Crew missing ship?

So, we all know that the ship WILL leave passengers behind. What if a crew member(s) aren't on board in time?

If it's the captain, I suspect they will wait. For an assistant MDR waiter - not so likely.

If a crew member misses a ship, they might as well just buy the ticket home. I suppose there are exceptions to that rule, but pretty much they'd not have a job.

This Question came up on our Oasis cruise with Captain Johnny answering questions at the Aqua Theater. He said crewmembers would be terminated on the spot and return airfare to their home would not be paid, Officers would likely be terminated unless they had an exceptional explanation. He said that even he would be dealt with severely by corporate. He said that only himself and the Chief Engineer would have the ship wait for them.

This Question came up on our Oasis cruise with Captain Johnny answering questions at the Aqua Theater. He said crewmembers would be terminated on the spot and return airfare to their home would not be paid, Officers would likely be terminated unless they had an exceptional explanation. He said that even he would be dealt with severely by corporate. He said that only himself and the Chief Engineer would have the ship wait for them.

Are you certin he did not add they will not sail without ship's doctor aboard? Is it possiible you may have forgotten that?

We were on a cruise once where the Captain's wife and son (who had been onboard for the cruise) missed the ship in one port. We sailed without them! Never heard what had happened, but they did catch up with us at the next port.

Had a cruise where a staff member- can't remember from what department, but wasn't the waiters/room stewards level, higher then that- that just missed the ship. The tug standing by raced over to the dock and picked up the female employee, and delivered her to the ship, after we had waited about 30 minutes beyond scheduled sailing, blasted the horn a number of times, and had a couple of comments from the Captain as to our delay. No specific comments, but the implication wasn't good for that employee's future with the cruise line.

Are you certin he did not add they will not sail without ship's doctor aboard? Is it possiible you may have forgotten that?

It's possible, and also probable I was over enjoying the benefits of the ultimate beverage package. happy cruising

In actual fact, the Captain, Chief Engineer, and Doctor can all be left behind. Both the Staff Captain and the Staff Chief Engineer are fully licensed as Master or Chief Engineer, and the Staff positions are not required manning, so they can easily take over for a missing officer. If the voyage from one port to the next is under 3 days duration, there is no requirement for a Doctor to be onboard, so he could be left behind as well.

They will get left behind, if they can't tell time. Same for everyone!

Most ships have two doctors aboard (trading between pax & crew from sailing to sailing). Both aren't allowed off the ship at the same time according to the ship's doctor we sat with at dinner one night.

I have experienced

DJ (many years ago) didn't make it back to the ship in a Mexican port. New DJ at the next port.

BB King member left behind in a Spanish port on a TA.

In actual fact, the Captain, Chief Engineer, and Doctor can all be left behind. Both the Staff Captain and the Staff Chief Engineer are fully licensed as Master or Chief Engineer, and the Staff positions are not required manning, so they can easily take over for a missing officer. If the voyage from one port to the next is under 3 days duration, there is no requirement for a Doctor to be onboard, so he could be left behind as well.

How is it decided that the Captain will be left beyond?

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If the voyage from one port to the next is under 3 days duration, there is no requirement for a Doctor to be onboard, so he could be left behind as well.

On a ship with thousands of passengers and crew, you can do without a doctor if it's "just" three days? I see numbers like one or two deaths on a typical cruise, so that would be about one every second 3 day trip, besides a possible appendicitis here and the results of eating lobster tail mistaken for a heart attack there. Maybe 12 hours or so, so a patient on a ferry has a decent chance of reaching a hospital in case of an emergency, seems logical but 3 days is a really long time.

As I'm quite interested in the legal stuff at sea, while not being a laywer myself and I know you aren't either, still another question. Who says (and can say) you need a doctor at all when you reach (I believe) 12 people on board? Each and every flag state? An agreement between all insurers? I can easily imagine a yacht owner who invites one friend too many on his ship, who would collect the fine?

How is it decided that the Captain will be left beyond?

 

 

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Corporate and schedule.

