Amy

“If your ship anchors in the harbor, you will have to take a small boat—called a launch or tender—to get ashore. Tendering is a nuisance; however, participants in shore excursions are given priority. Passengers wishing to disembark independently may be required to gather in a public room, get sequenced tendering passes, and wait until their numbers are called. The ride to shore may take as long as 20 minutes. If you don’t like waiting, plan to go ashore an hour or so after the ship drops its anchor. On a very large ship, the wait for a tender can be quite long and frustrating. Because tenders can be difficult to board, passengers with mobility problems may not be able to visit certain ports.”
― Fodor's Travel Publications Inc., Fodor's The Complete Guide to Alaska Cruises