Getaway waits for 200 stuck in Paris but leaves others on the pier!

[DrUrsula]

Interesting happenings:

There was a "rock " on the train tracks which resulted in the 4:40pm train from Paris to be delayed. 200 Getaway passengers were involved. Via the "book of the faces", the ship was informed of the issue and decided to wait until their estimated arrival at 9:30. Original "all aboard " was 8:30pm.

We are just moving now at 10:21pm.

 

We don't know what happened, but most of the group made it to the ship, the gangways were pulled and POOF! Another group appeared on the pier and are left in the bustling city of Le Havre.

 

I dont know how many we left exactly, but yikes!!!

 

Edited October 7, 2023 by DrUrsula

[1025cruise]

They probably waited due to a ship's excursion. Once they were back on, they pulled up and left. 

[kitkat343]

It is impossible to know exactly what happened.  One possibility is that 1025 cruise is correct - because NCL is responsible for holding the ship or transporting people on ship tours to the next destination to meet the ship so they may have decided to sail as soon as the people on the ship tours finished boarding.  

 

But what we don't know is did the group of independent travelers stay in contact with NCL to let them know exactly when they were estimated to arrive.  If they don't contact the port agent (there's a number printed in the dailies) the ship has no idea when people who are late will arrive and can't wait forever.  I'd hope they would have waited just a few more minutes for people on a private tour if they knew they were arriving shortly, but ultimately they do have their schedule to follow and it is entirely the captain's call.  Plus they don't know how truthful people are when they say they should be there shortly.

 

It is entirely at the ship captain's discretion as to how long they will wait for independent travelers.  One cruise I went to in Guatemala had a private tour operator who had returned late with their private tour on a previous sailing.  The HAL captain's wife and children were on the private tour, and the captain apparently announced he'd wait a half hour for them and then need to would leave.  Without his wife and child.  Thankfully they made it, but the captain would have had quite a choice if they were later.  Because the port fees are so high in Guatemala, it is rare for ships to visit there and there weren't many options, so we actually decided to go ahead with that provider on a private tour with just our family, and thankfully we made it back with plenty of time since they were happy to return us when we requested.

Edited October 8, 2023 by kitkat343

[DrUrsula]

Ok

not a single person who was late in this group was in an NCL excursion.

 

these were all people who chose to take the train independent of NcL

several are friends of ours who are lucky to be on the ship

 

NCL does not have a train excursion to Paris.

 

I DO know what happened.

But don't anyone let facts get in the way of imagination.

 

jeepers

 

 

 

[julig22]

Once at a Q&A session with the captain the subject of pier runners came up. His response was, first and foremost, call the port agent and let them know the situation. It's up to the captain to decide what to do. That particular captain said he'd wait if he could but it's not always an option. There might be issues with port traffic, tides or time required to make the next port. 

Obviously only the captain knows why they left when they did, or why some people arrived later than others. It's entirely possible that the port pulled the gangways and the ship had no choice. In Mexico people hire water taxis and meet the ship away from the docks when they're late!

[HowardK]

I can't believe in this day and age of multiple information sources why people cut it close and just assume everything will go flawless. 

[AndyCapn]

15 hours ago, DrUrsula said:

We don't know what happened, but most of the group made it to the ship, the gangways were pulled and POOF! Another group appeared on the pier and are left in the bustling city of Le Havre.

 

I dont know how many we left exactly, but yikes!!!

 

5 hours ago, DrUrsula said:

I DO know what happened.

But don't anyone let facts get in the way of imagination.

 

jeepers

Then tell us the facts. Don't berate people for speculating when you have deliberately withheld the information!

 

Or are these Schrodinger's Facts: You simultaneously know and don't know them?

[NayRN]

Happy (almost) Thanksgiving, AndyCapn!

 

With living across the Detroit River from Windsor, we tend to celebrate both the Canadian and American Thanksgiving!

[itsnotjustme]

17 hours ago, DrUrsula said:

 

We don't know what happened,

 

7 hours ago, DrUrsula said:

I DO know what happened.

Make up your mind.

[BirdTravels]

7 hours ago, DrUrsula said:

Ok

I DO know what happened.

But don't anyone let facts get in the way of imagination.

O.K., Jeeps,

 

What happened??? Why were some of the passengers left on the pier when they, by your account, arrived as the gangways were taken. 

[sansroof]

The gangways were already removed when the last group of stragglers arrived, unfortunately. Source: I was sitting outside on deck 8.  It was really awful to watch people stand there when the ship wasn’t yet moving (but again, the gangways were both removed so nothing the captain could do at that point). 

[Cruising Lynne]

Well, they could put the gangways back out, but if they started pulling the ropes than that is very unlikely.

 

Maybe the Captain waited the amount of time he thought it would take to get from the train station to the ship. These others who were left may have walked too slowly or stopped someplace along the way? Or did not come from the train at all. If none were on ship excursions, the ship waited longer than they had to.

 

While I feel bad for anyone left behind, I do understand that the ship can not wait on everyone all the time. This is why I book most excursions through the cruise line.

[hallux]

10 hours ago, DrUrsula said:

Ok

not a single person who was late in this group was in an NCL excursion.

 

these were all people who chose to take the train independent of NcL

several are friends of ours who are lucky to be on the ship

 

NCL does not have a train excursion to Paris.