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On a ship with thousands of passengers and crew, you can do without a doctor if it's "just" three days? I see numbers like one or two deaths on a typical cruise, so that would be about one every second 3 day trip, besides a possible appendicitis here and the results of eating lobster tail mistaken for a heart attack there. Maybe 12 hours or so, so a patient on a ferry has a decent chance of reaching a hospital in case of an emergency, seems logical but 3 days is a really long time.

 

As I'm quite interested in the legal stuff at sea, while not being a laywer myself and I know you aren't either, still another question. Who says (and can say) you need a doctor at all when you reach (I believe) 12 people on board? Each and every flag state? An agreement between all insurers? I can easily imagine a yacht owner who invites one friend too many on his ship, who would collect the fine?

I doubt the number of one or two deaths per cruise. It happens, but not that frequently. The 12 passenger limit does not require a doctor onboard, but it changes the requirement for medical supplies and facilities carried onboard the ship, as well as the training required of the designated medical officer (Master or deck officer). These requirements are set forth in the SOLAS agreement, and every nation that is signatory to SOLAS must pass enabling legislation that makes the provisions of SOLAS into law in that country and on that country's flag ships. It is, of course, the insurers who require cruise ships to carry doctors.

It would most likely be part of the cruise line's ISM (International Safety Management) code as to when a Captain could elect to leave port without a doctor. The ISM code is generally described as "write what you do and do what you write", and codifies the business and operational practices of the ship.

As for the yacht owner, there are also tonnage limitations, and also the requirement that the vessel be engaged in "trade" (thereby eliminating personal pleasure craft). However, boats that take people for hire (charter fishing, for example) are in "trade". But, again, the 12 pax limit only changes the requirement for the medical kit, not for a doctor.

I would say it the Captain missed the ship, it would have to be a medical problem. Because if it was not, his next job would be the Captain of the Jungle Ride at Disneyland.

I would say it the Captain missed the ship, it would have to be a medical problem. Because if it was not, his next job would be the Captain of the Jungle Ride at Disneyland.

Or the Minnow.

DON

I would say it the Captain missed the ship, it would have to be a medical problem. Because if it was not, his next job would be the Captain of the Jungle Ride at Disneyland.

Hey don't knock that job. It takes great skill to steer behind the back side of water as well as shooting charging Rhinos. LOL

I doubt the number of one or two deaths per cruise. It happens, but not that frequently. ...

National annual rate is 8.2 per 1,000. On an Oasis class ship that would be roughly 32 per year. Granted this is across an entire population and ships would not include the more fragile segments of that group. Even so, one or two deaths per cruise does not seem unreasonable for larger ships.

In actual fact, the Captain, Chief Engineer, and Doctor can all be left behind. Both the Staff Captain and the Staff Chief Engineer are fully licensed as Master or Chief Engineer, and the Staff positions are not required manning, so they can easily take over for a missing officer. If the voyage from one port to the next is under 3 days duration, there is no requirement for a Doctor to be onboard, so he could be left behind as well.

That is good to know that they can run a cruise ship without a Captain, a Chief Engineer and a Doctor but I hope to heck that if all the bartenders were late returning to the ship, whoever's in charge would wait for them! ;p

"write what you do and do what you write"

Interesting - sounds a lot like ISO-9001 quality procedures for manufacturing. Basically you make the rules and then get audited to make sure you are following your own rules.

If a crew member misses a ship, they might as well just buy the ticket home. I suppose there are exceptions to that rule, but pretty much they'd not have a job.

Yep.

But, again, the 12 pax limit only changes the requirement for the medical kit, not for a doctor.

That must be an urban legend then, because all freighter cruise sites mention the lack of a doctor as the reason why they won't take more than a few passengers.

That must be an urban legend then, because all freighter cruise sites mention the lack of a doctor as the reason why they won't take more than a few passengers.

The real reason is that if a vessel, regardless of type, carries more than 12 passengers, it is considered to be a passenger vessel, and must meet all of the design, construction, and operational requirements of a passenger vessel, not just the medical facilities requirements. A container ship with 12 passengers is a container ship. A container ship with 13 passengers is a passenger ship.