does the captain adjust the ship time to shore time?

[cruisingwith6]

Hi! We are on the March 14 Independence of the Seas 6 night sailing (Belize, Costa Maya, Cozumel) and are booking our shore excursions indepently. Daylight savings time is the night of March 13 so Ship time (EST) will be 2 hours ahead of the ports as they do not adjust their clocks forward. In other words, instead of being in Cozumel from 7am - 5pm we will there from 5 am - 3pm unless the captain adjusts the ship time.

 

We have gotten different answers from Royal Caribbean (they say the captain never adjusts ship time) when we call and from the tour operators (who say the captain may adjust the ship time). Can anyone help? We don't want to book an excursion for 10 am Belize time and then find out it is actually noon :) Thanks so much!

[cb at sea]

Sometimes they do, sometimes, they don't. It doesn't matter anyway. You always stick to ship's time, no matter WHAT time it is in any location. So, if you book a 10am tour, show up at 10 am SHIP'S TIME...easy!

A tour operator understands how this works....they won't leave you!

[cruzwpj]

Was not the case in the Mexican Rivera. We missed a long awaited whale watching tour, 200 bucks down the drain. We were on ship time and missed it so make SURE what time it is where your excursion is.:mad:

[SingingPixie]

Just got off the 2/14 Independence 6-night sailing, and we did in fact switch our clocks back one hour on the first night, and forward one hour after Cozumel (before our last sea day).

[Parkay]

Sometimes they do, sometimes, they don't. It doesn't matter anyway. You always stick to ship's time, no matter WHAT time it is in any location. So, if you book a 10am tour, show up at 10 am SHIP'S TIME...easy!

A tour operator understands how this works....they won't leave you!

 

Doesn't always work that way. Depends on who you book the tour through. If you book directly through the cruiseline, your tour start time will be ship time. If you book direct through the tour operator, it is island time. Remember, cruise pax are not the only ones booking excursions. Can you imagine the confusion if the tour operator listed their times as "ship time"? People not on cruises would be very confused.

[negc]

On Navigator of the Seas, last year, just after Daylight Savings Time began, they did not change the ship's time when we arrived in Cozumel and what is usually a one hour difference was a two hour difference. It depends on the ship, or perhaps the captain, but passengers will receive plenty of notice of time changes if there should be any. The answer to the OP's question is "it depends". Just pay attention to the notices in the daily Cruise Compass and only change the time on your watch if the ship changes its time. Always stay on ship's time whether or not it differs from the local time in the port you are visiting. If you are dealing with independent tour operators, it is vitally important that you confirm whether or not they are quoting the time of their tours in local time or have adjusted the time to conform to the ship's time.:)

[andrzej5914]

On the Grandeur the capt kept EST meaning we were on Tampa time. There were couple of warning announcements on the evening before and in the morning. Our independently booked excursion ran on local time since transportation from the ship was not included. The excursion was planned to start 10am local time but we just waited until 10:30am ship time before we grabbed a cab.

 

I still don't understand why the switch is not done across the entire fleet. It can't be a big deal since some ships do it. It would make life much easier.

[cruisingwith6]

Thanks so much for all of your help! I am thinking I am going to have to go with the "it depends" answer and book a time that would work either way. We have a group of 46 and most have not cruised so they are really confused trying to book diving in Belize and other independent tours and want to make the most of their time. I agree it would be so much easier if there were just a blanket answer fleet wide. It is good news that the Independence did change the clocks on 2/14 so I am thinking that we may get lucky and get to enjoy the ports longer than if they don't change. Thanks again!

[Bosjoe]

Independence 6 nighters is a big YES. They change the clock back on the first night. Then change it back to est on the 5th night. I have been on this cruise twice and both times they have changed it. They put a laminated card in your room on the first night while you are at dinner to inform you of the change.

[fridaythe13th]

Sometimes they do, sometimes, they don't. It doesn't matter anyway. You always stick to ship's time, no matter WHAT time it is in any location. So, if you book a 10am tour, show up at 10 am SHIP'S TIME...easy!

A tour operator understands how this works....they won't leave you!

 

Wrong! We missed a private tour on St Martin as we went by ship time and the tour left island time....

[Mark_K]

Doesn't always work that way. Depends on who you book the tour through. If you book directly through the cruiseline, your tour start time will be ship time. If you book direct through the tour operator, it is island time. Remember, cruise pax are not the only ones booking excursions. Can you imagine the confusion if the tour operator listed their times as "ship time"? People not on cruises would be very confused.

Correct, it doesn't always work that way, and it has never always worked that way, yet cb at sea has been giving out the same lame advice for years. I wonder how many people have missed excursions because of him/her.

[cruisingwith6]

Thanks so much for all of your help!