Cruise ship excursions have to start leaving late comers behind.

[whogo]

Leave a few late tourists behind and cruisers will get the message that they have to be on time. Haljo1935's experience missing the Arizona Memorial is the latest horror story: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2979772-hawaiian-holiday-🎄🍾-live-from-koningsdam-dec-21-jan-6-join-me-for-my-1st-solo-cruise-1st-inside-cabin/?do=findComment&comment=66712936

With 45 minutes of delays for tardiness (and a bad guide), she missed visiting the USS Arizona Memorial.

Everyone knows that cruise ship excursions wait for late arrivals, there is no incentive to be on time. Sociopaths take full advantage. I assume that Rick Steves' tours still leave at the announced times, cruise lines could do the same. I propose that Holland America change their policy. Make the policy part of the cruise contract. "Tours will leave at the announced time. If you are not aboard at the assigned time you will have to find your own way back to the ship."

 

You have a watch or cell phone, use it. Leave a few late tourists behind and cruisers will get the message that they have to be on time.

 

 

[Ellencruise]

I agree with leaving LATE comers at the pier. It is very disrespectful to the bus load of passengers waiting in seats.

[sandiego1]

It’s very disrespectful to wait for any late comers at any point. This is another reason why we don’t do HAL excursions. It’s always hurry up and wait.

[3rdGenCunarder]

HAL usually tells you that the tour will meet 15 minutes before the departure time. In my experience, most people allow even more time than that. In fact, one time I was the last person on the bus--at 15 minutes before the departure time, not at the departure time (we still waited for departure time to leave).  So if you're paying attention, you should be at the bus on time. Sometimes the departure area is busy, but HAL always has people out there to help you find your bus. Waiting 20 minutes is unfair to the people who show up on time. 

 

At tour stops, I can see a little leeway, especially if you have "free time." sometimes people get lost. But not 20 minutes. The problem is the vendors are afraid of getting in trouble because they left someone behind.

 

Question about no-shows. Sometimes people aren't "late;" they aren't coming at all. Does the Navigator app let you contact the shorexstaff to tell them you won't be there? 

[OlsSalt]

32 minutes ago, sandiego1 said:

It’s very disrespectful to wait for any late comers at any point. This is another reason why we don’t do HAL excursions. It’s always hurry up and wait.

 

No, that is not always the case at all. We have taken many, many HAL excursions for over 15 years and I do not recall a single one where we were delayed or had to wait for tardy passengers. I have long been impressed with the mutual courtesies shown by fellow HAL passengers on ship shore excursions - respectful and courteous of other people's rights.

 

Only once when there were a lot of Russian passengers on board a number of years ago, was their loud talking and rudeness displayed mainly due to language problems I think.   I assume they  were bored during the English language-only tour presentations.

 

 I have however  been on several  private group tours where this has happened and we finally told the guide to just leave them behind, much to the guides distress. But those people on the group tour were never late again. Presumption was after a short delay (5-10 minute max)  assume they are choosing not to join the excursion.

 

Used to be the rule in college too - if the instructor was 15 minutes late, assume  the class was cancelled. 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It's a very touchy subject.

[Bemidji Ty]

I agree. In Nov, we took a HAL tour to Muir Woods and Sausalito.  We were about 20 minutes late starting and leaving from each of our two stops because of the same person.  She came on the bus with no apologies.  Just a big smile as though we should all be grateful that we could breath the same air and share a bus as with her specialness.  Cheers.

[Haljo1935]

5 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

No, that is not always the case at all. We have taken many, many HAL excursions for over 15 years and I do not recall a single one where we were delayed or had to wait for tardy passengers. I have long been impressed with the mutual courtesies shown by fellow HAL passengers on ship shore excursions - respectful and courteous of other people's rights....

...I have however  been on several  private group tours where this has happened and we finally told the guide to just leave them behind, much to the guides distress. But those people on the group tour were never late again. Presumption was after a short delay (5-10 minute max)  assume they are choosing not to join the excursion...

With your long history of timely tour departures, I'm sure you can appreciate my frustration and confusion when our bus waited so long to leave. It wasn't 20 min after the meeting time - it was 20 min after the departure time. 

Certainly not what one expects on any tour, especially such an important one.

[OlsSalt]

Navigator allows no direct communications with the shore excursion staff.

 

That was a problem we had when we last minute decided to not go on some paid-for excursions, due to being under the weather. We knew we would lose the payments, but we were sorry we could not communicate with the staff at the dock on the Navigator to tell them not to wait for us. 

[Haljo1935]

12 minutes ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

It's a very touchy subject.

It is - I don't want to see anyone who paid good money left behind for something beyond their control, but at some point the greater number of people deserve to get what they paid for.

Long, slow lines to scan off the ship can put someone in jeopardy of missing the bus, but even being stuck in that mess is usually resolved within the early meeting time window.

[3rdGenCunarder]

14 minutes ago, Bemidji Ty said:

I agree. In Nov, we took a HAL tour to Muir Woods and Sausalito.  We were about 20 minutes late starting and leaving from each of our two stops because of the same person.  She came on the bus with no apologies.  Just a big smile as though we should all be grateful that we could breath the same air and share a bus as with her specialness.  Cheers.

