Getting on and off docked ship mid-day

[pdmlynek]

I’ve have been reading for a while, and would like a clarification on several issues on getting on and off ships that are docked at a pier (none of our planned stops are at this time scheduled to be tendered).

 

(1) How time consuming is it to get on and off a docked ship mid-day? From reading these boards it appears that getting off the ship at beginning of the day, and getting on the ship at the end of the day is time consuming. It seems that the rate at which passengers get off is regulated by a cruise ship photographer at strategic choke points. My question is about the time after the initial wave of passengers has ceased, and before the wave of returning passengers has started. From the posts it appears that passengers do get back on for lunch and that passengers spend half a day on the ship, but there is a lack of posts of people getting on and off to pick up a forgotten sunglasses or getting on and off multiple times. Just exactly how many minutes would it take me to retrieve my forgotten sunglasses from my cabin if I am standing on the dock until the time I am back on the dock again?

 

(2) How soon after the off-loading of passengers has started can one reasonably expect to be back on board? If a ship is scheduled to dock at, say, 7:00, and according to other posts (e.g., http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1635687 ) it will be 15 minutes before first passengers are off (all port on our scheduled route will be in southeast AK thus no customs or immigration to deal with), how soon can I get back on board? At 9:00? At 8:00?

 

(3) When are passengers stopped from leaving the ship? If the ship sails at, say, 15:00, can a passenger get off at 13:00? At 14:00? At 14:30?

 

(4) What is the minimal age of unaccompanied minor getting on or off the ship? Although most of the time our kids will be traveling with my wife and I, and will be getting on and off simultaneously, there may be times when I would like to send a kid back to retrieve his/her forgotten sunglasses, or send a kid off the ship to take a picture of us waving from our balcony or to go buy something. Regardless whether it is a good/bad idea of having a kid wonder the ship or port by self, is there an age limit at which the ship personnel will stop a kid from getting on or off?

 

(5) Just exactly on what deck of the ship do passengers get on and off at? None of the deck plans of any of the ships that I’ve seen so far have doors off the ship clearly marked. From photos by passengers it appears that this is on the lower decks, and some deck plans have blank areas (some on multiple decks) where doors to the outside could be installed, but it is not clear. We will be on HAL’s mid-sized Statendam, but this is a general questions for any cruise ship. Is it just on Deck 1, as states April-in-NC, or are they at multiple decks?

[sparks1093]

I’ve have been reading for a while, and would like a clarification on several issues on getting on and off ships that are docked at a pier (none of our planned stops are at this time scheduled to be tendered).

 

(1) How time consuming is it to get on and off a docked ship mid-day? From reading these boards it appears that getting off the ship at beginning of the day, and getting on the ship at the end of the day is time consuming. It seems that the rate at which passengers get off is regulated by a cruise ship photographer at strategic choke points. My question is about the time after the initial wave of passengers has ceased, and before the wave of returning passengers has started. From the posts it appears that passengers do get back on for lunch and that passengers spend half a day on the ship, but there is a lack of posts of people getting on and off to pick up a forgotten sunglasses or getting on and off multiple times. Just exactly how many minutes would it take me to retrieve my forgotten sunglasses from my cabin if I am standing on the dock until the time I am back on the dock again?

 

(2) How soon after the off-loading of passengers has started can one reasonably expect to be back on board? If a ship is scheduled to dock at, say, 7:00, and according to other posts (e.g., http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1635687 ) it will be 15 minutes before first passengers are off (all port on our scheduled route will be in southeast AK thus no customs or immigration to deal with), how soon can I get back on board? At 9:00? At 8:00?

 

(3) When are passengers stopped from leaving the ship? If the ship sails at, say, 15:00, can a passenger get off at 13:00? At 14:00? At 14:30?

 

(4) What is the minimal age of unaccompanied minor getting on or off the ship? Although most of the time our kids will be traveling with my wife and I, and will be getting on and off simultaneously, there may be times when I would like to send a kid back to retrieve his/her forgotten sunglasses, or send a kid off the ship to take a picture of us waving from our balcony or to go buy something. Regardless whether it is a good/bad idea of having a kid wonder the ship or port by self, is there an age limit at which the ship personnel will stop a kid from getting on or off?

