Is this even possible

[sprshop]

Ship departs Bermuda 4pm, RCCL excursion 12 to 3:30pm; will we make it back to ship on time? St. Maarten ship arrives 12:15pm RCCL excursion 12:30pm, is that possible to make with 4000 people leaving the ship at same time? San Juan arrival 7:00am RCCL excursion 7:30. The ship sent me the times for the above excursions. Any experience or advice re: timing? Thanks.

[island lady]

As long as it is an RCI ship tour...no problem. One of the reasons I book the later in the day tours through RCI. The ship has to wait on your tour to return. :cool:

[Oceansaway17]

I find most ships arrive half hour to an hour sooner.

Also any shore excursions through the ship they will wait.

 

About 25% of the time ships pull away 15 to 20 mins after posted time. So no worries. Especially if you book ship excursions which in my opinion is best to do.

[drsel]

You won't have any problem in doing all the above excursions, if you are willing to pay the high prices charged.

[Foodluvr]

Note, cruise sponsored tours aren't required to wait for you. They will try, but if not, the tour company takes responsibility for getting you to the next port.

 

Most reputable tour companies will do everything in their power to get you back to the ship in time because one missed passenger means bad rating and potentially out of business.

[island lady]

Note, cruise sponsored tours aren't required to wait for you. They will try, but if not, the tour company takes responsibility for getting you to the next port.

 

Most reputable tour companies will do everything in their power to get you back to the ship in time because one missed passenger means bad rating and potentially out of business.

 

I have been on a ship that waited over an hour for an overdue ship's tour. But perhaps that was since it was a bus load of them. Was happy that was not us.

[cruisinfanatic]

Note, cruise sponsored tours aren't required to wait for you. They will try, but if not, the tour company takes responsibility for getting you to the next port.

 

Most reputable tour companies will do everything in their power to get you back to the ship in time because one missed passenger means bad rating and potentially out of business.

It's very rare for a ship sponsored excursion to be left. I can think of only once ever

[island lady]

It's very rare for a ship sponsored excursion to be left. I can think of only once ever

 

I don't know of any ship's tour left behind that I was aware of. I am sure there have been occasions, but fortunately for us ....not the norm indeed.

[Foodluvr]

It's very rare for a ship sponsored excursion to be left. I can think of only once ever

 

We have seen it happened a couple of times. The ship waited for several hours but couldn't wait any longer. One was due to an accident and the other was due to a breakdown of the vehicle. Yes they will try to wait, but the ship is not required to just because you booked a sponsored tour.

[ONECRUISER]

I don't know of any ship's tour left behind that I was aware of. I am sure there have been occasions, but fortunately for us ....not the norm indeed.

Probably 5-6 times I heard of over the years. Royal flew them to next port & when next port was over day away Royal put them in a hotel. But yes, rare. More often the ship waits, I've even seen that 5-6 times myself...

[Laurin612]

You'll be fine, as long as it is an RCI excursion. We were once on Princess excursion for a ferry transit through the Panama Canal and the ferry kept getting bumped back in line in favor of cargo ships, etc. We ended up getting back to the ship THREE HOURS late! There were probably 200+ passengers from the ship on that excursion, so it would have been a real mess if they had left us!

[voyager70]

We were on a Dolphin Swim excursion through the cruise line. The bus broke down on the way back and they had to send a new one. We arrived back to the ship well over an hour after it was scheduled to leave. They waited for us.

[sprshop]

Thanks all. I was on a Holland America sponsored tour to the rain forest in Costa Rica. Unbeknownst to us, the ship was going to leave without the 40 person bus we were on. We were late due to traffic jams. What saved us was we were sailing with a group sponsored trip. The leader of the group stopped the ship from leaving us. Had it not been for the 400 person group trip, we would have been left behind.

 

This is my first RCI cruise and so far I have been told different things regarding what is included in my fare. It was getting confusing not having everyone on the same page. So, when I saw the times of the excursions and ship arrival and departure times, I was a trifle nervous.

[Merion_Mom]

Thanks all. I was on a Holland America sponsored tour to the rain forest in Costa Rica. Unbeknownst to us, the ship was going to leave without the 40 person bus we were on. We were late due to traffic jams. What saved us was we were sailing with a group sponsored trip. The leader of the group stopped the ship from leaving us. Had it not been for the 400 person group trip, we would have been left behind.

 

This is my first RCI cruise and so far I have been told different things regarding what is included in my fare. It was getting confusing not having everyone on the same page. So, when I saw the times of the excursions and ship arrival and departure times, I was a trifle nervous.

I'm glad that you brought your questions over here to the main board. I'm sorry that you were ignored on your roll call.

 

Do not be concerned about those particular excursions. First of all, RC is extremely likely to get you back in time. If not, they are responsible. But the chances of you being left behind are smaller than minuscule.

 

And sorry about the wrong answers for perks in a JS. Since they started charging for room service, the exemption was NEVER for Junior Suites. It always started at Grand Suite.

 

Enjoy those robes and toiletries, though!

 

And PLEASE go to Coastal Kitchen for dinner. To make reservations, just check with the host/ess at the stand right outside the door, which is on your way into the Windjammer buffet on the starboard side.

 

:)

[LeeW]

The cruise line will NEVER set up an excursion that cannot get back in time. It would cost far too much for them to get all the participants to the next port. We have been on a couple that have gotten back late but in most cases there have been buses behind us (about 35 in Iceland). We prefer to get back earlier and hit the port shops, though.

 

Now if you are on a private tour the ship has no obligation to wait. Depends on whether port is closing, time to next port, and if they know you are on the way.Companies don't stay in business long if they can't get the customers back to the ship.

[time4u2go]

As long as it is an RCI ship tour...no problem. One of the reasons I book the later in the day tours through RCI. The ship has to wait on your tour to return. :cool:

Not really. They just have to get you back to the ship, perhaps at the next port.

[voyager70]

Not really. They just have to get you back to the ship, perhaps at the next port.

 

99.9 percent of the time the ship will wait for a late arriving excursion. No need to cause unnecessary worries.

[time4u2go]

99.9 percent of the time the ship will wait for a late arriving excursion. No need to cause unnecessary worries.

I didn't intend to. I was just correcting an incorrect statement.

[cb at sea]

With a ship's excursion, you do NOT need to worry about "time" at all...they will tell you when and where to meet, and get you back to the ship in time. No worries That's the thing with ship's excursions....no worries.

 

Now, if you decide to do stuff on your own, make sure your watch is set to "ship's time" (clocks are at every exit), so that you can be onboard 30 mins. prior to sail away.

[voyager70]

With a ship's excursion, you do NOT need to worry about "time" at all...they will tell you when and where to meet, and get you back to the ship in time. No worries That's the thing with ship's excursions....no worries.

 

Now, if you decide to do stuff on your own, make sure your watch is set to "ship's time" (clocks are at every exit), so that you can be onboard 30 mins. prior to sail away.

 

Care to share your experiences?

[Desert Cruizers]

To risky for me, but that is my opinion. I like to book a tour that allows me a 1 to no more then 2 hours free time after a tour to visit the port if I so choose. I would worry about traffic delays, or a mechanical breakdown. Again just my personal take on this.

[island lady]

I didn't intend to. I was just correcting an incorrect statement.

 

Sorry...to be more PC I should have said RCI is responsible to get you back to the ship..no matter how they have to do it.

 

Agree with the 99.9% of the time they will wait...within reason. Too expensive to fly a bus load or more of tour pax to the next port. Cheaper to wait.

 

Thank you for correcting the error of my ways. :eek::rolleyes: