"Island time" vs. "ship time"

[karylrocks]

We are sailing the Southern Caribbean and I am concerned about the difference between the times. I have seen posts of there being an hour difference? What does it mean then if we are in port from 8am to 5pm? Is that ship time? What time should I book local tours? Is the difference due to time zones based on where the ship sails from? :confused:

[Cinema15]

The ship will always adjust the time (overnight) to coincide with the current time. On sea and land.

[cb at sea]

It really won't matter WHAT time it is on an island...you MUST go by "ship's time"...ALWAYS! Don't use your cell phone...bring a watch, and make sure your watch is set to the same time as the ship's clocks (and there are PLENTY of them!). The only time you should be concerned with is whatever time the ship says it is!

If you have a ship's excursion...then, no problem...it will be set to ship's time. If you have a private excursion, if it starts at 9am, then you show up at 9am ship's time.

 

It's up to the Captain whether they change time....and sometimes, they do, sometimes, they don't. It doesn't matter, as long as you go by what the ship's clocks say!

[Gonzo70]

The ship will always adjust the time (overnight) to coincide with the current time. On sea and land.

 

No, that is not true at all. While the ship often does this, there are many times where it does not. It is not unusual for ship time to be an hour different than local time. Always, always, always bring a watch to port (not a cell phone as that will automatically adjust to local time). Set your watch to the time on the ship's clock as you leave the ship. When booking with private tour companies, all reputable companies will be aware of when your ship will be arriving.

[Scotty G]

On the Jewel this past January we must have had 5 time changes during our 11 night cruise of the Southern Caribbean. Definitely use ship time and you will be OK!

[dalitos]

We are sailing the Southern Caribbean and I am concerned about the difference between the times. I have seen posts of there being an hour difference? What does it mean then if we are in port from 8am to 5pm? Is that ship time? What time should I book local tours? Is the difference due to time zones based on where the ship sails from? :confused:

All refernce to time in regards to ship (arrival, departure, time to be back on board, dinner, etc) will be on ship's time. Ship's time may or may not be the same as time on the island, so be very careful when booking excursions not through the ship. Just make sure to tell them which ship you will be on and they will know what time you are arriving. Also make sure to be back on the ship on time (ship's time).

[Mark_K]

We are sailing the Southern Caribbean and I am concerned about the difference between the times. I have seen posts of there being an hour difference? What does it mean then if we are in port from 8am to 5pm? Is that ship time? What time should I book local tours? Is the difference due to time zones based on where the ship sails from? :confused:

If you're asking about the Serenade of the Seas, 2-12-11, you have no worries, there will be no time changes. San Juan, and all the ports Serenade visits, are in the same time zone (Atlantic).

[cruiseguy1016]

If you book an excursion through RCI it won't matter, the excursion will start and end on ship's time regardless of what the local time is. If you you book an excursion on your own through an independent operator, you shouldn't have to worry either. They know when the various ships arrive and depart. Most of them know if the ships change times. They will wait for you to get there and they will have you back to the ship on time. Most of the tour operators have been doing this for years. They know the ships' schedules and they the importance of having you back to the ship on time. Their reputation (and future business) depends on them being on time. If you book through a reputable operator, you will not have any problems.

[bedfordmom]

For our Mariner cruise in April, ship time was 2 hours behind local time. That had just changed the cruise before ours, so we didn't know until we boarded. So for our Los Veranos tour, we made sure we made sure we were at the meeting point at the their time 11:15, which was ships 9:15 (no problem making it).

 

A local woman asked us the time while we were waiting and you should have seen her face when we replied ship time, then we had to explain in our broken Spanish why the difference.

 

In Mazatlan, it was one hour difference, since we had a private tour with Mazatlan Franks associate, we just got off as soon as we could as we weren't sure whether we were following ship or local time. Ishmael was of course waiting for us; since we had booked the entire van, we weren't too worried.

[DonnaK]

The ship will always adjust the time (overnight) to coincide with the current time. On sea and land.

 

Very dangerous information which may cause someone to miss the ship in port.

 

Numerous times, the captain just keeps the ship on the time of the embarkation port and doesn't change to the current time as the ship moves through time zones. We experienced this in the Western Caribbean.

 

It's hard to know in advance, however once onboard, there are announcements and warnings posted all over the place to stay on ships time if the time hasn't changed.

[ginger2000]

The ship will always adjust the time (overnight) to coincide with the current time. On sea and land.

 

 

Depends on the captain. We have been on cruises where the captain HAS changed the time and also captains that HAVE NOT changed the time. No worries - just make sure you read the compasses and listen to the announcements. They will make it very clear that you are on ship time and if you have to adjust your watch. When in doubt - ask the officer before you leave the ship!