late flight -will the ship wait ?l

[suggabuttyboy]

I have booked my flight to Athens with Cunard -is it their responsibility to make sure we get to the ship -or are we on our own should something happen to the flight ?Thanks in advance :)

[firefly333]

Nope, they dont wait .. and you have to be boarded in most ports a minimum of 60 minutes before the ship can leave so they can turn in their last manifest.

 

Even if you booked thru the cruiseline, they dont usually wait, unless its a very large group, then they might wait for a little bit.. like if there is a huge storm, some delay like that.

[6rugrats]

Did you read through your contract with them? I did a quick look and it appears that they accept no responsibility for the failure of outside providers, such as an airline, to get you to the ship on time.

[cb at sea]

It's true...if there are a large number of passengers on a delayed flight, they will hold the ship for a reasonable amount of time....it's happened on a couple of sailings we've been on, where a flight was delayed and there were a considerable number of passengers....but they won't wait if it's hours and hours, or for just a few people!!!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

No they will not wait...SORRY

[Keith1010]

They will not wait. If the cruise is not for awhile I would see if you can fly in a day ahead and pay the air deviation fee with them.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

They will not wait. If the cruise is not for awhile I would see if you can fly in a day ahead and pay the air deviation fee with them.

 

Keith

[eh2zed]

Since you purchased cruise air, Cunard obviously feels you will make the ship in time. It may also be likely then that other passengers will be on the same flight. Hopefully enough of them to hold the ship for in the event of a delay at least for a reasonable time. However, there are no guarantees. Flying in the day before is your best insurance and you get an extra day or at least half day to tour the City.

[John Bull]

Ouch, you've been given some seriously duff info on this thread - shame on those who got it wrong :(

 

The terms may be different in the US of A, but:

You have booked a Cunard fly-cruise from the UK. Therefore Cunard are responsible for getting you to the ship on time. And if it doesn't happen they will have to sort out an overnite hotel, onward flight etc.

They take care of the revised arrangements, they foot the bill. One of the advantages of a fly-cruise package.

(doesn't apply if you book your own flights, even if you do it through the same T/A at the same time).

 

If you're on a scheduled flight & other flights aren't disrupted, the ship is very unlikely to wait unless there are a stack of other cruisers on the same flight.

 

But Cunard do often charter aircraft (mainly from BA I think), in which case all passengers on the flight will be on the same cruise.

Cunard will not want to leave a couple of hundred passengers behind, cos it'll cost them a bucket of cash.

So the ship is likely to wait. Whether & for how long depends on circumstances -how many passengers would be left behind, availability of the pier, availability of tugs, port tides, weather reports, time & distance to the first port-of-call (its no co-incidence that the first port-of-call is usually a very slow & easy sail), etc etc.

As a very rough yardstick, three to four hours is not unusual.

 

JB :)

[Essiesmom]

You might ask this on the Cunard board, under Cruise Lines A-O, where the Cunard experts hang out...

 

Thanks, John bull, for clarifying things! EM

[6rugrats]

Ouch, you've been given some seriously duff info on this thread - shame on those who got it wrong :(

 

 

JB :)

Why? OP states only that they are in Preston. Besides many other places in the world that have cities named "Preston", there are many states in the US which have a city named "Preston", including Idaho, Maryland, Georgia, Washington, Texas, and on and on.

 

Not being a mind reader, there's no way anyone here would know exactly where OP lived.

[Keith1010]

On top of what Grugrats said, unless we are talking about a charter, often the cruise line will not wait for delayed flights.

 

Keith

[John Bull]

OP states only that they are in Preston.

Not being a mind reader, there's no way anyone here would know exactly where OP lived.

 

Agreed. :)

 

But the OP has done better than you, neither you nor Keith quote where you hail from at all. :p

The OP isn't a mind-reader either :rolleyes:, so isn't to know that your responses come from the wrong side of the Pond.

 

Worth adding a clue in your header ?

That's something I started a thread about a few months ago, but got shouted down by arrogant "senior" posters who effectively told me to mind my own business.

I think this thread proves my point.

