Two guests on Summit lucky the Capt didn’t leave them behind in Quebec City yesterday

[Turtles06]

My wife and I are on the Summit right now, the 14-night New England/Canada cruise round trip out of Cape Liberty.  We just had a wonderful two-day port call in Quebec City on Sunday and Monday. Pier runners are not uncommon in the Bahamas and other islands, but we never thought we’d see people actually miss the all-aboard here.  Two passengers were really late yesterday, and they are quite lucky that Captain Matt did not leave them behind. 

 

Our all-aboard yesterday in Quebec was 2:45 PM. This was of course clearly stated in the Celebrity Today and posted at the gangway. Also, since we were docked at the commercial pier about a mile out of the Old City and free shuttle buses were being used, it was also clearly stated in the Today that the last buses back from the Old City would leave at 2:30 PM; this was also announced in the morning on the buses themselves. 

 

At 3 PM, as the ship prepared to sail, my wife and I went down to the port side of Deck 4 so we’d have a good view of the sail past Old Quebec. We heard a shipwide announcement asking two passengers to report to Guest Services. We were standing over the gangway on Deck 3, where several officers and the port agent were on their cell phones, quite animated. The longshoremen were waiting to pull up the gangway. After some minutes, we could hear one officer say to the others “the Captain wants to leave.”  

 

More cell phone calls, and then an officer appeared with two American passports that he handed over to the port agent.  The agent walked off the gangway, still on his phone. He came back shortly after, and it sounded like he told the officers “they are at the Chateau” (presumably the Chateau Frontenac). This was some distance from the ship, and everyone on the gangway looked pretty disturbed. More waiting and phone calls. 

 

Somehow, a bus must have been arranged for the stragglers, as a few minutes before 3:30 PM, a big bus pulled up with just the two of them on it. They were quickly hustled on board, and the gangway was pulled. One of the longshoremen looked up at us and said that had it been five minutes later, the Captain would have sailed. (There are speed limits in the St. Lawrence River to protect migrating right whales, so we were not in a situation where the ship could have speeded up to make up for lost time.)

 

We’d never seen passengers that late before, nor passports handed over to the port agent.  Those two people were lucky the Captain waited for them. 

[PTC DAWG]

Off topic, did you see any whales?  

 

How about the views on the St. Lawrence?  

 

Looking at a 9 night cruise that heads up that way for next May...

[Turtles06]

3 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

Off topic, did you see any whales?  

 

How about the views on the St. Lawrence?  

 

Looking at a 9 night cruise that heads up that way for next May...

 

No whales. Did see dolphins. 🙂

 

You can see the shore along the St. Lawrence, and we are having a beautiful day at sea today, but I wouldn’t say the views today are anything special. 

 

 

[Baron Barracuda]

Did they say why you didn't dock at the cruise terminal in the old city?  When we did this itinerary a couple of years ago it was easy to walk from ship to shops and cafe's.  Makes a big difference when you are there overnight.  

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, Baron Barracuda said:

Did they say why you didn't dock at the cruise terminal in the old city?  When we did this itinerary a couple of years ago it was easy to walk from ship to shops and cafe's.  Makes a big difference when you are there overnight.  

 

They didn’t need to say — there were six other ships in port.  The Caribbean Princess was out where we were as well. I was impressed with the free shuttles, minimal to no waits on either end, and we were dropped right in the Lower Town, very close to the funicular and the steps. The only downside was not being able to walk off the ship at night and be right there in the Old City. We still had a wonderful two days. 🙂

[hcat]

They were very lucky !

Next time hope they leave enough time to avoid missing the ship...Big hassle if they did.

[JackB60]

don't know how that doesn't happen more often

[Turtles06]

3 hours ago, hcat said:

They were very lucky !

Next time hope they leave enough time to avoid missing the ship...Big hassle if they did.

 

If they were still in the Château after all-aboard, they didn’t leave any time...

[villauk]

3 hours ago, Baron Barracuda said:

Did they say why you didn't dock at the cruise terminal in the old city?  When we did this itinerary a couple of years ago it was easy to walk from ship to shops and cafe's.  Makes a big difference when you are there overnight.  

 

 

We docked right in the city on Caribbean Princess in August. The view from our balcony was stunning - right in front of the Hotel Frontenac. 

[Edinburghgirl1]

We had latecomers in St Kitts in March this year. Their passports and what looked like a wallet were handed over to the port agent and the gangway was removed. Just then they appeared running up the pier to much whistling and jeering from our ship the Silhouette and a P and O ship docked next to us. They just made it by the skin of their teeth! 

[hcat]

There were 15 that were left behind in St Maarten... heavy traffic, poor planning.etc  Port agent got their stuff  and passports, wallets etc, and  from there they were on their own.

 

Our X excursion driver never came back  for about 12 of us at Bucaneer  Beach...St Maarten.  The resort  contacted port agent who contacted X and excursion co,  and they sent out another van.  We made it back on time but they would have waited... that's  one benefit of paying more for ship,s excursions in crowded or remote  ports!

