Ship Time vs. Tour Time when Booking Excursions

[LolaLemon]

I was just looking at some tours with a company called Coral Breeze for tours when we're in Belize. I am very confused by their explanation of what time the excursion begins.

 

Can someone explain this to me in another way? I just want to make sure if I book a tour with an outside company that I don't end up late back to the ship.

 

"Tour Time vs. Ship Time: The departure times for our tours reflect local Belize time. For most cruise ship passengers, Belize time is 1-2 hours behind ship time. If two start times are available for a tour date, you should select the early start time if you are arriving on a Carnival ship. Passengers on other ships should select the later start time."

 

"The time issue is often a source of confusion for cruise ship passengers. The time in Belize is easy to figure out. Belize is on central time (CST), just like Houston and Chicago. Belize does not observe daylight savings time. (Our web site displays a Belize time clock in the sidebar.) The times for our tours reflect Belize time.

During daylight savings time season, Florida is two hours ahead of Belize and Texas is one hour ahead. (In other words, if it's 10 am in Miami it's 8 am in Belize.) During standard time season, Florida is one hour ahead of Belize, while Texas time is the same as Belize time. (In the United States, daylight savings time begins the second Sunday of March and ends the first Sunday of November.) "

 

I will be traveling on the Holland America Veendam on February 8.

 

HELP!!!!:eek:

[moviesign]

Hi jenivive - You're leaving from Tampa, which is on Eastern time, one hour later than Belize City.

 

If the ship makes an announcement to set your clocks back one hour on the night before you get into Belize, then you don't have to make any adjustment - ship's time = Belize time.

 

If they DON'T make an announcement to set your clocks back, then the time in Belize will be one hour EARLIER than what your watch says, and you can make arrangements on shore accordingly. In other words, if it'll take you an hour to get off the ship and tender to shore (8:00 ship's time), then it's 7:00 for the locals.

 

Whatever you do, DON'T change your watch unless the ship tells you to - you need to be on ship's time so that you don't get back late.

 

Hope this helps, and I hope I understood what you were asking.

[ellbon]

all my cruises i have been lucky and the ship goes with local island time. so READ your daily paper and look for the time change.

[GORDONCHICK]

JMO, but I'd think twice about booking with a vendor who makes it more difficult than it should be to book with them. Our local guide in Belize just asked what ship we were on and the week of the cruise. Anyone in tourism related jobs will know when your ship will be there!

 

Now, for the interpretation of their meaning, and I could be wrong, but here goes:

 

They are in the same time zone you live in. However, they do not honor daylight savings time, so if it's after we change our clocks in the Spring, they would be an hour earlier than Chicago time (same as Florida time). They screwed up saying that Florida was two hours ahead of Texas, because it's only one hour. California is two hours behind Texas.

[LolaLemon]

Hi jenivive - You're leaving from Tampa, which is on Eastern time, one hour later than Belize City.

 

If the ship makes an announcement to set your clocks back one hour on the night before you get into Belize, then you don't have to make any adjustment - ship's time = Belize time.

 

If they DON'T make an announcement to set your clocks back, then the time in Belize will be one hour EARLIER than what your watch says, and you can make arrangements on shore accordingly. In other words, if it'll take you an hour to get off the ship and tender to shore (8:00 ship's time), then it's 7:00 for the locals.

 

Whatever you do, DON'T change your watch unless the ship tells you to - you need to be on ship's time so that you don't get back late.

 

Hope this helps, and I hope I understood what you were asking.

 

Thank you for your help!

[sbnuggie]

I just posted a question in the Carnvial Board about the whole port/ship time, it's a confusing mess and varies from line to line I believe. Be thankful you are not sailing during Daylight Savings Time...........

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=17913449&posted=1#post17913449