How can you be certain that ONLY those people were late?  Is it possible there was an NCL excursion (which was not on the train) that was also late and the gangway was pulled up once those people returned?

 

You know the facts about one group, you don't know if they were the ONLY group, do you?

[Asawi]

Well, if most of the group made it in time then then I'd say ship was held the proper amount of time. I don't want to speculate further into what happened.

I don't see OP blaming NCL. I read it more like "OMG! This happened! What horror for them!" 

It's definitely food for thoughts though and confirms that, (however much some people around me mock me) always trying to have time to have (at least) one train/bus/flight cancelled is good. Not sure it would have helped these people if it was something on the track, but maybe if they had taken the 3.40 instead... (ifs, buts, maybes and hindsights...)

[bedfordmom]

As they are in Europe chances are that the stragglers at their own expense can take a train or plane to the next port. No passports needed unless a hotel requires it.  Getaway does not leave for the TA to NYC until 10/22. 

Edited October 8, 2023 by bedfordmom

[Girr]

4 hours ago, bedfordmom said:

As they are in Europe chances are that the stragglers at their own expense can take a train or plane to the next port. No passports needed unless a hotel requires it.  Getaway does not leave for the TA to NYC until 10/22. 

Yep, but I believe they missed a sea day, so they'll be in their next port long before the ship.  🤣

[insidecabin]

Next port is not easy to get to from Le Havre.

 

Might be better heading to Paris and onto Bilbao.

[Chelsea1]

Yes, Bilbao is a difficult train journey from Le Havre (at least 12 hours and part by bus). If they had known they were going to be delayed it would have been much better staying the night in Paris and then heading to Bilbao the next day. But of course that is hind sight!

 

Also cannot have been easy finding accommodation at 10PM at night in Le Havre.

[insidecabin]

1 hour ago, Chelsea1 said:

Yes, Bilbao is a difficult train journey from Le Havre (at least 12 hours and part by bus). If they had known they were going to be delayed it would have been much better staying the night in Paris and then heading to Bilbao the next day. But of course that is hind sight!

 

Also cannot have been easy finding accommodation at 10PM at night in Le Havre.

The next port was a French one.

Le Verdon-sur-Mer

 

 

Bilbao would be relatively easy compared to that port.

[SoloAlaska]

Hopefully people also had good travel insurance coverage that will cover the additional costs of getting to the next port. 
 

I’d be curious as to why a large group made it back but the next gaggle of people were later and missed the boat (ship). Was it an even later train or did they take their time coming back expecting the captain was waiting etc. I’d be running back as quick as possible to the ship if I knew I was late but some people aren’t like that.

[Ernstmfg]

Just to fill everyone in on what happened with the stragglers.  We were three of them that made it in time. After the 16:40 train stopped in Mantes-la-jolie we waited to board another train to Lahavre.  There seemed to be much confusion and finally my son called us an Uber.  It was a 200e ride and we arrived at about 9:05.  We talked later to others who were on the train and they arrived on the train about 9:30.  We heard 6 people were confused and missed the train in Mantes-la-jolie so did not make it in time.  We are very thankful the captain waited about 1-1/2 longer than scheduled.

The 16:40 train was scheduled to arrive in LaHavre at 18:51.  We thought we would have 1-1/2 hrs to spare.  Obviously we didn’t know about French trains.  
We would have scheduled an NCL tour but they were sold out, so we were on our own.

 

 

[Chelsea1]

Glad you arrived back in time, despite the taxi cost. We are boarding the Getaway in Southampton this coming Thursday on a similar itinerary and planning to do our own excursions. Having experienced a couple of significant delays on German ICE trains in the past we'll be extra careful. Really looking forward to the cruise - our first time on NCL/ Getaway. 

[SoloAlaska]

14 minutes ago, Chelsea1 said:

Glad you arrived back in time, despite the taxi cost. We are boarding the Getaway in Southampton this coming Thursday on a similar itinerary and planning to do our own excursions. Having experienced a couple of significant delays on German ICE trains in the past we'll be extra careful. Really looking forward to the cruise - our first time on NCL/ Getaway. 

I remember speaking with a woman from France once who was saying how unreliable German trains are compared to the rest of Europe… I pointed out I was from Canada. She laughed and said everything will be incredible according to the standards of Canadian trains.

[kitkat343]

3 hours ago, Ernstmfg said:

Just to fill everyone in on what happened with the stragglers.  We were three of them that made it in time. After the 16:40 train stopped in Mantes-la-jolie we waited to board another train to Lahavre.  There seemed to be much confusion and finally my son called us an Uber.  It was a 200e ride and we arrived at about 9:05.  We talked later to others who were on the train and they arrived on the train about 9:30.  We heard 6 people were confused and missed the train in Mantes-la-jolie so did not make it in time.  We are very thankful the captain waited about 1-1/2 longer than scheduled.

The 16:40 train was scheduled to arrive in LaHavre at 18:51.  We thought we would have 1-1/2 hrs to spare.  Obviously we didn’t know about French trains.  
We would have scheduled an NCL tour but they were sold out, so we were on our own.

 

 

Thanks for the update.  I’m really glad you made it.  

[itsnotjustme]

5 hours ago, SoloAlaska said:

I remember speaking with a woman from France once who was saying how unreliable German trains are compared to the rest of Europe

I lived in Brussels for 4 years.  On multiple occasions, co-workers from down near Mons did not make it to work due to rail strikes.