Do cruise ships ever make it to a port early?

[chanpion13]

Hi! Thanks for reading this and forgive me inexperience please.

 

I am taking a Carnival cruise aboard the Victory going from Key West to Cozumel.

 

I really really want to schedule this excursion but it's only at 12:30pm and it says my ship gets there at 1pm according to the schedule provided (below).

 

Do boats generally get there early? I am afraid to book.

 

1 Miami, Florida --- 4:00 p.m.

 

2 Key West, Florida 7:30 a.m. 2:00 p.m.

 

3 Cozumel, Mexico 1:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m.

 

4 At Sea --- ---

 

5 Miami, Florida 8:00 a.m. ---

[toddlangford]

I haven't cruised in a while so my info may not be 100% accurate but what I remember is they are usually pretty much on schedule. Although if there is a medical emergency or something on board they will arrive earlier. Actually this happened one time to me on the same ship you will be on while going to Cozumel. We were scheduled to get there around 9 am and arrived at 11 pm the prior night lol funny coincidence

 

 

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[jenng1976]

Hi! Thanks for reading this and forgive me inexperience please.

 

I am taking a Carnival cruise aboard the Victory going from Key West to Cozumel.

 

I really really want to schedule this excursion but it's only at 12:30pm and it says my ship gets there at 1pm according to the schedule provided (below).

 

Do boats generally get there early? I am afraid to book.

 

1 Miami, Florida --- 4:00 p.m.

 

2 Key West, Florida 7:30 a.m. 2:00 p.m.

 

3 Cozumel, Mexico 1:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m.

 

4 At Sea --- ---

 

5 Miami, Florida 8:00 a.m. ---

 

 

In my opinion ... NO!!!! Please do not book this excursion if it leaves at 12:30. Even if your ship happened to pull into port a few minutes early - for ports with afternoon times, generally there are long lines with people just waiting to get off. (Less so, when you pull into ports early morning - people are more spread out in what time they get off).

 

And once you do get off the ship, then you have to make your way to wherever that is, and at Cozumel there's a fairly long pier.

 

You don't want to stress yourself out, or lose all your money for the excursion on your vacation. Maybe try to find something else that you'll enjoy instead? Or see if Carnival offers it, even if it's a bit more money maybe it would be worth it to you.

 

Good luck!

Jenn :)

[toddlangford]

The poster above is right dont risk it. More then likely you will not make it

 

 

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[shof515]

Speak with the tour operator via phone call or email. Most tour operators change the tour times to match the ship arrival/departures

[taragl]

I really really want to schedule this excursion but it's only at 12:30pm and it says my ship gets there at 1pm according to the schedule provided (below).

 

Sorry, but you're more than likely not going to make it. Even if the ship arrived early, they would have to tie up lightning fast and you'd have to be the first one off the ship and sprinting down the long Cozumel pier. Save yourself the stress and go to plan B.

[Rirruto]

Hi! Thanks for reading this and forgive me inexperience please.

 

I am taking a Carnival cruise aboard the Victory going from Key West to Cozumel.

 

I really really want to schedule this excursion but it's only at 12:30pm and it says my ship gets there at 1pm according to the schedule provided (below).

 

Do boats generally get there early? I am afraid to book.

 

1 Miami, Florida --- 4:00 p.m.

 

2 Key West, Florida 7:30 a.m. 2:00 p.m.

 

3 Cozumel, Mexico 1:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m.

 

4 At Sea --- ---

 

5 Miami, Florida 8:00 a.m. ---

Is the company running the excursion giving you the time of 12:30pm in ship's time or local time? The time in Cozumel is one hour behind ship time (Miami time) right now. For example, it's currently 2:33pm Miami time which would be 1:33pm Cozumel time.

 

If 12:30pm is in local time, then you would be able to make that since that would be 1:30pm ship time.

[serene56]

if the ship is listed for 1pm-- they will slow down and get to the port as close to 1pm as possbile. that is what they paid for

 

I agree with above posters-- no way will you make a 12:30 reservation for a 1pm docking time

[OCruisers]

if the ship is listed for 1pm-- they will slow down and get to the port as close to 1pm as possbile. that is what they paid for

 

I agree with above posters-- no way will you make a 12:30 reservation for a 1pm docking time

 

So very true! The ship will often slow way down to get you to the port at the scheduled time and not early because it's the time they've paid to use the port.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[Aplmac]

Cruise companies book definite time-slots/dates for their ships about a year in advance.

It's not like driving to the Mall and finding a parking spot.

 

They get charged Port fees, etc. based on times spent docked.

They have arrival and departure times allotted to them, far in advance.

I know the local guy who sets the arrival times at my local Port.

Captains like to stick to those times, because (barring emergencies) they have to.

 

Many times you can set your watch by the ships' departure time.

That's how the system works. And it works.

 

.

[trptplayer22]

They must have times they are supposed to get to port. One year when we were going to Port Canaveral the water was like glass between Maryland and Florida and the ship slowed down so much it could have almost gone backwards, like they didn't want to get there too early.

[chanpion13]

thanks everyone for the sound advice.

 

consensus = don't book it.

 

just double-checked with carnival too. the time they listed to be in port is the time in that time zone. was worth at try though!

