Freedoms ship clock verse local times

[bajathree]

Need help here. I have read Freedom keeps local eastern time. However RCCL told me the intinerary times posted are Island local times. I called twice and twice they told me the same answer. This has me confused. I am trying to schedule a tour at a port that is central time. So do I have to adjust for the time difference?

[mrsfuzzmo]

Be careful! I have cruised over 12 times and on every one of them (variety of lines) they have always kept the time the same no matter what time zone you sail into. Most Caribbean sailings that leave from Florida or the east coast, and go to the Western Caribbean will keep the ships time on Eastern. It is too difficult to have all the passengers keep changing their times throughout the cruise, sometimes two or three times depending on your itinerary. Make sure that when you leave the ship, your watch is on ship time, no matter what time it is on the island. The ship will set sail on ship time!!! If they do go through a time zone change, it will tell you about it on your next day's activities paper that you get in the evening.

 

Now, for scheduling your own excursions, the tour guides will be on Island time and not compensate for your ships time. You will have to figure that one out yourself.

[hoochifyd]

I'm curious too. It sounds like this is what happens: say on our first port, at Cozumel, the itinerary says we dock at 9am. I believe RCI states that it's 9am ISLAND time... which is not 9am ship time? Is that right? I have an excursion scheduled for 12pm ISLAND time... so what the heck time is that ship time?? Same for Jamaica... I have to inform the island guy (Peat Taylor! :) ) what time our boat docks in Montego Bay. So what time do I tell him, if the itinerary says we dock at 7am? Is that ship time or island time?? So freakin confusing!

[bajathree]

Be careful! I have cruised over 12 times and on every one of them (variety of lines) they have always kept the time the same no matter what time zone you sail into. Most Caribbean sailings that leave from Florida or the east coast, and go to the Western Caribbean will keep the ships time on Eastern. It is too difficult to have all the passengers keep changing their times throughout the cruise, sometimes two or three times depending on your itinerary. Make sure that when you leave the ship, your watch is on ship time, no matter what time it is on the island. The ship will set sail on ship time!!! If they do go through a time zone change, it will tell you about it on your next day's activities paper that you get in the evening.

 

Now, for scheduling your own excursions, the tour guides will be on Island time and not compensate for your ships time. You will have to figure that one out yourself.

 

OK, then going by what you are saying that would mean that RCCL was not correct. If the ship intinerary says docking for Cozumel is 7AM-4PM, that would mean actual island time (which is central and follows daylight savings same time the US does) would be 6AM-3PM...is this correct?

[bajathree]

OK...just called RCCL for the third time now and got a DIFFERENT answer this time. They told me that the ship (Freedom) ALWAYS keeps standard eastern time and that the port times will be also in standard eastern time. This would mean that 7AM-4PM ship time would be 6AM-3PM island time. Can anyone please verify this...since RCCL even seems to be confused over this.

[missbear]

They kept changing the ship's clock to match local time. We changed time zones a lot and it was pretty confusing. I hadn't changed my watch and nearly missed an excursion because I was off by an hour. I was right by a clock on the pool deck but I wasn't paying much attention until someone (from cruise critic) pointed out my excursion was leaving in 15 minutes. Then I ran, and made it.

 

Anyway, they changed the clock on my sailing.

[mrsfuzzmo]

Yes, Bajathree, that is how it has worked on my past sailings.

 

If the itinerary says the ship docks at 7 am, and you are at a port that is in the Central time zone, then in port (on land, on island) the time will be 6 am.

 

Just make sure that your tour guide is there on island time.

 

Tour scheduled at 9 am with guide. Your watch will say 10 am.

 

It sounds confusing, and I am not guaranteeing this practice, but that is how it has always worked. Let your tour guide know what ship you are coming in on and what time you are supposed to dock and they are VERY used to setting up a convenient tour pick-up time from the ship. Talk to the guide and let them know that your ship may be on eastern time and just ask him what time in island time you should meet them, then adjust. They will be very accomodating.

 

Mrsfuzzmo

[bajathree]

They kept changing the ship's clock to match local time. We changed time zones a lot and it was pretty confusing. I hadn't changed my watch and nearly missed an excursion because I was off by an hour. I was right by a clock on the pool deck but I wasn't paying much attention until someone (from cruise critic) pointed out my excursion was leaving in 15 minutes. Then I ran, and made it.

 

Anyway, they changed the clock on my sailing.

 

This was on Freedom?

[bajathree]

OK...want to get real confused. I called RCCL for the 4th time and got a different answer again:rolleyes: This time they said the intinerary is always eastern time but the ship clock always changes to local time.....now I am realy:confused:

[MGoBlue2]

They kept changing the ship's clock to match local time. We changed time zones a lot and it was pretty confusing. I hadn't changed my watch and nearly missed an excursion because I was off by an hour. I was right by a clock on the pool deck but I wasn't paying much attention until someone (from cruise critic) pointed out my excursion was leaving in 15 minutes. Then I ran, and made it.

 

Anyway, they changed the clock on my sailing.

What Adventure sailing was that? All of the ports and San Juan are in the same time zone (Atlantic), it should never change times.

[debshomespun]

The Freedom will stay on Eastern Standard Time. Therefore, when in Cozumel, ship time is 7:00AM to 4:00PM, but island time is 6:00AM to 3:00PM, and in Grand Cayman ship time is 9:00AM to 5:30PM, and island time is 8:00AM to 4:30PM, and Montego Bay ship time is 7:00AM to 4:00PM, which island time is 6:00AM to 3:00PM.

 

We were on the 9/10/06 sailing, and the ship DOES NOT change their clocks. They stay on Eastern Standard time, and the islands are in the Central time zone. The island tour operators should know what time island time vs ship time the ships dock. They see the ship every week.

 

This is very confusing, but this is the way it is handled on the Freedom.

[bajathree]

The Freedom will stay on Eastern Standard Time. Therefore, when in Cozumel, ship time is 7:00AM to 4:00PM, but island time is 6:00AM to 3:00PM, and in Grand Cayman ship time is 9:00AM to 5:30PM, and island time is 8:00AM to 4:30PM, and Montego Bay ship time is 7:00AM to 4:00PM, which island time is 6:00AM to 3:00PM.

 

We were on the 9/10/06 sailing, and the ship DOES NOT change their clocks. They stay on Eastern Standard time, and the islands are in the Central time zone. The island tour operators should know what time island time vs ship time the ships dock. They see the ship every week.

 

This is very confusing, but this is the way it is handled on the Freedom.

 

Correct me if I am wrong. Grand Caymen would only be an hour behind during daylight savings time cause they do not observe it (something like Oct-April). During standard eastern time, their time would be the same as ship time...right?

[missbear]

Sorry if I got it wrong, but there were repeated announcments about changing our watches.

[TEXASMUNK]

That is usually the number of differing answers you get.

 

Best way?

 

When you book with your local operator. Give them the ship, the ship's posted arrival time. They see these ships week after week after week. They will then confirm you on the tour that fits.

[bajathree]

Thanks for the help guys. I am looking to book a dolphin swim for my kids through Dolphin Discovery. I called them and they told me there times were in central time but I needed to check with my ship what time they used. She was not sure what Freedom used for time. I think I got it figured out.

[Nanatravel]

Bajaathree You are correct. Eastern Standard time would be the same as the Grand Cayman time as they do not change their clocks; Late October to April only! Summer time, an hour time difference earlier on the island.

[CruiseAwayWithMe]

Eastern Time Zone is easy to follow since I live in the Eastern Time Zone :) Just follow the ship time, never go by the island time. I know that Cozumel changes time to one hour earlier but you don't follow the island time. When in doubt, always go by the ship time.

[Cruise_Couple]

I seem to recall our daily "Compass" telling us the different time zones daily and which time the ship would be using to depart from.

[Murphy]

When you book with your local operator. Give them the ship, the ship's posted arrival time. They see these ships week after week after week. They will then confirm you on the tour that fits.

I agree! The local tour operator know what time the ship's are in their port! Thankfully, this was true for us last year on the Canadian/New England cruise. We booked a local tour in Newfoundland and I had NO IDEA they had their own time zone that was 30 minutes different (that's right 30 mins, not an hour!) I didn't find this out until we docked and the captain told us we had docked early and would be leaving earlier than originally planned. I paniced and used a cell phone to call the tour operator who was already waiting for us on the dock even though I hadn't told them to meet us for more than an hour! They knew when we would dock and when we had to be back...