Left Behind in Nassau on the Symphony of the Seas!

[hallux]

1 hour ago, MandyMooToo said:

On a RCCL FB page it was posted that this couple was able to catch up to the ship in a boat with some port official (sorry, cannot remember the specifics now) and board shortly after this video was taken.  Anyone know if that's true?  Just curious...

If security (and insurance) allows it, I could see them possibly being able to catch a ride out with the pilot boat when it heads out to pick up the pilot from the ship, if the pilot boat isn't already sitting standby at the point where that would happen.  I think this has happened before but the success with that may vary by port.

[purplegrapefruit]

We experienced the opposite on our 2016 Navigator cruise.  A group of 20 people refused to disembark in Fort Lauderdale. They continued to party and hadnt packed a thing, and had to eventally be escorted off the ship. This delayed boarding by over an hour, much to the dismay of the 5000 people waiting in the heat to board. 

 

[ONECRUISER]

2 hours ago, Bailey & Sophie said:

Several years ago the coast guard required a ship to leave San Juan before the listed departure time. Many people were on tours and were unaware of this. Bad weather came up unexpectedly and if the ship didn't get out, it probably would not have made it.

I don't remember the line,  nor the ship. 

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Yes, now do remember Coast Guard/Weather as one of them, Thank you

[Cruiselover0426]

So does anyone have an update on what happened to this couple?  Did they get home?  If they didn't have passports I'm sure it was a hassle not to mention the expense.

[SamTimeDining]

On 2/22/2019 at 3:15 PM, purplegrapefruit said:

We experienced the opposite on our 2016 Navigator cruise.  A group of 20 people refused to disembark in Fort Lauderdale. They continued to party and hadnt packed a thing, and had to eventally be escorted off the ship. This delayed boarding by over an hour, much to the dismay of the 5000 people waiting in the heat to board. 

 

 

Navigator doesn't hold anywhere near 5000 pax.

[purplegrapefruit]

21 minutes ago, SamTimeDining said:

 

Navigator doesn't hold anywhere near 5000 pax.

That's what you came here to comment on?  I was approximating. The entire passenger load of Navigator, whatever that is.   Geez.  Must be a slow news day. 

[FOXTROT]

They were not left behind. They chose not to board the ship at the appointed time.

[mcatmcat]

oasis class dock for so little time in Nassau that I rarely do anything on that day. 

[cruzinisgood]

We were on the symphony and it never stopped moving after leaving the dock. The new ships are to high to bring passengers next to it to board. That and I'm pretty sure we would of heard or seen this happen.

[mayleeman]

8 hours ago, cruzinisgood said:

We were on the symphony and it never stopped moving after leaving the dock. The new ships are to high to bring passengers next to it to board. That and I'm pretty sure we would of heard or seen this happen.

Always tske grappling hooks on an excursion just in case.

[SRF]

8 hours ago, cruzinisgood said:

We were on the symphony and it never stopped moving after leaving the dock. The new ships are to high to bring passengers next to it to board. That and I'm pretty sure we would of heard or seen this happen.

 

Then how does the pilot get on and off the ship????????

 

There are doors near the water level.

[Lionesss]

We recently watched a travel documentary on the Harmony of the Seas( Mega ships), which I think is similar to the Symphony of the Seas.

 

On it they showed the pilot boat letting off their person who climbed a ladder up to get on the ship to get to the bridge to guide the ship into port. Now mind you it looked like just a couple steps up, but the ladder was not a permanent fixture.

 

So the doors you were referring to are definitely not easily accessible. 

 

I do not think they would let any passenger do this for the liability the cruise company would have.

 

So this was not an option for them.................not saying it should be.

 

Safe travels

 

 

[Aquahound]

I know of incidents where passengers have been shuttled out via pilot boat, so I do know its possible.  But whether or not that happened here, I have no idea.  

[wwjd1947]

My husband and I were on the TA on Vision last Fall.   The ship stopped in Nassau.  We spent about 2 hours in Nassau and then decided to return to the ship.  When we went to security to return to the ship we showed our sea pass card but were told we needed additional identification, either a driver's license or passport.  We were told that someone would escort us back to the ship where we could show them additional ID.  We waited by a guard house for close to an hour as more people showed up with the same scenario.  After the group was getting increasingly agitated at the situation we were escorted back to the ship and contrary to what they said about showing ID they just let us board.  My point is, this may have happened to other cruisers who were returning to the ship in Nassau close to departure time thereby missing the ship.  We are seasoned cruisers (40+) and have never previously had this issue.  On our next cruise we will definitely remember to take additional ID.

