What happens if the ship misses a port?

[fankhauser24]

Hi there,

 

I'm on the Carnival Spirit departing next week and I was just curious as to what happens if the ship misses a port due to rough weather? For example, if the seas are too rough for the ship to safely anchor at the Isle of Pines, does that mean we sail straight to the next port? And if that is the case, wouldn't that then mean a shorter cruise?

 

Cheers

:)

[nexus42]

Usually they'll just slow the ship down to make up for the extra time. Or, they may stay overnight/an extra day at one of the other ports.

[Cruise_me_Crazy]

Hi there,

 

I'm on the Carnival Spirit departing next week and I was just curious as to what happens if the ship misses a port due to rough weather? For example, if the seas are too rough for the ship to safely anchor at the Isle of Pines, does that mean we sail straight to the next port? And if that is the case, wouldn't that then mean a shorter cruise?

 

Cheers

:)

 

I think it means you have longer in other ports! You will not get a shorter cruise :). Worst case you will get another sea day! :D IMO, with I of P, not necessarily a bad thing! Not much on the Isle. Most people on our cruise were fed up and ready to catch the tender back at 11ish in the morning..... :( we were just arriving then ;)).

 

We did a dodgy little bus tour. $25 au p.p. Fantastic. Loved it. Totally got to see the church, caves, prison some beaches and beautiful graves areas as well as local sports fields n schools / villages etc. it was the only one to catch and left about midday. Recommend it! :)

[Cruise_me_Crazy]

Also, welcome to CC. Please post back on your cruise experience! I am. Assuming it is your first one? :) I always enjoy hearing about others' experiences!

[rkmw]

Hi there,

 

I'm on the Carnival Spirit departing next week and I was just curious as to what happens if the ship misses a port due to rough weather? For example, if the seas are too rough for the ship to safely anchor at the Isle of Pines, does that mean we sail straight to the next port? And if that is the case, wouldn't that then mean a shorter cruise?

 

Cheers

:)

 

plenty of times we have missed ports due to the weather and they do slow the ship down so they get to the next port on time, they normally dont stop overnight in a port if they dont have to

[dancinman66]

In short you don't get off and if they can get to the next one early

Depends on the reason for missing a port

 

 

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[icat2000]

I'm on the same cruise. If it misses a port, they just slow down and float around for awhile.

[Mum81]

It can change altogether. Our last cruise with Carnival was supposed to be a South Pacific cruise, but due to weather ended up being a Fiji cruise. Some (like us) were happy as we had never been to Fiji, others that had been to Fiji many times and never been to the South Pacific were very upset. One poor couple had their wedding planned in Port Vila and their family had flown there etc, etc. Our only inconvenience was that we had booked and paid for a private car in Port Vila (which we couldn't recoup) and we had changed money that we then couldn't use and had to change back when we got home. In my opinion a cruise with beautiful weather (which we got) is better than any cruise with horrible weather (which we would have had).

[Cruise_me_Crazy]

It can change altogether. Our last cruise with Carnival was supposed to be a South Pacific cruise, but due to weather ended up being a Fiji cruise. Some (like us) were happy as we had never been to Fiji, others that had been to Fiji many times and never been to the South Pacific were very upset. One poor couple had their wedding planned in Port Vila and their family had flown there etc, etc. Our only inconvenience was that we had booked and paid for a private car in Port Vila (which we couldn't recoup) and we had changed money that we then couldn't use and had to change back when we got home. In my opinion a cruise with beautiful weather (which we got) is better than any cruise with horrible weather (which we would have had).

 

Great way to think about it :) makes our complete lack of prior planning (due to disorganisation & procrastination) seem well justified when you raise issues like that!!!:D

[fankhauser24]

Thanks for all the replies! Okay, now it makes sense - I was worried that we might be ripped off a whole day!:eek:

 

 

"We did a dodgy little bus tour. $25 au p.p. Fantastic. Loved it. Totally got to see the church, caves, prison some beaches and beautiful graves areas as well as local sports fields n schools / villages etc. it was the only one to catch and left about midday. Recommend it!"

 

 

Awesome Cruise_me_Crazy!! This is EXACTLY what I want to do!! And you have guessed correctly - it is my first one (well I went on one 22 years ago but that's so long ago, it doesn't count!)

 

iCat2000 - I believe we are on the same cruise. I'm sure we will cross paths at some point, probably the meet & greet.

 

Fingers crossed that we have calm seas and are able to get to all the ports!

[rkmw]

Thanks for all the replies! Okay, now it makes sense - I was worried that we might be ripped off a whole day!:eek:

 

 

"We did a dodgy little bus tour. $25 au p.p. Fantastic. Loved it. Totally got to see the church, caves, prison some beaches and beautiful graves areas as well as local sports fields n schools / villages etc. it was the only one to catch and left about midday. Recommend it!"

