Skipping ports

[WeBeGone]

Very few people bother to read the cruise contract, but it clearly states that the captain has the authority to change/cancel/substitute ports as dictated by events out of his control. It isn't arbitrary, it's done when necessary. Believe me, the cruise lines hate to alter the itinerary because then they are deluged with complainers wanting compensation for missd ports.

[SheilaNC]

Prairiecruisecannucks,

Welcome to Cruise Critic. This is a great place to get your questions answered. A good place to start is to read the Community Guidelines (avoid breaking the rules :)). The folks here love to share information. The best place to find info about a particular cruise line is to click on the forum specific to that line; the best place to get info and meet people booked on your cruise is the Roll Call forum for your line, ship and date; and for new cruisers there is a forum specifically for First time cruisers. Enjoy!

[WeBeGone]

It all has to do with taxes:

In Europe a cruise ship itinerary has to include a non EU port, if the cruise line can claim tax free status...good for the overall profits as well that tax and duty free stores can stay open during the entire voyage.

 

Non EU ports include:

Norway

Canary Islands, even that they belong to Spain

Channel Islands

Gibraltar, often ships make only a "technical" stop there.

Monaco

 

Now it becomes clear why these ports are skipped so often.

 

Just a point of interest: Since Malta joined the EU in 2004, the number of arrivals has dropped by 50 %!

 

Since the unrest in Northern Africa, cruise lines are now in desperate search of non EU ports, and often will include them in their itinerary, but never really intend to "make port" there.

 

Where in the world did you come up with this idea? I've been in the business for 10 years and have never heard of such a thing.

[kitty9]

Any port that is a tender port can be skipped at any time. If winds are high or if seas are rough, tender ports get skipped very easily. In the Caribbean, Grand Cayman is the port that is skipped quite often. So, if you choose your itinerary based on ports, if you have a lot of tender ports, chances are they can be skipped. It's rare that a docked port is missed, unless there's a strike or some local lawlessness going on.

 

I was on a world cruise, and one of our ports was supposed to be Bali. We skipped that port because the captain received word from the US State Department that terrorist activity was high. A few days later, they had the bombing of the night clubs in Bali where a number of tourists were killed.

 

Cruise lines will not skip ports for the heck of it. There is always a good reason.

[STARFISH*4]

out of a dozen cruises we have missed ports or had itinerary changed 6X

the first time we missed...our first cruise Hubbard Glacier we were very upset--but the more it happens the better we deal with it--just have to go with the flow~~~make the BEST of it!!

[tulsacubfan]

Monte Carlo -- only so many ships are allowed there -- the authorities control that -- not the ship.

 

 

Wow! I wonder why a cruise line would schedule a cruise with a stop in Monte Carlo, knowing only so many ships are allowed there, without checking if other ships are schedule? I am not at all questioning that you are correct. I just find it interesting that this happens! Any idea why?

[okgirl]

23 Carnival cruises and I've missed 3 ports and had my entire itinerary switched out one time but that occurred months in advance and I was given the option of rebooking.

 

I don't think it happens any more frequently on Carnival than it does other lines sailing the same itineraries. The season has a lot to do with it, and the cruises you are talking about had the additional burden of avoiding demonstrations and or transportation strikes.

 

When we missed MoBay and Grand Cayman last year on the Conquest due to weather RCCL and NCL were right behind us after being diverted. Our group of Crazies, made it a great cruise and one of the most fun trips we've ever taken together.

[boogs]

Wow! I wonder why a cruise line would schedule a cruise with a stop in Monte Carlo, knowing only so many ships are allowed there, without checking if other ships are schedule? I am not at all questioning that you are correct. I just find it interesting that this happens! Any idea why?

 

It has been my understanding that cruise lines reserve space well in advance for each port to be visited. That it is left to the last minute whims of the port authorities seems a bit odd to me. To place so much importance on ports of call when marketing a cruise, I would expect the cruise lines to make sure they have a slot guaranteed before committing to promoting a specific port of call. I could be wrong, but this doesn't sound like good management practice by the cruise line if this is true.

