What happens after someone gets left at a port?

[ReneeFLL]

1 hour ago, Vacation Lover1 said:

Interesting info. I never noticed that there was a number for the cruise port manager, will get that info next time, just to be on the safe side!

 

My daughter went to a Q&A with the entertainers and said that some new Grease cast members joined at the end of June. She also mentioned that there was an empty seat at the karaoke judging table (which was judged by the entertainers) so I'm guessing this was our guy. Glad he was able to jump on Majesty without problems. I wonder if that would ever be an option for a passenger? I'm thinking not.

 

Here's a link where some Symphony Of The Seas passengers missed the ship and they were able to get on the Celebrity Equinox. I don't think this happens very often.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2660243-yikes-2-pier-runners-left-behind/

 

 

Edited August 8, 2019 by ReneeFLL

[SRF]

How helpful the port agent is, depends on the port agents.

 

Some will go above and beyond, others will do the bare minimum.

 

 

[lovescats5]

I agree with Spunky.  I think it is amusing that people take no responsibility for their actions.  You have a watch or phone or something you carry all the time that has the time displayed and yet you cannot get back to the ship on time.  Do I think it is funny that someone misses the ship, yes, but I am also sorry they have to now deal with their situation and find a way to get back to the ship or home port.  I think they will never make that mistake again and there will be one less pier runner.

[Niagarawine]

I

left in Malta in April, we were on a ship sponsored excursion with hoho buses . It was horrific. The port agent met us with our passports and that was it. He took us to a hotel  and we paid for it. I am an experienced cruiser with Royal and had been to this port before however the ship was berthed way out of Valletta and that is why we took he bus,there there were two bus loads of us. They took our sea pass cards and charged the card xcursion to our stateroom.  I double checked my cc statement when we arrived home and we were billed for that excursion. It was the second day of our cruise.i had my iPad and one credit card, no meds, jacket or money. Our travel agent was contacted by us and she was told we would have to wait four days to get our things in Athens. She told us Royal would not allow us to board the ship.i contacted her and mentioned Michael Bayley and then we were allowed to pack up our room. We arranged flights on our own , four of them connecting to get back to  Rome , we had air2sea to Rome and back so we took the previously booked flight home. The people in Malta were wonderful to us. 

[lovescats5]

That stinks if it was ship sponsored.  I thought they had to wait or get you to the next stop if it was one of their sponsored excursions.

[Bobal]

1 hour ago, Niagarawine said:

Our travel agent was contacted by us and she was told we would have to wait four days to get our things in Athens. She told us Royal would not allow us to board the ship.i contacted her and mentioned Michael Bayley and then we were allowed to pack up our room. We arranged flights on our own , four of them connecting to get back to  Rome , we had air2sea to Rome and back so we took the previously booked flight home. The people in Malta were wonderful to us. 

 

Are you saying that they didn't even let you rejoin the cruise in Athens? And this happened to 2 bus loads of people?

[Niagarawine]

That’s correct. That ship was not moored in Valletta , lots of cranes and such around. We had been to Valletta previously on Celebrity and were docked right by the elevator to the the town.  When we docked in Valletta outskirts I looked out and saw we were quite a way from the town, have a bum knee, saw these buses parked next to the ship and thought they were the solution. It was the Jewel of The Seas.there was a sea day after Malta and then Santorini , Mykonos and then Athens. 

We were asked for our sea pass cards and were told that the excursion would be billed to our room. They guaranteed that we would be back to the ship on time.there were two buses waiting and the pax boarded them. If I had not taken my iPad with me , we would have really been stranded. I booked hotels and tried to find flights from Malta, not so easy especially during Easter week. If the excursions had or been booked on my sea are I would have not boarded the bus but I was aware of ship policy that their excursions guarantee a return to port. We saw others at the hotel in Silema recounting the same story.

 

 

 

 

 

[Niagarawine]

Yes I thought that too, that they would wait but they didn’t and we were told they would get us back in time, very scary situation because Malta is so isolated. I tried to get to the bottom of this . Our travel agent contacted Royal and they said they did not sponsor the xcursion but why were we asked for our sea pass cards and why were we billed? Why weren’t we allowed back to get our things? I have been on 14 cruises , Four in the Med, somI know my stuff. What about those who hadn’t been there before? The cost to us was expensive, had to book connecting flight through  Malta to Istanbul to Athens, stay there to retrieve everything, fly back to Rome and wait for our flight home previously booked through air2sea, who supposedly would assist us, nope. I am posting this as a cautionary tale to others, 

Edited August 9, 2019 by Niagarawine

[Bobal]

9 hours ago, Niagarawine said:

That’s correct. That ship was not moored in Valletta , lots of cranes and such around. We had been to Valletta previously on Celebrity and were docked right by the elevator to the the town.  When we docked in Valletta outskirts I looked out and saw we were quite a way from the town, have a bum knee, saw these buses parked next to the ship and thought they were the solution. It was the Jewel of The Seas.there was a sea day after Malta and then Santorini , Mykonos and then Athens. 