 

 

Awesome Cruise_me_Crazy!! This is EXACTLY what I want to do!! And you have guessed correctly - it is my first one (well I went on one 22 years ago but that's so long ago, it doesn't count!)

 

iCat2000 - I believe we are on the same cruise. I'm sure we will cross paths at some point, probably the meet & greet.

 

Fingers crossed that we have calm seas and are able to get to all the ports!

 

you should enjoy yourself but if you book a ships tour and you dont get into the port for any reason you will not be ripped off, you will get your money back....if you book a private tour and pay for it upfront and dont get to the port you could lose your money then, just like what happened to Mum81

 

remember once you leave Sydney nothing is guaranteed with the ports as they can change the ports to suit themselves

[OzKiwiJJ]

Our thoughts on booking our upcoming first cruise were that we want to cruise, the ports are secondary, which is why we chose a South Pacific cruise over a NZ cruise - more sea days.

 

We've both been to Fiji before, and I've been to Noumea, so it wouldn't bother us if the itinerary was changed. I might feel differently if it was a Mediterranean cruise though.

 

However my feelings are that if you want to really see a place, it's better to travel there separately from a cruise, or perhaps just prior to or after a cruise, just in case the itinerary is changed. It's just too hard to get a feel for a city or region from just a few hours.

 

We've done a few luxury rail trips, essentially rail "cruising", and a Rhine cruise, so have had experience of excursions similar to those provided by the cruise lines. Those excursions just whet the appetite.

[BuzzBuzzen]

In my case, I am not worried if ports are missed due to circumstances , I am on a ship without a worry in the world, oblivious to location. Now if the beer ran out, OMG , where is the plank for the Beverage Manager :)

[icat2000]

remember once you leave Sydney nothing is guaranteed with the ports as they can change the ports to suit themselves

 

Guaranteed I won't be a work for the next nine days :D

[Cruise_me_Crazy]

Thanks for all the replies! Okay, now it makes sense - I was worried that we might be ripped off a whole day!:eek:

 

 

"We did a dodgy little bus tour. $25 au p.p. Fantastic. Loved it. Totally got to see the church, caves, prison some beaches and beautiful graves areas as well as local sports fields n schools / villages etc. it was the only one to catch and left about midday. Recommend it!"

 

 

Awesome Cruise_me_Crazy!! This is EXACTLY what I want to do!! And you have guessed correctly - it is my first one (well I went on one 22 years ago but that's so long ago, it doesn't count!)

 

iCat2000 - I believe we are on the same cruise. I'm sure we will cross paths at some point, probably the meet & greet.

 

Fingers crossed that we have calm seas and are able to get to all the ports!

 

Lovely to hear back from you :)

The tour was 4 hours approx. just a walk up deal! No pre bookings. Classic 3rd world operator. But quaint. We loved it. Some of our best photos were from I of P, but I know other travellers didn't think highly of the place. The tour had a big cardboard sheet with photos stuck to it touting the stops!! That was their banner!!

 

Basically u arrive via tender (ours was pretty rough - peeps banging heads on stuff due to the rolling swell, sea sickness n some sea dogs realising they were not as salty as they thought they were ;)) step onto a pontoon / jetty with a big grassed area full of markets. They all accepted au $. No bargains n crapola you'd expect from our dollar shops:(. I was looking, keen as to get something but just couldn't find anything that I wanted for a reasonable price.

 

We knew there was a prison ruin to see but it was a hike as was the church. Neither were spectacular, and had we marched about in the hot sun would have been less than impressed for our efforts.

The caves and pretty beach area w graves of 1st European settlers were much better and very photogenic.

 

We figured $50 to toddle about was worth the money! Only a few cabs on the island & no real private tours. I'd suggest the bus we were on was moonlighting / fundraising and a school bus in it's normal form. :)

Edited August 15, 2014 by Cruise_me_Crazy

[Cruise_me_Crazy]

Our thoughts on booking our upcoming first cruise were that we want to cruise, the ports are secondary, which is why we chose a South Pacific cruise over a NZ cruise - more sea days.

 

We've both been to Fiji before, and I've been to Noumea, so it wouldn't bother us if the itinerary was changed. I might feel differently if it was a Mediterranean cruise though.

 

However my feelings are that if you want to really see a place, it's better to travel there separately from a cruise, or perhaps just prior to or after a cruise, just in case the itinerary is changed. It's just too hard to get a feel for a city or region from just a few hours.

 

We've done a few luxury rail trips, essentially rail "cruising", and a Rhine cruise, so have had experience of excursions similar to those provided by the cruise lines. Those excursions just whet the appetite.

 

Apart from getting spray tan advise :p would love to hear more about your Rhine cruise!! Which means btw, YOU HAVE cruised before!! OMG you are "qualified" to discuss spray tanning n rub in fake tans :eek: ;) !!!!

Seriously though, a European river cruise us on our bucket list!:)

[The_Big_M]

Depends when they find out as to whether they can reschedule another port, but usually it's just a sea day if weather is the cause.