 

(5) Just exactly on what deck of the ship do passengers get on and off at? None of the deck plans of any of the ships that I’ve seen so far have doors off the ship clearly marked. From photos by passengers it appears that this is on the lower decks, and some deck plans have blank areas (some on multiple decks) where doors to the outside could be installed, but it is not clear. We will be on HAL’s mid-sized Statendam, but this is a general questions for any cruise ship. Is it just on Deck 1, as states April-in-NC, or are they at multiple decks?

 

A lot of these questions may have varying answers based on itinerary and cruise line (and an AK itinerary does not necessarily mean no immigration, you are bound to have some foreign nationals aboard;)). Anyway, on to the questions:

1) Getting on and off the ship after the main crush of passengers is relatively easy and the time to get from the dock to the cabin is basically how fast you can walk.

2) I would expect that 30 minutes or so after initial debark at a port the traffic will be such that you could get back on the ship.

3) The ship will publish a back aboard time and this time will be at the gangway. They would probably try to dissuade you from going ashore after this time, which is generally 30 minutes prior to sailaway. They will probably not stop you but may warn you they won't wait.

4) It is my understanding that for a minor to go ashore they must be accompanied by an adult. They would be let on the ship if they said they had been separated from mom and dad but they probably wouldn't be let back off. (Simple thing is- don't forget anything or do without it if you do;)).

5) Varies by ship but will be adequately announced.

[paul929207]

Middle of the day, you should be able to just walk off with no delay.

 

Getting on in the middle of the day will also be very quick, UNLESS one or more tours gets back just ahead of you. Then there could be a slight delay.

[chipq]

Once the first rush to debark clears you may come and go as often as you like until thirty mins prior to sailing. They may advise against leaving the ship after this time but they would not stop you.

 

ChipQ. http://luv2cruise.blogspot.com

[thinfool]

Example: If you walk down the gangway, avoiding photogs, etc, at 0800, you may reboard at 0801, if you like.

 

Imagine that you get to the pier and remember that you forgot your camera....you want it for the day...and you are going to get it!

 

Happens all the time.

 

Not to be insensitive, but --->take the cruise and don't obsess over minutae. You really will have a great time.

[Blueboss]

After a couple of days, we really got tired of the ship photographers and learned how to dodge most of them. We would try to get in line behind a family and while the photographer was busy arranging them for the photo, we went around them and on our way. Can't do this for the gangway photos, but we could miss most of the others. Sometimes they would remind us that we needed our pic taken and we would politely decline and keep going. They take so many pictures, it got to be tedious by the end of the trip.

[Cuizer2]

I’ve have been reading for a while, and would like a clarification on several issues on getting on and off ships that are docked at a pier (none of our planned stops are at this time scheduled to be tendered).

 

(1) How time consuming is it to get on and off a docked ship mid-day? From the posts it appears that passengers do get back on for lunch and that passengers spend half a day on the ship, but there is a lack of posts of people getting on and off to pick up a forgotten sunglasses or getting on and off multiple times. Just exactly how many minutes would it take me to retrieve my forgotten sunglasses from my cabin if I am standing on the dock until the time I am back on the dock again?

 

(2) How soon after the off-loading of passengers has started can one reasonably expect to be back on board? If a ship is scheduled to dock at, say, 7:00, and according to other posts (e.g.,

 

(3) When are passengers stopped from leaving the ship? If the ship sails at, say, 15:00, can a passenger get off at 13:00? At 14:00? At 14:30?

 

(4) What is the minimal age of unaccompanied minor getting on or off the ship?

 

(5) Just exactly on what deck of the ship do passengers get on and off at? None of the deck plans of any of the ships that I’ve seen so far have doors off the ship clearly marked. From photos by passengers it appears that this is on the lower decks, and some deck plans have blank areas (some on multiple decks) where doors to the outside could be installed, but it is not clear. We will be on HAL’s mid-sized Statendam, but this is a general questions for any cruise ship. Is it just on Deck 1, as states April-in-NC, or are they at multiple decks?

 

(1) It depends on where your sunglasses are and how lost they are. If your cabin is on the lowest deck on the side of the ship where the dock is, round trip could be two minutes. If your cabin is on a high deck and you have no idea where you left your sunglasses, round trip could be twenty minutes.

