NCL Escape 40 pax missed embarkation!

[dcyonce]

Trying to transfer passengers from one small boat to another, and then from the tender to the ship in the open ocean would be extremely dangerous, and no cruise line would do that because of liability issues. Also, the "small boat" would have to be certified to carry the 40 pax, and there would be immigration legalities for both the boat for disembarking the pax at sea, as well as the cruise ship for embarking them at sea in a non-emergency situation. This would only work if the ship was still within the port confines or the offshore anchorage, and a pilot boat or some such would agree to take the pax out to the ship. That would have been within an hour of sailing, and again would have required the boat operator and the cruise line to agree to the liability of transferring people at sea. While I have heard of this in some Caribbean ports, I seriously doubt that it would happen in any US port.

 

 

 

Great response !

 

We have cruised a LOT and have witnessed people arriving back late from a self booked excursion take a small pilot boat out to meet a departing ship.

 

But ... it was always a short distance (no more than a couple miles) and always no luggage. And we have NEVER witnessed someone at the start of a cruise attempt this move. I don’t think Customs or TSA would allow it from a USA port. Caribbean islands seem to be more forgiving of port rules for unhappy tourists.

 

 

 

 

 

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[jackcat16]

Well, it’s not the first or the last time passengers will miss the boat. Bottom line, the ship can’t wait!! It’s the passenger responsibility to be there on time. If things go bad either with weather or a sucky travel agent, then you hope they had insurance to get them to the next port. This could happen to anyone, even going the day ahead like most of us do. It is what it is. I keep my fingers crossed that things go smooth and we get there on time even with my cushion day. You never know what could happen.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Unless cost is outrageous, we always look for direct flights out of SFO and schedule to arrive at least two days prior to embarkation. If there's a connection, we prefer a 3 hr buffer (especially for international) with the stop over at a major hub (for plan B or C).

 

 

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[jackcat16]

Unless cost is outrageous, we always look for direct flights out of SFO and schedule to arrive at least two days prior to embarkation. If there's a connection, we prefer a 3 hr buffer (especially for international) with the stop over at a major hub (for plan B or C).

 

 

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The more buffer the better!!! I agree.

[Ontario cruise duo]

My 2 cents about SunWing.

Booked a land based vacation with them approx. 6 years ago.

Flying from Windsor, Ont. (1/2 hr. drive from home to airport) to Cuba.

Could have booked from Toronto, Ont. (3 1/2 hr. drive from home to airport) at a savings of about $400.

Flight down - great no problems. Flight home - delayed hours at airport in Cuba, problems with plane, only to be flown to Toronto instead of Windsor, arriving 9 hours later, being promised to then board a flight from Toronto to Windsor, then told we would be put up at a hotel to catch a flight home next day, and then FINALLY being bussed to Windsor, arriving at 4:30 in the a.m. next morning) Having to miss extra day at work (had to use an unscheduled vacation day). Since family were to pick us up after original flight - 6 people sharing a taxi home at a cost of $20.00 per couple (no big deal - thinking SunWing would reimburse us this cost). NOT.

Several emails from me directly to SunWing as well as travel agent looking for reimbursement of taxi and extra vacation day off work - - - we got a Certificate entitling us to a future travel credit of $100.00 per person for a trip we could book with them within a year. SURE give them approximately $3,000.00 MORE $$'s of OUR money and we get a $200.00 credit. NO THANK YOU!! Have NOT booked SunWing since and have told everyone our story of our trip.

 

Feeling the pain of the 40 who missed their first day. Since after our first couple of cruises, we ALWAYS fly in a day or 2 early and have started to fly out a day or 2 later rather than sit at an airport. Great way to extend the vacation and rest further before heading home!!!

[Budget Queen]

Sorry, I don’t know 100% how cruising works, but i’m Just saying... technically it should be possible to hook up with a cruise ship on the ocean and transfer PAX.

 

 

Actually in a way I’m surprised there’s not a whole “water taxi” industry just FOR late passengers. Considering this happens frequently, maybe it’s something an entrepreneur could look into.

 

Yeah= 25++ years ago, water taxis were used to transfer people to ships. Sorry- never going to happen now. It was hundreds of dollars then, you have ANY clue what the transfer involves? Security- is totally another issue you aren't even addressing.

[Budget Queen]

Great response !

 

We have cruised a LOT and have witnessed people arriving back late from a self booked excursion take a small pilot boat out to meet a departing ship.

