Pier Runners

Has the "passport" side of this thread run its course?

Now its just a slanging match that ain't gonna change anyone's mind.

Time to return to the topic of pier runners?

JB :)

ps Probably not :D

I suppose you also don't believe that they will dock at the port they told you they would? Or that the cruise leaves on the date listed on your ticket? Or that your room number is actually the one they gave you?

 

I find it quite amusing how you are so distrustful of the cruise lines. If they were so inept as to not be able to follow through on a policy they have put into place, how can you be comfortable with how effectively and safely they can run the rest of the ship?

Hmm, how many times has a cruise skipped a port or changed a port? Yeap, they do NOT dock at every port they say every time.

Hmm, Grandeur of the Seas last week, people had tickets to depart on 9/13. They did not board and depart until 9/17. So yes, they do not always sail on the date on your ticket.

Hmm, how about the couple complaining last week that they had a Guaranty Jr Suite, got assigned a Grand Suite, to have it changed back to a Jr Suite. So yeap, they change cabin numbers on people.

I know that the people will TRY to do this. But it is not guaranteed. It is not in the terms and conditions. It is a COURTESY, that may not always occur.

I do not distrust the cruise line. I believe them, when they SAY, they will make every effort to do this. People HEAR, they will always do it. And that is not true.

Nope. Not every country. Most do not, especially those in smaller countries. Sorry, but you are pulling that claim out of the air. And again, a stolen passport is useful in many ways other than to enter a country. Why do you keep ignoring that simple fact? Because it dilutes your MUST HAVE THE PASSPORT nonsense?

How many of those countries have you been to? Did you look over the counter to see what they were doing?

I have been to 142 countries. And most check the passports under UV light.

And how does what someone does with your passport have to do with YOUR NEEDING IT. And I throw out carrying it, as a counter point to those who say YOU NEVER NEED IT.

Have you heard the old saw, Never say never or always? Absolutes are seldom correct.

And again I ask, those who have had their passport stolen, was the passport targeted, or did they get the passport along with cash and credit cards? I don't think the pickpocket is going to stand there and decide what to take from your pocket or bag, they are going to grab what they can.

this thread has lost it's point, based on the title:

 

Pier Runners are the best free entertainment on board.

grab a drink, lurk on the shore side and boo or cheer.

yes it becomes the talk of the ship.

One cruise we didn't see a runner but after a million announcements we saw a guy exit the ship with a carry on. It turned out the dad and kids and extended family where back onboard. Mom never showed up. So dad left kids with Aunts Uncles and Grandparents to wait on mom. My DH and I joked the rest of the cruise about how quick we would leave each other behind. I got the story because one of the kids knew my DD.

In that thread the person wasn't traveling with a passport in the first place but they were carrying their expired one with them.

As I stated. There is at least one thread on CC about the passport NOT being given to the passenger.

As I stated. There is at least one thread on CC about the passport NOT being given to the passenger.

 

So, you can keep saying they will ALWAYS do it. Even though, that one instance proves it does not happen ALWAYS.

 

Yeah, and who would they sue? And in what court?

There are ways to bring cruise lines to court but all that aside you've been told a couple of times that the case you cited doesn't support your position at all, the person that was left behind wasn't traveling with a passport so there wasn't one in his safe to give him.

Here's the quote:

I have never heard anyone answer what determines what option or why some captains wait an hour and some 5 minutes.

The Captain must consider many options, which generally focus on safety, costs, pilot/line-handler availability and customer service.

With respect to safety, the Captain will review tidal conditions and weather forecasts. If any of these deteriorate they most likely have a latest departure time, which is cast in stone.

The pilot, line-handlers and if required tugs, are booked in advance for a specific time. If they are kept longer, costs will increase, sometimes substantially depending on local contracts. In some ports line-handlers may not be available after a specific time. Depending on length of pilotage, the pilot may also be booked for another vessel.

Delayed departure affects the average speed to the next port, as the ship cannot arrive late. An increased speed = higher fuel costs. On ships with internal combustion engines supplemented with gas turbines (GT), if delays require use of GT's the fuel costs increase significantly. If the next port is a slow transit, the Captain may be inclined to delay for a longer period. However, if the transit is at close to full speed, the Captain will probably not wait long.

Customer service is a tough one, as Captain you never want to leave people behind, but you also have to consider the passengers who made it back on time and have their day planned based on the departure time.

