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Are there any consequences for those Cruisers who delay sailing by being late?


TrinaLC
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We had roughly 12 passengers who the ship had to wait for. Most of them did not even bother running, but rather sauntered up to the ship as much as 30 minutes late. (It does appear that several paid the ultimate consequence as the ship left at the 30 minute mark before all were back.)

 

Are there any consequences to those that are late? Especially those that are 30 minutes late?!

 

Do they go on a blacklist (refused future cruises)?

 

Does the Captain or Head of Security give them a dressing down

Anything else? I think they should go to the brig for one hour for each minute late :)

 

 

They might be politely (and firmly) warned that they could be left behind if they do not return to the ship on time. The Captain is the authority on the ship who makes the decision whether to delay the ship (sometimes this is not even possible for multiple reasons) or simply strand the late passengers on land. We have seen this happen a few times over our many cruises. If you are left behind, the local ship's Agent will usually help you make arrangements to either join the ship at another port or simply go home (all done at your own expense). A major complication happens to those who are cruising without a valid Passport (this can happen on closed loop cruises) since it is not possible for them to fly to another port or home....until they obtain a Passport. Depending on where one is stranded, obtaining an emergency Passport can take anywhere from a day to several days. Meanwhile, the passenger is stranded in-place at their own expense.

 

 

Hank

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We had roughly 12 passengers who the ship had to wait for. Most of them did not even bother running, but rather sauntered up to the ship as much as 30 minutes late. (It does appear that several paid the ultimate consequence as the ship left at the 30 minute mark before all were back.)

 

Are there any consequences to those that are late? Especially those that are 30 minutes late?!

 

Do they go on a blacklist (refused future cruises)?

 

Does the Captain or Head of Security give them a dressing down?

 

Anything else? I think they should go to the brig for one hour for each minute late :)

 

You are playing a big-time game if you return to a ship late. Dressing down is not the issue (although you might get a gentle but firm lecture). The big issue is that sometimes the ship will simply leave you behind (we have had this happen on numerous cruises all over the world). If that happens, the local ship's Agent will generally help you make the necessary arrangements to either get to the next port....or home.....all at your own expense. If you are on a Closed Loop cruise and do not have a valid Passport, you may well be delayed (in place) for several days while arrangements are made to get you an emergency Passport. Not only can this mean you miss the rest of your cruise.....but all expenses (hotels, air, food, Passports, Passport photos) are on you.

 

 

We know of a a couple who has been banned from one particular cruise line...but have never heard of it happening for missing the ship. The banned couple was black listed for behavior related issues...while aboard.

 

 

Hank

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If the parents could not rejoin the ship before it arrived at the disembarkation port the children would be turned over to the local child welfare authorities. IF that ever happened the parents had better get a very good lawyer for the court hearing.

 

I don't believe this for a moment. So you are saying that if the parents were at the disembarkation port to meet their kids the cruise line would refuse to give them to the parents? What do they think the parents should do, hire a helicopter to fly them over the ship and drop them on board so they can get to them before the last port is reached. What if they flew to the next port? Would that be okay? That their crime was lesser because it was a foreign port and not a US port.

 

 

The children weren't in harms way. The parents didn't intentionally leave them. If this was true, I can't imagine that there wouldn't have been news organizations BLARING over every media out there how poor Bob and Mary went on a cruise and lost custody of their children because they missed the ship.

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...

 

But regarding what consequences there are for missing the ship- I would think the extra expense of flying home or trying to meet ship at next port- in addition to missing out on the meals and activities from the cruise- are probably a pretty good punishment in and of itself. :mad:

 

 

The OP is asking about consequences for people who don't miss the ship but through their own fault are 30 minutes late, thereby delaying the ship's departure.

 

So far as I know there are no consequences.

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Check out some You Tube videos on folks running to the ship, especially away from their home port depature. The ship leaves and they are stranded. Complicated more so if they do not have enough cash or credit line balance , passport, to fly from wherever they get stranded to home. Those unplanned return flights have to be expensive to boot! You may seem some saunter up but the ship's time to sail is pretty well fixed.

 

 

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I'm talking about delaying the ship as it leaves a port.

 

I'm not talking about anyone who is late because on a CCL sponsored excursion.

 

I'm talking about the idiots who hang out at {insert local watering hole} and lose track of time.

The consequence for them, may well be standing on the dock watching their ship sail.

