who missed the ship? Too Industrius?

[sbwmail]

I read that on the Carnival Liberty last summer in Europe some people missed the ship at several ports due to planning their own excursions or trying to travel around on their own. Has anyone had that experience? Or, does anyone know what they attempted, time-wise, and failed? What did they do about it to catch up to the ship?

[mikesteg]

People miss the ship quite often. Most likely it is usually people who are inconsiderate in everyday life and continue the trend by expecting the ship and 2000 other pax to wait for them. The next biggest cause seems to be people who can't manage the time change and/or miss the 12 announcements and signs telling them to stay on ship time. Very rarely you have tours that don't make it back on time, but those folks wouldn't stay in business if it happened often.

 

If you miss, you pay your way to the next port (or back home). Of course, this is no big deal on most med cruises since they don't tend to go far on any given move (as long as you have your passport). You could grab a train rather than a $1000 flight. I suppose the tour operator might be liable for the cost, but good luck with collecting on something like that.

[sbwmail]

good points! This was also a reminder to me to carry passport info, even if the passport stays on the ship and to change our watches. But, (although we are extremely responsible) in anticipation of taking trains, busses, taxis to reach several destinations in each port on our own (possibly) I am also wondering who tried to do too much or went too far away from the ship, and missed the ship for these reasons....I don't want to repeat their mistakes in Europe!

[caribbean dreams]

This happens all the time, most of the people that usually miss the ship are shopping or sitting at a bar somewhere having to much fun to leave. Some people just don't understand that the ship is not going to wait for them.

[Yazoo cruiser]

plans with a local group and on the way back, the bus had a flat tire and got caught in a traffic jam. We just happened to be on deck about 400-500 yards from shore and saw 6 people running towards the ship, screaming to please come back. I heard they had to make arrangements to get to Grand Cayman, our next port. Since then, we only book our excursions through the ship, costs a little more, but I don't want to be left. Actually I have heard it happens quite often, but this is the only time I actually saw it.

[sbwmail]

...good story! You saw it happen! I hope to read more stories from both observers and those that actually 'missed the boat' themselves!

[redskin80]

I was on the Liberty last summer and we left people in Dubrovnick, Croatia and again in Florence.

 

The couple in Dubrovnick, on their honeymoon, rented a car, and drove to the other side of the island. Something happened to the car and they missed the ship.

 

They had to take a flight that went from Durbrovnick to somewhere else to somewhere else and finanly got cought up two days later in Venice.

 

The second couple we did not get the full scoop why they missed the ship, but I can tell you we waited a very long time, and they called for them many times. They even gave there names and cabin number many times. Just to make sure that they had not boarded and the ships computer made a mistake. It was bad because it was the last stop before debarkation in Rome. It is not far from FLorence to Rome by train.

 

So yes they will leave you and it is your cost to get to the next stop, if the excursion you are on is not one taken from Carnival. If they miss the ship , highly unlikely, they will wait for a bus load of poeple, then they will get yo to the next port at CCl's cost.

[landshark]

In Grand Cayman this past September, we were on a tender going back to our ship. I was sitting next to the tender captain and I overheard a disturbing interchange on the radio. It seems that another cruise ship had just lifted anchor and was starting to turn to leave when another tender was calling to the ship saying it had 2 more passengers and they were on the way out. The captain refused them. I then heard the harbor master telling the captain to let the tender come alongside. Again, the captain refused. Then the harbor master got angry and told the cruise ship that he could see the ship and that it had only started turning around and could easily take these two passengers onboard. If the captain refused, he would report that the ship willfully left those passengers behind and he (or the ship?) would be fined. The captain left without them.

[mslaabs]

We've been on two cruises where someone has missed the ship. In both cases, the pilot boat brought the "left behind" passanger out to the ship (which had only left the dock a few minutes earlier). The pilot boat pulled along side the ship and the passenger climbed into a door on the side of the ship. In the first occurance the passenger was acting like he was drunk, which may be why he missed the ship. The ship had come to, what seemed like, a complete stop and everyone on the deck was watching as the passenger was waving and dancing on the pilot boat. I don't remember anyone on the ship waving back, mostly people were making comments like "what an idiot". Not to mention the pilot boat crew didn't look all that happy. We were on one of the lower decks so we had a pretty good view.

[Umbarger]

I have seen this happen and almost happen before. We left a couple in Grand Cayman because they missed the last tender. They met the cruise ship in Belize. I hate to guess how much a last minute, one way, plane ticket between Grand Cayman and Belize would cost! :eek: Never heard why they missed the last tender.

