Good Tip when going ashore

[MickeyP]

Last week, we had a young couple in their 40s who didn't adjust their watches one hour and missed the boat leaving St. Maartin. Unable to catch up with the ship because we were at sea and Half Moon Cay before our final port, Ft. Lauderdale. All they had was swim suits, $20 cash and the ship ID. Everything else was in their stateroom. HAL arranged for a room for them and someone gave them $100 until they could get money wired. Bring a credit card JUST in case. Having someone else have a copy of your passport would also help.

[Dayenu]

I have our passports, credit cards, list of phones scanned into my e-mail, just in case.

[Laughing Angel]

Yikes!

 

Mickey, thanks for the very important reminder.

[cb at sea]

Wear a watch...do NOT rely on you cell phone! Your phone will show local time....You MUST go by SHIP'S TIME!

[Cya@Sea]

Wear a watch...do NOT rely on you cell phone! Your phone will show local time....You MUST go by SHIP'S TIME!

 

Very good advice....

[Zach1213]

Wear a watch...do NOT rely on you cell phone! Your phone will show local time....You MUST go by SHIP'S TIME!

Most cell phones can be changed to go off either cellular tower time (i.e. local), or any other time (i.e. a specific time zone, whether it be where you are or not). So using your cell phone can be just as reliable as a watch, as long as you change them appropriately (watches can require a physical time change just as phones can).

[Martini Mom]

I am always back in enough time to be early for both ship and shore time. :D Yes, I'm paranoid. lol

[mousey]

Never get off the ship without knowing the local time and the ship's time. Never!

 

If there is any doubt in your mind that you might not have enough time in a port to do an excursion through a private agent. Do your tour through the ship. It's worth the extra bucks to not have to worry about getting back on time because if you take an excursion through the ship they will get you to the next port if the excursion is late getting back and they will for sure wait a little for one of their late excursions but rarely for anyone elses.

 

Be sure to have your companion take a watch also. One time my battery went dead on my watch and thank goodness my DH always takes his watch too! He went looking for me in a store when he saw that it was running late. I'm in there shopping because my watch was a half hour slow thinking I had lots of time! Whew! Dodged the bullet that time!

 

Also, always take a litle cash and at least one credit card. If you can fit in a copy of your passports do that too. Otherwise, the most important thing is to always be aware of the time when in port and be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship with plenty of time to board. Our rule is that if we are not on one of the ship's excursions that we get back to the ship at least 1 hr. before it sails out of port. We've never broken this rule and never have had (except for that one time when my battery went dead) to sweat getting back on time.

 

Also, if you take any kind of special medication. Always take at least a days worth with you just in case!

[sail7seas]

Since Concordia, I have decided I will never leave our cabin on any ship without having at least a small purse with me. That bag will always have a small ziploc with a few days worth of our necessary Rx medications, some cash, a credit card and a copy of our passports (laminated). We could get new passports issued faster if we have the numbers. No matter the emergency, we would have absolute necessities with us.

 

On most ships, if you do not return on time, security will open your safe and if they find passports, they will give them to the cruise line's Port Agent. Port Agent will hold them for the late returning guest. ALWAYS bring name and contact info for Port Agent ashore with you. It is always printed in either the daily program or on the map/shopping handout they give every guest as we leave the ship or it is delivered to your cabin. Always have that name and contact info with you..... (s)he is your friend in town for any situation you may encounter while ashore.

[runnerandme]

Also do not rely on clocks on shore. They can be slow or just plain wrong. We checked the time while we were in a store because we did not have a watch. Decided to go back "early". Good thing as we were actually a few minutes late. Not late enough for the boos and cheers however thank goodness. Lesson learned- wear a watch.

[LuckyZ]

I am always back in enough time to be early for both ship and shore time. :D Yes, I'm paranoid. lol

 

I don't think that's being paranoid. Theres no reason why people have to cut it that close. Ships are in port between 8 and 10 hours which should you more than enough time to do an excursion, shop, or whatever.

[GTO-Girl]

Last October, we were standing on our balcony on the Dream and we also saw a young couple that was left in St Martin. We were parked next to the Oasis and it had been gone at least 25 minutes when they pulled up.

 

The poor girl got so upset she passed out. They put them in a vehicle and headed back into town. Not sure what happened to them after that.

 

Even though it was their fault for not keeping up with the time, I truly felt horrible for them. It was a pitiful sight.......

[MickeyP]

All good advice to take in but ID copies and CC numbers or just one card will help you so much. The young man's mother sits at dinner with us and she was so embarrassed once she found out they were OK. I never thought it would happen to someone we knew but this can happen. They missed the last three days of the cruise and had the added expense to get home to Maryland. The mother had to pack up the belongings and go through the BS.

[YubaSutter]

You can't fix stupid.