Time Question

[DH30]

We will be on the Carnival Magic on Dec 6. Our itinerary shows that we will be in Grand Caymen from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. We have an excursion which starts at 11:00 am eastern standard time). Will the ship time be the same as eastern standard time?

[crewsweeper]

No the Magic is still out of Galveston and will be on Central Standard time.

You will be in GC from 10A-6PM Eastern. So your private excursion will begin at 10A ship time.

[JAGR]

Crewsweeper is slightly (a lot) mistaken. Cayman Islands are Eastern The ship time will usually change to local time in the Caribbean. If so, you are coming in at 9:00 Eastern and leaving at 5:00, so you are fine. Even if you are on Central time, it is an hour earlier, not later than Eastern. Worst case scenario, you are in at 9:00 Central which is 10:00 Eastern, leaving you an hour to make your excursion.

[mamajules]

I am sorry JAGR, but I have yet to be on a Carnival cruise where they changed the time to reflect what time zone the islands are in. They have always stayed on whatever time you sail under. We sailed out of New Orleans on the Dream the end of October (CST), and the ship NEVER changed times. Our guide in Jamaica asked us what our ship's time was in order to keep us on schedule. So keep a watch set to ship's time. There are clocks above guest services, and i believe above the gangway area where you debark. Don't worry, private excursion companies know the times your ship is in port. If the excursion company is telling you 11:00 EST, then crewsweeper is right, 10:00 ship's time. You can always contact the tour provider to verify this.

[crewsweeper]

But Jagr, a lot of cruise lines do shift to local time. Unfortunately , not Carnival.

[JAGR]

I am sorry JAGR, but I have yet to be on a Carnival cruise where they changed the time to reflect what time zone the islands are in. They have always stayed on whatever time you sail under. We sailed out of New Orleans on the Dream the end of October (CST), and the ship NEVER changed times. Our guide in Jamaica asked us what our ship's time was in order to keep us on schedule. So keep a watch set to ship's time. There are clocks above guest services, and i believe above the gangway area where you debark. Don't worry, private excursion companies know the times your ship is in port. If the excursion company is telling you 11:00 EST, then crewsweeper is right, 10:00 ship's time. You can always contact the tour provider to verify this.

 

Carnival may not change much, but they have. It changed out of San Juan (maybe due to early DST adjustment, admittedly) two years ago. At any rate. OP said ship was due in port (technically in harbor there) at 9:00. He had an excursion at 11:00 Eastern and asked if the asked if ship's time was on Eastern. My original statement stands. If debark starts at 9:00 it's likely Eastern. That is 8:00 Central. Yes, the 11:00 Eastern excursion time is 10:00 Central. I just didn't want OP to be artificially panic-stricken. And you are right about the key item. The tour operators are knowledgeable and won't miss a fare!

[crewsweeper]

OP said ship was due in port (technically in harbor there) at 9:00. He had an excursion at 11:00 Eastern and asked if the asked if ship's time was on Eastern. My original statement stands. If debark starts at 9:00 it's likely Eastern. That is 8:00 Central. Yes, the 11:00 Eastern excursion time is 10:00 Central. And you are right about the key item. The tour operators are knowledgeable and won't miss a fare!

 

If the ship stays on Central Standard Time then listed arrival and departure times are on Central Standard Time not port time. Debark would then be at 10AM Eastern. But that's an hour for the OP to get to the vendor, who would most likely be meeting them at the port. There's no need for any cruiser to panic over excursion start times, because, as has been stated, tour operators know better than passengers when a ship is arriving, delayed or cancelling port. And they can always reach out to the vendor to ask which time zone the excursion time is in.

[evandbob]

I cruised the Magic twice in Oct and Nov. The ship stayed on Central Time throughout the entire cruise.

 

As stated above, local operators know the ship's schedule. Make sure you know where to meet the tour and go there directly as you leave the ship.

 

There will be signs as you leave the ship stating time you must return to the ship, usually 1/2 hour before it is set to sail away. The tour operators are also well aware of these times and usually have you back at the port with extra time to shop or browse around.

[sternfanla]

when I cruised Carnival from Long Beach to Hawaii last December the ship changed time during the cruise to reflect local time.

I believe it had 2 time changes going there and 2 changes coming back.

Edited November 24, 2015 by sternfanla

[DH30]

Thanks for the responses. Sounds like I need to check with the ship personnel to verify the time zone that the debarkation time is in. Either way, I have plenty of time. If I get off the ship at 9:00 local time or 10:00 local time, I have plenty of time. The meet location is close to where the tenders drop passengers, so no worries there.

 

The company running the excursion told me that it was my responsibility to make sure I was at the meet location prior to 11:00 local time. They said they would not wait. Like I said, I am not worried. I have plenty of time.

Edited November 24, 2015 by DH30

[kerryincork]

I was on a Carnival cruise in October and ship never changed the time. I was on an excursion at 8 am ship time. the tour guide mentioned that it was 6am local time and she had to get up at 4.30am to meet ship.

[Miller_KC]

I have only seen the ship board time change twice. Once in October the Dream Journeys cruise changed to the Central time zone after leaving from San Juan. It changed to the San Juan time zone (Not its real name) on the previous leg of the Journeys cruise.

 

The other was on the Splendor out of Long Beach changed to the central time zone for Puerto Vallarta. Maybe Carnival changes if they get two time zones away from home port.