I Missed the Ship Stories

[ShamrockFL]

Wouldn't it be interesting to hear first hand from people who have been left behind in a port of call. You hear so often that it happened but I've never heard it from the person it actually happened to. I' ve heard about people with near misses having to jump from a tender into the ship that they caught up with, or someone having to climb up netting to board the ship. So many people are afraid to take private tours in case they miss the ship. How often does this really happen, where did it happen, why did it happen, how did you catch up with your cruise, was it expensive? Let's hear your experiences and hope it never happens to us:eek: .

[ShamrockFL]

This is funny - zero response. I guess no one ever misses the ship anymore - all those rumors we heard must have been false. I've got it - everyone must be booking shore excursions through the ship and they're not getting left behind. I guess no one is using those fly-by-night local tour operators that charge you half the price and don't get you back to the ship on time. Or is everyone afraid to admit they goofed - just once in their lives!!. ;) Don't be bashful.

[Capt_BJ]

For those who've heard my story....don't 'dis me...this time I'll save the link'

 

Dateline...hmmm 1987....

 

I was Operations Officer on a Coast Guard Cutter working the Caribbean and we were making an R&R stop in Cozumel. Typically, we (@ 210 foot length) were snuk into a place on the pier between the revenue producting cruise ships.

 

About 6pm I was on on board and after speaking to the gangway watch, I went to the bridge to watch one of the adjecent cruse ships leave.

 

The cruise ship cleared the pier and headed away when I looked down from the bridge wing to see a lady with a shopping bags in either hand running down the pier. She got adjacent to 'my' ship, stopped, dropped the bags & stared at the empty pier the cruise ship had just left.

 

I called down, "Is there a problem?"

 

"My kids and husband are on that boat." It was now just a few hundred yards away from the pier.

 

"Stay there."

 

I picked up the bridge to bridge radio, "I have one of your pasengers."

 

They couldn't come back to pick her up, but.....

 

I rounded up a boat crew and launched our fast resuce boat. The cruise ship lowered the same ladder they use for the pilot and the wayward shopper and mother was rejoined with her family.

 

Somewhere there's a lady with a very special cruise story....my guys felt it was a great change to a boring duty day!

[mrg0433]

What a nice guy. Wonder how you liked the NCL Spirit. We are taking the NY to Southern Caribbean Cruise for Thanksgiving 2006.

 

Mary

Plymouth, MA

[Happy ks]

From time to time you will read a story here on CC about missing a ship.

 

Funny thing is, they always blame everyone but themselves for it.

 

It's usually something like they didn't set their watch time to the ship's time, or they were on an excursion that didn't get back in time, or there was car trouble, or they have been drinking far too much. Whatever the reason, it is a very expensive mistake to make and sometimes all the people have with them are bathing suits and a pair of shorts.

 

It's always best to return to the ship an hour before sail-away time, check your watch with the officers when disembarking and don't take a long excursion too far from the ship, unless it is a ships' excursion.

[love2cruiz]

On the cruise we were just on RCCL Explorer July 17 -24 there were four people that missed the boat. They did get on (not sure if they used the rescue boat or what?)

I just can't believe people STILL Miss it? When they say "Be back onboard by 4:30 ship is leaving by 5" why would you risk it?

[creek42]

Go to Cozumel, you can watch them miss the ship! I have seen first hand, young adults at Carlos and Charlies, not make it back! there are sometimes more than 5 cruise ships there at the same time, and leave at different times. My first cruise 1997 I saw 4 that did not make it back, I also saw a young girl that could not walk and did not know where she was, having kids her age I was very concerned and tried to find someone who knew her. As for the private shore excursions, that is their support, they can not afford bad publicity, and usually make sure you are back in time to shop, even dropping you off at the shopping areas. that allows time for possible vehicle problems.

[jetskier]

When we were going through the locks on the USS Frederick in Inchon, Korea in Jan '82, there were two U.S. Navy sailors who missed getting on their ship which had already proceeded through the locks first. We picked them up and promptly escorted them straight to the brig for missing their ship. They were able to rejoin their ship once we got back to Okinawa, Japan.

Dave

[Bigoldhag]

Last January on the Legend we had a cabin on the back of the ship. We were back to our room long before the cut off time so we were sitting out on the balcony watching people return to the ship from their excursions (I can't remember which port it was). Anyway, as the ship pulled away from the pier here came a man in swimming trunks and a tank top running down the pier screaming and yelling. Finally when he realized that they weren't going to go back for him he is standing there shaking his fist and still screaming. I know it isn't funny and I worried about how he fared for the rest of the cruise but at the same time I have to admit that it was kind of comical. I have a picture of him standing at the end of the pier shaking his fist at this big ship.

[VACruzin]

When we were on our cruise we diverted from the Grand Caymans and Cozumel to Nassau Bahamas due to Hurricane Dennis. In Nassau, my 20 year old daughter wanted to get her hair braided. It was 2:00 and the lady said it would not take more than 1 hour. Since our "all aboard" was 3:30 I thought it was safe to leave her on shore and return to the ship with my 16 year old. Don't ever split up!!!!! Long story short - at 3:50 I was calling Guest Relations and they told me my daughter was not on the ship. They can tell by pulling up your cabin number. Anyway, I asked if I could leave the ship to go find her and then fly back to the US (It was our last port) and I was told I would not be allowed to leave the ship under any circumstances. So I faced the awful dilemma of leaving my 20 year old in a foreign country. Luckily, with 5 minutes to spare she boarded the ship and it was all a moot point. A gentleman boarded right after her and the ship left 2 people in the port. Moral of the story: Don't separate from your party because if you are on the ship - they won't let you off to be with them.

[ShamrockFL]

Now we're cookin'!! but isn't it interesting that no one who has actually missed a ship has posted!! Too embarrassed? But we don't know who you are anyhow - so why not.

 

Vacruzin - glad it worked out for you - some scary moments and good advice.

Jetskier - you sure have a long memory - but then I guess if you were in Korea in the service, you don't forget these things.