[SadieN]

Cruise companies book definite time-slots/dates for their ships about a year in advance.

It's not like driving to the Mall and finding a parking spot.

 

They get charged Port fees, etc. based on times spent docked.

They have arrival and departure times allotted to them, far in advance.

I know the local guy who sets the arrival times at my local Port.

Captains like to stick to those times, because (barring emergencies) they have to.

 

Many times you can set your watch by the ships' departure time.

That's how the system works. And it works.

 

.

 

If interested here is a sample of Port Charges

 

Port of Astoria (Oregon) Terminal Tarriff No. 10

Found this when I was researching Astoria.

http://www.portofastoria.com/media/PDFFiles/Tariff/TARIFF10_2012.pdf

[golfadj]

At times the ship will get in early but wouldnt take a chance. Better to contact tour operator and see if he will make the tour later to accomodate your ship.

[Rirruto]

just double-checked with carnival too. the time they listed to be in port is the time in that time zone. was worth at try though!

Just my opinion but that doesn't sound right. Ships stick to the time of the home port, in this case, Miami. Miami is on EDT and Cozumel is on CDT. The schedule says you'll be arriving in Cozumel at 1pm, so that means 12pm local time. If the excursion starts at 12:30pm local time, you could possibly make it if you're off the ship quickly.

[chanpion13]

Just my opinion but that doesn't sound right. Ships stick to the time of the home port, in this case, Miami. Miami is on EDT and Cozumel is on CDT. The schedule says you'll be arriving in Cozumel at 1pm, so that means 12pm local time. If the excursion starts at 12:30pm local time, you could possibly make it if you're off the ship quickly.

 

i would love that if it were the case.

 

basically i'm getting my info from here (booked).

 

http://cruises.orbitz.com/sc.do?d=09/12/2013&d2=09/16/2013&i=742489&c=1&v=31

[Theicom1]

Keep in mind, even if the ship arrives 12 local time and your excursion is 12:30 local, it WILL take about a half hour or more to get off the ship (with all the people taking the gang plank pictures), walk down the pier, through the mandatory duty free shop and then through the shopping "village" to arrive at the meeting point for non CCL excursions. It's not a quick walk.

[Aplmac]

If interested here is a sample of Port Charges

 

Port of Astoria (Oregon) Terminal Tarriff No. 10

Found this when I was researching Astoria.

http://www.portofastoria.com/media/PDFFiles/Tariff/TARIFF10_2012.pdf

YIKES!

 

 

For Vessels with LOA greater than 289.56 meters,

charge the rate for 289.56 metres ($13,630!)

- plus $1,640.00 for each fifteen (15) meters,

or fraction thereof, of length in excess of 289.56 meters.

 

.

[Aplmac]

Keep in mind, even if the ship arrives 12 local time and your excursion is 12:30 local, it WILL take about a half hour or more to get off the ship (with all the people taking the gang plank pictures), walk down the pier, through the mandatory duty free shop and then through the shopping "village" to arrive at the meeting point for non CCL excursions.

Stated "arrival times" are usually the time they let passengers off the ship, after announcement

(usually about an hour after physical docking).

 

Stated departure times are (in my experience) the actual time of physical un-docking and sailaway.

 

.

[chanpion13]

well go figure, now i called orbitz and they said that the times listed are all Eastern Time. Conflicting reports from orbitz and carnival:D

[jwalk03]

thanks everyone for the sound advice.

 

consensus = don't book it.

 

just double-checked with carnival too. the time they listed to be in port is the time in that time zone. was worth at try though!

 

I'm not sure who told you that, but its not true. The time listed is SHIP TIME, not local time. I have been on this exact cruise and the 1PM arrival is NOON local time in Cozumel.

 

So if the tour departs at 12:30 local time you should make it. When I did this cruise on the Imagination 2 years ago we did arrive about 30 minutes early, but we still were not off the ship and ready to go much earlier.

[chanpion13]

I'm not sure who told you that, but its not true. The time listed is SHIP TIME, not local time. I have been on this exact cruise and the 1PM arrival is NOON local time in Cozumel.

 

So if the tour departs at 12:30 local time you should make it. When I did this cruise on the Imagination 2 years ago we did arrive about 30 minutes early, but we still were not off the ship and ready to go much earlier.

 

hi. thanks and you're right.

 

i ended up chatting with a couple reps from cozumel-tours.com and cozumelcruiseexcursions.com and found more info.

 

here is an update: they said that as you mentioned, the time listed is ship time, not local. so basically i would be getting there at 12pm their time, and that it should be no problem (assuming i was waiting to leave before the ship docked) to get there. she put me on hold and spoke with the actual tour operator and they said they don't exactly start on time anyway so for our specific date they would be able to do 1pm.

 

thanks for all the help. the information is pretty invaluable.

[OCruisers]

Great News! As long as your independent operator knows your situation and assures you they will wait, you should be all right! :)

 

We would not do this but it does seem it'll work out for you which is the important thing.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[serene56]

carnival stays on home port time. rare does it change times becuase you are arriving so late in the day expect more then half the ship to be getting off with you when it gets all clear

[lrowe70]

Even if the ship does arrive early, that doesn't mean you will be off early. There are thousands of others getting off too.

 

I wouldn't bother with the tour.