 

But ... it was always a short distance (no more than a couple miles) and always no luggage. And we have NEVER witnessed someone at the start of a cruise attempt this move. I don’t think Customs or TSA would allow it from a USA port. Caribbean islands seem to be more forgiving of port rules for unhappy tourists.

 

 

 

 

 

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A "lot"??? Where exactly was this and when?

[dcyonce]

A "lot"??? Where exactly was this and when?

 

Saw this twice in the Caribbean and once in New Zealand.

Also heard about a couple that tried it in the North Sea (sorry, don't remember which port), but the ship refused to allow them to board. We were on the Eclipse.

 

I guess "A lot" of cruising is subjective. We are just a few points away from Zenith on Celebrity, almost Pinnacle on Royal Caribbean, and Platinum on Norwegian. We have lost track of just how many cruises it has been ....

[Budget Queen]

Saw this twice in the Caribbean and once in New Zealand.

Also heard about a couple that tried it in the North Sea (sorry, don't remember which port), but the ship refused to allow them to board. We were on the Eclipse.

 

I guess "A lot" of cruising is subjective. We are just a few points away from Zenith on Celebrity, almost Pinnacle on Royal Caribbean, and Platinum on Norwegian. We have lost track of just how many cruises it has been ....

 

When was the Caribbean?

 

Also- Isn't Celebrity and RCI cross over benefits? I'm D+ on RCI and was Elite my first Celebrity trip. :)

[gambit57]

Wow, glad they can still make the first port.

 

I also fly in the day before unless I'm sticking to the West Coast states (CA, OR, and WA... maybe NV and AZ included). Any weather typically won't delay you long enough to miss the ship if you take one of the earliest flights out. I try to take the first flight out so as to not risk having my plane delayed at the location it's coming from. I figure I'll just catch up on the missed sleep on the ship. :)

[DirtyDawg]

First hand account pertaining to which part

1) Late Departure

2) SunWings responsibilities

3) Pax out of pocket expense

4)NCL's involvement

 

Heck no! # 1 would be how was the Jamaican New Years Eve parties at the hotels?:bottle-pop: :D

 

Then we could have a spirited discussion of who does New Year's Eve parties better, AI's or Cruise lines. It would be a heck of a lot more interesting then yet another "we always fly in the day before" post.

[newmexicoNita]

1) Get trip insurance

2) Fly in the day before especially in winter from the north.

 

40 pax from Canada had their flight delayed 2+ hours yesterday. Didn’t land /get to gate in FLL until 3:24.

 

First port is Jamaica which is tomorrow. Those meeting the ship are flying out 11:00am this morning.

 

 

 

 

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and there folks is the reason for flying in a day early.

[taylortime05]

We are on Freedom Sat Jan 6th sailing. We have are arriving a day early and our flight leaves at 10:00 am from a very cold Michigan. I hope one day extra is enough.

[sanger727]

We are on Freedom Sat Jan 6th sailing. We have are arriving a day early and our flight leaves at 10:00 am from a very cold Michigan. I hope one day extra is enough.

 

 

 

The only time 1 day early isn’t enough is if there’s a major storm moving through AND you sit at the airport without considering other transportation options. I’ve never had a flight delayed by more than a number of hours, and as long as you aren’t on one of the flaky airlines, normal course of business shouldn’t create a delay that’s more than several hours. Now, if there’s a blizzard that cancels all the flights one day, then yes, getting out will be difficult due to needing to reschedule so many people. But in that scenario you may want to ditch your current travel plans and see if you can work with the airlines to drive to a different airport to fly out; or worst case scenario, drive to meet your cruise.

 

 

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[maggie cruises]

Sorry, I don’t know 100% how cruising works, but i’m Just saying... technically it should be possible to hook up with a cruise ship on the ocean and transfer PAX.

 

 

Actually in a way I’m surprised there’s not a whole “water taxi” industry just FOR late passengers. Considering this happens frequently, maybe it’s something an entrepreneur could look into.

 

 

 

Lol you are confusing I Love Lucy reruns with 2018 reality.

 

 

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[Flatbush Flyer]

We are on Freedom Sat Jan 6th sailing. We have are arriving a day early and our flight leaves at 10:00 am from a very cold Michigan. I hope one day extra is enough.

 

 

 

There was a time, long ago, when flying in a day before was enough of a buffer. Miss a flight? Take the next one.

 

That's no longer the case. Most flights on main routes fly full as do the "next" ones (including "red eyes," which used to be empty and cheap).

Find that rare "next" flight? Any empty seats go first to highest tier FFs. Yada yada yada.

