Has the ship waited for you at the Embarkation Port?

[land lover]

We know the rules about being on board 90 minutes before, manifest must be sent 60 minutes before etc...etc..but often ships still wait

 

and many cruisers still manage to make the ship with minutes to spare

 

from listening to other cruisers and having ships wait for me(legit reasons)

I am just wondering if people boarding very late is more common that we are led to believe and would like to hear some of your stories.

[EbayCruiser]

We always get there as early as possible.

 

I think they will hold the ship if you have booked your air through HAL.

 

The thought of being late for boarding would drive me INSANE. I am always early for everything I do in life pretty much. :)

[Cigar King]

I think they will hold the ship if you have booked your air through HAL.

 

 

I'm not sure what HAL is but If you book through Choice Air, they may wait. We were on one cruise where they waited an hour or so for a late plane from New York. Made up the time so no big deal. It's the only time I was on a ship that delayed their departure to accommodate late passengers.

[xxoocruiser]

Even if air is booked through the cruise line's program, it's still not a 100% certainty that the ship will be held if the flight is delayed. There are various factors that the cruise line considers before the ship will be held. For example:

• How long of time delay?
  
• Can the time be made up without having to alter the itinerary.
  
• Cost for the additional time in port
  

Edited July 24, 2015 by xxoocruiser

[cruzinlady1947]

I've known of them to wait for a large group of people (bus load), etc. But, I don't think they wait for just a couple people unless they are coming by way of RCCL transportation. I don't think they wait for more than about an hour though.

 

I have met people on a cruise that missed the ship and met up with the cruise at the next port. Fortunately they could drive to the next port, as it was a Canada/New England cruise. I don't ever want to be in that predicament. We always get there early.

 

 

Gwen :)

[DandDM]

A while ago we were did a short cruise out of San Diego (on Carnival). It was the first cruise for two of our table mates at dinner and they told us that either because of bad info or a miscommunication from their travel agent, they believed that they were to get to the ship at the posted departure time.

 

So they arrived at the port only 15 minutes before we were scheduled to sail off! They said that employees grabbed their stuff and literally ran them though check in. The ship left right after they got on board. They had missed the security drill so had to do a make up.

 

I don't know how it worked with the manifest, but for these guys they were still able to get on the ship. I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have waited for them if they were just a few minutes later, though!

[CVU]

We were on a ship that waited for a group of passengers coming from a flight that was delayed due to weather but not very often have we heard we are late waiting for passengers.

 

Also, seen passengers getting on at our next port with luggage in hand. They had missed connections or such.

 

In US ports you have to be on 90 min. before departure or you can/will be denied boarding due to new strict security measures.

[Robinola]

I was the last one back on the ship after a day in St. Martin. They were not happy. They literally pulled the gangway up while I lept onto the ship. Will never do that again. Why do they have to make Maho beach so much fun that you never want to leave?!

[land lover]

A while ago we were did a short cruise out of San Diego (on Carnival). It was the first cruise for two of our table mates at dinner and they told us that either because of bad info or a miscommunication from their travel agent, they believed that they were to get to the ship at the posted departure time.

 

So they arrived at the port only 15 minutes before we were scheduled to sail off! They said that employees grabbed their stuff and literally ran them though check in. The ship left right after they got on board. They had missed the security drill so had to do a make up.

 

I don't know how it worked with the manifest, but for these guys they were still able to get on the ship. I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have waited for them if they were just a few minutes later, though!

 

I've known this to happened on the short cruises out of CA frequently. I've met more that one person who was brought to muster right after boarding. Which meant they were past the 90 minute time table.

Edited July 25, 2015 by land lover

[mcatmcat]

Never had that luck because I'm usually at the port by 10am ;-)

 

Oh wait, I was in a ship that waited longer than expected because they were celebrating a basketball heat team parade and the entrance to the port was closed but again I was in the ship by 11am it didn't affected me

Edited July 25, 2015 by mcatmcat

[land lover]

We were on a ship that waited for a group of passengers coming from a flight that was delayed due to weather but not very often have we heard we are late waiting for passengers.

 

Also, seen passengers getting on at our next port with luggage in hand. They had missed connections or such.

 

In US ports you have to be on 90 min. before departure or you can/will be denied boarding due to new strict security measures.

 

My sister was on a cruise last fall where there was a bomb scare at LAX...a promo including air sold well in Canada, several Canadians were stranded at the airport ...the ship was to leave at 4 they did not leave until midnight.

[Desert Cruizers]

I was on a coastal with friends and learned one of the ladies in our Roll Call, arrived in Vancouver at 3 PM, we sailed at 4 PM. Fortunately she had paid for Ship Transfers. I believe she arrived to check in 30 to 40 minutes before we were to depart. She had mentioned what time her flight got in and we all told her she better come in the day before or get an earlier flight. She was coming from somewhere in AL. My husband & I are always at the Port by 11 AM

Edited July 25, 2015 by Desert Cruizers

[1ParticularHbr]

I'm usually at the port WAY in advance but did have one cruise where flight delays caused me to arrive VERY close to sail-away. I don't remember exactly how close it was but can tell you the muster drill was going on as I ran up the gang-way. I've purchased cruise insurance on every cruise since!

