I missed the ship last week! Allure, at first port... what to expect...

[retiredgram]

Can't wait to hear the rest of the nightmare.

[mulan1123]

I would be pissed at my friend if he did that to me! Please write the rest of the story....

[SnappyNappi]

Following along now. I have to echo the thoughts of others also subscribed... this is every cruisers nightmare, I think.

 

While it might be easy to say, I would have done this or that... point is, as a parent, your only instinct is the protection and well-being of your children. I would never have left until the last possible second without my child and I certainly would not have been on board without any one of them present and accounted for. For me, I think the fear of not knowing if my child was on board sailing away would have been much greater than my own fear of being 'stranded'. Mix of emotions and reasons for that numb feeling, for sure.

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

Ooh I gotta remember this! Thanks!

 

I take of picture of the info on my phone in every port!

 

***

[Peacemkr59]

Just so you know in case any of you didn't when you board the ship's personnel can easily check to see if someone has returned to the ship. A friend of ours did this in Nassau too. His wife and two girls were safely on board and all he had to do was ask right there as he boarded. I know this case is different because Klfhngr was waiting at Atlantis and no way of knowing until he arrived too late!!

 

 

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[Arizona Cruz Chic]

Hurry with the rest of the story!!!

 

***

[alfaeric]

I can't imagine this, too.

 

When I think of it- stuck in a country w/o a passport and virtually nothing else- I picture me shaking with fear. Or at least my mind going so fast with what to do, that I would appear to be shaking.

 

that would freak me out.

 

And OP- I thank you, too, for letting us learn from your experience.

[Host Jacquelyn]

Otherwise, once the captain lets go of the lines and hits the pods / thrusters, and the ship begins to move from the pier, they are not coming back; no different than an airplane leaving the gate.

 

Years ago, on Grandeur, we turned back to Curacao to pick a woman who missed the ship. Her daughter was alone in Adventure Ocean. So, there are (rare) circumstances when they will turn back!

[trixiegal]

This makes me never want to be separated from my kids when at a port, not even for an hour or two. We'll all do the same excursion or none at all. I would definitely NOT leave and get on the ship without them. You did the only thing you could do. Be proud of being an awesome and protective dad despite the madness that ensued.

 

Can't wait to read the rest of the story...

 

 

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[OurDogCisco]

Yikes... it is everyone's fear. I'm sorry you missed the ship.

 

I'm anxious to hear what happened next...

[QueenieSara]

I just watched a special on Oasis of the Seas this week where they had waited an extra 40 minutes or so for soe late passengers on their maiden voyage and has to go 22+ knots to be on schedule for the next port which was 2 sea days away. They estimated if they had to keep up this pace they would have tp spend an additional $45,000 in fuel to cover the extended rate of high speeds to make up the time. Froma business standpoint, they can't always wait.

[jeja911]

This is one of my biggest fears every time I get off the ship. So sorry to hear this happened to you!

[Charger2008]

I am so sorry that happened to you and your family :( That is one of my biggest fears too, the ship leaving without us.

 

On the IOS this past March, my husband wanted to get some special hot sauce in San Juan and we were needing to get back to the ship. I told him to go get his hot sauce and I would meet him at the Windjammer since he runs faster than me :) It was down to the minute of when the ship was supposed to leave that he walked into the Windjammer and I was sweating bullets wondering if he would make it. Ends up the ship didn't leave for another hour or so because of mechanical problems, but that knot in your stomach while waiting for someone to get back - YIKES :eek:

[racerxspeedy]

Wow - Sorry to hear this story.

 

Captian Johnny was very clear on the TV when we sailed Allure a few weeks back.

 

His comment : "I don't leave passengers.....they leave me!" hit home enough that we made sure we were back early. He doesn't mess around, we actually pulled out of St. Thomas 10 minutes early.

[SnappyNappi]

This makes me never want to be separated from my kids when at a port, not even for an hour or two. We'll all do the same excursion or none at all. I would definitely NOT leave and get on the ship without them. You did the only thing you could do. Be proud of being an awesome and protective dad despite the madness that ensued.

When we travel as a family, DH and I have always had the rule that everyone does the same thing at each port or that one or the other parent stays with the kids at all times when on land. It may seem a bit overprotective, but you have to remember that even in very tourist friendly ports, you are still in another country (most of the time) and the buddy system is never a bad idea.

 

When we are traveling with the kids, who by the way are 13, 17 and 19 - we always take RCCL excursions or none at all. We actually print out the excursion booklet and everyone looks at them all and we have a family meeting to decide what we are doing in each port.

 

Even with intense planning, separation can happen and there is no way to be absolutely prepared. Waiting for the rest of OP's story - knowing that everyone was okay in the end, makes the suspense bearable.

[barbienj]

Subscribing. I want to hear your adventure...

[kkorman]

While I do not care for Nassau, and feel bad that you missed the ship, there are worse places to be "stuck". I am interested in the remainder of your adventure. Hopefully you made the most out of your trip.

[poncho1973]

Very interesting.

[Kathie13]

Also subscribing! What adventures lie ahead for you. My worst fear is being left behind.

 

 

Kathie

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[JohnGaltny]

Probably one of the most valuable posts on Critic.

 

PLEASE continue soon.

[cruzinlady1947]

So sorry this happened to you. I am cruising next week and this has certainly given me food for thought. Although, I no longer have children to worry about, it is still something to prepare for in case of such a disaster like missing the ship. We always take our real passports off the ship with us, just in case.

 

I have seen the pilot boat take several passengers to the ship, when they were late, and were standing on the dock as the ship pulled away. I am surprised this didn't happen to you, since you were right there, at the time.

 

I can't wait to see how it all panned out. Hopefully it didn't completely ruin your cruise.

 

BTW....you did the right thing. I could have never gotten on that ship, not knowing where my child/children were.

 

 

Gwen :)

[reallyitsmema]

Sorry you missed the ship. I am just wondering, did your wife call you and let you know that everyone had made it back to the ship? You said you had all the bags with clothes and phones so she would have had a way to contact you.

 

Also, when was all aboard scheduled for? On the other thread, the OP thought the ship was leaving at 4pm so all aboard would have been 3:30pm. I also thought I read that the ship waited an hour which would coincide with the 4pm departure. Just trying to put a timeline to this.

[Toddcan]

"Last call for the ship was 4:30". Does this mean sail away was 5:00? I cannot remember how much time between last call and sail away.

 

I am sooo paranoid of having this happen that I would rather be on the ship an hour before needed than to risk being later like this. If I am on a ship excursion (rare), then I don't worry.

 

I think everyone here would have likely done the same thing as the OP - after all - here you are thinking that if you head back, your son might be left behind. Hard to say, but I think I would have headed back earlier than 4:40 - If sail away was 5:00pm that's brutal timing.

[paulekrause]

Following

[RocketMan275]

We have a group of 32 traveling with us next summer. I am going to tell them this information! I have never noticed that on the cruise compasses but probably was never looking for it either! Thanks so much for sharing!

 

If there are some who have not sailed frequently, or at all, you might want to show them some of the youtube videos of people being left at the port. Some just do not believe the ship will leave without them.