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To answer the O.P.'s question. No I don't think so. On our last cruise several names were being called. Finally one couple came strolling down, stopping to talk, dancing a jig, turning around in circles and generally taking their time. No one was yelling, booing or clapping. Complete silence. It's as if everyone knew this couple was being jerks . It was so quiet on the decks that my sister and I heard them ask an officer if they were the last ones on board. We actually saw his face fall when he found out he wasn't. Ten minutes later here comes a taxi, two people jump out and start running. Everyone on the ship watching burst out it a thunderous applause and urged them to run.

 

Too bad people like that first couple isn't given some sort of sanction, even confined to their cabin for a day and night, because in this case you could tell they were deliberately were holding up the ship from leaving on time.

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I've personally been the last person to board after a 1.5 hour delay. We took a fishing trip through Princess in Alaska and the fishing boat captain just didn't seem to care what time he brought us back. Probably his last trip through Princess.]

 

Yes, we endured the jeering and clapping but we knew it wasn't our fault.

 

We watched a couple speed up to the dock in a Water Taxi in Venice. The ship had already pulled away a few feet and it did not go back for them. The next day was a sea day. Felt bad for them. But to add insult to injury, the poor water taxi was stopped next to the ship by a police boat and apparently given a ticket for speeding.

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During my world cruise a few years ago, I saw several cases where passengers were late and we almost left without them. Head of security was waiting as they boarded and he had some very strong words with them.

 

I was on one ship sponsored tour where we were over an hour late. The ship kind of had to wait for us as there were over 400 on the tour. It was a tour by train in New Zealand.

 

Don

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They aren't just understanding - they guarantee it. If you book your excursion through carnival they take all the responsibility to get you back to port on time, or they will wait for you OR they will get you to the next port.
Partially true.

 

If you book an excursion through the ship, they won't leave before the excursion is finished /returned to the ship. They make no promises to wait for each individual who was on that excursion. If the ship's told that Excursion #12 is finished on time, yet a couple individuals from that excursion opt to stay in port longer to drink $1 beer and shop for cheap tee-shirts, the ship will leave them.

 

My impression is that excursions -- whether ship-based or private -- don't cause people to be late; rather, people who are late are out doing their own thing within sight of the ship/pier are the ones who don't make it back.

... Once met an older lady who had missed the ship. She and her husband had been on a ship's tour. When they got back she wanted to shop, he didn't. So, he got on the ship. She though she had to be back at 5 but when she got to the pier, she saw the ship 'out there'! ...

 

 

We always try to be back at least an hour before we have to be.

Yes, this is my impression. Excursions are done, but individuals make bad choices. I don't quite understanding thinking the ship's going to sail at 5:00. You should KNOW!

 

We don't "try" to be back an hour early. We are SURE to start back so that we're at least an hour early -- usually more. Never assume everything'll go perfectly: Assume you'll take a wrong turn, be held up in traffic, whatever. This isn't an area to cut things close.

 

This has never been a problem for us anyway: We tend to leave the ship fairly early and take part in something active; we're typically ready to head back to the ship for a late lunch and rest before we actually need to leave, and I think we're typical.

Edited by MrsPete
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Partially true.

 

If you book an excursion through the ship, they won't leave before the excursion is finished /returned to the ship. They make no promises to wait for each individual who was on that excursion. If the ship's told that Excursion #12 is finished on time, yet a couple individuals from that excursion opt to stay in port longer to drink $1 beer and shop for cheap tee-shirts, the ship will leave them.

 

THANK YOU !!! I've never seen this spelled out before. I always cringe when someone on the bus asks to be left off for shopping or whatever when returning from a tour and there isn't much time left until departure.

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Partially true.

 

If you book an excursion through the ship, they won't leave before the excursion is finished /returned to the ship. They make no promises to wait for each individual who was on that excursion. If the ship's told that Excursion #12 is finished on time, yet a couple individuals from that excursion opt to stay in port longer to drink $1 beer and shop for cheap tee-shirts, the ship will leave them.

 

My impression is that excursions -- whether ship-based or private -- don't cause people to be late; rather, people who are late are out doing their own thing within sight of the ship/pier are the ones who don't make it back.

 

Yes, this is my impression. Excursions are done, but individuals make bad choices. I don't quite understanding thinking the ship's going to sail at 5:00. You should KNOW!