 

And is it worth avoiding presumptions?

If I don't know an OP's circumstances, I try to check their other posts or incorporate any presumption into my response. Were the OP from Canada they would quickly realise that my post wasn't relevant.

 

Sorry folks, but I stand by my post - a little more thought & a little less cavalier posting, please.

 

But hey, lets not fall out over it :D

 

JB :)

[eh2zed]

Interesting point JB. Missed that thread. And yes lets not get wound up too tight over it.

[ab0si]

Ouch, you've been given some seriously duff info on this thread - shame on those who got it wrong :(

 

The terms may be different in the US of A, but:

You have booked a Cunard fly-cruise from the UK. Therefore Cunard are responsible for getting you to the ship on time. And if it doesn't happen they will have to sort out an overnite hotel, onward flight etc.

They take care of the revised arrangements, they foot the bill. One of the advantages of a fly-cruise package.

(doesn't apply if you book your own flights, even if you do it through the same T/A at the same time).

 

If you're on a scheduled flight & other flights aren't disrupted, the ship is very unlikely to wait unless there are a stack of other cruisers on the same flight.

 

But Cunard do often charter aircraft (mainly from BA I think), in which case all passengers on the flight will be on the same cruise.

Cunard will not want to leave a couple of hundred passengers behind, cos it'll cost them a bucket of cash.

So the ship is likely to wait. Whether & for how long depends on circumstances -how many passengers would be left behind, availability of the pier, availability of tugs, port tides, weather reports, time & distance to the first port-of-call (its no co-incidence that the first port-of-call is usually a very slow & easy sail), etc etc.

As a very rough yardstick, three to four hours is not unusual.

 

JB :)

 

Many people from the United States:

1) assume everyone else is from the U.S. also, and

2) consumers have little protection in the U.S., so why would they have any protection elsewhere?

 

 

Cunard Lines certainly means the chances are quite strong that the OP is from the U.K. I wonder how many U.S. residents take a Cunard Med. cruise. I'd guess very few.

[Essiesmom]

We are very Western Hemisphere centric. Our experience and knowledge comes from the lines that market to us, unless we reach out to other venues. We think that Cruise Critic is a US site. But those from the UK can be excused for thinking it is more international, as they are signing in to Cruise critic dot co dot uk. If they put their location as Norfolk, they assume those reading their post are in the UK and know that's where they are. They have no clue that many readers will assume they are in Norfolk, VA, USA.

When I see someone asking about sailing Cunard from Athens, I can be pretty certain that they are located in Europe.

EM

[G.M.T.]

Agreed. :)

 

That's something I started a thread about a few months ago, but got shouted down by arrogant "senior" posters who effectively told me to mind my own business.

:D

 

JB :)

JB,

 

Can you post a link to your above mentioned thread.

 

Thanks

Ron

PS. I presume you are from Romsey, New England.:eek:

Oooophs I meant Romsey, New Forest.:D

[John Bull]

Ron. Sorry, looked up "threads started by JB" but no joy, it was a while back & has disappeared off my radar. But hardly worth dragging out again anyway.

BTW, I guessed you were in Germany, the name "Ron" gives it away :D

 

Mom & ab0si - yep, life gets complicated when different cultures collide, especially when folk think they're on a domestic website.:rolleyes:

 

Quite right, eh2zed, not worth throwing toys out of the pram - just a bit of foot-stomping ;)

 

Rant over ;)

 

JB :)

 

OP - if you're actually from Preston, West Virginia please help me out. Tell 'em you're from Preston Lancashire England. (the one that got beaten 2-1 last nite by Southampton in the Carling Cup). Otherwise I'm gonna look pretty damned stupid :D

[Keith1010]

Agreed. :)

 

But the OP has done better than you, neither you nor Keith quote where you hail from at all. :p

The OP isn't a mind-reader either :rolleyes:, so isn't to know that your responses come from the wrong side of the Pond.

 

Worth adding a clue in your header ?

That's something I started a thread about a few months ago, but got shouted down by arrogant "senior" posters who effectively told me to mind my own business.

I think this thread proves my point.

