Ship Time

[timbopat]

Trying to confirm what time Carnival uses on the ship, Would it be local time from when it leaves Fort Lauderdale or local time when it arrives in Aruba. The itinerary indicates we arrive 8am in Aruba, We are looking at an excursion that starts 9am Aruba time and if the ship uses local Fort Lauderdale time we would not be able to make the 9am Aruba time start as they do not change their clocks. Thank you

[vwrestler171]

The port the ships leaves from generally. Occasionally the ship will change times, but you won't know until they tell you to change times.

[SteelerCruiser]

most of the time it will be local time to the homeport. Just be sure you do confirm once onboard.

[k2excursion]

Most likely, it will stay on Ft Lauderdale time the whole cruise, if it is a roundtrip cruise. The only times I have had them change times on a Carnival cruise is when we sailed during the daylight savings switch (which meant the home port changed times) & for a repositioning cruise (starting & ending in different time zones). I have had 2 hour time differences in port before. On one cruise, all 4 ports were an hour or 2 hours earlier than ship time.

[summersigh]

All of the reputable tour companies know what time ship time is in planning the start time of their tours and adjust accordingly. Remember, if they leave you behind they don't make $$. :D

 

For your peace of mind - email the tour company with your problem. You'll feel more secure when you get their reply ;) If it's a ship excursion - contact CCL's excursion department.

Edited October 28, 2015 by summersigh

[hirent]

Aruba is on Atlantic Standard Time which is the same as EST right now.

Until Nov. 1st, Aruba will have the same time as FLL.

On Nov. 1st, at 2:00 a.m., DST ends and FLL will be 1 hour behind Aruba. Aruba (& most of the Caribbean) does not implement DST.

If your cruise is before Nov. 1st, you have nothing to worry about.

 

Also, as pointed out above, a tour operator is not going to mess this up.

It is their business to know ship arrival times and plan accordingly.

Edited October 28, 2015 by hirent

[k2excursion]

Also, as pointed out above, a tour operator is not going to mess this up.

It is their business to know ship arrival times and plan accordingly.

 

All of the reputable tour companies know what time ship time is in planning the start time of their tours and adjust accordingly. Remember, if they leave you behind they don't make $$. :D

 

There are many very reputable tour companies that will not adjust to each ship's ship time. Most will, but not all. I have read many reports of people showing up an hour early or even an hour late, because the tour company used island time. Many reasons why they might do this. Maybe too many ships to adjust to everyone. Maybe they cater to fly-in visitors as much or more than cruise visitors. Just because a company is reputable, it would be foolish to just assume that they will adjust the time for you. You should check just to make sure. I have had a couple independent excursions that do not adjust the time for us, but we knew ahead of time. It's very good that we didn't assume.

[gtaylor]

There are many very reputable tour companies that will not adjust to each ship's ship time. Most will, but not all. I have read many reports of people showing up an hour early or even an hour late, because the tour company used island time. Many reasons why they might do this. Maybe too many ships to adjust to everyone. Maybe they cater to fly-in visitors as much or more than cruise visitors. Just because a company is reputable, it would be foolish to just assume that they will adjust the time for you. You should check just to make sure. I have had a couple independent excursions that do not adjust the time for us, but we knew ahead of time. It's very good that we didn't assume.

Could you helpfully identify these companies?

 

gary

[k2excursion]

Could you helpfully identify these companies?

 

gary

 

I have only been on 15 cruises. There is no possible way that I could know every single tour company & which ones adjust to ship times & which ones don't. I'm sorry that I could not be of more help. I always read the threads of this nature, and on many of them, people come in with reports of tours they took or that someone they know took that didn't adjust to ship times. Some of them may be smaller companies, but it doesn't mean that they're trash. Some of them are ones that have good reputations. I did not bother to make note of what they are, and I won't take notes on the ones I find in the future. Way too much work to bother with. It's much better advice to simply recommend that people check with their tour operators, as opposed to just ASSUMING that they will adjust for you.

 

If you want my examples, I can help you there. Bernards in St Maarten, which has a magnificent reputation, has 2 tours that leave at 9:00am. 9:00 am. That's what the website says. That port has many many ships, of varying ship times, every single day. They might personally adjust this time in the confirmation for you, but maybe not. Even if they adjust for what they think yours will be, if your ship then decides to change times on the cruise, then their adjustment is wrong. 9:00 means 9:00 their time. It's so much easier just to know what the difference is and meet there at 9:00 their time. Some tour companies in Grand Cayman don't make adjustments. They also get tons of ships. Chankanaab Park (Dolphin Discover) in Cozumel has several different programs, including very popular dolphin swims. When you book that program, it's based on Cozumel time, not your ships time. Some beach clubs open at a certain time, and that time is their time. They will not adjust when they open to match your ships time. It doesn't make them a bad beach club to do that.

 

To sum up all of what I said, don't ASSUME.

Edited October 29, 2015 by k2excursion