,224,390.2 litres of sea water.

Depth (draft) explained

The depth at which a ship sits in the water is known as the draft. Most cruise ships typically have a draft of between 5 metres (16ft 5in ) and 10 metres (32ft 10in). The actual draft depends on the size of the vessel and how much fuel and ballast water is on board. A typical cruise ship draft is 8.5m (25ft 6in).

Draft is measured forward, aft and midship. The draft will determine which ports a cruise ship can enter. Smaller cruise ships typically have a draft of less than 7m (22ft 9in) and so they can enter smaller ports. This is why, when you cruise on a smaller ship, with a cruise line like Azamara or Silversea, you’ll get to visit the smaller, less-touristy ports of call.

The draft of a typical large cruise ship like Anthem of the Seas is 8.5 to 8.8 metres (about 28 feet). The largest cruise ships in the world, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships have a draft of 9.3m 30ft 7inch.

I have a table with the drafts of many cruise ships in this article, so you can compare them.

Draft marks

You can see how deep a cruise ship is sitting in the water by checking the draft marks. You’ll find these at the bow and the stern. This photo shows what they look like…

Load line

The marking on the centre of the vessel’s side is what is commonly known as the Plimsoll mark or load line. It is named after Samuel Plimsoll who campaigned for a safe maximum draft mark, which was enacted in 1875. 

The line through the circle is the maximum point the vessel can be loaded to, the ladder arrangement immediately forward shows different maximum drafts under certain conditions.

The T stands for Tropical, the S stands for Summer and the W stands for Winter. But for practical reasons (this can vary as to the regions of the world and time of year) and on most cruise ships, the S load line is used. It is illegal for vessels to sail with this mark submerged. If they do, they are overloaded.

The N and V relate to the ship’s classification society. These bodies ensure that the vessel is constructed and maintained to the relevant international standards (E.g. NV is Bureau Veritas, LR is Lloyds Registrar etc.)

But how much of a ship is actually underwater?

Around 10% of a cruise ship is below the water. Some of the largest cruise ships in the world, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships, have a height above the waterline of around 72 metres (236ft 11in), and a draft below the water of around 9.3 meters (30ft 6in).

Smaller cruise ships may have only half as many decks, but as they aren’t as heavy, they don’t sit as deep in the water. So the percentage of the ship that’s below the waterline would still be roughly 10%.

So, why don’t ships just tip over?

Cruise ships are designed not to be unstable or to tip over (capsize). The combination of a wide hull, (known as “the water plane area”)  low centre of gravity, fuel, and ballast tanks filled with water keeps a cruise ship from tipping over in rough seas.

A cruise ship’s centre of gravity can be moved up or down by adjusting weights within the vessel – the most obvious is ballast water and fuel. In extreme cases, cruise ship swimming pools could be drained to provide additional stability, as the weight of so much water on the upper decks will make the centre of gravity higher.

Most cruise ships have a mechanical stabilising system (referred to as stabilisers) that can be deployed when at sea. These take the form of extending fins that rotate and are able to impart a righting force when the vessel is moving ahead. They cannot remove rolling, but can reduce it considerably.

Most cruise ships also have bilge keels which also assist to limit the amount of roll. These are long, metal fins that are welded along each side of the ship.

Flat-bottomed girls

Most ocean cruise ships have flat bottoms. A square shape maximises space on board as well as making the ship more stable. A flat bottom also simplifies construction and dry docking.

The bottoms of cruise ships are not flat near the bow nor at the raised area at the stern where the propellors are.

So, cruise ships can’t tip over? Well…

It is technically possible for a cruise ship to roll over, but it is highly unlikely that this would ever happen. The stability of cruise ships is continuously monitored by the Master and the ship’s navigational officers, and the weight distribution is adjusted as required to maintain safety.

Any ship can capsize if the weight distribution and buoyancy are compromised to provide negative stability. But in the case of large vessels like cruise ships, tipping over would be almost impossible, even in the roughest seas.

The last time a ship tipped over

The last time a cruise ship of note tipped over was in 2012. The Costa Concordia struck rocks and suffered an uncontrolled ingress of water. The vessel became progressively more unstable and as she drifted ashore on the island of Giglio, the ship touched the ocean floor which imparted an upwards force to the vessel bottom, resulting in the ship tipping over. 

Read more: How Many Cruise Ships Have Sunk?

The bottom line

The design of cruise ships is very clever indeed. The U-shaped hull, flat bottom and added features like stabilisers and bilge keels all help to prevent rolling and keep a ship upright.

Added to that, the Master and deck officers are constantly monitoring the stability and adjusting the ballast etc as needed to keep the ship upright and to maintain the amount of stability within acceptable parameters for the comfort of the guests

So, if you’ve ever been worried that your cruise ship might tip over in bad weather, you really don’t need to. The chance of a cruise ship ever capsizing is incredibly small. 

And now you know how cruise ships float, you have the knowledge to impress your friends with the science.

After all, most people have no idea how ships float, as you can see in this hilarious collection of answers people gave: 15 ‘Definitely Real’ Reasons Why Cruise Ships Don’t Sink.

Related posts:

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me