 

We don't "try" to be back an hour early. We are SURE to start back so that we're at least an hour early -- usually more. Never assume everything'll go perfectly: Assume you'll take a wrong turn, be held up in traffic, whatever. This isn't an area to cut things close.

 

This has never been a problem for us anyway: We tend to leave the ship fairly early and take part in something active; we're typically ready to head back to the ship for a late lunch and rest before we actually need to leave, and I think we're typical.

Well yeah, I was only talking about ship excursions that come back late. If the excursion is back on time Carnival has done their part.

 

Sent from my SM-N920T using Forums mobile app

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If you book an excursion through the ship, they won't leave before the excursion is finished /returned to the ship.

 

 

While this is true 99% of the time, there have been occasions when a ship had to depart without waiting for all excursions to return -- I've read several cases here on CC. One I remember in particular was on a HAL ship when weather turned nasty in Alaska.

 

When ships cannot wait for all of their tours to return, however, those on ship excursions will be taken care of and they will cover any expenses of reuniting you with the ship.

 

I remember there were some on the HAL boards that were very upset that this could happen. Some good questions were raised, including: what does one do if one takes necessary medications and only brought enough for the length of the tour? what if husband and wife took different tours? what if the next port is in a different country and you don't have your passport?

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I don't believe this for a moment. So you are saying that if the parents were at the disembarkation port to meet their kids the cruise line would refuse to give them to the parents? What do they think the parents should do, hire a helicopter to fly them over the ship and drop them on board so they can get to them before the last port is reached. What if they flew to the next port? Would that be okay? That their crime was lesser because it was a foreign port and not a US port.

 

The children weren't in harms way. The parents didn't intentionally leave them. If this was true, I can't imagine that there wouldn't have been news organizations BLARING over every media out there how poor Bob and Mary went on a cruise and lost custody of their children because they missed the ship.

 

I think you are confusing the hypothetical question to what actually happened.

 

 

In the video where the mother was frantically gesturing to the departing ship her children had been left in the care of an uncle and his family. It's unlikely her husband would have left them to go ashore to look for her had there been no other adult family member on board.

 

 

The passenger that I quoted posed a hypothetical "what if" question. If minor children were left on board and the parents made it to the disembarkation port then the children would be returned to their waiting parents. But if the parents did not return in time then the cruise line has a problem. They cannot hand the children over to anybody claiming to be a relative. Hence they would call on the local child welfare authorities to sort this out.

 

 

As I said, this is hearsay from another member and not my policy or even my opinion. Let's hope there have not been any parents so careless and irresponsible to have had this actually happen.

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Not exactly answering the OP's question, but made me think of these.

 

On one of or cruises we were wondering why we had not left yet but then heard them paging some people. The Captain waited 30 minutes for them and then gave a public address system lecture including their names when they boarded.

 

tWe figured after that they would never be late again.

 

Wrong....next port they were late again and the public address lecture was stronger. He said he would not wait one minute for them again.

 

A different cruise we were on a ship's tour and were about 30 minutes late getting back. As soon as the small bus pulled up there were security and other staff at the driver's door reaming her out. I think she must have been new because she didn't think it was a problem when some of the passengers were telling her she was making us late.

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I remember a news story from a few months back where a mother was making this big dramatic scene on the pier because the cruise ship left with her kids aboard, but with mom and dad ashore. As I remember the mom was "shopping" and didn't come back by the posted departure time - the dad actually got off the ship to go look for her (?) leaving their children aboard, and the ship sailed off without mom and dad. I am pretty sure it was a Norwegian ship - and think the ship made the right call in leaving.

 

.

 

I remember reading the thread about this. The captain was right in leaving them behind (it was stupid for the husband to get off the ship at that point because of the kids).

 

I was on an excursion booked through Princess that did get back to the pier an half hour after the scheduled time due to bad weather in Skagway. The guide kept in touch with the ship. Just as our group boarded, the gangway was raised and the ship left.

 

If there's a problem with weather conditions or tides, the captain doesn't have to wait for even a ship-booked excursion, but usually in those cases, the cruise line will work with the port agent to get your passports to you along with help make arrangements so you can board at a later port.

 

But if we're not on an excursion, we always plan to be back on the ship an hour before back on board time. One major reason, besides the obvious one, is that hubby hates waiting in long lines and the closer to the deadline, the longer the line to reboard.

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