Has anybody ever missed the ship?

[Charliesmom]

One of my biggest fears is missing the ship and being stuck on an island without my stuff. Has this happened to you?

Roberta

[Aussie Gal]

No it has never happened to us but last year I read on the Europe Ports Board of six people who missed their ship in Naples and had to fly to Athens to pick it up. A couple of them didn't have either their passports or a copy of them on them. It was an interesting read.

Jennie

[sail7seas]

I would like to read that story.


I always carry a copy of our passports when ashore but have often wondered if it would be of any use at all in the event we were left stranded. Other than being able to more quickly get a new passport because we would have the number, is there any use for the copy?

[Aussie Gal]

Sail,

It was on the Ports Board Europe around July last year so I think it was lost when the Board was changed.

They were on a Celebrity ship if my memory serves me correctly. They were on a private tour and got caught up in traffic jam of one and a half hours around Sorrento. It was a Sunday a lot of people were out driving around the Amalfi Coast. The ship was already held up because some of the Shore Excursions arranged by the ship were late back but because these 6 were on a private excursion, the ship didn't wait. They missed it by 20-30 minutes. Their driver apparently tried to ring the Port agents to tell them they were caught up in traffic, but didn't get through or something like that.

They had to get the Port Agents to help them. They ended up somehow or rather catching a plane to Athens but they did have a lot of trouble regarding passports etc and medication plus they had no extra clothes and the ship took a couple of days to reach Athens. It did make interesting reading and made one realize to always make sure one allows plenty of time in getting back to the ship.

Jennie

[dakrewser]

We were in the Western Med when 2 couples rened a car in, I believe, Almeria to drive around the city. They forgot where they parked and continued to wonder around looking for the car (I would have called Hertz, said I was late for the boat, and taken a cab back). The ship waited an hour for them, but finally left after leaving their passports and docs with the port agent.

Eventually they contact the agent (he was sitting in his car, on the dock, as we left), who got them into a taxi which took them to the Gibraltar border - our next stop. At that time (still, I think) you couldn't fly or take a train from Spain into Gibraltar. They had to get another cab across the border, find a hotel and meet the boat the next day. Cost them close to $200 each.

-dave

[catlib55]

It has not happened to us but when we were on the Statendam in April of 2003, there were about 6 people standing at the entrance to the port in Mazatlan who, I think, were passengers on the ship, and the ship was heading out to sea. I don't know what happened to them.
Yet another reason to take the ship's excursions or else give yourselves plenty of time to get back on board long before the ship sails.

[jollycruiser]

When we were in Cozemel in March on the Oosterdam, we were returning to the ship and at the pier security gate their were a pair of young men, college students I presume. They were very intoxicated and obviously feeling sorry for themselves. Their RCCL ship was docked behind the Oosterdam, you can't really see it from town has the "O" was in front of it. The ship had left the port as scheduled. However these intoxicated individuals had apparently lost track of time and thought the Oosterdam was their ship. We often wonder what happened to them but I joke if we ever got a call from our college sons' for something like this I would give a one word answer - SWIM!

[gizmo]

I think Cozemel is the #1 port for pax "Missing the ship". Carlos and Charlies seems to be the reason. :rolleyes:

[saltydog28]

I can recall two times, when departing from Bermuda, that the pilot boat came along side the ship to 'drop-off' people who were late getting on board.

[localady]

Watched a young couple and their infant being brought to the Ship on a Pilot boat in Puerto Vallarta. I never saw them again to ask them the cost of their error, but watching them try to get the baby and stroller aboard the Ship from the Pilot boat was enough of an e-ticket ride for this girl!!!!!:eek:

:cool:

[shmabbies]

