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How early to get back to the ship?

moriarty00

By moriarty00,
in Ask a Cruise Question

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moriarty00

moriarty00

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Hi, all! Coming up on my first cruise since I was a kid. On most of our stops, I'm planning to either take an official excursion or just hang out near/on the ship. But I'm planning to go off on my own for part of one of the stops. How much time should I give myself to get back to the ship? If the website says that we leave at 4pm, do I need to plan to be back at 3:30? Earlier? I'm usually paranoid about being late to things, but I also don't want to get back so early that I cut my stay short.

 

If it matters: Ruby Princess, Eastern Caribbean, St. Thomas, March 14th.

 

Thanks for your help!

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caribsun

caribsun

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Posted

Make sure to check the daily news/activity paper. The Captain has the discretion to change departure time. Also carry the news/activity paper with you onshore because if you are running late or missed the sail away there is a number to call for assistance.

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alexspepa

alexspepa

Posted
Posted
Hi, all! Coming up on my first cruise since I was a kid. On most of our stops, I'm planning to either take an official excursion or just hang out near/on the ship. But I'm planning to go off on my own for part of one of the stops. How much time should I give myself to get back to the ship? If the website says that we leave at 4pm, do I need to plan to be back at 3:30? Earlier? I'm usually paranoid about being late to things, but I also don't want to get back so early that I cut my stay short.

 

If it matters: Ruby Princess, Eastern Caribbean, St. Thomas, March 14th.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

YAY! another pier runner candidate...

 

don't be these people at the 1:40 mark!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiEIuAMxKz8

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Doug S

Doug S

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For non-cruise line outings, if I'm not back on board at least an hour before departure, I consider myself late. So much can happen to delay things that I would be uncomfortable cutting it any closer. I have gone on Scuba excursions that ran almost the full port time, but always booked them through the line so they were obligated to wait or take care of me.

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obnurse

obnurse

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Posted

Also keep in mind the slow traffic, especially during rush hour. On our very first cruise we shared a open air bus back to the ship with a older lady by herself. We had plenty of time but, well, she had no time at all. Her ship was about to leave. She begged the driver to "go faster, please go faster" but he could only go as fast as the traffic would allow. When we got to the port my husband jumped out, carried her large quantity of island-purchased booze and ran to the ship to let them know she was coming, walker assisted. She never would have made it with my DH's help. Our personal rule....leave more time than you think you need.

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NMLady

NMLady

Posted
Posted
Hi, all! Coming up on my first cruise since I was a kid. On most of our stops, I'm planning to either take an official excursion or just hang out near/on the ship. But I'm planning to go off on my own for part of one of the stops. How much time should I give myself to get back to the ship? If the website says that we leave at 4pm, do I need to plan to be back at 3:30? Earlier? I'm usually paranoid about being late to things, but I also don't want to get back so early that I cut my stay short.

 

If it matters: Ruby Princess, Eastern Caribbean, St. Thomas, March 14th.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

There will be a time listed in the ship newsletter. Also, there will be a board at the gangplank giving an 'All Aboard' time, usually 30 minutes before departure.

Personally I try to be back on board an hour before the scheduled All Aboard time.

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Silvery Seas Cruiser

Silvery Seas Cruiser

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This is crucially important--make sure you know if you are to follow ship's time or local time. I wonder how many folks have missed or nearly missed the ship because they were running an hour behind due to confusion over what time the ship was using.

 

So be very careful if your ship has entered a different time zone. Some captains have all the passengers change their watches to local time, but some captains maintain ship's time. Be certain you know what the captain is doing. It is usually in the ship's daily newspaper.

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SFCAcruiser

SFCAcruiser

Posted
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Amazing; I had no idea this was a whole youtube genre!!

 

So it sounds like 45 minutes minimum, and probably more like 60. Very helpful. Thanks, all!

Like just about all the previous posters, I also use the 60-minute rule. The only exception is if I am in sight of the ship, an easy walk back to it, perhaps sitting in a free wi-fi zone in the port area. We generally do the long distance activities early in the day and work our way back to the dock area so as to maximize our onshore time.

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Teeara "Live from...." Rare

Teeara

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60 minute rule here, too.

 

And ESPECIALLY since you'll be in St. Thomas, you must adhere to that rule. Traffic is VERY SLOW around the ports, so if you're off sightseeing, please make absolutely sure that you'll be back at the ship by then. We really don't want to see you on YouTube...or do we....:eek::p;):D

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navybankerteacher

navybankerteacher

Posted
Posted
60 minute rule here, too.

 

And ESPECIALLY since you'll be in St. Thomas, you must adhere to that rule. Traffic is VERY SLOW around the ports, so if you're off sightseeing, please make absolutely sure that you'll be back at the ship by then. We really don't want to see you on YouTube...or do we....:eek::p;):D

 

Or if you are on the wrong side of the drawbridge in St. Maarten, in creeping afternoon traffic.

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Jimnbigd

Jimnbigd

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Thanks for adding this! Yes, ship's time! Both on the ship and in port you are always on Ship's Time.

I'm not sure what you mean about the port always being on ship's time. What if the port has 2 ships on different times? For example, one ship could be from Galveston, on Central time, and another from Miami, on Eastern time. In fact this has happened to us, in Cozumel -- The Allure of the Seas from Ft. Lauderdale was parked right next to us (the Mariner of the Seas from Galveston). So, no, the port's time is not always the same as ship's time. But as others have said, departure time is based on ship's time. Also, cell phones might automatically reset to local time. I wear a watch to know what the ship's time is. Also, on most of my cruises, ship's time was always the local time of the embarkation/debarkation port. Once and only once did the ship change time zones for me, and this was clearly stated in the ship's daily newsletter. Now, if you are disembarking from a different port than embarkation -- like a trans-Atlantic cruise -- then your time zones will change, probably daily, on the ship. When leaving the ship at a port-of-call, it is a good idea to know what the ship's time is and also what the local time is -- and the difference if any.

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dread_pirate

dread_pirate

Posted
Posted

On Caribbean Princess, the ship had us change our watches/phones/whatever at 2 AM when we crossed into a time zone to Curacao, and then when we were returning to Ft. Lauderdale. They announced it over the loudspeaker, in the Patter, and put a special card on our pillows at turn-down to remind us. And all the ship's activities then followed the new time zone.

 

I can't imagine that it would be different on the Ruby - port time and ship time will most likely be the same.

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