 

We have a cruise booked for late summer 2012. One of the ports of call is the Cannes/Monte Carlo area. Over the last few months the port listed on the itinerary has changed twice, from Villefanche to Cannes/Monte Carlo, and now simply Cannes. I suspect that this is due to ongoing negotiations for space in the several areas our ship can use for docking or tendering.

Edited September 9, 2011 by boogs

[dsrdsrdsr]

WeBeGone - P&O have two drinks price lists, one for if they leave the EU and one for if they don't. The staying-in one is about 50% more expensive because they have to charge duty on all alcohol if they don't leave the EU.

 

That's why most P&O ships call at Gibraltar on their Med cruises.

[mamasue]

To the OP.....

Cruise lines don't 'arbitrarily' miss ports because the captain doesn't fancy going there....

The reason is usually for the safety of the passengers!

We've missed ports on our cruises.....always for a good reason....usually weather.

It's no big deal.... we're still on a cruise and having a great time!

The few hours we spend in a port is just a taster... not a vacation... the cruise is the vacation!

I'd much rather the captain looked after my safety than jeopardise it!!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It happens !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[eh2zed]

36 cruises, one missed port. Grand Cayman due to high seas.

[kitty9]

It has been my understanding that cruise lines reserve space well in advance for each port to be visited. That it is left to the last minute whims of the port authorities seems a bit odd to me. To place so much importance on ports of call when marketing a cruise, I would expect the cruise lines to make sure they have a slot guaranteed before committing to promoting a specific port of call. I could be wrong, but this doesn't sound like good management practice by the cruise line if this is true.

 

We have a cruise booked for late summer 2012. One of the ports of call is the Cannes/Monte Carlo area. Over the last few months the port listed on the itinerary has changed twice, from Villefanche to Cannes/Monte Carlo, and now simply Cannes. I suspect that this is due to ongoing negotiations for space in the several areas our ship can use for docking or tendering.

 

Many times, a cruise ship shares port space with cargo ships, who have priority over cruise ships. If the loading or off loading of cargo is slower than expected, those ships stay at dock, and to heck with cruise ships. Cargo ship's are more profitable and important to ports than cruise ships.

 

We've lost our docking berths a couple of times because cargo ship's took precedence.

[BruceMuzz]

It all has to do with taxes:

In Europe a cruise ship itinerary has to include a non EU port, if the cruise line can claim tax free status...good for the overall profits as well that tax and duty free stores can stay open during the entire voyage.

 

Non EU ports include:

Norway

Canary Islands, even that they belong to Spain

Channel Islands

Gibraltar, often ships make only a "technical" stop there.

Monaco

 

Now it becomes clear why these ports are skipped so often.

 

Just a point of interest: Since Malta joined the EU in 2004, the number of arrivals has dropped by 50 %!

 

Since the unrest in Northern Africa, cruise lines are now in desperate search of non EU ports, and often will include them in their itinerary, but never really intend to "make port" there.

 

This is nonsense.

I have been sailing ships in the Med for over 30 years, and have never heard of this requirement.

My ship has also never followed any regulation like this.

At my staff meeting this morning we had a very good laugh over this fiction.

Edited September 11, 2011 by BruceMuzz

[krooztom]

This is nonsense.

I have been sailing ships in the Med for over 30 years, and have never heard of this requirement.

My ship has also never followed any regulation like this.

At my staff meeting this morning we had a very good laugh over this fiction.

 

If you can show me a HAL cruise in the next 12 months which only does EU ports, I will book my next cruise with HAL.

[CraftyEC]

There certainly are regulations pertaining to this for UK ships sailing in the Med - see section 9.1 and section 10 here. Obviously these are UK/ EU regulations, but they do clearly state that in these circumstances a ship must make a stop outside the European Union, where passengers have the opportunity to land and purchase goods themselves to be able to have duty-free status for the entire trip. This will apply to any cruise which starts or finishes within the EU. There are cruises which are limited to the EU (eg round Britain plus possibly France and Spain) and on these cruises the goods in the onboard shops will be duty paid (ie a higher price)

[clackey]

In my experience, it is not uncommon to miss a port but it certainly does not usually occur on every cruise.