Last year when Oceania Regatta was departing Stockholm, having overnighted in port, a mother/daughter had rented a car for their Stockholm stay. As we understood it, the daughter thought the car could be returned in downtown Stockholm but instead it had to be returned to the airport. She made a mad dash back to the airport with the car & returned by taxi. The ship waited a short while but finally left without her. People said her mother was hysterical. Since our first port was in the Aland Islands, apparently the agent put her on one of the Scandinavian ferries & she caught up with us next day. The only other time I'm aware of someone missing the ship was last year in South America on Royal Princess when someone I had "met" over these boards failed to show at sailing from Valparaiso. We had no idea what happened to him until several days into the cruise when suddenly he and his wife appeared. They and other pax had been bumped from their Princess arranged air and did not get to Valparaiso in time for sailing and since our first day (maybe two? can't remember) was at sea, it took those pax several days to catch up with us. He was pretty disgusted. Granted Princess paid all the expenses to get them to the ship, but it certainly doesn't compensate for missing part of the cruise!

[mountainmare]

Several years ago we were on the Monarch and the ship waited about 30 min for some stragglers. A group of us were standing below the bridge watching a very irate captain drumming his fingers along the rail and glaring at the tender dock. As the tender approached he looked down at us and said "It kooks like they had a hard time deciding which tee shirt to buy!!" Just as the tender reached the ship on of its passengers suddenly realized he was on the wrong boat and jumped off the tender to swim to a ship that was anchored next to ours. When we ski sometimes a little nip of something is called liquid courage, this time I would call it liquid stupidity!!

[Globaliser]

I think Cozemel is the #1 port for pax "Missing the ship". Carlos and Charlies seems to be the reason. :rolleyes:Especially if the ship is maintaining east coast time. I remember catching one bit of a port "lecture" which contained the emphasised advice that the ship sailed at x pm ship's time, not x pm Carlos and Charlie's time.

Me, I've never yet missed the ship but my bag did once (when it didn't get loaded onto my flight). Like that family in Puerto Vallarta, it also came out to the ship by pilot boat.

[gagirl789]

Last month I was on the NCL Spirit in Roatan. we left the port about 45 minutes late. We seemed to be going at a slow rate of speed. Finally about an hour and a half after our schedule departure time a pilot boat brought a group of 5 passengers to the ship. I do not know what happened to them but it must have been a ship sponsored tour since we waited for them. There was another NCL ship there that if they were stuck they could have gotten on and caught us at the next port.(For a fee the crew told us.) One passenger was left in Roatan when her scooter had a flat tire. Poor thing!

I did feel for the passengers that had to crawl up the rope ladder. Fellow passengers on their balconies were screaming various things at them including:Slackers, Can't you tell time?, How much did you drink?" etc. It was rather crass I thought.

[Angelmagc2]

We were on the Explorer of the Sea this past October. Two women missed the ship leaving the port of St Thomas. They had no money, clothes, etc. There group had to pool there money together and wire them $400.00 each to fly to Nassau to meet the ship 2 days later. Cruise following ours, someone in Nassau missed the ship and had to meet up with it in Miami. Board stated that the port patrol went out to the ship, and captain said 'nope' ...

[1cruiselvr]

My husband missed a Carnival ship about 10 yrs ago due to a late ferry ride back to the port. He had to pay for a ride to the pilot boat where he was allowed to board from there in a harness (they were afraid he'd fall into the ocean). When he got onboard, he was told he was in alot of trouble and the captain could fine him up to $1000 for the inconvenience to the ship. However, we did not get that bill, thank goodness. He's never missed a ship since. Happy Sailing!

[marshacher]

You do ask interesting questions, Roberta. Twice I was on a cruise where people missed the boat. First time was in St. Thomas when 2 young ladies were brought along side on a pilot boat. They had to climb a rope ladder to get on board. We had sailed out of the harbor and waited for them just clear of the harbor.

Second time was in Costa Maya, Mexico. As the ship was sailing a man was running down the pier trying to flag down the ship. He obviously missed the boat and I don't know what happened to him. Costa Maya is not the best place to be stuck.

As for me, I always make sure I'm back on board at least an hour before sailing. It's not worth taking a chance.

Marsha

[freddiebud]

I think one of the best things to onboard is watch folks running to the ship! And then watching the late ones jump or climb in from a pilot boat. (What can I say? I have a weird sense of humor!)

