Have you ever missed your ship?

[Essiesmom]

Here’s a good one: if I miss boarding the ship on day 1 from a U.S. port can I board for the first time at the ship’s first port stop if it is also a U.S. port?

 

 

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Frequently asked. If you know ahead - weather related maybe, you notify the cruise line and get permission. But don't plan on it. Don't even plan on it if the next port is not US. EM

[Shmoo here]

Here’s a good one: if I miss boarding the ship on day 1 from a U.S. port can I board for the first time at the ship’s first port stop if it is also a U.S. port?

 

 

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As noted, the answer is "maybe". You'd have to contact the cruise line at the time of the event, tell them why you missed embarkation, and see if they will allow it. Most of the time, they won't, but it does happen occasionally.

 

The problem is, if allowed, you are boarding in one US port (the ship's first stop) and debarking in a different US port (original embarkation/debarkation port). If the itinerary does not also include a DISTANT foreign port, then the cruise would be illegal under the PVSA.

[cruisemom42]

You can’t miss the ship if you are on a ship sponsored excursion. It has to wait for you. It’s part of the incentive of booking through the cruise line.

 

 

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No altogether true. If there are issues with the ship remaining docked (weather, tides, another ship assigned that dock) the ship will leave. But the cruise line will assist in getting those left behind to the next port possible to re-board.

 

 

In the context of this discussion, I think the point being made is that relating experiences of ship tours being late back to the ship has no real bearing on the question of whether or not one has missed the ship.

 

Ship tours are all too often late getting back to the ship -- precisely because they know the ship will wait for them. (Or if not able to wait, will handle the situation and get them back to the ship.)

 

When I was on HAL cruise that stopped in Israel, I took a private tour that visited more sites and had more time at each site than the similar ship tour. Yet I was back onboard the ship by a good 90+ minutes before departure. I already knew the ship tours would be late getting back. How? When I was leaving Jerusalem through one of the gates out of the old city, ready to head back to the port, I could see all the (20+) HAL tour buses just parking and people just beginning to stream into the city with their guides.

 

Later, I heard that the guides were very "generous" with time for shopping stops throughout the tour. :rolleyes: They kept reassuring the passengers that the ship would wait for them no matter how late they were getting back.

[cruisemom42]

And that is why even after all these years and all these cruises, I will ONLY book a cruise line sponsored excursion. I will gladly pay more for the assurance that my ship will wait for me.

 

The problem with the above, for me, is that the ship tours are often crap.

 

Too many shopping stops, too much wasted time, too many passengers that cannot manage to stay on schedule. Not to mention the guides I've had who don't really guide.

 

One guide in Turkey said to all of us on a tour bus: "I could give you all the history -- names and dates -- but you'll just forget it anyway." Uh -- hey, what? Why not give us the info and let US decide whether it's worth remembering.

 

Still, that was better than the guide who made very off-color and racist jokes about an ethnic minority common in her country.... :mad:

[sanger727]

And that is why even after all these years and all these cruises, I will ONLY book a cruise line sponsored excursion. I will gladly pay more for the assurance that my ship will wait for me.

 

 

 

If that works for you it’s fine.

 

But as illustrated in the example given, often when people miss the ship it could have been avoided. We do a combination of DIY touring and private excursions and I’ve never felt that we may be late. I’ve been on a handful of ship tours and they were fine, but that’s the best I can say. I’ve been on several private excursions that were extraordinary. To me it’s not just about ‘paying more’ so they will wait. It’s about really enjoying the ports. And I’m perfectly fine with scheduling to be back to port an hour early so I don’t feel rushed.

 

 

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[the_dylaness]

Haven't missed, but have almost missed twice.

 

First time, really my fault- private excursion in Costa Maya. On the way back we underestimated the time needed to get back and decided to have our taxi stop so we could purchase some cerveza... We were among the last 5 or 6 on board.

 

Second time, NOT my fault. We took a private tour in Tortola- chartered a sailboat. We were exceedingly clear with our captain and mate about our necessary return times. They approached it a little more lackadaisically and kept us out a little later than I would have thought, but still we seemed to have enough time. The taxi they arranged for us to go back from the harbor to the cruise ship dock never showed up. They stayed with us, and kept assuring us that it was coming. But it never came. Finally I insisted on another taxi being called, which took a little time. That taxi took us back, but we were so late that the construction around the dock (that had I guess been halted while passengers were on shore?) had started back up. We could not get anywhere close to the dock. We had to get out of the taxi and literally run probably close to a mile. They had already started rolling up the gangway (but then paused) when we got onboard. We were certainly chided by the crew. As soon as we got on board we went immediately to the buffet (which must have taken all of 3 minutes?) and by the time we got there, we were moving. :eek:

[Sailor_Sally]

And that is why even after all these years and all these cruises, I will ONLY book a cruise line sponsored excursion. I will gladly pay more for the assurance that my ship will wait for me.

 

The difference between private tours and cruise tours is huge . I would rather take my chances on a private tour than pay for their overpriced crap tours unless it is a long distance tour which could be iffy about getting back on time .

[Shmoo here]

The difference between private tours and cruise tours is huge . I would rather take my chances on a private tour than pay for their overpriced crap tours unless it is a long distance tour which could be iffy about getting back on time .

We've taken primarily ship's tours on all our cruises. We've only had 1 tour that I would call a "crap" tour. If a ship's tour is offering something that I'm interested in seeing/doing, I'm quite likely to take that one over having to make contact myself with some random tour company and set up payments and meet times.