The Captain must consider many options, which generally focus on safety, costs, pilot/line-handler availability and customer service.

 

With respect to safety, the Captain will review tidal conditions and weather forecasts. If any of these deteriorate they most likely have a latest departure time, which is cast in stone.

 

The pilot, line-handlers and if required tugs, are booked in advance for a specific time. If they are kept longer, costs will increase, sometimes substantially depending on local contracts. In some ports line-handlers may not be available after a specific time. Depending on length of pilotage, the pilot may also be booked for another vessel.

 

Delayed departure affects the average speed to the next port, as the ship cannot arrive late. An increased speed = higher fuel costs. On ships with internal combustion engines supplemented with gas turbines (GT), if delays require use of GT's the fuel costs increase significantly. If the next port is a slow transit, the Captain may be inclined to delay for a longer period. However, if the transit is at close to full speed, the Captain will probably not wait long.

 

Customer service is a tough one, as Captain you never want to leave people behind, but you also have to consider the passengers who made it back on time and have their day planned based on the departure time.

So to return to the thread topic have you ever heard of a cruise line passing on the expense of a return to the dock to a late arriving passenger (or even part of the expense)?

I completely agree that a substantial charge should be charged to those arriving after a specified time.

The fact that it will cost $100,000 if they have to leave their berth 20 min. late is horse feathers.

I would also like to say that the Youtube video's make cool entertainment.

I completely agree that a substantial charge should be charged to those arriving after a specified time.

The fact that it will cost $100,000 if they have to leave their berth 20 min. late is horse feathers.

I would also like to say that the Youtube video's make cool entertainment.

Inquiring minds want to know where did you find that info?

Inquiring minds want to know where did you find that info?

Some well meaning poster on this thread posted that they heard of that which I expressed my thought about that persons notion as horse feathers

Some well meaning poster on this thread posted that they heard of that which I expressed my thought about that persons notion as horse feathers

That's why I questioned your comment as I didn't see it in any other posts in this thread.

That's why I questioned your comment as I didn't see it in any other posts in this thread.

I didn't see any such comment, either. The closest I found was in post #20:

"The additional fuel costs can be many tens of thousands of dollars."

Which is true if the ship has to operate at a much higher speed for a long distance to make up for the lost time. Fuel costs are the biggest single expense for a cruise line.

I didn't see any such comment, either. The closest I found was in post #20:

 

"The additional fuel costs can be many tens of thousands of dollars."

 

Which is true if the ship has to operate at a much higher speed for a long distance to make up for the lost time. Fuel costs are the biggest single expense for a cruise line.

Thanks for verifying my suspicions.

...do they get charged any fee for holding up 1000s of people and having the workers on the dock do extra work . Because these people can't tell time ?

You can answer this yourself. To charge the pax, there would have to be a contractual agreement between pax and cruise line. This is impossible at the time of missing the ship, so the default is the cruise contract itself. Yes this exists, every pax agrees to it by stepping on the ship. You can find it on each cruise lines web site. The "missed ship" scenario is not listed in any pax contract iv'e read, so your answer is no.

My attitude is that if the ship says that departure is say 6 PM, it should depart precisely at 6 PM even if the late comers are running down the pier. The only exception is if the ship is waiting for a ship sponsored tour.

The problem with people who are consistently late is that they get away with being consistently late. If they got stranded on land watching the ship pull away especially if the port is a 3d world port and their ID, passport, phone, money and clothes are on the ship and the next port is 3 or 4 sea days away, they might learn that 6 PM means 6 PM and not sort of 6 PM. Maybe they will not do it next time.

Anyway, they deserve being left behind.

Also, I would doubt but I am willing to be corrected that they let let arriving passengers board the ship from the pilot boat while both the pilot boat and the ship are moving. That has to be a violation of every safety regulation in the book.

DON

Inquiring minds want to know where did you find that info?

I was indeed referring to the the comment # 20.

I did not take that comment as gospel but rather with as a grain of salt. Sorry it rubbed you the wrong way.

I try to reply to questions as best as I see it . I will comment as I choose and should I I make an error,I made an error.

I said once again, that a well meaning poster on post # 20 made that post. If it doesn't suit you,too bad.

I didn't see any such comment, either. The closest I found was in post #20:

 

"The additional fuel costs can be many tens of thousands of dollars."

