Has anyone on this board ever missed the ship

I was doing my occasional wander across the boards and I came across this thread

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2311713

I know its American, but once I started reading I had to go to the end.

This post actually described what somebody had to do when they were left behind

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2121215

Have you wandered over to ROyal Caribbean today - Anthem iof the seas board? If you do......be prepared to waste a lot of time! Some of it makes interesting reading but a lot of it is absolute rubbish!

Just thank goodness everyone is safe!

I was doing my occasional wander across the boards and I came across this thread

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2311713

 

I know its American, but once I started reading I had to go to the end.

This post actually described what somebody had to do when they were left behind

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2121215

No we have never been left behind, but once on a Med cruise our two sons one about 20 the other 16 became great friends with a couple of girls they went ashore in Marsielle and were very late back to the ship. My wife and I were waiting on the gangway to make sure they were back on board with my wallet credit cards, my passport and their passports in case they didn't make it back. Which they did.....just....not impressed. I don't need that much stress.

We were in Dublin on Royal Princess in June and the traffic was horrendous we set off back really early which was lucky. There were people left behind, but that wasn't so bad because the next port was Liverpool and there is an overnight ferry and the port after that was Belfast which is a train ride. Plus you didn't need a passport.

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We were 5 minutes late back to the ship in Venice. Went to get the vaporetto and it was full, and so was the next one. We were grabbed near the ship by an Italian with a car, made to get in and driven to the crew entrance. Taught us a lesson.

We were in the Caribbean and moored beside one of the AIDA ships which was about to depart.

We suddenly hear a lot of yelling and cheering and see two 'rum runners' dashing along the quayside. Everybody was egging them on and they just made it as the gangway was about to be pulled up. A great Cher went up as they boarded the ship.

We hardly ever take ship excursions, but always leave plenty of time to get back to the ship. I do always ensure I have the local agent's details with me and a charged phone.

Yes, these guys missed their boat !!!!!!

http://www.captaingreybeard.com/2014/02/dream-has-these-guys-on-the -run.html

A couple of years ago on Ventura two passengers missed the ship.

How did I know - Because the captain took great delight in gloating about it for the next few days whilst trying to sell official excursions.

Two were left behind in Zeebrugge on one of my Aurora cruises. They contacted the ship and the captain waited 30 mins but they asked their taxi to take them to the P&O berth and he took them to the P&O ferry - too late by then to make it back to Aurora. We also lost 4 people in Antigua once.

We have never been left behind but we have seen people get back to the ship very late.

About 20 years ago we were in St Thomas and as we sailed away we watched an American woman walking down the dock waving to the ship she was brought out to the ship just outside the port by a small boat but we could not see how she actually boarded from where we were on the ship. Last year on the Ventura as we left Madeira a missing passenger arrived at the dock so the ship stopped just outside the port and the man was brought out to the ship by a small boat but again we did not see him get on because we were on our balcony at the back of the ship and he boarded somewhere along the side.

We have also on several occasions been on ships where they have waited and then had to leave without people. Our table mates on Crown Princess in the Caribbean were left at one port and when they got back on the next day they told us that the Purser's staff had got their passports from their cabin and left them with the port agent who waited at the dock for them and them helped them to get a hotel for the night and a flight to Aruba the next morning to meet the ship. It was a very costly exercise for them.

My guess is that the procedure is adapted depending on the particular situation. We always make sure that we are back to the ship at least 1 hour before the on-board time.

A few years ago we were on Arcadia in Puerto Rico and we saw an American ship - can't remember which one - just drawing away from the jetty when there were two passengers running down the quay. Eventually they were collected by one of the Homeland Security boats and taken out to the ship where we saw them climbing up a ladder onto the ship - very scary. It's my absolute nightmare being late back. We mostly do P&O excursions but if we DIY it's only in the morning.

I can't remember which ship or where (too much cruising) but once one name kept being called and we were late and about to leave. Then the missing passenger appeared at the end of the jetty. He looked to be about 112 years old and was wearing wonderful 'it aint arf ot mum' shorts from which protruded little sparrow like legs which were propelling him forward at all of 1mph. They rushed down the quay with a wheelchair and he had a 'wot sort of cheese was that' ride back to the ship. :D

Given his age I hope they did not give him a bad time for being late.

We never have, but some friends of ours did on their first cruise last year on Arcadia. They missed the train back to Blankenberg and eventually arrived after the ship had sailed. They then had to catch a train back to Brugge, change for a train to Brussels and then change there for a train to Paris and then on to Le Havre. They arrived there about midnight, checked into a hotel and as soon as Arcadia arrived in the morning, got back on board!

Two were left behind in Zeebrugge on one of my Aurora cruises. They contacted the ship and the captain waited 30 mins but they asked their taxi to take them to the P&O berth and he took them to the P&O ferry - too late by then to make it back to Aurora. We also lost 4 people in Antigua once.

We were on that Aurora cruise, and just above the gangway. The captain said give them a big cheer when they arrived, but they never did. I believe they went on the P&O ferry to Hull to get back to the UK, never heard anymore after that though!

Adammara, formerly H&R on the long lost P&O forum!

On a cruise last year four passengers almost missed the ship before we had even left.

They were waiting for the coach transfer at the wrong terminal at Nice for the transfer to Savona.

They realised after the coach had left, so we had to wait at a motorway service station half way there, for them to catch up in an (expensive) taxi.

We were on the carnival legend to the Baltics in 2013. Every port had people running late, some literally running to the ship. In Warmunde there was taxi racing to gate and frantic people jumping out! The latest we have left it was 30 mins and that was due to miss judging the distance we had walked! And no cash for a taxi.:-(.

What wonderful stories. Thank you.