 

 

Time was cruising was more all-inclusive, including tours. Now it's pay as you go. Times change.

[grandmarnnurse]

The difference between private tours and cruise tours is huge . I would rather take my chances on a private tour than pay for their overpriced crap tours unless it is a long distance tour which could be iffy about getting back on time .

Oh, I realize the selection and price is better in private tour companies, it’s just a safety issue with me, and my comfort zone. I just would be a nervous wreck with worry on a private tour, so the savings would not be worth it for me. To each their own, I say.

[cruisemom42]

Time was cruising was more all-inclusive, including tours. Now it's pay as you go. Times change.

 

I've been cruising since the 1970s, including Sitmar, Royal Viking, HAL, Princess and Celebrity from their early days, and more. Can't recall any mass market lines that ever included tours. Can you share more info?

[Shmoo here]

I've been cruising since the 1970s, including Sitmar, Royal Viking, HAL, Princess and Celebrity from their early days, and more. Can't recall any mass market lines that ever included tours. Can you share more info?

Well, the only info I can share is word of mouth. We only started cruising in 2008, but older relatives (sadly no longer alive) would talk up their cruises in the past and what all was included when trying to sell us on cruising many years ago.

[MrTexTJ]

This appears to be a thread with a lot of opinions on whether it's safer to book with a cruise line tour or outside tour operator.

I don't recall ever seeing a post of anyone missing a ship due to a tour operator messing up. There are a few close calls listed in this thread, but not of someone actually missing the ship. I have witnessed many people running along the pier after spending too much time at Senior Frogs in Cozumel and similar situations. I have seen ship tours come back very late and the ship waited for them. Cruisemom42 makes a good point that ship tour operators have nothing to lose by getting back late since the ship has guaranteed it will wait for tours purchased through the cruise line. One time I overheard someone say "see...it's a good thing that was a cruse ship excursion or they would have been left behind". Could this have been done on purpose to make people think this? As we all know, the price for a ship tour is usually 30-50% more expensive than outside tour operators. One possible benefit of using the cruise line tour is getting more time on the tour since it's not the end of the world if it's late returning.

However, outside tour operators have EVERYTHING to loose if they ever cause a guest to miss a ship. With social media today, (Cruise Critic, Trip Adviser, Facebook, etc.) a tour operator would most likely be forced to shutdown if he was ever responsible for causing someone to miss their ship.

I do use ship's excursions from time to time for convenience or variety but don't feel at all concerned using local tour operators that use a website for booking their tours.

Someone recently made a statement to me that it happens all the time. Does anyone have first hand knowledge of anyone missing a ship due to a legitimate tour operator? If so, how did it end up?

[ohhbother]

We came very close once. Took a private excursion in Barbados with a group from our Roll Call. Had a great day, but on the way back, there was a serious traffic accident that had traffic at a standstill. Our taxi couldn't move. So our group decided we had to try to get back on foot. I had on flip flops (had been on a catamaran), and we had to run back to the ship -- distance was about two miles as I recall. I was very overweight then and just in agony --the others in the group eventually left me and my husband behind because I was so slow. So it was just the two of us, we didn't know where we were, we had very little money with us -- we were in panic mode. Finally, we got past the traffic congestion and managed to flag down a cab to take us the rest of the way. We saw others from our group running along the road as we drove along, and we'd stop and pick them up as we passed them in ones and twos. We were literally the last group back aboard --it was an awful experience! We got back with less than five minutes to spare and would have had ZERO chance of making it if we hadn't snagged that cab.

[SPacificbound]

Have never even gotten close to missing the ship on a private tour, but we were really late on a ship tour once.

 

We have done more private tours, either just us or group put together on roll calls, but we also do ship tours at times.

 

Tour companies with excellent reviews would go out of business if they didn't get people back to the ship.

Edited March 19, 2018 by SPacificbound
addition

[MrTexTJ]

We came very close once. Took a private excursion in Barbados with a group from our Roll Call. Had a great day, but on the way back, there was a serious traffic accident that had traffic at a standstill. Our taxi couldn't move. So our group decided we had to try to get back on foot. I had on flip flops (had been on a catamaran), and we had to run back to the ship -- distance was about two miles as I recall. I was very overweight then and just in agony --the others in the group eventually left me and my husband behind because I was so slow. So it was just the two of us, we didn't know where we were, we had very little money with us -- we were in panic mode. Finally, we got past the traffic congestion and managed to flag down a cab to take us the rest of the way. We saw others from our group running along the road as we drove along, and we'd stop and pick them up as we passed them in ones and twos. We were literally the last group back aboard --it was an awful experience! We got back with less than five minutes to spare and would have had ZERO chance of making it if we hadn't snagged that cab.

How scary! I can see that getting back to the ship on public transportation could be risky. I guess that could happen on any personal excursion away from the cruise port. On an upcoming cruise, we are considering just taking a taxi for a tour of the island, but I can see how a traffic incident or construction could hinder the return to the ship. I guess the only way to protect from that happening is to plan on getting back a couple of hours before final boarding call. I'll be sure to have a cell phone and a number to get in touch with the ship when leaving the port.

[Reina del Mar]

Many moons ago, before the days of strict health and safety, we saw passengers who missed the ship being ferried out in the boat sent to pick up the pilot. This was on a Med cruise.. and it happened more than once! Cruise ships were much smaller in those days and rules far more lax. Am sure they wouldn't contemplate it these days!!