We were asked for our sea pass cards and were told that the excursion would be billed to our room. They guaranteed that we would be back to the ship on time.there were two buses waiting and the pax boarded them. If I had not taken my iPad with me , we would have really been stranded. I booked hotels and tried to find flights from Malta, not so easy especially during Easter week. If the excursions had or been booked on my sea are I would have not boarded the bus but I was aware of ship policy that their excursions guarantee a return to port. We saw others at the hotel in Silema recounting the same story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for your response. I find it incredible that you managed to make it back to Athens but they would not let you continue with your cruise and instead you had to fly on to Rome. What reason did they give for this? I was under the misapprehension that if you catch up with a cruise after missing a port you could then continue on the cruise.

 

Also did they actually leave 2 whole buses worth behind (which would be around 100 people) or did you hop off at a stop and then couldn't get a bus back to the ship in time? If they left 100 people behind I am surprised we didn't hear more about this.

 

As you said, it's a cautionary tale so worth knowing exactly what happened as a warning to others

 

 

[ReneeFLL]

Very interesting. I would also like to know more details about Malta. Why would they say it isn't a ship excursion? You would have had the receipts. I would have been pissed because that's not what they advertise. That's one of their selling points is that they will take care of you if their excursion misses the ship. Have you contacted someone up the chain?

Edited August 9, 2019 by ReneeFLL

[Scspartan76]

1 hour ago, Bobal said:

"

I find it incredible that you managed to make it back to Athens but they would not let you continue with your cruise and instead you had to fly on to Rome. What reason did they give for this? I was under the misapprehension that if you catch up with a cruise after missing a port you could then continue on the cruise."

Some Greek ports does not allow you to leave with more or less guests than what you arrived with, unless it is embarkation or disembarkation day! If it is during a sailing they do not allow people to join in certain ports. 

1 hour ago, Bobal said:

 

 

[Bobal]

20 minutes ago, Scspartan76 said:

Some Greek ports does not allow you to leave with more or less guests than what you arrived with, unless it is embarkation or disembarkation day! If it is during a sailing they do not allow people to join in certain ports. 

 

 

Wow, that's interesting to know. What a cautionary tale!

[Vacation Lover1]

11 hours ago, Niagarawine said:

Yes I thought that too, that they would wait but they didn’t and we were told they would get us back in time, very scary situation because Malta is so isolated. I tried to get to the bottom of this . Our travel agent contacted Royal and they said they did not sponsor the xcursion but why were we asked for our sea pass cards and why were we billed? Why weren’t we allowed back to get our things? I have been on 14 cruises , Four in the Med, somI know my stuff. What about those who hadn’t been there before? The cost to us was expensive, had to book connecting flight through  Malta to Istanbul to Athens, stay there to retrieve everything, fly back to Rome and wait for our flight home previously booked through air2sea, who supposedly would assist us, nope. I am posting this as a cautionary tale to others, 

 

I'm sorry you went through such an ordeal! Did you book the excursion at the port? I wonder if the excursion people tricked you by acting like they were part of RCCL. When I asked the officer on our ship about people getting left behind, he told me that's a reason to take a ship sponsored excursion - they will not leave you. He told me the exception to that is if the group gets back to the port, but someone decides to continue touring on their own. That doesn't sound like the situation you described though, so I wonder if the excursion leaders misled you.

 

Were both bus loads from your ship, or was it a mixed group from other ships too? It seems crazy to me that a ship would leave 2 bus loads of people in the port! Especially if they knew you would be unlikely to re-board at the next stop. I'd love to hear some more details about your ordeal, and also if anything was ever resolved through your travel agent or RCCL.

Edited August 9, 2019 by Vacation Lover1

[Niagarawine]

Thank you for your kind words. there were two buses waiting when we exited the ship. They’d approached us and told us about the excursion , quoted the price which was reasonable. They gave us brochures and said that we were guaranteed to be back to the Jewel on time. We were given a map and told that the bus would drop us off at the ferry and it would take us directly to the ship and not to worry. They then told us it would be booked on our sea pass account and requested out cabin numbers and cards. Two buses were loaded with pax and we went on the excursion. We arrived back at the meeting point an hour early so as to be on time. Others were with us waiting for the ferrywhich finally came. We boarded and went to the area. The man running the ferry told us to walk over the bridge, turn left and the ship would be right there. There was no signage or crew members waiting. We saw the police car and asked them to take us to the ship.when we arrived , we saw the ship leaving. There was a port agent holding our passports. As I step before we were able to contact our travel agent on my iPad . She contacted Royal and they said the same xcursion was not ship sponsored. However my cc statement shows a billing for that exact amount. The travel agent expressed concern but nothing was resolved. I am thankful that nothing worse happened to us but it could have. I wanted to fly home but we had already reserved flights back from Rome with air2sea so decided we would make it back there. My husband boarded the ship in Athens and packed up our belongings and left after speaking to the guest relations. 