Must admit, due to health reasons we are usually only off the ship for 1/2 a day, never a whole day. Boring...I know ..

We always sit in the cabin and wait for the bing bong names to start.

When we have had port side a few times we have looked to see late arrivals, never seen any yet.

We made it back with four minutes to spare in Lisbon last year.

We were dropped off at the security point for the wrong ship and had to walk rather fast to the P&O security entrance. :eek:

There were people back after us and I'm not sure how much longer they wait past the official boarding time but not an experience I wish to repeat.

Had a close call embarking once....

Flew easyjet into Copenhagen to catch a NCL ship, had planned to get the tram to the port but as we were cutting it fine jumped in a taxi. (not cheap I tell you)

We made it with about an hour to spare, don't think we would leave it that close again.

I had a contingency plan mapped out though, we could have caught the overnight coach to Rostock and got on the day after at Warnemunde.

Seen quite a few running up the quayside over the years, and the Thomson Spirit waited over an hour at Rhodes once, when the taxi arrived there was an almighty cheer, most of the ship were stood on deck waiting to greet them.

Many years ago on Canberra a lady missed the ship in Malaga. She paid to fly to Crete which was next stop but the weather was really bad and we couldn't get into port.....reports of her waving to us as we sailed by! Took this as a reminder to be back on board at least an hour before necessary.

A few years ago on a RCI trip we were ashore in Santorini on a official ship organised tour. However at the end of the trip the bus dropped us all off in the main town and we were told to walk to the cable car to board the ship. Well a few people wandered of shopping (we had nearly an hour to go) but we wandered over to the cable cars only to find the longest, slowest queue we had ever seen. There were three ships in port that day and all wanting to leave around the same time. Well we stood and we stood slowly moving forward as the departure time got closer and closer. There was a lot of worried looking people, however we weren't so worried. Stood behind us was the ships second officer, who had spoken to the captain to tell him about the situation. I was so glad he was there and he assured us and others that the ship would wait. We were nearly an hour late but we were not the last. Scary moment, but could have been a whole lot scarier.

Never missed the ship nor have I heard of anyone missing the ship whilst I`ve been onboard. Have missed a couple of trains and only one flight (my own stupid fault).

If I have done a ship excursion, we have always made it back to the ship with an hour spare before the ship left.

Definately something to consider if you are planning to a "DIY" day trip on a cruise - Get back to the ship an hour before its due to leave

On our very first cruise (on Canberra), we were docked in Lisbon and the QE II was in port at the same time. Back then there was an agreement that if the ships were docked together pax could go across and visit the other ship (good sales ploy). So having done an excursion together in the morning, DH decided he wanted to do this whilst I sunbathed. I'd finished sunbathing and swimming and had headed back to the cabin to prepare for dinner. It came to "back on board" time and there was no sign of him. Then they started making the announcements that the ship would be leaving port in 30 minutes, 20 minutes... Still no sign. I had no idea what to do. Should I try disembarking to look for him (it wasn't beyond the realms of possibility that he'd toured the QEII then gone for another wander on shore). Should I go up to the bridge and say "You can't leave, my husband's not on board" (remember - novice cruiser!)? I was just setting off down the corridor from our cabin to look for him/do SOMETHING, when he appeared at the other end of the corridor with a big grin on his face, totally oblivious to the worry he'd been causing me. Turned out there'd been a problem with the tenders running between the ships which meant no-one had been able to get back, including the many members of Canberra crew and officers who'd been visiting the QEII, but of course I had no way of knowing this (and of course it was in the days before everyone had a mobile phone). Was not impressed with DH's casual "Oh, there was never a problem" attitude. My heart is racing just recalling the incident!

We have been too close for comfort just once - and I never intend to let it happen again!

It was our 2nd cruise, 1st with P+O and we took the HOHO bus from the ship into Stockholm. Hubby's camera had died on out first day and he wanted to shop for a new one. Then we made a few elementary mistakes -

We looked at the map when we stopped for a drink but were not where we thought.

As we had gone in on the HOHO we had not checked where the ship's shuttle bus would leave from.

We jumped back on the HOHO but didn't realise that we still had 3/4 of the circuit to go, so it took us much longer to get back than the outward journey had taken.

Although the bus had been waiting outside the ship when we arrived, that was not where it dropped us off at the end of the trip.

I had suggested we should start heading back about half hour previously but hubby, as usual, had laughed at me and said I was panicking without cause. He was still laughing at me for much of the bus journey back but eventually realised we could be in trouble! :eek:

When we got off the bus, we could see the ship and hear our names being called but we still had to go down the road and through the terminus building before we could get to the ship. We finally hurtled up the gangway at 17.29.59, the security people told us not to worry (I was in tears), we still had 1 second to spare! The gangway was taken up and we were off within moments.

Since then, I start heading back when I am ready. If hubby doesn't want to come, that is up to him.

A couple of years ago 6 passengers, including 1 in a wheelchair, missed the departure from Venice. When they got to the terminal they were met by the ship's agent, who had their passports, and he arranged for a taxi to take them to Dubrovnik, which was the next port. They arrived in the early hours of the morning and waited in a hotel lobby for the ship to arrive. I understand the taxi cost them in excess of £1,000.

I haven't witnessed anyone missing the ship but I do know of people who missed a ship through no fault of their own.

In May 2011 there was an explosion in a fuel storage tank at the dock in Gibraltar and as a result the Captain of RCI Independence of the Seas had to make an emergency departure from the port to safeguard the ship and all on board.

As a result several passengers who were trying to board the ship (not late by any means) were left stranded on the dock.

My friends had only just made it back on board and were slightly injured by the explosion.

Whilst I was on a cruise in 2015 I saw someone miss the departure, but that's because she was escorted off the ship in handcuffs by the local police shortly before departure!:D