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

[Host Jacquelyn]

Thanks DC, yes, I'm at work and posted this reply during lunch. I'll post the rest in a few hours so that you are not all left hanging.

 

Quickly: You are not being punked. A group of us headed to Atlantis on our own. My wife and two boys, 22 and 16 y.o. My friend and his 12 y.o. daughter. Once we arrived at Atlantis, my wife, my 22 yo and myself decided that we would chill at the beach, while my 16 yo would go in the water park. Hence, that's where it all began.

Why did my friend not come back? He said he didn't see us, I find that hard to believe.

Yes, I did have 3 backpacks, with their sail and signs. They headed to the ship and were able to get on. If I would've told my son to be there at 330, he would've. I never relayed that to him.

Why didn't my wife call me? She, my sons, my other 10 or so friends on the ship did. When I'd answer, the phone would disconnect. When I'd call back, it would not go thru. Which now reminds me: As your PRE cruise planning, FIND OUT HOW TO DIAL OUTSIDE OF THE U.S.A. WITHIN THAT COUNTRY!

Why did I wait? Idk, parent instinct. I couldn't leave w/o my child, period! All the 'what ifs' start going thru your mind.

 

I'll post more shortly.

 

My heart really goes out to you, you did what any parent would do.

 

Using your experience as a "Lessons Learned", here is what I would suggest to anyone splitting up on an island -

 

1. Arrange a designated meeting time and location at the beach / landmark / museum / etc.

 

2. Agree that after waiting 15 minutes, if any one has not arrived, everyone will make their way to the ship

 

3. Once you check into the ship, Guest Relations should be able to tell you if the others in your party already checked in (I don't think that is confidential info). I suppose you could also wait along side the gangway for the rest of your party to arrive.

 

Of course, I would never have thought this neccessary prior to reading your account. Maybe your misfortune will prevent this from happening to others.

Edited October 24, 2014 by Host Jacquelyn

[SeaHunt]

Klfhngr sorry about your wild time in Nassau. I've seen a lot of pier runners turned away from departing ships over the years and felt so bad for them.

 

I think your advice about having some money and a credit card with you is spot on. I imagine there are many people who don't have enough funds to cover them in case of disaster.

 

Another sad scenario is witnessing crew members missing their ship :o

 

I've seen it happen twice. Years ago in St. Maarten (back when everyone tendered in), some crew members missed the all crew aboard time/last tender to their ship, and were told sorry, we're not sending another tender to get you, you're on your own. That could have been a little tough love by the Captain to teach them a lesson, but they were in hysterics about what was going to happen to them. My husband & I went back to our own ship and so never knew how it ended, but the crew guys on our ship said that they would probably have been fired immediately and would have to return to their country on their own $$$.

 

And then another time off Ocho Rios we were sailing away when the ship slowed. We looked out at a tiny boat approaching (not the pilot) - it pulled up alongside, and a rope ladder was thrown over. A uniformed crew member (waiter? room steward?) was down in the tiny boat bobbing around and they were "encouraging" (cursing) him to climb the d'd rope. He could not do it, so another crew guy had to go down half way and try to get him up. They were NOT happy with him.

[alfaeric]

What did I have in my belongings? Wallet, old pp, birth certificate and MONEY!

 

One clarifying question- so when you left the ship- you had your wallet, old passport, birth cert, and money?

 

(the reason I ask is we never travel with the birth cert, nor the old PP. But I but I should have good copies of the important pages in our PP to carry them)

 

Again, thank you for teaching us.

[alfaeric]

My heart really goes out to you, you did what any parent would do.

 

Using your experience as a "Lessons Learned", here is what I would suggest to anyone splitting up on an island -

 

1. Arrange a designated meeting time and location at the beach / landmark / museum / etc.

 

2. Agree that after waiting 15 minutes, if any one has not arrived, everyone will make their way to the ship

 

3. Once you check into the ship, Guest Relations should be able to tell you if the others in your party already checked in (I don't think that is confidential info). I suppose you could also wait along side the gangway for the rest of your party to arrive.

 

Of course, I would never have thought this neccessary prior to reading your account. Maybe your misfortune will prevent this from happening to others.

 

In the end, perhaps you should construct a sticky- situation and what happened, and perhaps ways to avoid that for others. Good stuff.

[niksmom630]

OP, thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with this community. I hope you were able to enjoy the rest of your vacation despite this horrible experience smack dab in the middle!

 

I'm sure many of us will learn a thing or two we may have never considered in the past, thanks to your reporting!:D

[Paulette3028]

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.

 

He is totally correct....the passengers left him, because they did not follow directions. Captain Johnny only left a few minutes early because he KNEW everyone was back on board. That is the way it should be.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

My heart really goes out to you, you did what any parent would do.

 

Using your experience as a "Lessons Learned", here is what I would suggest to anyone splitting up on an island -

 

1. Arrange a designated meeting time and location at the beach / landmark / museum / etc.

 

2. Agree that after waiting 15 minutes, if any one has not arrived, everyone will make their way to the ship

 

3. Once you check into the ship, Guest Relations should be able to tell you if the others in your party already checked in (I don't think that is confidential info). I suppose you could also wait along side the gangway for the rest of your party to arrive.

 

Of course, I would never have thought this neccessary prior to reading your account. Maybe your misfortune will prevent this from happening to others.

Regarding #2... would you have left your teenage son? I'm guessing if his son would have been with him, he would have gone back on the ship leaving his friend to fend for himself. The fact his younger son was with the friend is what delayed him (and I can't blame him).

[TripleU]

I've been thinking a lot about what I would have done in your situation. I'm most definitely not being critical of your decisions as I wasn't there and there's no telling what I really would have done. That being said, I think the best move would have been to go back to ship to see if he was already onboard. If he wasn't, then maybe you could get your passport, money, etc. off the ship and wait for him and let the ship leave without you knowing for sure that he wasn't on board. Just something to think about if you (or anyone else reading this) is ever in that situation. I wonder if the ship would let you sit on the dock and just watch it sail away if a family member was missing.....

 

I'm on pins and needles waiting for the rest of the story!

 

When we were on Jewel many years ago, a family was left behind in Colombia. They ended up getting back on board in Costa Rica (which was 2 ports later), but I never heard how they got back. I can't even imagine being stranded in Colombia without a passport or money!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Edited October 24, 2014 by TripleU

[springaussie]

Klfhngr, yeah by 3:30 all of us had moved to the bar on the other side of the ship, the Sky Bar, because the sun was just too much. Sorry we never got to meet!! Can't wait to hear the rest of your story.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I thought Allure departed Nassau 1400.

Why the 1600 departure?

[Ocean Boy]

I thought Allure departed Nassau 1400.

Why the 1600 departure?

 

I was wondering why the late departure also. When we sailed this past February the ship was late leaving just about every port because the computer was screwed up and they had no idea who was, and was not, back on the ship. We didn't leave Nassau until after 5 PM.

[skillet]

We were diverted due to a hurricane. We stayed a couple of hours later in Nassau and then went to Falmouth and Cozumel, instead of St Thomas and St Martin.

 

 

Let The Party Begin

[Vitality08]

I thought for sure after a 7 page thread I'd have the full story.:rolleyes:

 

Anyway, I fell like on many cruises I've been on I've heard pages for people near sail time that I assumed were people either lost or possibly hadn't made it to the ship.

 

I wonder if OP's wife would have explained the situation to Guest Services if they could have assisted in letting him know that son was safely on board.

[caymancouple]

ok, got to post so I will receive email updates to story.....

[jbond]

.... I want to keep my job so that I can pay for all of the incidentals incurred!

Did you have travel insurance?

[excited1stcruise]

Wow I am so sorry you had to go through this awful ordeal! I do not blame you as you were worried about your son.

[springaussie]

We were diverted due to a hurricane. We stayed a couple of hours later in Nassau and then went to Falmouth and Cozumel, instead of St Thomas and St Martin.

 

 

Let The Party Begin

 

Thanks

That explains the reason.

[Lynnees]

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!

 

I was on that one with you. If I remember correctly, they met the pilot boat as they were going back for her and she boarded still in her wet suit.

[Mouse's Shadow]

Subscribing.

[time4u2go]

Subscribing.

 

FYI (not just you but others that post just to subscribe to a thread), if you go to the top of any page of a thread you wish to subscribe to, and select "Thread Tools", there is then a selection "Subscribe to this Thread" that accomplishes the same thing with slightly less effort.:)

[phabric]

I am waiting to find out what happened to you.

 

This will help others.

[Mouse's Shadow]

FYI (not just you but others that post just to subscribe to a thread), if you go to the top of any page of a thread you wish to subscribe to, and select "Thread Tools", there is then a selection "Subscribe to this Thread" that accomplishes the same thing with slightly less effort.:)

 

Thanks.

[cruzincurt]

On the Freedom two weeks ago, they only listed the time to be back on board. Never listed the actual sailing time.

 

So you watched your passport sail away locked in the safe. What happened to the Urban legend that they race to your cabin and deliver your passport to the pier?

[time4u2go]

On the Freedom two weeks ago, they only listed the time to be back on board. Never listed the actual sailing time.

 

So you watched your passport sail away locked in the safe. What happened to the Urban legend that they race to your cabin and deliver your passport to the pier?

 

Look again. They didn't have a passport.

[GalCruzer]

Which now reminds me: As your PRE cruise planning, FIND OUT HOW TO DIAL OUTSIDE OF THE U.S.A. WITHIN THAT COUNTRY!

Why did I wait? Idk, parent instinct. I couldn't leave w/o my child, period! All the 'what ifs' start going thru your mind.

 

I'll post more shortly.

 

So how was the phone bill? And good point in knowing how to dial outside the U.S.A.

[cruzincurt]

Look again. They didn't have a passport.

Let me rephrase the question. Why not?