 

In Antigua, we were supposed to leave at 5:30pm. At 5:25 the ship blew its horn and lots of people came running down the dock. We waited and waited as the ship continued to blow its horn. 20 minutes later a man comes running down the dock. He was talking very excitedly to the crewmen, then gets on board. The crewmen then took down the gangway.......5 minutes later here comes a woman walking down the dock. It was this man's wife. She didn't even run down the dock. Just walked like she had all the time in the world. She stood there and waited as the crewmen put the gangway back on. She was very lucky as the next three days were sea days until the cruise ended in NYC. We finally left after 6pm. Such inconsiderate behavior. :(

[Pastor Steve]

While I have only been on one cruise, I think there is some value of booking an excursion through the cruise ship. Although I know it costs a lot more money, I feel especially when you are going to a port you've never been to, it is worth the extra money to avoid possible problems. If you do do your own thing, it makes sense to make sure it is a short excursion with lots of time left over. We did take the Key West Trolley tour on our own, but it left us with a least 4 hours to spare and other trolleys were running the same route

[LRene]

You'll get opinions both ways Pastor. I am one that hasn't done a ship excursion in 8 years. The tour operators we've used both in the Caribbean and in Europe do this for a living each and every day. They are very cognizant of the fact that you must be returned on time. Most of them will make sure you're back one to three hours before your boarding time.

 

We've left people or almost left people on every ship I've ever been on. On the Liberty last month, we waited quite a while on 4 ladies that had taken a cab and gone to the beach.

 

If you're headed to Europe, you'll have a port agent at each location and the phone number is printed on the front of your Capers. ALWAYS take a copy of the Capers with you off the ship in case you need to contact the port agent.

 

On a private tour we had in Messina, we got back to the ship 30 minutes after it should have sailed due to an accident on a mountain road with two way traffic. And we STILL beat about 400 people on Carnival tours who were way behind us. One call to the port agent told us we were in no jeopardy of being left but that's a real weird feeling.

[LRene]

I was on the Liberty last summer and we left people in Dubrovnick, Croatia and again in Florence.

 

The couple in Dubrovnick, on their honeymoon, rented a car, and drove to the other side of the island. Something happened to the car and they missed the ship.

 

They had to take a flight that went from Durbrovnick to somewhere else to somewhere else and finanly got cought up two days later in Venice.

 

Ahhh...very interesting. We were on the 9/30 cruise and heard the exact same story about the honeymooners in Croatia - car breaking down - meet up in Venice...etc.

 

I do believe we have just uncovered another famous John Heald routine! He didn't fool me with many of them but he got me with that one!

[sbwmail]

I thank you all for telling your stories! Not only are they educational but they are amusing also! ....would love to hear more if anyone has them!

[redskin80]

Ahhh...very interesting. We were on the 9/30 cruise and heard the exact same story about the honeymooners in Croatia - car breaking down - meet up in Venice...etc.

 

I do believe we have just uncovered another famous John Heald routine! He didn't fool me with many of them but he got me with that one!

 

What a litte ****, we believed the story hook line and STINKER. OK never again, and yes I know there is no-one named Wilie Banger.

[bellera]

When we went on our Carnival Golf excursions this past January - our golf pro's made sure we got back to the ship on time because they were not certain that the ship would wait - even for a ship arranged excursion.

 

He explained that the ships get fined if they are in port past there allotted time and he was not taking any chances.

[poptart]

Okay, here's my story--on the Carnival Pride when it was sailing out of Port Canaveral my dh went on the ship's excursion in Belize--horseback riding. A young woman was thrown from her horse and injured her head. She and her husband were taken to a Belize hospital (how scary is that??) anyway after she was deemed okay one of those really fast Belize tenders brought them to the ship along with 2 teenage girls who were left behind for who knows what reason. BTW the tender ride was at Carnival's expense since it was their excursion--she had to pay the medical bill. I know this is true 1. my dh saw the accident. 2. we spoke with the couple the next day to see how she was.

[coolestwife]

In Mazatlan we saw not only two passengers running towards the ship, as it was slowly pushing off, but 6 crew members!! I guess they had some port time and forgot about ship time! Of all the people who should know better....wonder if they still had jobs when they got to Cabo...:eek:

[BlueHerons]

I then heard the harbor master telling the captain to let the tender come alongside. Again, the captain refused. Then the harbor master got angry and told the cruise ship that he could see the ship and that it had only started turning around and could easily take these two passengers onboard. If the captain refused, he would report that the ship willfully left those passengers behind and he (or the ship?) would be fined. The captain left without them.