[jamacka]

On 9/17/2019 at 11:57 AM, Turtles06 said:

My wife and I are on the Summit right now, the 14-night New England/Canada cruise round trip out of Cape Liberty.  We just had a wonderful two-day port call in Quebec City on Sunday and Monday. Pier runners are not uncommon in the Bahamas and other islands, but we never thought we’d see people actually miss the all-aboard here.  Two passengers were really late yesterday, and they are quite lucky that Captain Matt did not leave them behind. 

 

 

  Oh!!  That's my old stompin' ground!  I was born and raised in Quebec City.  Its a good place to get left behind 😉 
I'm in Wolfville, NS now.  Were you in Halifax on Friday?  My daughter and I went into the city for a wee shopping day and I saw some people walking around with X room keys around their neck.  Maybe you took an excursion to the Annapolis Valley in which case we probab;y passed each other on the highway.

[Mauidiver]

Back in the 90s when we first started cruising we had 2 cruises where we left people on shore.  It seems like the ships adhered to their schedules a bit more back then than it seems now.  Part of me thinks that if late folks were left more often, it would happen less as word got around, but at the end of the day as long as the rest of us aren't late for our next port of call, it ultimately doesn't make a difference to me one way or another.

[phoenix_dream]

I can only guess that they were in high level suites so got better consideration.  Normally the Captain would just leave them there, as he/she should.  Of course I can't know that for sure - just guessing.  Perhaps they just got lucky with a sympathetic Captain.

[Turtles06]

44 minutes ago, jamacka said:

  Oh!!  That's my old stompin' ground!  I was born and raised in Quebec City.  Its a good place to get left behind 😉 
I'm in Wolfville, NS now.  Were you in Halifax on Friday?  My daughter and I went into the city for a wee shopping day and I saw some people walking around with X room keys around their neck.  Maybe you took an excursion to the Annapolis Valley in which case we probab;y passed each other on the highway.

 

Yes we were in Halifax on Friday. Thank you for ordering up such beautiful weather. 😃

 

We stayed in town this time. Spent a few hours in the Immigration Museum, which was fascinating and very moving.  We love your country. 

 

Went up up to the Public Gardens; what a day for that!

 

We definitely don’t walk around in ports with room keys around our necks! 🤣

 

[floridatravelersforlife]

I just don't understand why Celebrity doesn't charge a delay fee for waiting for these people.  Put it in the terms of carriage and charge $500-1000 penalty.  That should motivate all but the cases due to accident.  It's easy to validate such a fee for extra time for the dock hands standing by and fuel burned waiting and speeding up to make up time.

[Turtles06]

16 minutes ago, floridatravelersforlife said:

I just don't understand why Celebrity doesn't charge a delay fee for waiting for these people.  Put it in the terms of carriage and charge $500-1000 penalty.  That should motivate all but the cases due to accident.  It's easy to validate such a fee for extra time for the dock hands standing by and fuel burned waiting and speeding up to make up time.

 

And they had to send a special shuttle bus to retrieve those people. The Captain told us in his talk yesterday that Celebrity pays for the shuttles in Quebec. At the very least, those people should be charged for the bus. 

[jamacka]

57 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

Yes we were in Halifax on Friday. Thank you for ordering up such beautiful weather. 😃

 

We stayed in town this time. Spent a few hours in the Immigration Museum, which was fascinating and very moving.  We love your country. 

 

Went up up to the Public Gardens; what a day for that!

 

We definitely don’t walk around in ports with room keys around our necks! 🤣

 

 

LOL.. Some people definitely do walk around with the cards around their neck.  Like they do on the ship.  I always keep mine in a zippered pocket so I know its not going anywhere!!

If you went to Public Gardens maybe we passed you on Spring Garden Road.  LOL!  We parked under the library there, near the Old Burying Grounds on the corner, and walk down to the passport office in the office building at the bottom of the street.  Daughter had to apply for a passport for her baby so they can go visit her other set of grandparents in the US next month.

 

Yes, the weather was fabulous that day.  That's about as nice a day as you can get in Halifax.  I always find its a few degrees cooler there than in Wolfville but it was gorgeous on Friday.

[BarbinMich]

3 hours ago, jamacka said:

  Oh!!  That's my old stompin' ground!  I was born and raised in Quebec City.  Its a good place to get left behind 😉 
I'm in Wolfville, NS now.  Were you in Halifax on Friday?  My daughter and I went into the city for a wee shopping day and I saw some people walking around with X room keys around their neck.  Maybe you took an excursion to the Annapolis Valley in which case we probab;y passed each other on the highway.

We visited your "neighborhood" on a private excursion from Halifax and really enjoyed it.  I've always been fascinated by tides and made an effort to see the tidal bore at several places we stopped at on an auto trip to your area some years ago.  When we stopped at Halifax on a cruise a few years ago, we did a private tour out your way.  Enjoyed seeing the giant pumpkins at a farm, stopped at a winery for a tasting, had lunch at Hall's Harbour.