15 Cruise Ports Where Ships Can’t Dock – You’ll Have to Tender In

As cruise ships grow larger, it makes sense that certain smaller ports lack the facilities or room for them to dock alongside.

When this is the case, the ship has to “tender” instead.

What is Tendering?

Tendering is when ships use their own lifeboats, or small local ships, to ferry guests from the cruise ship to the land.

This sounds quite simple, but it isn’t always ideal.

Tendering can mean delays, queues and missed ports due to weather issues if the seas are rough.

It can be frustrating when you just want to get off the ship and explore the port, but you are stuck onboard, waiting to get a place on a tender boat.

It’s the same when you want to get back on board. I remember being in Guernsey on a hot sunny day and having to queue up to get a tender back to the Emerald Princess.

I was very grateful I wasn’t onboard the MSC Virtuosa, though. She was also visiting on the same day, and because it is a ship that takes over six thousand passengers, the lines for that ship were huge!

Have a look at my memorable British Isles cruise, which had quite a few tender ports, here:

Quick Tendering Tips

• If you are in a hurry to get off and start exploring, you may want to consider a cruise line excursion.
  • Cruise line excursions always get priority tendering, as they have pre-arranged coaches and tour guides to meet the ship at a set time.
• You may have to go and collect a ticket with a number on, when your number is called, you can go and get on a tender boat.
  • If you can get off a little later, or return a little earlier, you will miss some of the crowds.
• If you have mobility issues, you may not be able to tender.
  • Particularly if the seas are rough, and good balance is a must.
• Be aware that tender ports are sometimes missed entirely.
  • The cruise line may decide it is too windy or the seas are too rough – even if the sun is shining.
  • The cruise line have to be sure that they can get all of their passengers back onboard, if the weather was to take a downward turn.

15 Tender Cruise Ports to Be Aware Of

1. Santorini, Greece – There is no cruise dock, just a cliff, donkeys, and a cable car. It is stunning but a little chaotic.
2. Cannes, France – Ships can’t get close to shore because the water is shallow. There are also no facilities or room for a large ship to dock.
3. Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands – A huge cruise spot, but no pier. Always tendered. Up to four ships can be docked at sea on any one day, so it can get busy.
4. Mystery Island, Vanuatu – There is no dock. It’s a tiny island, and visits are very weather-dependent.
5. Half Moon Cay, Bahamas – Private island owned by HAL, but often used by Carnival ships. (They are part of the same parent company.)
6. South Queensferry (Edinburgh), Scotland – You’ll anchor in the Firth of Forth and tender ashore. Weather can be unpredictable, but you will get to see the famous Forth Bridge close up.
7. Villefranche-sur-Mer (Nice), France – A gorgeous bay, but no dock for big ships due to its size and depth.
8. Bar Harbor, Maine, USA – Historic and charming, but there’s no cruise pier.
9. Portofino, Italy – Tiny harbour, with no way to dock a cruise ship. I visited here on Celebrity Edge, but the port was so crowded, you could barely walk!
10. Bay of Islands, New Zealand – A popular spot, but always tendered.
11. Seydisfjordur, Iceland – Small and scenic, some ships can dock if they are under 170 meters or 550 feet. If your ship is larger, you will be transported to shore via tender boats.
12. Guernsey, The Channel Islands – A lovely place to visit, but it has been reported that in 2022 almost a third of all scheduled visits were cancelled due to high winds, rough seas, or fog.
13. Dublin, Ireland – You will often anchor in Dublin Bay at Dún Laoghaire and then tender in. From there, you can get to Dublin city centre by train, bus, or taxi.
14. Nafplio, Greece– I really liked this Greek port. The tender pier is located near the edge of the old town, a short walk from the main attractions. This means that the town is very walkable once you get ashore.

When I visited Portofino from the Celebrity Edge cruise ship, the Captain actually got onboard our tender boat and sailed it back to the ship! I have never seen that before!

Have a look at that lovely Celebrity Edge cruise here:

Why This Matters

You can’t just get off the ship when you want to, and that may change your whole day’s plans.

Excursions start times, your free time and whether you are able to get off at all depends on the sea conditions.

The cruise line won’t want to take any risks with passenger safety, so if they have any doubts, they will just miss the port.

Always check your cruise itinerary to see which ports require tendering. If you have limited mobility, you might want to choose an itinerary with no tender ports. Planning ahead is key.

Ports Where You Might Have to Tender If It’s Busy

Some ports can take one ship at the dock, but if there’s more than one cruise ship in, someone’s getting the tender boats!

If you’re on a big itinerary with lots of ships around (especially in summer), be ready just in case.

Don’t just assume you’ll be able to walk right off the ship.

These Ports Sometimes Require Tendering:

• Kotor, Montenegro
  • One ship can dock. Everyone else? You’re going to be tendering…
  • I have always docked at Kotor when I have visited, but I tend to travel outside peak season, so this probably has a bearing.

• Flåm, Norway
  • A really picturesque port, but very limited space. Only one cruise ship can fit at the dock at a time.
• Geiranger, Norway
  • Again, this is a really stunning port, but there is only room for one ship to dock. It is quite a narrow fjord.
• Olden, Norway
  • The same thing, there is a small dock, but you are not guaranteed to be at it.
• Skjolden, Norway
  • Rarely tendered, but if another ship sneaks in first, you’ll be tendering.
• Corfu, Greece
  • Usually, ships dock, but sometimes overflow ships are forced to tender, especially in busy summer months.
• Dubrovnik, Croatia
  • Has docking spots, some quite far from the town, but tendering still happens when it’s busy.
• Monte Carlo, Monaco
  • A millionaire’s paradise, but there’s very limited docking space. Tendering is very common when it’s busy.

• Cobh (for Cork), Ireland
  • Usually docked, but larger ships sometimes anchor and tender.
  • Interesting historical fact: The Titanic anchored offshore here (when it was known as Queenstown) and used tenders for passengers leaving or getting onboard.
• Reykjavík, Iceland
  • Has a couple of cruise berths, but overflow ships may tender to different landing points.
• Oban, Scotland
  • More and more cruise ships are going here, but facilities haven’t caught up — expect to tender if you are on a larger ship.

If you sail to the Isles of Scilly, off the coast of Cornwall, England, you will tender in a local ship.

Laws force Cruise lines to use local boats and fishermen for excursions and tendering. This creates employment for the small local community and supports the local economy.

I think that is a great idea, and it makes the cruise more memorable for the passengers. The fishermen have lots of local knowledge that they are happy to share, and they are happy to welcome guests to their islands.

Before You Go

Over a third of all cruisers are under forty. Find out what is the average age of cruisers here:

1/3rd of Cruisers Are Under 40! Here’s The Average Age

Only 1% of all ships sailing are cruise ships. Find out what all the other are here:

1% of Ships are Cruise Ships, Here’s What The Rest Are