Ship Transfers & Tenders

Some ports may lack sufficient pier capacity for us to moor our ship alongside. In these instances, we will anchor and use a tender or water shuttle (we’ll refer to these collectively as “tenders”) to transport our Sailors to shore and back. In order to safely board most tenders, Sailors must be able to take steps. If they use a non-motorized wheelchair it must be collapsible. Motorized wheelchairs and mobility scooters are not permitted on tenders unless a roll-on capability between our ship and the tender is available. Roll-on capability on a tender cannot be guaranteed due to a variety of variable factors.

Please note that although weather conditions may be acceptable to safely board a tender, changes in the weather may make reboarding to return to the ship dangerous. The final determination of whether any Sailor may board a tender is made by the captain or his/her staff. Safety restrictions prohibit crew from carrying individuals on or off water shuttles.