Midnight departures

Over the 10 odd years we have been going on cruises with different cruise lines we have never started a cruise at midnight or even left a port at midnight until we started cruising with Seabourn. We left Singapore on the Sojourn at midnight and now we are leaving Benoa Bali on the Encore early Dec at midnight.

Anybody know if there is a reason for these late departure times?

No biggie just curious

In many cases it is to give people time in port for dinner and/or joining a cultural event. We just experienced this in Malta on the Odyssey.

Tide schedules can be another reason.

And the distance to the next port and the arrival time there can be one, too.

It’s also not uncommon for departures when there is a scheduled large crew turnaround that day, if its combined with a signigicant inspection (like the first US entry after many months), a scheduled maintenance item (I’ve had those on other lines in a couple of ports where turbaround day conincided with work in dock requiring divers), an unusually large cargo or provisioning load-in day (start of a transatlantic or aboit to move regions for the next season may coincide with taking on a large galley inventory or new furniture).

I waa previously told that certain ports worldwide are also provisioning and service ports for the Carnival lines where ships coming into them take on not only more inventory items we might not think about (boxes of replacement linens or dinnerware, new patio chairs, uniforms) but also get scheduled maintenance (outside of dry docks) performed (things like elevator inspections).

Benoa (Bali) is definitely a tide issue. There was a show with an episode highlighting anothsr luxury line (Crystal, maybe?) making a maiden call at Benoa and they discussed the narrow tidal window to get ships in/out of the harbour. Benoa is one of those ports (as is Singapore) where the crew also appreciate the late departure as its a popular place to leave the ship for a few hours of R&R.

jenidallis you have brought up some points I never thought of

Old age also made me remember we went to the christening party of the Encore while we were on the Sojourn at Singapore which carried on into the night a little

What made me think about it was a friend of ours is sailing from Auckland to Norfolk Island and around NZ. Their departure time from Auckland is 5pm with the first stop Matiatia Bay Waiheke which would maybe a one hour ferry ride. Which would have made sense to me for a late departure. I reckon Seabourn will pull away from the wharf then just drift with the tide as Waiheke is that close to Princess Wharf to get there :)