Last cruise, there was a guy hosting a tour of major bigwigs. We ended up leaving some of them in Puerto Vallarta. He had a pc linked into the ship's computer, so he monitored who in his party got onboard so that he could make arrangements for the folks left behind.

[Esme]

A few years ago as we were leaving St. Thomas (Crown Bay) we noticed that the ship seemed to be backing up. The we saw this young man running down the dock as fast as he could waving his arms and yelling - STOP, STOP, STOP! :D

This was a Christmas cruise and I guess Captain Harris felt sorry for him as our next port was 2 days away, so he backed up the ship to let the fella get on board. We saw him later and we were all kidding him. He was so thankful for having a caring Captain that he sent him a bottle of champagne. The guy got a lot of ribbing about his near miss for the rest of the cruise. :D

[arzz]

About a year ago on Princess we had a few stragglers -- they kept paging them to see if they were on Board -- finally they came running down the dock and even the Captain made them the butt of several jokes -- they never lived the experience down for the rest of that cruise

[aussie jb]

In September this year as the Volendam sailed away from Ketchikan there was a couple (laden with shopping bags) left standing on the pier. We slowed down while they were put on the Pilot boat and bought out to the ship and had to climb up the rope ladder to get aboard. I guess those 75% off sales were just too enticing.

[1cruiselvr]

I think some newbie pax don't realize how serious the captain is about leaving on time. It's a harsh lesson in time management when you miss the ship. Happy Sailing!

[kryos]

I think some newbie pax don't realize how serious the captain is about leaving on time. It's a harsh lesson in time management when you miss the ship. Happy Sailing!
You're not kidding! I missed the Rotterdam last March ... at the point of embarkation ... due to an airplane emergency that forced us to land in Baltimore. The plane was stuck there until the mechanics could fix it ... close to five hours. By the time we got back into the air and made it to Fort Lauderdale, we were about 45 minutes late. The ship had sailed leaving the six of us who had been aboard that flight behind.

HAL had a rep meet us at the Fort Lauderdale Airport and he helped us get in touch with our travel agents to make alternative arrangements for getting to the ship. In my case, I went on ahead to Costa Rica (the Rotterdam's first port of call) and spent two days in San Jose. The cost? Close to $1,200 in added expenses, of which travel insurance only paid $500.

But, I tried to make the best out of the situation and managed to have a great time in Costa Rica. All in all, it worked out to my advantage. I got to try bungee jumping off a 180+ foot bridge ... a truly once in a lifetime experience ... and something I would have never been able to do here in the United States. So it was worth it. :)

But I can't for the life of me imagine missing the ship in a port. Don't these people wear watches? :)

Blue skies ...

--rita

[idiebabe]

I've been on two sailings where people have missed the ship. One in Progresso, Mexico and the other in Ketchikan, Alaska. The one in Progresso the ship had already pulled away but we could see these two young guys running toward where we were docked. I don't know what happened to those that missed it in Ketchikan, Alaska but that had to be quite an experience for them. They were nowhere in sight when the ship left but the ship was holding off pulling up the gangway and then some crew told us that pax missed it.

[BJane]

Several years ago we got a birds eye view of late comers climbing up the rope ladder as we left St. Thomas. Prior to dinner with the Captain, he gave us a private bridge tour during which he was notified that two women had missed the ship. He ordered the rescue boat launched and we were able to watch the entire event from the bridge. Needless to say, we had a good start to the dinnertime conversation.

[DJP]

DH and I were sitting on our balcony on the Carnival Fascination in the port of La Guaira, Venezuela back in the 90's and the gangway had been pulled up and we were ready to set sail. All of a sudden, a taxi came speeding down the pier and brakes squeeled as it stopped where the gangway had been down. Out jumped parents with two toddlers and the parents started waving and yelling. Out came the gangway and they all boarded, none too soon. Quite frankly I found them to be pretty irresponsible when l later heard them telling other passengers that they were shopping and time just got away from them. Friends were on the Fascination two weeks before we were and they said a group of 6 missed the ship in La Guaira and had to fly to Aruba (next stop). Hmmmm. what was it about that stop? :-)