Depenablility of arrival time to home port?

[ShrinkWrap]

I may need to leave for an international trip the day of our return from our cruise so I was wondering what is the likelihood that the ship will return to its home port at the posted time?

 

I understand that things that the cruise line can not control, health of passengers and crew, weather, etc., have to be taken into consideration but barring these issues, what is their record like for timeliness?

 

Thanks.

[AdrenalineRush]

Usually the ships arrive well before the posted times.

Even when docked there could be issues with customs.

 

How tight is your window to make the next flight?

Edited July 13, 2015 by AdrenalineRush

[Illyria]

Uh...welcome to Cruise Critic :)

 

You didn't mention the ship OR the port, so we can only take educated guesses. Keep in mind that even if the ship docks at at the posted time on the dot, the passengers will not be let off until port authorities clear the ship. And then there's customs & immigration line when you get off the ship - again, depending on the port and how many ships are arriving on the same morning, you can't know how quickly that line will move.

 

What time is your flight?

[D4]

It really depends on the port. For example, Galveston is notorious for having long delays in in certain months.

[BenjiRodney]

Only once can I recall us arriving into port at the scheduled time of 8am, and that was due to bad weather on the way back to Miami.

[funinthesun1964]

I have cruised from: San Juan, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Baltimore, Charleston, Long Beach, Jacksonville, Port Canaveral. Maybe a couple others, I dont know. I've been on 12 cruises. The one where we had a delay: Baltimore. A slight delay. The worst ports I've had for debarkation: Baltimore and Charleston. Those two ports took forever it seemed to leave the ship.

[loxley]

The odds are 50/50.

 

Either the ship will dock ontime and all will go well, OR there will be a problem and the ship will not dock ontime.

 

It doesn't matter if there has been no problems in the last 100 cruises. If there is a problem with the cruise you are on, you have a problem.

[cb at sea]

Normally, the ship is docked well before the posted time...you can't get off then, but you're in port!

[Crusin Hogs]

We have sat outside Galveston 6-7 hours waiting for the fog to clear

[islandatsea]

A lot of factors are involved whether or not a ship will dock as scheduled. We always leave enough of a buffer of time in case something does not work out as it should. All of our cruises to date have arrived at the scheduled docking time but we always are proactive in any arrangements we make after the cruise is over.

[alreadypacked]

As others have already stated, ships usually return to the home port on time or early. But...

 

Consider your port of embarkation, itinerary and time of year with regard to weather. For instance, if sailing a Caribbean itinerary during hurricane season, be careful because you just never know. In 2004, we were all set to embark the Caribbean Princess on Saturday September 25. But thanks to Hurricane Jean, the ship was stuck out at sea for two additional days. We boarded on Monday, the 27th instead.

 

Passengers on the cruise before us were stuck on the ship for two extra days.

 

Not a typical situation, I know. But something to be aware of.

[skrufy]

Nine cruises and all nine have arrived before the scheduled arrival time and people were leaving the ship by scheduled arrival time. Add Tampa to the possibility of being delayed by fog.

[MickCruiser]

Having FTTF would get you off the ship sooner v later.

 

 

- JPO

[jenfusc]

As you have stated 'anything can happen' as you are fully aware.... In my own experiences ... Always early & out with no issues... 7 cruises w/ Carnival..... Debarkation ports: Miami, Ft Lauderdale, Pt Canaveral, & Galveston

[jenfusc]

Also, if u have an early flight , you can get priority Debarkation without having FTTF... Just go to guest services and you will need to carry own luggage , 'self assist' ... But they will take care of you...

[ShrinkWrap]

I am sorry for not stating my port and ship. I will be sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale on the Conquest. I also have FTTF.

 

I live in So. Fla. about an hour from the port and 10 minutes from the airport I would leave from. If I go, I would probably need to be at the airport around 2:30 PM.

 

It sounds like the cruise industry is more reliable than the airline industry but there could be some potential issues,

[HectorAchilleus]

Twenty-five cruises and most have arrived early - none significantly late.

[omalley16]

I have cruised from: San Juan, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Baltimore, Charleston, Long Beach, Jacksonville, Port Canaveral. Maybe a couple others, I dont know. I've been on 12 cruises. The one where we had a delay: Baltimore. A slight delay. The worst ports I've had for debarkation: Baltimore and Charleston. Those two ports took forever it seemed to leave the ship.

 

 

Baltimore was my best for both embarkation and debarkation! From my experience, I think Fort Lauderdale was our worst experience for embarkation, but the worst for debarkation was NCL out of Miami. I've usually been off the ship and in the car (or shuttle to parking lot) within an hour of attempting to leave the ship. In Baltimore, it was probably 25 mins from ship to I-95, and that included dragging my grandmother along and being the cane she refuses to use, finding the car, and pulling it to the curb to pick her and the luggage up.

[AdrenalineRush]

I am sorry for not stating my port and ship. I will be sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale on the Conquest. I also have FTTF.

 

I live in So. Fla. about an hour from the port and 10 minutes from the airport I would leave from. If I go, I would probably need to be at the airport around 2:30 PM.

 

It sounds like the cruise industry is more reliable than the airline industry but there could be some potential issues,

 

Murphy's law would have to be working overtime for you to have any issues. :-)

 

Have a wonderful cruise and great flight.

[cruzeluver]

If you need to be at the Fort Lauderdale airport by 2:30 the odds are overwhelmingly in your favor. It would have to be something highly out of the ordinary to delay disembarkation that long. Not unheard of, but not at all likely.

[It's a Ship!!!]

I am sorry for not stating my port and ship. I will be sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale on the Conquest. I also have FTTF.

 

I live in So. Fla. about an hour from the port and 10 minutes from the airport I would leave from. If I go, I would probably need to be at the airport around 2:30 PM.

 

It sounds like the cruise industry is more reliable than the airline industry but there could be some potential issues,

 

You should be fine. As others have stated, most issues shouldn't delay you that long, and since you have FTTF, you will be one of the first off even if there is a delay.

 

The only time I've been delayed was out of Houston because of fog. The ship got in late, and we had a later zone for disembarkation but we still got to our car at about 11:30 AM.

[Midship]

We have sat outside Galveston 6-7 hours waiting for the fog to clear

 

 

at the port of Galveston, in the month of January, what are the chances of fog delaying debarkation??

[cruzincurt]

We've never been late into Ft. Lauderdale, probably 25 cruises. But we have been late to board and leave when the incoming ship is coming into the port for the first time, such as from a transatlantic or from some other itinerary. Those take longer to clear customs the first time in.