 

Scott & Karen

 

 

We have had missed ports on about a third of our cruises. Missed Belize because of rough seas. (Tender Port). Missed Calica twice because of engine trouble, and was 7 hours late to Cozumel because of same. Then on another trip we were 3 hours late getting back to Mobile because of fog. I was sure glad that we didn't have an early flight booked.

 

On the up side, when we missed Belize the ship rerouted to Calica, so we did get a port stop instead of an extra day at sea.

[anthonyg1996]

Cruiselines don't skip ports for the heck of it.

It can be because of weather closing the ports, medical emergancies, and in the case of the Magic strikes in Italy.

 

Correct :D:D

[paul929207]

We skipped the Seychelles few years ago. There had been 6 pirate attacks in that area in the 2 weeks before we were due to stop there.

[Nebr.cruiser]

In about 35 cruises we have luckily never missed a port. But, we are aware that it can happen. If it is a port you are really looking forward to, it would be very disappointing, but I doubt any cruise line wants to miss a port and does it arbitrarily.

 

There are certain ports that are skipped more often than others--as mentioned, Grand Cayman is one--Falkland Islands another. Often they are tender ports. Also, time of year can make a difference, such as hurricane season, or other weather and sea issues.

[wowzz]

Why resurrect a 7 year old post?

 

Sent from my SM-T580 using Forums mobile app

[bigwally]

Since this tread was updated, there is now cruise specific insurance from Nationwide which covers missed/late ports with a significant amount of benefit. Depending on the policy coverage level purchased, and assuming you live in a State where the coverage applies, you can get $500-$1250 per covered passenger if you know before sailing you'll be missing a port and $100-$250 when, for a covered reason, you have to miss or are late into/out of a port.

[jlp20]

Please explain to me how cruise ships can arbitrarely not stop....

No, you explain why YOU don't know. Every cruise line has a contract that you agree to when you cruise. From your question, you spent thousands blindly. No idea what line you were on, but take a look:

https://www.princess.com/legal/passage_contract/pcl.html

 

The short version, your not guaranteed ANYTHING. Famous story was a Caribbean cruise out of Miami. Between the ship's push back from the dock and the break water, it was decided weather was to dangerous. Ship made a hard left, and the shorts and sandaled pax were informed via the PA they were going to Canada in winter.

[flamomo]

Not acquainted with the rules of posting (new to this). But in truth I was curious to know if skipping ports is common to other cruise lines besides Carnival (I did email my question directly to Carnival and John as well). And frankly I asummed this rarely happened, and usually only becuase of Hurricanes and things like that. I still find this very disturbing - and although I have read the fine print - I just didn't think skipping ports was actually something that happened except on very rare occasions.( Especially not multiple time in one month)

 

 

I cruise with Princess, and it happens from time to time with them too. I've had it happen no matter what part of the world I've been sailing in. It's almost always due to uncooperative weather and/or sea problems stemming from the weather. Occasionally, it's been due to something like striking dock workers (France), meaning maybe there's no one to tie up the ship at the dock or set up the gangway or load supplies onto the ship!

 

Sometimes it's quite disappointing when we have to skip a port I was looking forward to, either because I've not been there before or it's one I particularly wanted to visit again. But "Ship Happens" and Mother Nature can be cruel. And striking dock workers don't care if we're disappointed.

 

However, The Captain's primary concern is for the safety of the passengers and crew, as well as preserving the cruise lines multimillion dollar investment in the ship, all of which are far more important than trying to make every port no matter what.

 

Bottom line .... (And I don't mean this in an unkind way) if you're going to keep on cruising, you have to be willing to be flexible.

[Hlitner]

We would reiterate that yesterday, a poster resurrected this thread which dates from 2011! While the topic is still relevant, debating a poster who may not have been here (on CC) for 7 years makes little sense :).

 

Hank