getting off and on at ports of call

[Pinkbikini]

Hi,

 

We're cruising for the first time in December. I'm wondering what time we will disembark at each port of call. For instance, the website says "arrival at 8 am" but it says that "passengers must allow 2 hours to disembark and must be on board 1 hour before departure"

 

Does this mean that they start disembarking at 8 or 10 in the morning?? Two extra hours at the port could certainly make a difference in our plans for the day.

 

How does this work at each stop?

[VTSKIandCRUISEGUY]

You're confusing embarkation and disembarkation at the port you start from, with the ports of call you will visit.

 

At the various ports of call, depending on where it is, what time you get in, and whether or not they have to tender you in (as opposed to being tied up at the dock), they start letting you off generally from a few minutes to at most a half hour after you get there.

 

When leaving the ports of call, you generally have until they pull up the gangway, which can be within just a few minutes of leaving. If you are being tendered, the last tender usually leaves the port at least 1/2 hour before the ship leaves.

[yosh12]

When leaving the ports of call, you generally have until they pull up the gangway, which can be within just a few minutes of leaving. If you are being tendered, the last tender usually leaves the port at least 1/2 hour before the ship leaves.

 

No no no....when they say be back on board an hour before it leaves port...plan on being back an hour before. There could be traffic, lines to get back onboard...anything can happen. Do not plan it for only a few minutes before or you may just get left behind.

[Don Haynes]

At ports where the ship docks. most are able to get off the ship within an hour. At ports where the ship tenders, most are able to get off the ship within two hours. It takes that long for all the people to get off a shiip. Everyone cannot get off the ship in five minutes.

[Pinkbikini]

Thank you for all the responses. I take it "tender" means that they are bringing us in to shore on small boats or something rather than walking the plank so to speak??? :)

 

This does make me feel better... Is it advisable to line up by say 7 if the boat is coming into port at 8 to be one of the first one's off if you want to get out there and explore right away or do they have a system for lining up?????

[CC Help Michell]

Thank you for all the responses. I take it "tender" means that they are bringing us in to shore on small boats or something rather than walking the plank so to speak??? :)

 

This does make me feel better... Is it advisable to line up by say 7 if the boat is coming into port at 8 to be one of the first one's off if you want to get out there and explore right away or do they have a system for lining up?????

 

Yes, that's what tendering is, and oh my goodness no, it certainly shouldn't be necessary to line up at 7 for an 8 AM docking! Most people who are early risers have breakfast, and enjoy watching the ship maneuver into port, prior to leaving for the day. The exception might be at a tender port, if you have booked an excursion on land (not through the ship) and you really want to be off on the first tender possible. Then you may need to line up early for tender tickets (if your ship uses them) or just get in the tender line early.

[cliffd64]

Thank you for all the responses. I take it "tender" means that they are bringing us in to shore on small boats or something rather than walking the plank so to speak??? :)

 

This does make me feel better... Is it advisable to line up by say 7 if the boat is coming into port at 8 to be one of the first one's off if you want to get out there and explore right away or do they have a system for lining up?????

 

You will not be allowed to "line up" for tenders until they give the notice that it is clear to do so. They really frown upon people sitting in stairwells before the ship has been cleared by the port. Typically they issue numbered tickets for the tenders (first come first serve) at the shore excursion desk in the morning, and you are called off by number. Those with VIP status (either through latitudes level or sailing in a suite) have priority tender tickets.

 

Also, if you have a shore excursion, they tend to herd you off together ahead of lines.

[calmac]

You are normally expected to be back onboard at least half an hour before the scheduled sailing time. This is usually mentioned in the Freestyle Daily (which tells you what is on each day) and is posted at the point you leave the ship. I would plan on being back about an hour before sailing . . . just in case something doesn't quite go according to plan.

[Pinkbikini]

Thank you everyone. At least we'll know what they're talking about when we find out we're being "Tendered" or where to go when it's time to get off the boat!

 

Have a great weekend!!!

[CTCruisers]

Another tip.

 

Be aware of the ship's time since this is what is being referred to with the time to return to the ship.

 

We have been to some ports where the ship's time is different than the local time.

[ZoneHPH]

and let's not forget the ever important...CHANGE YOUR WRISTWATCH TO LOCAL TIME.

 

i mean since we're talking about being accurate and on-time. if you are on a sailing where there is a time change...definitely take note of that.

 

just my 2-cents.

[Enjoyscruisn]

Another tip.

 

Be aware of the ship's time since this is what is being referred to with the time to return to the ship.

 

We have been to some ports where the ship's time is different than the local time.

Thanks CTCruisers for mentioning this to the message board. This way anyone reading this will know what is going on about the ship's time.

We were in Bermuda and it is one hour ahead of ship's time. In fact, I changed my watch one hour ahead so I would know when exactly the time was to return to get the ferry back to the ship. It just made it easier for me. My hubby kept his watch on ship's time. I also liked changing the time for the first time one hour ahead for the fun of it, but we made it back to the ship with no problem.

One just has to figure out the time for ship's time and take the ferry back in time not to be late from Bermuda. It all works out. I wonder when the ship sails in Alaska how they work that time out because the time is different from East coast time when they do sail from that area. It is a 4 hour difference from east coast time.

Do you know how they work it or do they just leave it on east coast time? That would be really confusing.

Thanks for the information on what you gave about the time.

Happy Cruisn:)

[calmac]

I can't guarantee that it will be the same on all sailings but when we went to Alaska (with NCL) we started with Seattle time (-8 hours for us) then moved to Alaska time (-9 hours). It would make no sense for the ship to be sailing on "East coast time".

 

During our Transatlantic there was a 5 hour time difference between leaving (Southampton) and arriving (Miami) so we put our clocks back one hour every second night.

[Hollyspop]

It's really really simple. Just take a few minutes each morning to read the daily's left in your cabiin and follow the instructions. No problem, be happy!!!:)

[Toyz711]

seattle and vancouver are on pacific coast time...just past vancouver island you change and gain another hour. the ship changed it's clocks and all excurions were on their local time.

it's fun right now, we are on the eastern edge of central time, we have family in amarillo,tx..also on central time but a 12 hour drive west. then we have to watch what time we call SIL in seattle...3 or is it 4 hours behind us.