 

With the understanding that there are some folks still doing time-constraining work or school, a reasonable buffer pre-cruise is two days/nights in the departure port location. Anything else is "pennywise and pound foolish."

 

This is one of the reasons we try to always cruise from a new (or favored old) location, which then serves to extend our adventure (at least two days) and make the most of airfare.

 

And, with enough ultra-planning beforehand (which we always did while working and with a kid in school), it is very difficult to believe that no efficacious employee would ever be denied a shift change or extra time off (even if necessarily without pay) for a long delayed vacation. Likewise, spending a half hour with a teacher to develop a lesson plan or practical learning experience for the kid(s) makes for an unusual and valuable life lesson.

 

Yes, "buffers" add hotel/meal expense (though the minimum three hour layover requires only a book or fully charged smartphone). But, it should be part of the calculated expense of the overall trip. One only needs to look at the ever-growing number of delays plaguing air travel (e.g., the recent CBP computer meltdown) to realize how important it is to understand that the "slim odds" of missing your flight are irrelevant when your flight becomes the one that is a "no go."

 

Like travel insurance, travel buffers are a measure of security that "you don't need until you do need."

 

 

 

 

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[jackcat16]

A "lot"??? Where exactly was this and when?

Why are you so mean to people . You question every comment and I don’t get it.

[eileeshb]

There are all sorts of reasons for flight delays, weather, mechanical or staffing being the usual suspects.

I had a flight to NYC delayed by 8 hours because one of the flight crew dropped a dumbbell on his head in the gym and they had to wait for incoming crew to get their 8 hours rest.

I've had flights delayed and cancelled due to IT issues, extreme weather and the good ole airplane mechanics problems. Whenever I'm travelling for vacation I always give myself plenty of cushion. heck I went to France for a rugby game that got postponed because of a storm and yet I and the friends I'd arranged everything for were able to relax safe in the knowledge we'd get to see the game the next day without having to dash off to the airport in the middle of it as many others had to do.

For Miami from Ireland I'm giving myself at least 48hrs breathing space, the other Irish person I met on my first cruise had arranged to get in the day before but his flight to NYC got delayed so he missed the connecting flight to Miami and had to get a red-eye instead to arrive in time for embarkation.

I'm not a seasoned cruiser but I'm most definitely a seasoned traveler and the same basic principles apply to every form of travel.

[Sand and Seas]

So does anybody know if they made it to the ship yet?

[uneamie]

Right now we are going to get a blizzard here on the East Coast. Fortunately, our cruise does not leave until Jan 19th and praying it does not snow then. But. It makes me wonder what the cruise line does if there is a blizzard in NYC and no one can get to the port due to it. Do they delay the departure? Hmmm!

[Casino Comp Chick]

Right now we are going to get a blizzard here on the East Coast. Fortunately, our cruise does not leave until Jan 19th and praying it does not snow then. But. It makes me wonder what the cruise line does if there is a blizzard in NYC and no one can get to the port due to it. Do they delay the departure? Hmmm!

 

No they don’t. I have sailed on time during snowstorms on both the BA and the Gem.

In fact on one cruise I watched from my balcony the ice breaking boats prior to sailing, we still left on time.

[Junes]

We are on Freedom Sat Jan 6th sailing. We have are arriving a day early and our flight leaves at 10:00 am from a very cold Michigan. I hope one day extra is enough.

Best of luck to you! The blizzard may make things dicey, I hope it all works out.

[chengkp75]

They may or they may not. A lot depends on how many passengers are affected, how many were booked airlines through NCL, what the weather is like outside the harbor, what the schedule is like to get to the next port, and how much time the ship can make up, etc, etc.

[beerman2]

They may or they may not. A lot depends on how many passengers are affected, how many were booked airlines through NCL, what the weather is like outside the harbor, what the schedule is like to get to the next port, and how much time the ship can make up, etc, etc.

 

 

 

Last report from a pax was they were flown to Jamaica on Sunday and were suppose to embark on Monday. That’s assuming the ship was able to dock.

 

And all pax had proper paperwork.

 

Good news is I haven’t seen anyone post on social media, so guessing ( hoping) they made it!

 

 

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[boscobeans]

Only ONCE did we fly in on embarkation day. The total mess in P.R. at Luis Munoz Airport was almost as nerve jangling as he cab ride from the airport to the ship.. LOL

 

Always AT LEAST one day ahead. We found on our last cruise that by flying in 2 days ahead the fare was so low that the difference paid for an added full day in the sun by the pool at our hotel.

 

bosco