 

Which is true if the ship has to operate at a much higher speed for a long distance to make up for the lost time. Fuel costs are the biggest single expense for a cruise line.

DING ding ding. I was relating my comment to post no. 20.

I was indeed referring to the the comment # 20.

I did not take that comment as gospel but rather with as a grain of salt. Sorry it rubbed you the wrong way.

I try to reply to questions as best as I see it . I will comment as I choose and should I I make an error,I made an error.

I said once again, that a well meaning poster on post # 20 made that post. If it doesn't suit you,too bad.

DING ding ding. I was relating my comment to post no. 20.

That is quite the stretch there. To take the words "The additional fuel costs can be many tens of thousands of dollars." and repeat it as "The fact that it will cost $100,000 if they have to leave their berth 20 min. late is horse feathers" is a huge misrepresentation of the original comment. If you were relating to that line in post #20, you completely misunderstood those words.

Yes, you made an error. But telling someone "Sorry it rubbed you the wrong way" and "if it doesn't suit you, too bad" is not taking responsibility for that error.

That is quite the stretch there. To take the words "The additional fuel costs can be many tens of thousands of dollars." and repeat it as "The fact that it will cost $100,000 if they have to leave their berth 20 min. late is horse feathers" is a huge misrepresentation of the original comment. If you were relating to that line in post #20, you completely misunderstood those words.

Yes, you made an error. But telling someone "Sorry it rubbed you the wrong way" and "if it doesn't suit you, too bad" is not taking responsibility for that error.

Suit yourself. I didn't make an error. I commented her post exactly what it was. I never considered it to be anything more than an exaggeration by another pax. and I took it as such. and qualified it as just that. This forum is nor a courtroom.

I really don't give horse feathers what you think dude.

You want to have the last word, have at it.

So to return to the thread topic have you ever heard of a cruise line passing on the expense of a return to the dock to a late arriving passenger (or even part of the expense)?

Personally, I have not experienced a passenger being billed for additional costs and have not read about it in the mainstream media or specialised marine journals that I still read.

Some well meaning poster on this thread posted that they heard of that which I expressed my thought about that persons notion as horse feathers

If you are referring to post # 20, this well meaning poster's notion is not something I heard, it is actually FACTS. With almost 30 years in command of passenger carrying vessels and managing ship's budgets, I probably know more about the subject than most.

With everything else being equal (tides, wind, loading, etc), a ship uses more fuel to complete any given voyage faster. The engines may run for less time, but they still use more fuel. Having completed way too many voyage reports, this is fact and not a notion.

I wish they did enforce it with no exceptions.

We once were on a tour with a couple who were late getting back to the bus at every stop. Not a few minutes, 15-30 minutes. The tour guide rolled his eyes a lot but didn't really chastise them for it.

That evening, sure enough the same couple comes sauntering up to the gangplank many minutes past all-aboard time. We saw them from our balcony. Next stop, even later, but the Captain was standing there waiting on them. They allowed them to board.

On a related topic; I was on the Freedom of the Seas last week. At one port, the "All aboard" time was 4:30pm. Around 4:45pm, the last guest arrived at the gangway. She said she thought we had until 5 pm. It got me wondering where she might have gotten that idea. The Cruise Compass and the signs at the gangway all listed 4:30 as the all aboard time, with no mention of a 5pm departure.

Then I looked at the Shore Excursion booklet. In a table, it listed our times in port. It showed a time from 8am till 5pm, with no mention of an earlier deadline. I guess she read that first; had the 5pm time stuck in her head, and did not comprehend all the other papers and announcements saying 4:30.

Aloha,

John

Suit yourself. I didn't make an error. I commented her post exactly what it was. I never considered it to be anything more than an exaggeration by another pax. and I took it as such. and qualified it as just that. This forum is nor a courtroom.

I really don't give horse feathers what you think dude.

You want to have the last word, have at it.

Perhaps not an error, but then a deliberate exaggeration to make your point that the poster was full of horse "feathers" or something worse. :rolleyes:

To take "can" and turn it into "the fact", and "tens of thousands" into "100,000", and the no mention of a time frame into "20 minutes", is either a complete error or a deliberate attempt to disavow what the poster was saying. Take your pick. Either way, you are wrong.

Besides, to challenge a maritime professional with years of experience, with your lack of first hand knowledge of how things actually work behind the scenes, is a fools errand. Stick to facts based on an expert's experience, not exaggerations to support your opinions.