WHEN do you reboard after excursions?

[widallas]

Just a curiosity question....

 

WHEN do you reboard the ship after excursions? Do you head back to the port to get in line an hour before departure time? Two hours before? Twenty minutes before? :)

 

Does it depend on ports, or is it always the same?

[Sauer-kraut]

There is really no queuing like embarkation day. You can go and come as you please. Each port is different, you may need to queue for a tender to take you to the ship if you're not docked. Then you need to plan to be waiting for the tender boat before the last tender departure!!

 

Your ship's daily information paper will have the return time to ship and that is the cut-off time. If you are late the ship won't wait for you. It will also be posted at the gang plank when you are leaving. Make sure you have your watch set to whatever time the ship uses (some lines the ship is different time than the port).

 

As a rule of thumb NORMALLY reboarding cut off time is a half hour before departure.

[spookwife]

when we feel like going back. but you MUST be on board 30 minutes prior to scheduled departure keeping in mind that local time is not always ship time.

[cb at sea]

If you're docked, leaving and returning to the ship is like coming and going from a hotel...walk off or on when you wish!

 

If you're tendered, simply get on the next tender to return to the ship.

 

In all cases, in ports, you must be on the ship (or tender) 30 mins. prior to sailaway.

Edited January 31, 2016 by cb at sea

[Keith1010]

You have to be back on board one hour before.

 

We don't like to chance it so unless we are on a ships excursion we allow a lot of extra time to get back particularly if transportation is involved. should there be a mechanical breakdown or a lot of traffic.

 

Keith

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

The gangway to the dock is open the entire time the ship is in port, so you can come and go when and as often as you please. But once that gangway is stowed away, you cannot get on the ship. Just wave good-bye. My advice is to try your best not to be one of the last back to the ship. I've seen passengers cut their return uncomfortably close.

 

Another bit of advice...whenever you leave the ship on a tour or just to walk around and shop make sure you have both your SeaPass and a photo ID such as a driver's license. You almost always have to show these to the local port officials before you go back to the ship.

[gymbomb]

Check when you leave the ship, but usually you are required to be back onboard (or at least in line to board if there is a line) 30 minutes before departure time. If I am not on a ship sponsored excursion I always plan to be back at least 30 minutes before the time we are instructed to be onboard.

 

 

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[Langley Cruisers]

Well, it varies. We've been back hours and hours beforehand, and last cruise we were the last people back on the ship. They folded the gangway up right after us.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I always pack the daily newsletter in my purse before we get off the ship. That way, if there's any doubt about when to be back on board, I can see quickly. We plan to be back on board about an hour before sailaway just to avoid the long lines going through security of those trying to squeeze in every second in port.

[Burpelson]

Don't be late! Google 'dock runners' for stories and videos. Just one of the threads here on this as an example: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1282471

[widallas]

Thanks for the feedback! My husband is ALWAYS early so we'll be arriving back to the ship with AT LEAST an hour to spare. The thought of being a pier runner would keep that poor man up at night! :) I was really curious about whether people liked to arrive back with plenty of time to spare, right on time, or "pier running is the best part of the cruise!" Your answers were enlightening! ;)

[GUT2407]

Just a curiosity question....

 

WHEN do you reboard the ship after excursions? Do you head back to the port to get in line an hour before departure time? Two hours before? Twenty minutes before? :)

 

Does it depend on ports, or is it always the same?

 

You normally need to be back on half an hour before departure.

 

But it will be in your newsletter and also posted at the gangway when you disembark.

[Lard Greystoke]

Typically they want you on board 30 min before liftoff. The system is very automated so they know exactly who they're waiting for. I've gone a few minutes over 3 or 4 times and they've always let me on. So far.

[Langley Cruisers]

I've gone a few minutes over 3 or 4 times and they've always let me on. So far.

 

If you are being serious here (sometimes hard to tell on a message board!), what makes you think they would not "let you on"? They will usually wait a reasonable amount of time for passengers but if you are there 3 minutes late they certainly won't turn you away.

[calliopecruiser]

Just a curiosity question....

 

WHEN do you reboard the ship after excursions? Do you head back to the port to get in line an hour before departure time? Two hours before? Twenty minutes before? :)

 

Does it depend on ports, or is it always the same?

 

Whenever I'm done doing what I'm doing (excursion or DIY). It might be 4 or 5 hours before the latest time, it might be 10 minutes before the latest time.

[paul929207]

If we have enough time, we will usually go into town. Shop some, get something to eat or drink, check wifi, etc. The key is when we are finished with the excursion and when we have to be on board. Everything else is time permitting.

[Krazy Kruizers]

If it is possible, we try to book excursions for the mornings. That way we can decide what we want to do the rest of the day. And it depends where the ship is docked. Sometimes we go right back to ship, sometimes we go out and walk around, maybe eat ashore. A lot depends on the length of time you have in a port and how long your excursions are.

Whatever we do, we make certain that we are back on the ship no later than 1 hour before the ship sails.

[cruzeluver]

The time you must be back on can vary (notice you have been told in this thread that you must be back on 1 hour prior to leaving as well as 30 minutes prior to leaving). The correct one will be printed in your daily ship newsletter as well as displayed when you leave the ship.

 

We generally like to be back 30 minutes or so prior to the time posted. We like to maximize our time in port since the port calls are so short.

[justcrusn]

Our comfort level is to be back ON BOARD THE SHIP, at least one hour before the all aboard time given by the ship. Taking the cruise ship daily with you is a great idea as it contains info for the port agent for the cruise line, your first contact should you miss the ship.

 

Things can happen, we had a tour bus get a flat tire once far from the ship and waited an uncomfortable amount of time for a replacement. Another time we almost missed the last ferry back to the ship, still hours away from sail away but no way to get there after the ferry left....

 

You will hear the ship paging the missing guests before sail away, the ship might not return to the dock even if it has only moved a few feet away due to massive fees for docking again.

[4x4bob]

our comfort level is to be standing in line to board the ship at least one hour before departure.

 

Normally we go back out, time permitting, after a ship's tour.

 

If we walk we have the best control on getting back. Taking a cab that drops you off is iffy concerning catching another cab back.

 

Riding a local bus is another iffy concern, since bus schedules are normally not really set in concrete.

 

If it is an area that you have been to before you will do better then if it is the first time.

 

Bob

[Theredofshaw]

depends on the port...and how exhausted we are. this past summer in europe, we did ALOT of walking and it was hot out. most tours ended at least 2-3 hours prior to embark time. we usually ended up on board 1-2 hours ahead of time (which was nice on the Allure, fewer people, more availability of things like the Flowrider).

[FireStation46]

If i book an afternoon excursion via RCL we head back.

 

On a self guided tour we got back i think about one hour before sailing time. The line was long, the pier was hot. But everyone did get on although it felt we waited a long time to get on.

[crabby5]

Depends on where we are- if we go to a hot beach for the day, we usually just want to get back. When we were in Alaska, we'd go walk around (and sometimes eat) in the towns since they were usually really cool.