 

Sometimes you'll get a small credit for missing the port, but again for weather there's usually no compensation.

[Dizziedi]

It can change altogether. Our last cruise with Carnival was supposed to be a South Pacific cruise, but due to weather ended up being a Fiji cruise. Some (like us) were happy as we had never been to Fiji, others that had been to Fiji many times and never been to the South Pacific were very upset. One poor couple had their wedding planned in Port Vila and their family had flown there etc, etc. Our only inconvenience was that we had booked and paid for a private car in Port Vila (which we couldn't recoup) and we had changed money that we then couldn't use and had to change back when we got home. In my opinion a cruise with beautiful weather (which we got) is better than any cruise with horrible weather (which we would have had).

 

We had a cruise like that on the Pearl. A couple were to get married in Fiji - whole family had flown there, except for her parents - they were on the cruise:eek: The Captain was terrific. As we had missed two Ports, he worked hard with P&O and they took us to Savu Savu, a Port we hadn't been to before and would love to go back to - if they would just put it on a regular itinerary. We also ended up at the same resort as the Happy Couple. There they were, the bride and groom and the in-laws:) -

 

Cheers

Di

[Kiwi Kruzer]

The ships Captain , on behalf of the cruise line , will do everything possible NOT to miss a port, subject of course to passenger safety and security.

Those ports , especially if docking is concerned would have been booked several years ago , and the port will have things in place to facilitate the ship. As well as tugs etc , there will be local documentation to attend to with the Officials....Health status of ship and passengers, Immigration Customs etc, etc. We as passengers may not see all this going on, but it happens at each and every port and we cannot go ashore until a ship gets its clearance.

Also a hefty non refundable deposit must be paid by the cruise line in order to secure a booking , so yet another reason they are not keen on missing a port.

 

[bearette]

We did a canary island land cruise where Lazorte (spelling?) Was our stop. The two cruises prior couldn't port due to wind so the evening before we were notified that we would port somewhere else-Tenerife also in the Canary islands. Subsequent cruises had the ports changed on their itinerary. They had three tours listed available with very brief information on a one page list. I had assumed the port would be cancelled so the change was a nice surprise though the tour time was very short, I think 8am-2pm.

 

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[Cruise_me_Crazy]

We did a canary island land cruise where Lazorte (spelling?) Was our stop. The two cruises prior couldn't port due to wind so the evening before we were notified that we would port somewhere else-Tenerife also in the Canary islands. Subsequent cruises had the ports changed on their itinerary. They had three tours listed available with very brief information on a one page list. I had assumed the port would be cancelled so the change was a nice surprise though the tour time was very short, I think 8am-2pm.

 

Sent from my KFTHWI using Forums mobile app

 

We have a stop in Teneriffe. Any advise? It is our last before the 6 sea days so do not want anything too adventurous! :)

[Vader1111]

I've had several cruises where the itinerary has changed.

 

If the change is caused by a problem with the ship, then they usually give out on board credit to compensate passengers for the inconvenience.

 

They don't do that if the port is cancelled due to the weather (or anything else outside the ship's control).

 

What they do depends on several factors, including the weather, distance to the next port and whether the berth is available.

 

I was on the Pacific Pearl last month when strong winds prevented us from visiting Wala. The Captain made top speed for Vila, getting us there around 4pm for an unplanned night tied up alongside.

[Wastegirl]

You can be back in Sydney one day early, it happened to us. We were in the South Pacific in March 2013 when cyclones came in from all directions, pretty well cutting us off from any other viable port and we needed to head back to Sydney quickly. Going full speed with a cyclone at your back was interesting to say the least. Our weather was lovely and it was relatively calm but you could see the storm clouds in the distance.

 

The Captain, couldn't really hang around outside Sydney Harbour either because there was a cyclone coming down from Brisbane so as we got to Australia it started getting a bit rougher.

 

Fortunately though there was a free berth in Sydney Harbour and we got in a day early and everyone stayed on board and overnighted in Sydney, it was really magical being up on the Lido deck with the lights sparkling.

 

However we had a lot of overseas tourists on board that had travelled a long way to see the South Pacific and they practically mutinied. It certainly brought home to me that if you really really want to see a place it is better to plan a land trip.

 

Second trip to the South Pacific a year later at a similar time of year, perfect weather and saw all ports.

[Tomo72]

I remember missing Amedee Island three times on cruises in the 80's.

 

Still havent made it there.

[fankhauser24]

Thanks for everyone's responses - makes for very interesting reading!

 

Tomo72 - it's funny that you mention Amedee Island because I plan to book that shore tour! I will let you know what it's like - if I make it!;)

 

I plan to take at least 2,000 photos of absolutely everything: the Rocks in Sydney, the ship, the islands, the cocktails, the sunsets ...

 

Can't wait!!:)