Family left behind

[Overtyme]

Two hours is very conservative. I bet you don't cut the tag off your mattress either :-)

 

 

I kind of like the 2 Hr mark my self.

By the time I get the family together, get a cab and back to the ship, I'm sure that :30 - 45 minutes goes by.

Wait much longer and everyone is trying for the same thing, which means long lines.

 

 

 

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[MommaBear55]

I think one of the reasons that people miss the ship, besides the obvious traffic delays and alcohol fog, is the confusion between shop time and local time. If ship stays on Eastern time and you are in San Juan, you could be an hour late if you are looking at clocks or your phone vs. your watch.

[DirtyDawg]

Oh, well stuff happens. This family might end up lighter in the pocketbook by missing the ship but they will be richer in the story telling department.:D

 

We missed the last chunnel train back to London after a day trip to Paris several years ago. It ended up costing us a few hundred Euro's for the hotel etc. but the stories we have from it - priceless!:)

[Mom.to.2]

Years ago on cruise critic, I read of a couple who was late to the pier and the Captain allowed a small boat to bring them out to meet the ship. They had left their young child on board with Adventure Ocean, while they explored the port.

 

 

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Edited March 27, 2016 by Mom.to.2

[hapster85]

Never leave the ship without your Cruise Compass.

I was probably less on guard, being as our two recent cruises were Alaskan. Will definitely take this advice for our two upcoming cruises.

[mek]

I think one of the reasons that people miss the ship, besides the obvious traffic delays and alcohol fog, is the confusion between shop time and local time. If ship stays on Eastern time and you are in San Juan, you could be an hour late if you are looking at clocks or your phone vs. your watch.

 

I just keep my watch on ship time and only pay attention to that.

[SargassoPirate]

I'll guess why people are late getting back to the ship......they know the ship will wait for them. It's their own inflated sense of entitlement. What the ships need to do is pull away from the dock at the stated time. Trains don't wait for you. Airplanes don't wait for you. Buses don't wait for you. Why should you expect a cruise ship to wait?

 

If more ships would pull in the gangway at all aboard time and pull away from the dock at the stated time, word would get out and more people would get their hineys back to the ship on time. :eek:

[TeachUF352]

I was also on this ship...and the Indy waited over an hour. We were constantly reminded as we got off the ship that we were leaving at 4PM ship time...not local time. The Indy pulled away from the pier at 5:15 ship time (4:15 local). There were lots of people coming back late. We were watching from the top deck and the ship was already pulling away before they came into view. Can't stop and go into reverse. I felt bad for them but this is a reminder to always plan ahead and make sure you know when and where you are.

[hapster85]

... you could be an hour late if you are looking at clocks or your phone vs. your watch.

 

Most people don't seem to realize that their phone's date & time settings have a manual mode. Since my phone is my primary time piece, putting it into manual mode is the first thing I do. It's the only way to keep it on the correct time aboard ship, otherwise you'll find your phone on GMT once at sea. It's also helps ensure that you remain on ship's time in port.

[leisuretraveler223]

People always talk about this like it's some great tragedy. Stuff happens, people miss flights and people miss ships. It'll cost you some cash and definitely disrupt your plans. But you're likely "stuck" in a vacation destination you sought out. Deal with it.

 

Having said that, I am not inclined to "rely" on Royal, the Port agent, or anyone else to help me fix my own mess (although we live in a nanny state where that is what many people expect). So, for me, the simple answer is this: Carry money, credit card, license and PASSPORT (unless it's an international itinerary where the cruise line holds it). I'm not relying on anyone else to clean up my mess.

[KBS1607]

Funny that it only took an hour and a half to get a passport. Wonder how they verify who you are?

 

Some people here like to say that you will be trapped and spend days upon days trying to get a passport. No doubt it would have been easier to just book a flight and leave had he had a passport but definitely not the horror story some like to give when people ask if it is ok to travel without one. And I'm not dismissing how scary it must have been, only that it appears easier then some would like people to believe to obtain a passport in an emergency situation.

 

He had an expired passport with him. I guess that helped with the speed.

[Bobal]

I have read of folks being able to get the port agent to rent a small boat and catch up to the ship if it has just left.

 

I would be surprised and shock if a Royal Captain allowed a small boat to approach and transfer passengers. It is very complicated to do this, yes the harbor pilots are put on and off ships but they are professional with years of experience.

 

From a liability standpoint it would seem to be grounds to remove a captain.

 

We were on a Celebrity ship a few years ago leaving a Puerto Vallarta and saw a small boat bring some passengers to the ship after we'd left port.

 

We had also just pulled away from the dock in one of the Canary Islands on the Liberty TA a couple of years ago when a couple came running down the dock and the ship moved back to the dock and let them on

[kandj05]

I take a photo of the Port Agent info with my phone, then I don't have to carry around the sheet of paper, too.

 

Taking a pic of the port agents info is what we do also. Thank goodness, we have never even been close to missing the ship.

[9876]

Does it cover you if the "Trip Interruption" is your own fault ?

 

(I've read the small print but don't remember if that was covered in the typical policy).

 

I agree with this statement. I am not so sure that insurance will cover you for missing the ship. I did check into it once and they said no. Maybe if you were on an organized tour that got back late? I would not count on it though.

[rucruisn2]

Several years ago my daughter and boyfriend missed the ship by minutes. The port agent allowed them to use the phone to call me. They only had their seapass card, little money, and bathing suits one them. I had to arrange a hotel for the to stay at. The hotel was kind enough to give them t-shirts and toothbrushes. They took my credit card over the phone and took good care of them. Royal went into their safe and got their passports and ID, faxed it to the hotel. I had to pay to fly them to the next port where they rejoined the ship. I had to pay for EVERYTHING. Stupid kids! A very expensive lesson to learn. Don't miss your ship!!!

