#329 Tendering in Croatia

Huge cruise ships clog the Dubrovnik harbor in August.  In fact, locals are advised to avoid the historic walled city during the middle of the day when up to 12,000 tourists arrive via cruise ship. Most ships stay only a few hours before sailing on for the next port.

For Semester At Sea, this means there's no space at the dock to tie up for our three-day Dubrovnik stay. So we've anchored within sight of the city and we use the MV Explorer's life boats to 'tender' to the dock.

Every 30 minutes our ship's crew bring these bobbing orange boats alongside the MV Explorer to a temporary dock suspended from the ship's superstructure. With a helping hand, we're whisked away for a 20-minute ride to Dubrovnik.

Yours in appreciating the tender distinction between Semester at Sea and tourist cruises,
Kelly