Am I cutting it too close?

[envy4u]

Arriving at Trieste port for embarkation approx. 2 hours before sailing. Is that ok?

[Nodakboiler]

What mode of transportation are you using?

[envy4u]

4 minutes ago, Nodakboiler said:

What mode of transportation are you using?

Friend driving us to port. 

[envy4u]

5 minutes ago, Nodakboiler said:

What mode of transportation are you using?

Friend driving us to port 

[Nodakboiler]

that should be okay- won't have long lines to stand in!

[envy4u]

2 minutes ago, Nodakboiler said:

that should be okay- won't have long lines to stand in!

That’s true, one benefit. I worry about traffic on a Sunday. But I worry about everything lol 😂 

[FOPMan]

Do you mean arrive at the ship’s dock in Trieste at 2:00 before scheduled sailing time or when you get to the city? Are you arriving in Trieste the same day. And what. mode of transportation to the city?

 

Two hours at the ship is barely enough time. You must not only get onboard but complete muster before the ship can sail. It is a very risky choice.

 

If you are arriving in Trieste two hours prior to sailing, you may very well not make the ship. If landing at the airport two hours prior, you’d almost certainly not make the ship as you’d need to clear customs (unless EU). You can’t control service providers’ schedules. It is easy to run late.

[envy4u]

1 minute ago, FOPMan said:

Do you mean arrive at the ship’s dock in Trieste at 2:00 before scheduled sailing time or when you get to the city? Are you arriving in Trieste the same day. And what. mode of transportation to the city?

 

Two hours at the ship is barely enough time. You must not only get onboard but complete muster before the ship can sail. It is a very risky choice.

 

If you are arriving in Trieste two hours prior to sailing, you may very well not make the ship. If landing at the airport two hours prior, you’d almost certainly not make the ship as you’d need to clear customs (unless EU). You can’t control service providers’ schedules. It is easy to run late.

We are staying overnight in Jesolo, with friends. They will be driving us to the port. It’s a 2 hour drive. Unfortunately, we can’t leave till 1 pm from their home. Ship sails at 5 pm. 

[rodndonna]

1 minute ago, envy4u said:

We are staying overnight in Jesolo, with friends. They will be driving us to the port. It’s a 2 hour drive. Unfortunately, we can’t leave till 1 pm from their home. Ship sails at 5 pm. 

 

We fly in "day of" for cruises which many consider too risky, but not sure I would be confident with a car trip cutting that close (even when I know the available route(s) and contingency options well). If your friends are knowledgable of the route and confident (and you trust them...) maybe ??? 🤔

[1025cruise]

I think that's cutting it too close. You need to be onboard I believe 90 minutes before departure.

[Iamthesea]

Have you checked into taking a train/and then a taxi to port, and leaving in the morning from your friends home?  Driving is a risky business because of traffic/accidents.  With "planning" to arrive 2 hours before sailing is very risky!!!  Plus, if I am correct, you actually need to be onboard 1 hour prior to sail away.  Or at least 30 minutes before.

 

I see that 1025cruise says it's 90 minutes!!!

Edited June 2, 2023 by Iamthesea
Correction

[kb4683]

Maybe go back to the Venice airport that morning and catch a HAL transfer??  (I'm sure you will have to pre-arrange that on-line and have it coincide with an arrival flight.)

 

Don't know timing for final manifest in Europe, but in the US it is 1 hour prior to sailing.

Edited June 2, 2023 by kb4683

[envy4u]

41 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:

Have you checked into taking a train/and then a taxi to port, and leaving in the morning from your friends home?  Driving is a risky business because of traffic/accidents.  With "planning" to arrive 2 hours before sailing is very risky!!!  Plus, if I am correct, you actually need to be onboard 1 hour prior to sail away.  Or at least 30 minutes before.

 

I see that 1025cruise says it's 90 minutes!!!

Have to be onboard 1 hour before sail away. 

[ollienbertsmum]

You need to check with the cruise line the exact time you need to be on board.  It sounds as if you are cutting it a bit fine.  
 

i watched a couple miss sailaway from our second port.  The ship did wait for a while, but they arrived about ten minutes later and we watched them from the ship.  It reminded me how important good timing can be.  
 

Our cruise stopped in Rijeka for the first port.  This would not be far to catch up the ship if you did miss embarkation, however I am not sure if they allow you to board the ship late. 

[Hlitner]

Decades of independent travel (and over 10,000 miles of driving within Italy) has taught me to be a bit cautious (with time) and always have a Plan B.  In your case I would be fine if I knew I could catch-up to the ship the following day (in case we missed embarkation).  Why all the caution?  Cars break down, cars get flat tires, accidents happen which can cause massive traffic delays. etc  Odds are certainly in your favor and as long as you are comfortable that is all that matters :).

