Question about getting on/off the ship in port

[wrg11]

DH and I are first time cruisers and have a question about getting off the ship in port. Are we able to leave and board the ship at our own leisure? Thanks.

[Shogun]

Hi There

 

As often as you want, when ever you want, after customs has cleared ship,

 

ship will broadcast a notice saying its OK to leave,

 

 

yours Shogun

[hospvol]

There will be a certain time at which you may leave the ship and a certain time to be back on board. Other that, you are on your own.

[paul929207]

In most ports the ship is docked. Passengers can just walk off and on as they wish.

 

Some ports, the ship anchors off the port and smaller boats (often the ship's lifeboats) are used to transfer (tender) passengers ashore. In these ports, there is always a backlog when the ship is cleared as everyone wants to get off. It can take a while to get everyone ashore.

[Ti2m]

And if you are not back on the ship by the designated time. They will leave without you. Seriously! Make sure you are on ship time and not island time.

[Gunner22aa]

Will be the port time. Have never been on a cruise where they differ. If there is a time change from your last port or the previous days sailing you will be informed the night before to put your clock ahead/back as required. Yes the ship will sail without you if you are out and about on your own. I have only been on one cruise where it happened but two couples were left behind in St Kitts on my Constellation cruise.

[highheel girl]

And if you are not back on the ship by the designated time. They will leave without you. Seriously! Make sure you are on ship time and not island time.

 

Ship time is island time. ;)

[Pam in CA]

As often as you want, when ever you want, after customs has cleared ship, ship will broadcast a notice saying its OK to leave,

While true, your actual disembarkation time depends on whether the ship is docking or tendering. If docking, the ship is usually cleared 15-30 minutes after arrival. It takes time for the ship to be secured, the gangway be deployed, the local officials to board and the ship to be cleared.

 

When tendering, a tender must be lowered and sent to shore, shoreside platforms and gangways set up, ship's gangways and platforms set up, more tenders deployed, officlals board and the ship cleared. This takes at least 30-45 minutes. The first passengers off the ship are on Princess excursions. If you are going ashore independently, you need to go to a lounge and get a tender ticket. A few independent passengers are allowed on the first few tenders until all Princess excursions have departed.

 

When returning to the ship, plan on being back ON the ship absolutely no later than 30 minutes before sailaway. It's a good idea to plan to be back an hour before just in case you are delayed. It takes about half an hour to secure the ship and let go of the lines; ship will leave without you. If the ship is tendering, the last tender is usually an hour before sailing. Plan on getting back to the pier an hour and a half for "just in case."

[Desert Cruizers]

This is our personal preferance, but we like to plan our day in Port, whether on a tour or walking around, to be back on board 2 hours before sailing. This way we can relax a little. Often times we will leave ourselves enough time after a tour to walk around the port if we wish.

[pablo222]

Ship time is island time. ;)

 

Except, when it's not.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Always double check your watches against the ship's time before you leave. There is a channel on the in-cabin tv called the navigation channel that cycles through info about the current weather conditions and navigational data (with info about safety, the next port, tidbits about various places on the ship in between) that you can set your watch to when you first get up.

[aikensbest]

Except, when it's not.

In 15 cruises to many different time zones I have NEVER seen the time on any island to be different than the time posted on the ship

[abqmommyof4]

In 15 cruises to many different time zones I have NEVER seen the time on any island to be different than the time posted on the ship

 

During our Christmas cruise one of the ports was an hour ahead of ships time, I have a swiss cheese brain so I cant remember which port it was on the Mexican Rivirera

[caribill]

If the ship is tendering, the last tender is usually an hour before sailing. Plan on getting back to the pier an hour and a half for "just in case."

 

My experience has been that the last tender back to the ship is scheduled for 30 minutes before sailing.

 

And often the line is long enough at that time it takes several more tenders to get everybody back on bard.

[matj2000]

.

 

When returning to the ship, plan on being back ON the ship absolutely no later than 30 minutes before sailaway. It's a good idea to plan to be back an hour before just in case you are delayed. It takes about half an hour to secure the ship and let go of the lines; ship will leave without you.

 

That is so not true.

I have watched many times people re-board within minutes ot the ship leaving.

I have seen them actually drop the lines 10 seconds after the last guy was on..

[Pam in CA]

My experience has been that the last tender back to the ship is scheduled for 30 minutes before sailing.

 

And often the line is long enough at that time it takes several more tenders to get everybody back on bard.

You're right but I've also seen the last tender leave on time and the ship sail early.

 

That is so not true.

I have watched many times people re-board within minutes ot the ship leaving.

I have seen them actually drop the lines 10 seconds after the last guy was on..

They absolutely can and will leave you behind. I've seen it many times. I've seen some be able to catch up with the ship by jumping between the pilot boat and the opening in the side of the ship (very dangerous); other times, I've seen them having to climb a rope ladder. Several times, people were left behind when disembarkation was days away but that's the next port. I wouldn't imply that it never happens or that someone can plan to arrive at the last minute. You are far better off planning your timing conservatively.

[rdsqrl]

That is so not true.

