Do the ships really often leave people behind?

that cant make it back in time at port? It seems like such common sense to me, and if there are warnings and all why people would continue to miss the ship in port? I keep reading stories about it, and am just wondering does it happen often? SMH.

One reason they miss the ship is A L C O H O L!!!!

They get drunk and lose track of time.

Yes they do get left behind. But heads up, there is a number on the Fun Times that posts what number to call if there is a delay (say a flat tire on a tourist bus) I always make sure to take that with me.

But I've found if I am aware of the time and book excursions that are a couple hours earlier than the depart time, we have never had a problem!!

Happy cruising, Carole

that cant make it back in time at port? It seems like such common sense to me, and if there are warnings and all why people would continue to miss the ship in port? I keep reading stories about it, and am just wondering does it happen often? SMH.

It most certainly does happen.

Alcohol is usually the main reason why people miss the ship. Other times people get delayed for whatever reason on a non ship sponsered excursion , which the ship does not wait for.

Yes, on John Heald's facebook page he quite often reports that they are leaving port short a few passengers.

It does happen, but not often. This is one reason we normally take a ship excursion instead of a private one. If a private excursion is late, you're on your own to get back to the ship or to your home. If you're on a ship excursion, the ship will wait for a certain amount of time but if the ship has to leave, Carnival must pay to catch you up to the ship or home.

It happens, tough to say how often. If the cruiselines keep track of such things they aren't going to make those files public. We've seen it (that we know of) 3 times I think. Real drunk couple on Coz (got the story from their friends that did make it back). Once in Grand Caymen, independent excursion that didn't make it back in time. Once in St. Thomas, a girl ran down just as they were pulling up the gangway, said she still had 5 people that were shopping in town. The officer said 'get on or stay here with them, but either way we're leaving now' (we were on a balcony right above). She stayed, arms crossed, watching the ship leave.......

Alcohol might be one reason but I know I've heard stories of being left behind because they were relying on their cell phone clock.

Alcohol might be one reason but I know I've heard stories of being left behind because they were relying on their cell phone clock.

The ST.T incident I just talked about...it was just 5 middle aged/older ladies shopping in town. They just lost track or time, or weren't sure when the ship was supposed to leave.

I watched a near miss in one of the Canadian ports. We were on a Princess ship, and DH and I were relaxing on the promenade deck. As we prepared to leave we were serenaded by a bagpipe player on the dock. He played another tune, and then another. All the while, the ship announcement for Mrs. ABCD to call guest services came on every few minutes. Finally, the bagpipes stopped playing.

Next thing we knew, the gangway was folded up, and lo and behold....a small sedan came flying into the empty parking lot like something out of a Vin Diesel movie. After spinning to a stop, a middle-aged woman got out, they lowered the gangway, and we were on our way.

I think we were in St. John, and had been for all day. I couldn't imagine what she had been doing by herself that caused her to totally lose track of time. She certainly wasn't dancing on the tables at Carlos and Charlies.

There is a funny you tube video (of course I am sure the people being left didn't think it was funny) with a man and wife running down the dock in Nassau trying to catch the Dream. Its from someone named duskrabbit or something like that. In his, the ship turned back into port and let them get on.

But seriously, to miss the ship, you have to be drunk or something. When we go to ports, we make sure we have AT LEAST 2-3 hours to spare. I had a co-worker who was in a horrible accident on her shore excursion, she broke her hand in several places, had a huge gash on her face, was sore--she passed out afterwards, and they still made it back to the ship in time.....only for her to sit in her cabin the rest of the cruise.

Yes they do

So why should a ship with several thousand passengers wait any length of time for one or two or even 10 people who are not responsible enough to return to the ship on time. After all they do want to be treated as if they are responsible adults.

I can understand if a ship excursion is late and even an organized one if there is a good reason but otherwise tough luck.

I tried to be left behind on Half Moon Cay, but they found me and dragged me back...

I've seen it happen more often than not. Especially in Cozumel, that's usually because of booze. The bars there are just so damn fun. We enjoyed watching a number of drunkies running toward ships as they've sailed away, not always the ship we are on, but in Coz, you can be next to a number of ships.

One cruise in St. Thomas, we were at anchor and had to tender in. As we started to sail away, the ship started to slow down and out of the harbor came a small boat with two of our passengers aboard. They were able to re-board via a rope ladder (It was the NCL Norway we were on). Rumor had it they paid a pretty penny to get the harbormaster to call the Norway and hire the boat to take them to us. Hilarious!

I've seen people miss in Cozumel, Nassau, Ocho Rios, and St. Thomas., oh and Curacao! That one was funny. Years ago on the Oceanbreeze in Curacao, our ship was docked in the canal and the bridge had to swing open for us to sail out. There was a couple from our ship running across the bridge as it started to swing open. It was a funny sight watching them stand and wave at the ship to stop as we sailed out.....it did not.

