If it became a question of a need based on safety to evacuate the ship, then I think that the life boats would be used to evacuate. Obviously, that would not make anyone happy - if people complained about being trapped on the ship, let them be on a life boat for hours, let alone a day or two. The idea of tendering cruise ship pax between ships in open water (and unless you had access to land based tenders then the life boats would be used) would scare the daylights out of anyone and I think that you would evacuate into lifeboats before trying the tendering. All dependent on particular cicumstances, of course.