 

I have watched many times people re-board within minutes ot the ship leaving.

 

I have seen them actually drop the lines 10 seconds after the last guy was on..

Perhaps Princess pays more attention to actual posted departure times than the cruise lines you've previously been on. (Which is my polite way of saying that, if you haven't yet sailed on Princess, you probably shouldn't be calling out posters who have.)

[caribill]

That is so not true.

 

I have watched many times people re-board within minutes ot the ship leaving.

 

I have seen them actually drop the lines 10 seconds after the last guy was on..

 

Will anyone that shows up in that last half hour be able to get back onto the ship? Yes, since the ship is still there.

 

But if the Captain decides it is time to leave and you are not there yet, you can get a great photo of the ship as it sails away from the port.

[Pam in CA]

But if the Captain decides it is time to leave and you are not there yet, you can get a great photo of the ship as it sails away from the port.

Joe May, a well-known and excellent port lecturer, always says, "Unless you're back on the ship at the posted time, make sure you bring a camera so you can get a good photo of the ship as it sails away." One time, he said this just before we docked in Barcelona. Sure 'nuff, two couples missed the ship and had to get to Cannes the next day. They were at the dock as the first tender came ashore. Expensive lesson. On another cruise, the Captain came on the PA to say we were sailing which was bad news "for the people who couldn't tell time." Our next port that they could make was at least five days later. Fortunately for them, they came screeching up in a taxi during the Captain's talk.

[pablo222]

In 15 cruises to many different time zones I have NEVER seen the time on any island to be different than the time posted on the ship

 

And?

 

There was a thread here about this recently, where folks offered

various examples.

 

Currently, Ruby doing eastern carribbean -- ship time is different

than local time when at Princess Cays in the Bahamas.

 

I have noticed that lots of people here post in sweeping generalities.

Lots of people are wrong.

[PunkiC]

Joe May, a well-known and excellent port lecturer, always says, "Unless you're back on the ship at the posted time, make sure you bring a camera so you can get a good photo of the ship as it sails away." One time, he said this just before we docked in Barcelona. Sure 'nuff, two couples missed the ship and had to get to Cannes the next day. They were at the dock as the first tender came ashore. Expensive lesson. On another cruise, the Captain came on the PA to say we were sailing which was bad news "for the people who couldn't tell time." Our next port that they could make was at least five days later. Fortunately for them, they came screeching up in a taxi during the Captain's talk.

 

I agree. We loved Joe May's port information.

 

Typically we take independent tours or just get off the ship and walk around and try to get back to the ship at least 30 minutes early. We did get a little nervous once in Oslo when the buses just weren't running properly and we waited over an hour and a half for a bus from the ship museum back to the port. There was a huge crowd of ship passengers waiting and it was a zoo trying to get back to the ship. We made it just fine, but it was a little nerve wracking, but not enough to discourage us from independent touring.

 

We have seen people left behind, running toward the ship as it pulled out of the harbor and we have also seen ships wait for (in the captain's words) "miscreants who couldn't tell time" in tender ports.

 

It's all an adventure. ;)

[matj2000]

Will anyone that shows up in that last half hour be able to get back onto the ship? Yes, since the ship is still there.

 

That was what I was talking about..

[dmwnc1959]

That is so not true.

I have watched many times people re-board within minutes ot the ship leaving.

I have seen them actually drop the lines 10 seconds after the last guy was on..

 

I think the general idea is to teach newbees to be responsible passengers and considerate of other passengers when returning to the ship. Last month we waited 30 minutes past our sail away time in Saint Martin. Finally as the last two passengers dragged their butts back on the ship the rest of us 3000+ passengers could finally have our Sail Away.

 

Same thing happened in St. Thomas, however the Captain was less tolerant of late comers. I guess people mis-judged local traffic or just waited until the last minute to head back. Again we waited past sail away time and finally when there were just two passengers missing he cast off lines. Literally, as the ships stern cleared the pier they drove up in a taxi with their shopping bags. They got left behind and the next viable catch up port was Fort Lauderdale.

 

Also for those who have cruised so often they never see port time and ship time as different: last year on Allure of the Seas in Cozumel, if you looked at the clocks on the ship we were 1-hour ahead of local time . The ship docked next to us had their clocks set to the correct time. It was funny seeing their clocks say 3pm and ours say 4pm at the same time.

 

.

[Stevesan]

In 15 cruises to many different time zones I have NEVER seen the time on any island to be different than the time posted on the ship

 

You've never sailed with Carnival!:p

 

I've seen a few reports when Princess ships differ from port time. There's one on this thread.

[shredie]

Nearly always there will be an announcement as the ship prepares to leave asking "Joe Smith" or someone to call a certain number (passenger desk?) You don't hear about him after that, as a rule. One time we were talking to some people when there was an announcement for "Jane Smith." They knew her and said she had reboarded just before them. We never heard her name again, either. I suppose that with so many people coming on the ship there will be the occasional malfunction with the card readers. If you get off the ship, they know it from scanning your cruise card, and they know if you come back when you have to scan it again. OP wants to get on and off at will, and they need to remember to take that cruise card each and every time.