 

Hank

[envy4u]

From Holland America “All guests must be on board one hour prior to the published sailing time on the "Your Itinerary" page of these documents.”

 

If all goes as planned we should be at the the port no later than 2:45 pm. We depart at 5 pm. If there is an accident the cruise ship buses will be in the same boat as us. Pun intended 😂
 

 

[Twickenham]

3 hours ago, envy4u said:

If there is an accident the cruise ship buses will be in the same boat as us. Pun intended 😂
 

 

 

No they won't, because they will have arrived way before then.

 

There's zero possibility I would ever cut my arrival at the port that fine. This wouldn't even be a possibility for me.

[Iamthesea]

11 hours ago, envy4u said:

If all goes as planned we should be at the the port no later than 2:45 pm. We depart at 5 pm. If there is an accident the cruise ship buses will be in the same boat as us. Pun intended 😂
 

 

 

The car you are traveling in could be THE problem... accident, flat tire, broken down, etc. 😮

Wishing you luck!!!

[envy4u]

3 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:

 

The car you are traveling in could be THE problem... accident, flat tire, broken down, etc. 😮

Wishing you luck!!!

That could all happen on your way to airport too. I will rethink all of this and let you know when we are in our aft facing cabin. First timer in one of those. 

[cruisemom42]

13 hours ago, Twickenham said:

No they won't, because they will have arrived way before then.

Not necessarily. I have arrived on a ship-sponsored transfer from a cruise-line booked flight and been the last group of passengers to arrive at embarkation, just at the last moment before the gangway closed.

 

Now of course this was cruise line booked so chances are they’d wait. But let’s not exaggerate and pretend there aren’t late arrivals.

 

That said, I fully agree the OP is cutting it close.

[FOPMan]

16 hours ago, envy4u said:

From Holland America “All guests must be on board one hour prior to the published sailing time on the "Your Itinerary" page of these documents.”

 

If all goes as planned we should be at the the port no later than 2:45 pm. We depart at 5 pm. If there is an accident the cruise ship buses will be in the same boat as us. Pun intended 😂
 

 

If there were a late/delayed official bus, it is one thing you aren’t: official. That means they can play by different rules, including port access and whether simply getting on the bus was considered by the cruise line to have been boarded (with clean-up once actually on the ship).

 

Technically, you likely can meet your timeline. The questions include how likely, what actions are, and what is plan “B”?

 

I wouldn’t want that much pressure- we consider distance/ time from ship on excursions as well, and almost always don’t use ship excursions unless they are the only wheelchair accessible option, the excursion involves being on a boat for an hour or longer, or there are more than 2 changes between different types of motorized transportation, or is a bus-based excursion 4 hours or longer (more opportunities for beak down that would limit the likelihood of making departure).

 

If you choose to cut it close, have a viable plan B and be ready to use it.

[edinburgher]

A plan B may not be an option at all.

 

Would need to check with thecruiseline what would happen were you to arrive too late to board. I think (but do not actually know) It is all about the manifest.  For this reason, if you are not on the manifest, would you actually be able to board at the next port of call wherever that may be. Actually "checking in" and being officially noted onthe manifest is not the same as a passenger who IS on it, misses the ship at a port and can reboard at any other port along the way, at their own cost of course.

 

There is also the question of the muster.  Since the Cosa Concordia tragedy, ships cannot sail until all pax have attended.  If you have not attended due to missing the ship at the embarkation port, would you be allowed to board in a different port.

 

SO, two questions to ask your cruiseline.

 

Personally I would not cut it that close unless on a cruiseline charter  flight or cruiseline transfer.

Edited June 3, 2023 by edinburgher

[Hlitner]

I find this kind of topic almost laughable.  The OP asks a question or is the OP simply looking for affirmation of a decision already made?   If it is the latter we say "rah rah rah,,,,its a great decision..you have nothing to fear (unless things go wrong)...and have a great cruise :).  Perhaps that is what the OP wants to hear.

 

Hank

[marazul]

5 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I find this kind of topic almost laughable.  The OP asks a question or is the OP simply looking for affirmation of a decision already made?   If it is the latter we say "rah rah rah,,,,its a great decision..you have nothing to fear (unless things go wrong)...and have a great cruise :).  Perhaps that is what the OP wants to hear.

 

Hank

You nailed it. 😁

[pdmlynek]

On 6/2/2023 at 8:25 AM, envy4u said:

Arriving at Trieste port for embarkation approx. 2 hours before sailing. Is that ok?

Last week we did something similar, though not in Trieste.  We arrived to board MSC Magnifica about 90 min before the sail time, or about 2-3 hrs after the check-in process was closed. The security did not want to let us through, but I had them talk to the crew, and was let on, and it was straighted out.  

 

I would not sweat it.  2 hrs should be fine.