 

Well, bless her heart. 😉

[OlsSalt]

2 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

With your long history of timely tour departures, I'm sure you can appreciate my frustration and confusion when our bus waited so long to leave. It wasn't 20 min after the meeting time - it was 20 min after the departure time. 

Certainly not what one expects on any tour, especially such an important one.

 

I appreciate your frustration. I share it.  My quibble was your claim this "always" happens on HAL  tours.

 

I hope  this discussion encourages HAL to impose stricter guidelines and encourage guides to give a little "talk" up front about lateness impacts on other passengers, because it appears some did not get it. Please let the tour guide know via cell phone if you are delayed, otherwise we will assume you are rejoining the ship on your own. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

6 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

With your long history of timely tour departures, I'm sure you can appreciate my frustration and confusion when our bus waited so long to leave. It wasn't 20 min after the meeting time - it was 20 min after the departure time. 

Certainly not what one expects on any tour, especially such an important one.

 

So they were really 35 minutes late by the standards of most (but, obviously, not all) HAL passengers. Some people have no consideration for other. 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

1 minute ago, OlsSalt said:

 

I appreciate your frustration. I share it.  My quibble was your claim this "always" happens on HAL  tours.

 

I hope  this discussion encourages HAL to impose stricter guidelines and encourage guides to give a little "talk" up front about lateness impacts on other passengers, because it appears some did not get it. Please let the tour guide know via cell phone if you are delayed, otherwise we will assume you are rejoining the ship on your own. 

Some good ideas.

[OlsSalt]

I have been on a few HAL tours in Asia were we over-rode guides attempts to "include a shopping opportunity " not on the schedule. Group grumbles nosily made our point.

[Tampa Girl]

1 hour ago, whogo said:

Leave a few late tourists behind and cruisers will get the message that they have to be on time. Haljo1935's experience missing the Arizona Memorial is the latest horror story: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2979772-hawaiian-holiday-🎄🍾-live-from-koningsdam-dec-21-jan-6-join-me-for-my-1st-solo-cruise-1st-inside-cabin/?do=findComment&comment=66712936

With 45 minutes of delays for tardiness (and a bad guide), she missed visiting the USS Arizona Memorial.

Everyone knows that cruise ship excursions wait for late arrivals, there is no incentive to be on time. Sociopaths take full advantage. I assume that Rick Steves' tours still leave at the announced times, cruise lines could do the same. I propose that Holland America change their policy. Make the policy part of the cruise contract. "Tours will leave at the announced time. If you are not aboard at the assigned time you will have to find your own way back to the ship."

 

You have a watch or cell phone, use it. Leave a few late tourists behind and cruisers will get the message that they have to be on time.

 

 

 

Sociopaths???  Hardly.  People can be late for valid reasons, and bathroom breaks are often the cause.  If a five or ten-minute delay is so vital to  you, perhaps private tours would be more appropriate.

[richwmn]

5 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

Navigator allows no direct communications with the shore excursion staff.

 

That was a problem we had when we last minute decided to not go on some paid-for excursions, due to being under the weather. We knew we would lose the payments, but we were sorry we could not communicate with the staff at the dock on the Navigator to tell them not to wait for us. 

Call the front desk. they are in contact with the tour leaders. In October of 22 I bought a shore excursion using the app the night before it was to go. The instructions said to meet at the World Stage. I looked around for people and found no one. I called the front desk and they contacted the tour leader and found the meeting place had been moved to the terminal, but they didn't notify me. Although I went to the terminal as quickly as I could, they still left, and I am ok with that.

 

[Haljo1935]

5 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

Navigator allows no direct communications with the shore excursion staff.

 

That was a problem we had when we last minute decided to not go on some paid-for excursions, due to being under the weather. We knew we would lose the payments, but we were sorry we could not communicate with the staff at the dock on the Navigator to tell them not to wait for us. 

I agree the Navigator doesn't communicate directly w/Shore Exc so last minute changes are difficult to convey. I believe there is always someone from their team at the "loading area" with a radio. Surely GS could reach out to them that way.

That didn't occur to me until recently when I saw an opening on an excursion for which I was waitlisted and wanted to ask a question before booking it. GS suggested I find the ShorexExc person pierside that morning.

So, if the Navigator App isn't going to be updated, maybe the process for last minute passenger cancelations could be Pax contents GS and GS radios Shore Exc.

I appreciate you being considerate of fellow passengers even when you weren't feeling well. 

[Haljo1935]

16 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

 

I appreciate your frustration. I share it.  My quibble was your claim this "always" happens on HAL  tours.

 

I hope  this discussion encourages HAL to impose stricter guidelines and encourage guides to give a little "talk" up front about lateness impacts on other passengers, because it appears some did not get it. Please let the tour guide know via cell phone if you are delayed, otherwise we will assume you are rejoining the ship on your own. 