[russianmom]

My NCL Breakaway cruise last Sept and my NCL Sun cruise this past Feb both left leaving behind close to 200 passengers each time due to a bike rally which snarled traffic in Manhattan and flight delays for weather.

[land lover]

My NCL Breakaway cruise last Sept and my NCL Sun cruise this past Feb both left leaving behind close to 200 passengers each time due to a bike rally which snarled traffic in Manhattan and flight delays for weather.

 

 

That is interesting...I have never sailed NCL, but I have been snarled in that Manhattan traffic leaving the cruise port due to a marathon. Thank goodness I had booked a car rather than take a cab.

[Llmtax2000]

Princess held the ship for our luggage once! We were on a plenty-of-time-to-make-the-cruise flight from DFW that day, but the luggage conveyor belt at DFW broke down, snarling the system. Lucky for us, we had paid for a transfer to the port! The airline said the luggage would arrive on the next flight -- which was scheduled to arrive 30 minutes before sail away time. The transfer agent took down all our information and sent us to the ship -- and told my 10-YO DD to cry in front of every crew member we could find. I don't know if it was the tears or the transfer agent, but the captain announced at our sail away time that we were waiting for luggage and would depart after it arrived. In the end, we sailed away about 45 minutes behind schedule.

 

True story!

[shanley]

We booked our flights through Choice Air and were delayed to due mechanical difficulties. I called Royal Caribbean and told them what was happening. We were also with another family. We were told very clearly what the absolute cut off time to arrive was and told if we missed the Oasis, we would be flown to Jamaica and not Haiti (Labadee), therefore we would miss half the cruise :eek:.

 

We made it on time, as we had a large window of time and ended up being 2.5 hours delayed. I will never fly in day of again! We were exhausted due to having to show up at the airport at 5am and from the stress of the delays.

 

Also, when you board really late, lunch is no longer being served as the dining is close in preparation for muster.

[molly361]

When we took an Alaskan cruise years ago the ship waited for us. Well it was a bus full of people including us whose plane was late. Thankfully it is one of the few times we booked transfers thru the cruise line.

[EbayCruiser]

I'm not sure what HAL is but If you book through Choice Air, they may wait. We were on one cruise where they waited an hour or so for a late plane from New York. Made up the time so no big deal. It's the only time I was on a ship that delayed their departure to accommodate late passengers.

 

Oops, Sorry. Forgot I wasn't on the Holland America board (HAL). I jump between HAL and RCI.

[joge107]

We know the rules about being on board 90 minutes before, manifest must be sent 60 minutes before etc...etc..but often ships still wait

 

and many cruisers still manage to make the ship with minutes to spare

 

from listening to other cruisers and having ships wait for me(legit reasons)

I am just wondering if people boarding very late is more common that we are led to believe and would like to hear some of your stories.

Our flight Newark to FLL was delayed on 7/15. When I first called RCL to report late arrival, I was told no later than 3 PM for 4PM debarkation from port. At my next call, I was told 3:15. As we boarded the delayed flight, RCL said "your feet must be in THE TERMINAL by 3:30 pm. We arrived at the terminal at 3:04, checked in and proceeded directly to the muster drill with our luggage.

[proshopred]

We flew from Tampa to Rome for June an 11 night sailing on the Celebrity Reflection. We booked our airfare with Choice Air. We missed our flight connection in Washington, and we were re-routed via Munich. We arrived in Rome less than one hour before the ship was set to sail. But we still needed to get from Rome to the port in Citavecchia. Celebrity ground agents stepped up BIG TIME. We were whisked to the port in a private limo. We finally arrived at the ship at 05:05!

Although the ship was set to sail at 5:00 - they waited & we were quickly boarded. We truly felt like "celebrities on Celebrity". This was the best cruise I have ever been on!

[Retired LEO]

I have seen many people denied boarding for missing the 90 minute check in requirement.

[atb]

We did a Panama Canal Cruise with Crystal many years ago. We booked air with Crystal, and were consolidated on a flight to Acapulco from Houston. We were delayed in Houston because of weather. We arrived in Acapulco very late at night, were met and raced through the airport to a waiting bus.

I still have fond memories of the midnight ride through Acapulco to the port. They were pulling the gangway up behind us as we ran on the ship.

They waited for us, and a few hundred of our traveling companions.

First and last time we flew in same day.

[lahlah57]

I wonder how many people will reply with how rude the cruiseline was for leaving them behind cause they were too busy partying or shopping in the port!?

There are those folks that would be late for their own funeral if need be:cool:

[MAHA]

We were on a cruise years ago out of Bayonne on Explorer when they delayed leaving. There had been a major accident on a bridge or road leading to Bayonne from NYC and many people were delayed. We left about an hour and a half late, if I remember. This was in 2007.