 

And is it worth avoiding presumptions?

If I don't know an OP's circumstances, I try to check their other posts or incorporate any presumption into my response. Were the OP from Canada they would quickly realise that my post wasn't relevant.

 

Sorry folks, but I stand by my post - a little more thought & a little less cavalier posting, please.

 

But hey, lets not fall out over it :D

 

JB :)

 

John, take a look at my original response.

 

I never said the cruise line would not do anything.

 

What I did say is that the ship would not wait for you and that is the case in almost every instance.

 

Yes, the more information provided in a post the better.

 

For example, it would be nice to note what time the flight is scheduled to arrive, what airport the person is flying to, what port the ship is leaving out of and what time the ship will leave.

 

The more details in a new thread the better the response.

 

Peace from our side of the Pond to our friends on the other side. :)

 

Keith

[sail7seas]

Ron. Sorry, looked up "threads started by JB" but no joy, it was a while back & has disappeared off my radar. But hardly worth dragging out again anyway.

BTW, I guessed you were in Germany, the name "Ron" gives it away :D

 

Mom & ab0si - yep, life gets complicated when different cultures collide, especially when folk think they're on a domestic website.:rolleyes:

 

Quite right, eh2zed, not worth throwing toys out of the pram - just a bit of foot-stomping ;)

 

Rant over ;)

 

JB :)

 

 

:confused: Please explain why "Ron" would give the poster 'away' as being from Germany?

 

We certainly have "Ron" in the U.S. Ever hear of Ronald Reagan?

 

Ron/Ronald is not an unfamiliar American name.

 

So what 'gave it away' as being from Germany?

[marco]

I have to disagree with those who had said, No...they will not wait". If the line arranged that flight and if there are others taking the cruise who are on that flight arranged through Cunard, they most likely will wait. We have been on several cruises on various lines that at departure time the captain has come over the PA and said something like, "we have 30 passengers on an inbound flight that should be landing in 30 minutes, it will then take 30 minutes for them to get to the ship,so we should be sailing in shortly over 1 hour from now." When air is NOT arranged by the cruise line, no...they won't wait as they have no idea where you are or when you will arrive.

[6rugrats]

Agreed. :)

 

But the OP has done better than you, neither you nor Keith quote where you hail from at all. :p

 

JB :)

Why should I? I'm not asking a question. If I was, I would include all the relevant information, which may or may not include the city/country from which I would be traveling. When a poster doesn't include this information, they may not receive an accurate answer. If they can't read the contract they have with their cruise line and figure it out, or just call an agent and have them explain it, I rather doubt that including my city in my post makes any difference to them at all.

[Janet&Carl]

:confused: Please explain why "Ron" would give the poster 'away' as being from Germany?

 

We certainly have "Ron" in the U.S. Ever hear of Ronald Reagan?

 

Ron/Ronald is not an unfamiliar American name.

 

So what 'gave it away' as being from Germany?

 

 

hahahahah I saw this as a joke and laughed - others have taken it seriously - the poster Ron has Germany as his location - I think it was meant to be tongue in cheek humour but hey correct me if I'm wrong.

 

I too have had problems with assumptions - the cultures eventhough we all speak the same language are vastly different.

[John Bull]

:confused: Please explain why "Ron" would give the poster 'away' as being from Germany?

 

 

"Ron" suggests Germany in the same way that "Wolfgang" suggests Japan.

ie it doesn't.

 

In the same way that I can tell you're an avid fan of Monty Python.

Which of course, you're not.

 

That's sardonic British humour. ;)

Which apparently doesn't travel well :D

 

JB :)

[Donray]

Nope, they dont wait .. and you have to be boarded in most ports a minimum of 60 minutes before the ship can leave so they can turn in their last manifest.

 

Even if you booked thru the cruiseline, they dont usually wait, unless its a very large group, then they might wait for a little bit.. like if there is a huge storm, some delay like that.

 

You are wrong on both counts. I had air through Princess for a cruise starting in Acapulco. The chartered flight was late and they held the ship and sailed ten minutes after we boarded not one hour later. Only US ports have the one hour time.