 

The captain of the ship is pretty much a dictator and there could have been any number of reasons he refused, mainly safety issues.

 

I suspect this exchange went on between the tender skipper and the captain for other reasons.

[June Bug]

(on a Princess ship)....a woman missed the TOUR BUS that she booked thru Princess in France. We rode from Le Havre to Paris on a ship excursion and she decided that she HAD to go to the Louvre and wait in line (that trip was not the time to see the Louvre...too much to see...too little time!)...her sister boarded the tour bus just minutes before we departed and was so distressed that her sister had decided to catch the metro back to the location of our bus instead of going ahead and getting a cab with her ....Evidentally, she was DYING to see the MOna Lisa...well, it cost her....she missed her bus getting back to the port (a 3 hour drive!!!!!!!!) and I'm not sure if she met up with her sister back in London or not. What a ding dong!:rolleyes: We skipped the Louvre, but managed to walk all over Paris and see the Champs Elysee, Arc de Triomphe, Go up in the Eiffel Tower, and get a tour of Notre Dame.....I wouldn't have gone to the Louvre instead...there were too many other sites to see. Have been before, but my children had not, so my husband and I decided to take this tour so they could see the highlites....you know what their highlite was??? Going to the Virgin Megastore on the Champs Elysee....KIDS! (rather teens!):D

[nick0danger]

Normally the Private (not though ship) tour operators know full well when your ship is leaving. Anytime i went on a private excursion, the had us back at least 2 hours before the ship left, and this would also allow for "issues" to come up and have time to fix it in most cases.

[Astronomer]

In Mazatlan we saw not only two passengers running towards the ship, as it was slowly pushing off, but 6 crew members!! I guess they had some port time and forgot about ship time! Of all the people who should know better....wonder if they still had jobs when they got to Cabo...:eek:

 

Ouch, in the military on a ship there are 3 kinds of unexcused absences

AWOL

MM

DESERTION

Most people know what the first and last are, but MM was Missing Movement, if you missed a ship you were supposed to be on, it was right next to desertion. That would slap you in irons faster than being AWOL would.

I would be willing to bet they did not have jobs when they returned.

Someone else mentioned the captian being a dictator, I wonder if civilians truely understand that. The Captain of a large navy ship holds more personal power than a general on a battlefield. Dictator of his ship is not overstating it at all. I would be willing to bet large sums of money that not really different on a cruise ship.

He only answers to his corporate bosses, and they would not lightly interfere.

For the passengers, they would just have to pay themselves to get to the next port, but the crew.... ouch!

[notmay]

I thank you all for telling your stories! Not only are they educational but they are amusing also! ....would love to hear more if anyone has them!

 

Well, since you asked for more . . . RCCL in August 2003 to the western Caribbean . . . we were departing Cozumel and our party of 16 was meeting for dinner. Just prior to that there had been several announcements as to the wherabouts of a certain passenger. So at dinner, as we were pulling away from port, the captain put a message over the PA system that went something like this, "NOW, all passengers are present and accounted for." At that point my 19 year old nephew detailed how he was at the rails and saw this 18 year old guy being tendered to the ship, and subsequently being put in harnesses/ropes (extremely drunk), and lifted onto the ship (apparently the boarding door is much higher than the water level). We had a great laugh over it, but also wondered how stupid can a teenager be!! After all, you're declared an adult at 18! With 8 children (collectively) aboard that cruise (ages 8 - 19), we were glad that it wasn't one of ours.

[YooperGale]

There HAS to be a Willie BAngor. I saw him on the Liberty of the March 11th cruise! How many others saw him on different cruises?

Gale

[starketcher]

I know a guy who got left in Coz. This couple picked the cruise because they could drive to the port because he was afraid to drive........

 

When my mama started to tell me about this, I knew immediately WHERE & WHY he was left. Sure enough this is what happened:

 

He was with his wife and another couple; the women went back to the ship, left the guys at C&C (my first guess!!!) Left them with just cash, no creidt cards. The cruiseline called the rooms and located the wives; the ship waited while the wives begged them to wait longer. But the wives were finally told the ship had to get underway. ...it kinda dawned on the guys that it "might" be getting close to time to leave. The guys caught a small glimpse of the ship on the horizon from the dock.

 

After calls to his daughter to wire money, the guy who didnt want to ever fly, got to fly home (Coz was the last port). He hasnt been back on a cruise, but wouldnt rule one out, but says he would stay with his wife next time (like she'd give him a choice!!). I live in a small town, so news of this got around quickly and hasnt been forgotten!