Respectfully, I think you may have me confused w/someone else. I believe it was someone else who made the "always happens on HAL tours" comment. My experience of their tours being on time was a major factor in my decision to spend the money and book the tour being discussed through them.

Edited January 10 by Haljo1935
Typo

[OlsSalt]

1 minute ago, Haljo1935 said:

I agree the Navigator doesn't communicate directly w/Shore Exc so last minute changes are difficult to convey. I believe there is always someone from their team at the "loading area" with a radio. Surely GS could reach out to them that way.

That didn't occur to me until recently when I saw an opening on an excursion for which I was waitlisted and wanted to ask a question before booking it. GS suggested I find the ShorexExc person pierside that morning.

So, if the Navigator App isn't going to be updated, maybe the process for last minute passenger cancelations could be Pax contents GS and GS radios Shore Exc.

I appreciate you being considerate of fellow passengers even when you weren't feeling well. 

 

I appreciate these suggestions and will do this differently next time (which I hope does not need to happen).

 

We tried to contact the night before and even leave a note at the shore excursion desk that evening, but everything was locked up tight and there was no drop box slot, like they offered in the past at the shore excursion desk. Navigator was a total dead end at this point in time.

 

Did not even think front desk would be in communication with this separate Shore Excursion operation, but in the future I will put at least something into the system and hope it catches up with the right person at Shore Excursions.  I also wanted them to be able to re-sell our seats to anyone on the waiting list too - so I hope offering more direct communication with Shore Excursions does get tweaked.

 

Proves if one is on a waiting list, it might pay to hang around the boarding area because openings may show up after all.

[OlsSalt]

3 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Respectfully, I think you may have me confused w/someone else. I believe it was someone else who made the "always happens on HAL tours" comment. My experience of their tours being on time was a major factor in my decision to spend the money and book the tour being discussed through them.

 

 

Sorry, thanks for pointing this out. Need to pay more attention to the "quote" feature when responding directly to another poster. 

[Haljo1935]

6 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

 

I appreciate these suggestions and will do this differently next time (which I hope does not need to happen).

 

We tried to contact the night before and even leave a note at the shore excursion desk that evening, but everything was locked up tight and there was no drop box slot, like they offered in the past at the shore excursion desk. Navigator was a total dead end at this point in time.

 

Did not even think front desk would be in communication with this separate Shore Excursion operation, but in the future I will put at least something into the system and hope it catches up with the right person at Shore Excursions.  I also wanted them to be able to re-sell our seats to anyone on the waiting list too - so I hope offering more direct communication with Shore Excursions does get tweaked.

 

Proves if one is on a waiting list, it might pay to hang around the boarding area because openings may show up after all.

If I'm remembering correctly,  I read your post about this at the time it happened - you did post about it, right? I thought "wow, how great they're trying to let Shore Exc know there are available slots and the guide won't be looking for people who aren't coming; I wish others would be so considerate."  

It never occurred to me to go to the meeting place for a sold out tour on the chance someone didn't show. Great idea that I will do going forward - thanks!!

[kazu]

I agree with the OP - ok to wait for 5 minutes if it’s outside in the terminal but not an endless amount of time.

 

DD DH and I had a tour one cruise a number of years ago and arrived 5 minutes late.  They were gone and apologized.  No worries - we were the ones late.  It was a valid reason but irrelevant and I had no issue.

 

they should leave on time but what I abhorred was if we had a stop and a meet time there was always that one couple who were late.  More than once found shopping.

 

At least on a private tour you can tell the person (or couple) that if they are not going to be respectful of others’ time, they will not be permitted on any others and left behind if it happens again (only happened once in decades - most on private tours are VERY respectful of meet times).

 

One of the many reasons I prefer them 😉 

 

[sandiego1]

53 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

Navigator allows no direct communications with the shore excursion staff.

 

That was a problem we had when we last minute decided to not go on some paid-for excursions, due to being under the weather. We knew we would lose the payments, but we were sorry we could not communicate with the staff at the dock on the Navigator to tell them not to wait for us. 

You could have called the excursion desk and left a message. Or at least try to reach them through the front desk. They could have possibly sent someone to the meeting location to inform the excursion people.

[3rdGenCunarder]

15 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

If I'm remembering correctly,  I read your post about this at the time it happened - you did post about it, right? I thought "wow, how great they're trying to let Shore Exc know there are available slots and the guide won't be looking for people who aren't coming; I wish others would be so considerate."  

It never occurred to me to go to the meeting place for a sold out tour on the chance someone didn't show. Great idea that I will do going forward - thanks!!

 

Unless you have something else booked, it can't hurt to show up "just in case."

 

If I can't go last minute, I try to let the shorex people know. I did that one time when I woke with a cold and knew I couldn't snorkel. The young woman taking tickets said, "You won't get a refund this late." I tried to explain that I was hoping someone who was waitlisted could get to do the tour. No clue.

 

Another time when I had to cancel it was the night before, so I could go to the shorex desk. I started with "I know I won't get a refund," so they would know they weren't in for an argument. They did manage to sell my place on the tour, and I got a refund despite the late timing.