Many times people miss the ship due to mechanical failure on tour busses in remote places. We had a group on a ship's excursion that came into Cozumel 4 hrs late. Our ship waited for them to return. If it was not a ships excursion, those people would have been stuck (or in Paradise ;)

So far we have only done 2 cruises but in both cases there were people who didn't get back in time. This happened in almost every port. Most of these folks were loaded down with shopping bags etc. Only a few seemed drunk.

It seems to me that folks seem to congregate around departure time on their balconies or the Lido deck to whistle and cat call those running late. It's like Nascar fans waiting for a wreck LOL

Call it what you want! LOL To me it called being IRRESPONSIBLE! Never been late in my life and never will. It's a pet peeve of mine!

But it is funnier that hell watching PIER RUNNERS from our balcony.

So far we have only done 2 cruises but in both cases there were people who didn't get back in time. This happened in almost every port. Most of these folks were loaded down with shopping bags etc. Only a few seemed drunk.

Agree with you on that and we've been on lots of cruises -- many more shoppers than folks who have been "over served".

With our own eyes, we have seen the ship leave people behind 2 times. It might have happened every time we sailed, but we didn't see it.

On our second cruise, in Grand Cayman, we were involved in a situation that could have and almost did result in our family being left behind, and it did not involve alcohol, shopping, or poor time management on our part (although I suspect someone could argue that point). We rented a car with a well-known chain in order to go exploring on our own. The arrangement with them was that a car rental employee would shuttle us back to the port. Since we had to be back on the ship at 6pm, we brought the car back at 4:30 specifically because I was nervous about not making it back to the ship in time. Long story, short, when returned, there was one employee at the rental desk, and therefore no one to drive us back to port. It was a bit of a tense 10 minutes for us while the desk manager called his boss for instructions. The boss told him to lock up the office and take us to the port! :) The traffic was just like home, terrible! But, we made it to ship with a half-hour to spare.

It happens, tough to say how often. If the cruiselines keep track of such things they aren't going to make those files public. We've seen it (that we know of) 3 times I think. Real drunk couple on Coz (got the story from their friends that did make it back). Once in Grand Caymen, independent excursion that didn't make it back in time. Once in St. Thomas, a girl ran down just as they were pulling up the gangway, said she still had 5 people that were shopping in town. The officer said 'get on or stay here with them, but either way we're leaving now' (we were on a balcony right above). She stayed, arms crossed, watching the ship leave.......

Curious which independent tour in Grand Cayman made passenger miss the ship?

Curious which independent tour in Grand Cayman made passenger miss the ship?

Not sure the name of the tour, but it was a stingray/snorkle type excusion, but not at stingray city where many others go. Mechanical trouble on the tour boat, dead in the water for a while, had to dock elsewhere on the island, by the time they got the passengers back to the port the ship was gone. The people actually ended up flying to Jamaica and meeting back up with us. Luckily they had passports, credit cards, etc on them when they got stuck in GC. They were nice folks, we hung out with them in the dance club one night, they took it all in stride:)

I tried to be left behind on Half Moon Cay, but they found me and dragged me back...

Hahaha!! Damn funny!!! Now where is that towel to clean my screen?? :D

Not sure the name of the tour, but it was a stingray/snorkle type excusion, but not at stingray city where many others go. Mechanical trouble on the tour boat, dead in the water for a while, had to dock elsewhere on the island, by the time they got the passengers back to the port the ship was gone. The people actually ended up flying to Jamaica and meeting back up with us. Luckily they had passports, credit cards, etc on them when they got stuck in GC. They were nice folks, we hung out with them in the dance club one night, they took it all in stride:)

Another stringray tour besides stingray city on Grand Cayman? Sounds fishy to me......no pun intended lol!What's funny is you hear about alot of Carnival excursions coming back late but never no reputable independant tours.

Another stringray tour besides stingray city on Grand Cayman? Sounds fishy to me......no pun intended lol!What's funny is you hear about alot of Carnival excursions coming back late but never no reputable independant tours.

There are a few different areas to see stringrays in that area, without going right to the busy part of stingray city, we're done similar tours in the past. These people seemed like pretty straight shooters, but you're right, who knows. They could have been passed out in a bar somewhere and missed the ship for all I know:) I'm sure they paid a pretty penny to fly from GC to Ocho Rios!

that cant make it back in time at port? It seems like such common sense to me, and if there are warnings and all why people would continue to miss the ship in port? I keep reading stories about it, and am just wondering does it happen often? Smh.

every cruise

We usually go up on deck about 10 minutes before a ship sails from a port of call to watch the folks running to the ship. It is hilarious at times. If CCL got a reputation of waiting on folks we would never leave port.

Right before a ship sails you will hear the names being called so CCL can confirm that they are not onboard. I sometimes wonder how they get to the next port without their passports.