Missing tender ports

[wendaeh]

Hello! I have read several trip reports about cruisers sometimes missing tender ports due to weather/wind - most seem to be the line's private islands (ie., Half Moon Cay or Great Stirrup Cay). Do ships miss other tender ports frequently, such as Belize or Grand Cayman Island? We have these two tender ports in our upcoming cruise.

 

Thanks!

[cb at sea]

GC is missed if it's too windy or seas are too rough...there's really no way to tell what the conditions might be more than a day or so in advance.

That's why you should never cruise expressly for the ports....there's alway a chance that you may miss one, or the order of your ports may be changed, or replaced with a different port. That's clearly stated in your cruise contract!

[deladypilot]

It does happen but as stated, there is no way to tell when or if it might. So be prepared and read your daily for activites that will be on the ship. I have read that often if a port is cancelled the cruise lines will also add extra activites to help, so listen for announcements if it does happen.

[KirkNC]

It is hit or miss. We actually missed Grenada once and you dock there. The swells were so big the ship was moving up and down 4-5 ft while docked. The Captain was afraid a mooring line might break and kill someone :eek:.

[TracieABD]

I can happen. We tend book ships excursions for tender ports just for that reason.:)

[kazu]

It does happen but as stated, there is no way to tell when or if it might. So be prepared and read your daily for activites that will be on the ship. I have read that often if a port is cancelled the cruise lines will also add extra activites to help, so listen for announcements if it does happen.

 

If the weather makes tendering unsafe or impossible - you can miss any tender port anywhere. It has happened to us on more than one occasion:( when it does happen, normally the ship (at least the ones we have been on) produce a new daily guide with all kinds of new activities if you are about to have an unplanned sea day.

[Hlitner]

Missing ports can happen anywhere, even if its a port where you dock. We went for years without missing any ports (and we cruise over 70 days a year) until last year. Then we took a New England/Canada cruise that missed 2 ports due to heavy winds and seas. Then the following cruise we missed 2 more ports (in Europe) due to high winds (and these were docking ports). In the Caribbean many cruises over the years have missed Grand Cayman due to seas and wind conditions. It is just part of cruising.

 

Hank

[Keith1010]

It doesn't happen very often but there are some places around the world where it is more apt to happen where the winds are high.

 

I would say out of the equivalent though of 2 1/2 years at sea we've missed about five ports because of wind/rough sea conditions.

 

Keith

[DanJ]

Grand Cayman and Belize seem to get mentioned the most as ports missed because of winds or sea conditions. There has been talk of a pier being built in GC, and Belize even started one about 5 years ago. But even a pier doesn't guarantee anything in bad weather. Even today, the Victory missed St Maarten because of high winds, and you dock there as well

[DanJ]

It is hit or miss. We actually missed Grenada once and you dock there. The swells were so big the ship was moving up and down 4-5 ft while docked. The Captain was afraid a mooring line might break and kill someone :eek:.

 

When you said this, I was thinking of the MSC ship a few years ago that broke free from it's lines in high winds and several people went in to the water when they gangway fell. I looked it up on youtube, and was surprised to see the Norwegian Star accident a few weeks ago in Bermuda where this same thing happened and it hit the Explorer of the Seas. I must have been living under a rock or something, because that was the first I heard of it.

[SMerritt]

When you said this, I was thinking of the MSC ship a few years ago that broke free from it's lines in high winds and several people went in to the water when they gangway fell. I looked it up on youtube, and was surprised to see the Norwegian Star accident a few weeks ago in Bermuda where this same thing happened and it hit the Explorer of the Seas. I must have been living under a rock or something, because that was the first I heard of it.

 

We were on the Star the week after - I think everyone was viewing and photographing the dent in the ship more than the island:D

 

Once we were diverted to Nassau due to bad weather - the captain does whatever he feels is the safest for his passengers. Everyone understood why the change and just enjoyed the cruise.

[Krazy Kruizers]

It doesn't happen too often.

We have missed Grand Cayman a couple of times.

We have even missed HMC quite a few times.

Grand Turk is docking port -- and because of the winds -- we missed that port a couple of times.

[Putterdude]

Ports aren't missed that often but we have missed a couple including Dubrovnik last month on the Grand which was a huge disappointment given the distance we had traveled to see it....now we have to go back next September and try again.;)

[Keith1010]

Always remember that safety is the number one priority for the cruise line. So, while we might be disappointed to miss a port we know it is for the safety of the passengers and the crew.

 

Keith

[Putterdude]

In our case weather was a contributing factor however other ships did enter Dubrovnik that morning including MSC, RCL & Oceania. Princess was being jacked around by the port authority re their berthing assignment and I really think think a lot of politics entered into the equation.

[boogs]

Not only weather can affect port cancellations. If a dock worker strike is in effect at the port, you will not be docking. Even something a seemingly minor as a strike by the harbor pilots can prevent docking. Same can happen if there is a civil disturbance on shore that could affect the safety of visiting passengers. Any number of things can cause a port to be skipped.

[lady_cruiser]

And sometimes the opposite happens. You get to visit an extra port-of-call that isn't on the orignal itinerary. In 2005 we were on a cruise when a little mean old lady known as Hurrican Rita came and closed the Port of Galveston. The ship we were on, Carnival Conquest, could not dock so the captain got permission and docked in Costa Maya for a day. It was the best port of all the ones we had been to.

[MCC retired]

Yes, Grand Cayman and the private island tender ports

can be missed despite nice weather , if the winds or seas

don't cooperate.

Grand Turk has a dock but can be skipped for the same

reasons . Been on 3 cruises that included GT and have not

made GT yet ! Always wind was the reason for not docking

there.

[lberbe]

First time cruiser (June '13) so this may sound ignorant...

I understand missing a port is rare and the cruise industry typically couldn't do anything to prevent it from happening, but is there any type of compensation when a port is missed?

I know for the cruise I'm taking I selected over other cheaper cruises because it had an additional port that I want to see. Some cruises are more expensive because of where they're going to not just because of the time on the boat.

[lady_cruiser]

First time cruiser (June '13) so this may sound ignorant...

I understand missing a port is rare and the cruise industry typically couldn't do anything to prevent it from happening, but is there any type of compensation when a port is missed?

..quote]

The only comp you will get is the amount you paid in port taxes for that particular port, usually $15 or $25.00.

[Karysa]

First time cruiser (June '13) so this may sound ignorant...

I understand missing a port is rare and the cruise industry typically couldn't do anything to prevent it from happening, but is there any type of compensation when a port is missed?

I know for the cruise I'm taking I selected over other cheaper cruises because it had an additional port that I want to see. Some cruises are more expensive because of where they're going to not just because of the time on the boat.

 

 

The cruiseline, ship, ports, distance traveled, time of year and how well the ship is booking are all factors into the pricing of the cruise.

 

I agree with the other cruiser. You will be given the port fees back if you miss a port and have a sea day instead.