[Niagarawine]

Royal did not give a reason to our travel agent for not allowing us back in Athens to get all our belongings and they were everything we had . I can only assume they thought they were in the wrong and did not want to deal with what occurred to us . As I said previously, the name of Michael Bayley seemed to change their decision. We do not know what happened to the others on that excursion, personally I was too upset And so were my sons back home. As I stated before we had previously been to Rome, Malta, and Athens so I was able to figure out hotels, airports and such. We could not get anywhere with Royal. The cruise was very expensive and so was the booking aftermath. 

[time4u2go]

On 8/8/2019 at 8:22 AM, Spunky946 said:

Oh I think it’s totally amusing and that people are stupid,  we love looking for runners trying not to miss the boat.  It’s their own stupidity that has put them in that situation.

Usually, but not necessarily.  Sometimes things happen that are beyond their control, like an accident or an injury.

[Niagarawine]

Just to clarify.,there were others in the port agent’s car after the ship left, also very upset and crying. There was a coup,e at our hotel in Siliema who recounted the same experience we had, again I was very upset  at the time,panicking I suppose at our situation. I would also like to clarify that there was no signage directing us to the ship as per usual and no crew members that we could see as there usually are on Celebrity,Holland America and princess lines which we have sailed with in the past. Someone was looking down on us during that time but it wasn’t Royal.

[F27TW]

On ‎8‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 3:59 AM, blueridgemama said:

 

Thanks for clarifying. I guess I was just dismayed that anyone would find it amusing.

 

Don't preach at people. 

[F27TW]

On ‎8‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 8:22 AM, Spunky946 said:

Oh I think it’s totally amusing and that people are stupid,  we love looking for runners trying not to miss the boat.  It’s their own stupidity that has put them in that situation.

 

Totally agree .. its just stupidity or arrogance  to think the ship (or plane .. or bus) should hold for you..

 

Byeeee Felicia .. you out!  

Edited August 9, 2019 by F27TW
...

[lovesthebeach2]

On 8/8/2019 at 1:58 AM, travelplus said:

They are FUBAR  and have to pay to get out of the nasty situation. Depending on the next port the passenger would have to find a way to book  a flight to the next port if the Jones Act is not a problem or home and get their luggage shipped,

 

I would never want to miss a ship so I always add 90 minutes to the "All Aboard Time" unless I am on a ship sponsored excursion.

 

One of my hobbies is to watch "passengers missing the ship" on YouTube and real pier runners. Run Forest Run I say if I see people missing the ship!  I mean it sucks to be in that position but if they had planned better and not got so drunk beyond words then its on them. 

 

Sorry you missed the ship and maybe its a lesson to be more attentive to the time. Now I know that on private excursions if there is an accident then of course it was not the passenger's fault but still they are responsible for the extra cost to catch up. 

 

Its always good to have the number of the Port Master and program it into your cellphone as well as your SeaPass, Credit Cards and perhaps even Passports with you and extra cash.

 

 

 

You assume they’re drunk? How would you know that?

[time4u2go]

5 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

 

You assume they’re drunk? How would you know that?

They also assume that it's the passengers' fault, which it may or may not be.

[lovesthebeach2]

1 minute ago, time4u2go said:

They also assume that it's the passengers' fault, which it may or may not be.

 

Exactly. There’s many reasons.

[blueridgemama]

2 hours ago, F27TW said:

 

Totally agree .. its just stupidity or arrogance  to think the ship (or plane .. or bus) should hold for you..

 

Byeeee Felicia .. you out!  

 

who's preaching now??

[Luv06012012]

Like previous poster said, there was a member that posted a detailed account of what happened to him when he was left in the Bahamas.  Reading it, I felt every emotion that man must have went through at the time.  I wish I could remember who it was, but it was interesting to read the detailed account of how it happened and everything he went through afterwards.  It was not easy at all...he was left with no passport, barely any money and with no family.  Maybe he will happen to see this and post the link to it again.  I couldn't imagine.....

 

I often joke and say they could leave me in Bermuda, but I would have to make friends awfully quick I guess....

[brillohead]

The guy who got left behind was @klfhngr, and his story is here: