Anyone ever been late back to your ship?

[elvisbuff]

I tend to be a calculated risk taker. I don't plan on missing the ship so I am trying to figure out how much time to allow to pretty much make sure that doesn't happen. It is either stay on the boat in most of the ports or do our own thing. I would rather be able to see what we want to see instead of following someone else' agenda. I am having fun planning it all out:)

[CathyCruises]

You are exactly rightI think I get WAY more out of the excursions I have planned myself rather than just paying money and sitting behind the big windows of an air conditioned bus!

 

One hint, however, that I got from reading the thread about the party left behind in Naples. Always bring the daily or cut out the part that names the ship's agent in that port--if you ARE running late for a legitimate cause (in that case it was a fatality on the highway) you can contact them and explain the situation and how close you are to the ship, and maybe they will wait for you.

 

Cathy

[cruisemom42]

I am thinking about doing a self guided tour in Rome and Florence/Pisa and plan on taking the train and then the HOHO bus. How much time do you think I should allow to get back on the train to the ship? Our ship will be leaving both ports at 7pm. I would like leave a little extra time in case there are any mishaps.

thx

 

What I usually do is figure out what is the last train that will get me back to the ship on time, and then plan to take THE ONE BEFORE THAT ONE. That way, if there is any issue (such as a delay on my part, etc), I have a fallback.

[Drink-in-Hand/Toes-in-Sand]

I hope those folks that enjoy watching the latecomers off their balconies are not the same folks that screamed obscenities at us once upon a time. :eek: We were on a ship's excursion and the tour guide definitely had "manana" complex! We watched the clock and continually reminded him that we needed to be back by a certain time. That time came... and went. The ship's representatives called the tour guide to find out when we'd return. He gave some vague excuses. We were feeling a lot like hostages and just knew when we got back to the pier we'd be waving bye-bye to our ship. But the captain (thankfully!) waited on us.

 

However, as we trotted up to the gangplank passengers screamed foul things at us to the effect of "Have your @$$*$ to the ship on time next time!" and "Take an organized excursion if you can't tell time yourself!" etc. I had a belly full of that real quick and shouted back that we were on a ship's excursion, thank you very much. Were they in such a hurry to get home??? Their dumbfounded looks matched their bad manners. :D

 

Sadly, not everyone can control traffic, missed trains, car troubles, or lacksadaisical tour guides. I've seen quite a few people miss the boat.

[lisiamc]

I hope those folks that enjoy watching the latecomers off their balconies are not the same folks that screamed obscenities at us once upon a time. :eek: We were on a ship's excursion and the tour guide definitely had "manana" complex! We watched the clock and continually reminded him that we needed to be back by a certain time. That time came... and went. The ship's representatives called the tour guide to find out when we'd return. He gave some vague excuses. We were feeling a lot like hostages and just knew when we got back to the pier we'd be waving bye-bye to our ship. But the captain (thankfully!) waited on us.

 

However, as we trotted up to the gangplank passengers screamed foul things at us to the effect of "Have your @$$*$ to the ship on time next time!" and "Take an organized excursion if you can't tell time yourself!" etc. I had a belly full of that real quick and shouted back that we were on a ship's excursion, thank you very much. Were they in such a hurry to get home??? Their dumbfounded looks matched their bad manners. :D

 

Sadly, not everyone can control traffic, missed trains, car troubles, or lacksadaisical tour guides. I've seen quite a few people miss the boat.

 

I am sorry your fellow passengers jeered at you and shouted obscenities. What cruise line was it? (So we can avoid that one in the future!)

 

As much as I enjoy the "will they/won't they" element of watching latecomers sprint down the pier, I think it should be a silent sport. :)

 

Lisa

[C-Dragons]

We were late once in the Caribbean coming back from a catamaran tour booked through the cruise line. The ship did wait for us, but we could tell from the Captain's expression as we passed him at the gangplank that he was pretty upset.

 

On another cruise in the Baltic in May 2007, we pulled away from the dock in St. Petersburg as a car came speeding up and two people got out screaming and waving their arms. We did not go back and this is not a place to be late for the ship. The Russian authorities kept everyone's passports while the ship was in port for two days.

[dibbitz]

I have to think when reading about fellow passengers shouting at latecomers, what goes around, comes around as my mom used to say. We have watched latecomers but usually silently. Once some young folks made it:) with seconds to spare. Quite a few cheered them and they smiled and waved back, so that was a lot more fun.

[dibbitz]

While I am here, can anyone give us the ports where it is more likely to run into problems getting back to the ship on time, for example traffic congestion, etc. We will be in the Med this spring and hope to do several if not all ports on our own some b/c of expense and some b/c it just sounds more like what we would like to do. Thanks.

[bigwally]

While I am here, can anyone give us the ports where it is more likely to run into problems getting back to the ship on time, for example traffic congestion, etc. We will be in the Med this spring and hope to do several if not all ports on our own some b/c of expense and some b/c it just sounds more like what we would like to do. Thanks.

 

 

I tend to think that it's the ones with a remote city/town you'd be wanting to visit which are the most risky. So for the Med (and Italy in particular) I would say Livorno for Pisa/Florence and then Civitavechcia for Rome.

[fun*n*sun]

I have talked to a few people who had trouble in Naples and one in Rome. None of them ended up missing the ship, but all were slightly late because of traffic. The traffic held up the ships tours as well and they all ended up beating the ships tours back to the ship so it all worked out for them. I guess especially along the coast by Naples there's only one main road and not much in the way of alternatives, especially when there is a train strike going on.

[debsjc]

We hired a car in Barbados, and got lost coming back into Bridgetown (there were NO signs at all)

In the end we got really worried, so we stopped and asked a policeman who was directing traffic in the middle of the road ...luckily he was really helpful with directions, and we were still back an hour before sail away. It was a bit stressful though.

[jilly08]

My (adult) children were left behind in Cabo. They were drugged and robbed. They didn't catch up with the ship for 3 days. They couldn't get transportation that would reach the ship in time for the next port so they had to go to the third port and wait for the ship. Not an experience I would ever want to repeat. I was a MESS.

 

Oh and in case you wondered, they were in a jewelry store across the street from Cabo Wabo, the clerk offered them tequila... and the rest is history.

 

Jill

[cruz2see]

Although we have never missed a cruise, we have witnessed it. Just as the ship had moved away from the dock, a taxi came speeding up with passengers yelling. Although we were barely away from the dock, it was too late and two ladies had missed the ship!

They had to hire a small pilot boat to bring them out to the ship and then they were lifted on. It looked very scary being lifted in while the ship was moving. They had quite an audience as everyone was on deck watching the process!

Apparently it cost a great deal for being just a few minutes late!

[CathyCruises]

My (adult) children were left behind in Cabo. They were drugged and robbed. They didn't catch up with the ship for 3 days. They couldn't get transportation that would reach the ship in time for the next port so they had to go to the third port and wait for the ship. Not an experience I would ever want to repeat. I was a MESS.

 

Oh and in case you wondered, they were in a jewelry store across the street from Cabo Wabo, the clerk offered them tequila... and the rest is history.

 

Jill

 

 

Wow! How scary! Were you on the ship with them?

 

When I think of all the Apple Tea and Turkish Coffee I was offered, and drank, in Istanbul, I can see how easily that could be done by wrong-minded people.

 

Glad it worked out although it must have been terrible at the time.

 

Cathy

[jilly08]

Wow! How scary! Were you on the ship with them?

 

When I think of all the Apple Tea and Turkish Coffee I was offered, and drank, in Istanbul, I can see how easily that could be done by wrong-minded people.

 

Glad it worked out although it must have been terrible at the time.

 

Cathy

 

Yes I was on the ship with them. It was the sickest feeling to be sailing away --and at that point, my children had not been found. To say I was hysterical is an understatement.

 

We were all in port together and the kids wanted to continue to shop and I was 'over it'. So I went to a restaurant and they were to meet me there in 45 minutes. I waited and waited and figured I'd missed them and headed back to the ship myself... you know the rest........

 

BTW, they think my kids were given Rhohipnal.. I know the spelling isn't right.. but it's the date rape drug.

[CathyCruises]

Most likely that was it. Thank goodness it all worked out--but not a lot of happy memories of THAT vacation, I guess!

 

And for the poster who wanted to know how much time to allow in Rome, we usually head back about 3ish--not knowing the exact schedule but knowing there is a train soon--and if we catch it at 4 and get back at 5, we're fine.

 

Hope that helps

 

cp

[jilly08]

Most likely that was it. Thank goodness it all worked out--but not a lot of happy memories of THAT vacation, I guess!

 

 

 

cp

 

Actually, we just made the best of everything as far as the remaining days on the cruise. Of course, I was so thankful to have my kids back that every second was a joy. :)