[BSocial]

5 hours ago, mayleeman said:

Always tske grappling hooks on an excursion just in case.

 

Funniest post of the day!

[BSocial]

46 minutes ago, wwjd1947 said:

My husband and I were on the TA on Vision last Fall.   The ship stopped in Nassau.  We spent about 2 hours in Nassau and then decided to return to the ship.  When we went to security to return to the ship we showed our sea pass card but were told we needed additional identification, either a driver's license or passport...

...  We are seasoned cruisers (40+) and have never previously had this issue.  On our next cruise we will definitely remember to take additional ID.

 

Are you saying the cruise planner for each port, on over 40 cruises, did not state to take sea pass card and a form of ID with you?  Or a sign leaving the ship?   

[MandyMooToo]

4 minutes ago, BSocial said:

 

Are you saying the cruise planner for each port, on over 40 cruises, did not state to take sea pass card and a form of ID with you?  Or a sign leaving the ship?   

 

Though this question was meant for another poster...we have never been asked for ID upon returning to the ship.  Our sea pass cards yes, but never ID.  Of course we always have our passports or passport cards with us anyway but I have yet to be asked for them.  I find it odd but chalked it up to the sea pass cards bringing up our pictures when scanned.

[akcruz]

26 minutes ago, MandyMooToo said:

 

Though this question was meant for another poster...we have never been asked for ID upon returning to the ship.  Our sea pass cards yes, but never ID.  Of course we always have our passports or passport cards with us anyway but I have yet to be asked for them.  I find it odd but chalked it up to the sea pass cards bringing up our pictures when scanned.

 

It's not the ship asking for ID but the port.  We have had photo ID asked for at a few ports, Nassau being one of them.  When you leave the little shopping area before getting in the pier a photo ID is required.  Once you get to the ship only your seapass is needed.

Edited February 28, 2019 by akcruz

[wwjd1947]

No need to be snarky BSOCIAL! There was no sign posted to take additional ID.  As stated, it happened to several other people on our cruise.  I am sure the cruise planner did tell us to take additional ID but never having to deal with this issue before on our previous cruises we did not know this would be an issue.  As I said, lesson learned.

[Robo1098]

4 minutes ago, wwjd1947 said:

No need to be snarky BSOCIAL! There was no sign posted to take additional ID.  As stated, it happened to several other people on our cruise.  I am sure the cruise planner did tell us to take additional ID but never having to deal with this issue before on our previous cruises we did not know this would be an issue.  As I said, lesson learned.

I cannot believe in 40 cruises that was the first time you were asked for ID. Most times I return to the port I am asked for ID. For the customs people on the island the sea pass card is not proof of who you are. They don't have readers like on the ship that shows a picture of you.

[hallux]

I'm just trying to wrap my mind around walking around anywhere without official ID of some kind...

[Reader0108598]

After over thirty cruises always take an ID with us but never asked for it! 

 

 

Edited February 28, 2019 by Reader0108598

[wwjd1947]

28 minutes ago, Robo1098 said:

I cannot believe in 40 cruises that was the first time you were asked for ID. Most times I return to the port I am asked for ID. For the customs people on the island the sea pass card is not proof of who you are. They don't have readers like on the ship that shows a picture of you.

BELIEVE IT!!!

[Iamcruzin]

29 minutes ago, hallux said:

I'm just trying to wrap my mind around walking around anywhere without official ID of some kind...

Some have the mentality that their ID is better served in the cabin safe. Perhaps fear of it being lost or stolen on a foreign island. This mentality is shared by many CC cruise line boards. I don't understand it myself. Yes it would be inconvenient to have it go missing. However there is probably a greater chance of it being lost or stolen at home yet people carry it around even in high crime areas like in big U.S. cities. Then their are those who think a xerox copy that  of a legal document will hold water in this day and age of security checks.

Edited February 28, 2019 by Iamcruzin

[SRF]

3 hours ago, MandyMooToo said:

 

Though this question was meant for another poster...we have never been asked for ID upon returning to the ship.  Our sea pass cards yes, but never ID.  Of course we always have our passports or passport cards with us anyway but I have yet to be asked for them.  I find it odd but chalked it up to the sea pass cards bringing up our pictures when scanned.

 

Every time we have been to Bermuda or Nassau, photo ID was required to get to the pier.

 

Photo ID was not required to board the ship, but to get to the ship.

 

One cruise to Canada, no such requirement.