[Cindy]

Several years ago we were on the Mariner in Cozumel and waited about an hour for an obviously very drunk couple. They finally came casually staggering down the pier with drinks in their hands while the officers and Mexican authorities at the gangway tapped their feed and repeatedly checked their watches.

 

Here's the welcoming committee for the latecomers!

 

We took the All Access tour the next day, and the captain was asked about the incident. He said it cost tens of thousands of dollars to wait because of additional pier costs and the increased fuel costs to run faster in order to return to Galveston on time. He also shared that the couple had the privilege of going straight to the brig until they were sober, at which point they had a private audience with the captain!:D I don't think the ending to their cruise was very pleasant!

[CanadaCathi]

When we obtained our passports we also paid a little extra and purchased PASSPORT CARDS. We carry these into ports (more convenient than bulky passports) so that we will have official U.S. identification.

 

 

I did this same thing for this same reason!

[leisuretraveler223]

He also shared that the couple had the privilege of going straight to the brig until they were sober

 

Sorry, but this sounds a little fishy. The ship CHOSE to wait for them. Either there is more to this story (i.e. they became combative or otherwise disruptive upon their return), or this is bunk. No way RCI is going to lock someone in the brig because they're drunk and returned late from a port call.

[sandancer]

When we obtained our passports we also paid a little extra and purchased PASSPORT CARDS. We carry these into ports (more convenient than bulky passports) so that we will have official U.S. identification.

 

 

Wish we could do that here in the UK. I'm very nervous of carrying passports, especially for beach days. We have paper copies and photos on the phone but I'm not sure that this would help in the event of REALLY needing your passport.

 

 

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[gerif]

We were leaving Bermuda once. I was settled in on the balcony with a book and glass of wine when the ship pulled away. Suddenly heard shouting and realized the ship was going in reverse. There were two young girls - appeared to be teens - running toward the ship. They got them on board but my guess is that there was hell to pay from their parents. But, yes, they have backed up. A lot depends on the circumstances and the ship cannot always wait for people on ship sponsored excursions.

[akcruz]

Several years ago my daughter and boyfriend missed the ship by minutes. The port agent allowed them to use the phone to call me. They only had their seapass card, little money, and bathing suits one them. I had to arrange a hotel for the to stay at. The hotel was kind enough to give them t-shirts and toothbrushes. They took my credit card over the phone and took good care of them. Royal went into their safe and got their passports and ID, faxed it to the hotel. I had to pay to fly them to the next port where they rejoined the ship. I had to pay for EVERYTHING. Stupid kids! A very expensive lesson to learn. Don't miss your ship!!!

Sorry you had to go through that but bet the kids learned a lesson from it.

 

I do have a question however. Many state hat Royal will go to your cabin to get ID from the safe and leave it with the port agent. I have always wondered if this was true or not. Sounds like from your post they did not. Did they and the kids didn't know or was their ID still in their cabin after the ship sailed?

 

I hope never to need to know the answer myself but would like to clear thus us from first hand experience. Thanks.

[Cindy]

Sorry, but this sounds a little fishy. The ship CHOSE to wait for them. Either there is more to this story (i.e. they became combative or otherwise disruptive upon their return), or this is bunk. No way RCI is going to lock someone in the brig because they're drunk and returned late from a port call.

 

I don't believe the captain (Flemming) had any reason to lie. He was clearly irritated about the situation, and said the reason the ship was held for so long was at the insistence of the local authorities who didn't want to release the ship until all were aboard. I got the distinct impression that we would have left if we could, and the couple was quite "nonchalant" about their tardiness. We were attending a balcony party directly above the gangway, and the couple certainly didn't do anything to help their cause as they approached the ship...shouting at the balcony watchers and more or less performing for the crowd. They clearly thought the whole thing was quite funny.

 

I thought what the captain said made sense under the circumstances based on what I observed. You can choose to believe it or think it's bunk, but that's what I saw and what I was told.

[blondie from arizona]

Several points to make here. First, I don't think the ship is required to wait for you if you are on a ship sponsored excursion. I think they have to provide you with a means to get to the next port. (I am not sure of this.) Second, take a picture of the information on the compass. Third, confirm local time to ship time. Fourth, I was at a ship talk with an officer and she said that they will go to your room and retrieve your passport. They can and will go into your safe. Fifth, they pack up your belongs AFTER they have left port, so you do not get all your stuff back at the pier. Sixth, she said that they do call your emergency contact person (remember you give this to them when you are doing your reservation). If your contact person has your local itinerary, the ship will attempt to call your excursion to find out where you are. I am not sure if this was only on the ship we were on, but now I always leave a detailed itinerary with my emergency contact person back home. Seventh, tell your emergency contact person to print out the itinerary and give that information to anyone calling.

 

Cruise critic rocks! Happy Easter!:D

[grand isle joe]

That's one of my favorite aspect of cruising, standing on the balcony and watching all those folks running after the ship as it pulls away. Funny, I have never seen a ship stop and back up to pick up those tardy cruisers.:D

[besberry]

Never leave the ship without your Cruise Compass.

 

If I can, I always take my passport with me. When I was on my world cruise, I took a copy of my passport and I wrote the port agent's details on it. It was a very tatty piece of paper after 105 days! Some countries (NZ?) require you to carry your passport when off the ship.