 

Actually I have done this several times. I usually book a balcony, so my round trip time is basically five minutes.

 

(2) Thirty seconds. The entrance and exits are next to each other. You just turn around and walk right back up the gangplank.

 

(3) I don't know, I've never tried to depart five minutes before we were supposed to be back on the ship. That said, I think that they might warn you, but I don't think they would prevent you from leaving.

 

(4) I don't know. However, I have heard stories of teenagers sneaking (without parents' knowledge or permission) off the ship.

 

(5) Usually at port calls the gangplank is on the lowest deck. However, at the home port and some port calls the gangplank could be at the promenade deck level.

[johneeo]

Quick note from my experience.

 

We got off the ship, and I sent my minor son back to change his shoes.

 

He got back on, but, they would not let him off without an adult.

[notentirelynormal]

Quick note from my experience.

 

We got off the ship, and I sent my minor son back to change his shoes.

 

He got back on, but, they would not let him off without an adult.

 

Just curious, really I am.... How old was your son? Were you standing close by where he could say - there's my parents? I can see them not letting a 10 YO off by themselves but I know that my teen nieces and nephews and my kids (when they were younger) have gotten off by themselves with no problems. We were on Princess. Of course, times are changing and it's been a few years since my kids were minors :D.

[johneeo]

Just curious, really I am.... How old was your son? Were you standing close by where he could say - there's my parents? I can see them not letting a 10 YO off by themselves but I know that my teen nieces and nephews and my kids (when they were younger) have gotten off by themselves with no problems. We were on Princess. Of course, times are changing and it's been a few years since my kids were minors :D.

 

I believe he was 13 at the time.

 

I was waiting on the dock, and as time went by, I figured something was wrong. He told the security that I was waiting, and he got outside of the exit with security and I saw him waiving.

 

So, back on board I went, got him, and off we went.

[Cuizer2]

Quick note from my experience.

 

We got off the ship, and I sent my minor son back to change his shoes.

 

He got back on, but, they would not let him off without an adult.

 

They probably didn't approve of his shoes. :D

[Dayenu]

"It seems that the rate at which passengers get off is regulated by a cruise ship photographer at strategic choke points."

We just walk around people taking photos - they don't hold you at a knife point! The "bottleneck" occurs at the checkpoints where everyone's key card getting scanned, coming back the same plus x-ray of your bag(s).

Not many people come back for lunch. Many buy food on shore, or take snacks after large breakfast.

The decks will be clearly marked/announced, I remember once a tide made them switch to a higher deck. Also, with large crowds, they may open an additional entrance.

[dsrdsrdsr]

Which deck you disembark from depends on the state of the tide and the height of the dock, hence it varies.

[Cuizer2]

Which deck you disembark from depends on the state of the tide and the height of the dock, hence it varies.

 

Based on the OP's post, the state will most likely be Florida. Nonetheless, the gangplanks have hinges. Even though there is about a ten foot difference in the tide in the picture below (taken on the same day in St. Johns) the deck remained the same ...

 

Morning just before the tour began ...

 

 

Afternoon when we returned from the tour ...

 

[cb at sea]

If you're docked, it's simply a matter of walking off and on....not a big deal at all! Tendering is a different story, as you may have to wait either for the tender, or until it's full enough to make the trip to/from the ship.

[sherryf]

Based on the OP's post, the state will most likely be Florida.

 

Actually, the OP said they'd be in SE Alaska. The tide can vary greatly and the deck that you get on/off can change throughout the day. I just follow the crowds and get off wherever they let us off. :cool:

[pdmlynek]

Thank you, everyone! This board is wonderful! You have answered everything that I needed, and then some. I appreciate it.

 

Not to be insensitive, but --->take the cruise and don't obsess over minutae. You really will have a great time.

 

You are correct, of course. I just happen to have caught the cruising-is-on-my-mind bug, and am spending a wee bit too much time thinking about it. :( I hope I'll get cured real soon.

[sparks1093]

Thank you, everyone! This board is wonderful! You have answered everything that I needed, and then some. I appreciate it.

 

 

 

You are correct, of course. I just happen to have caught the cruising-is-on-my-mind bug, and am spending a wee bit too much time thinking about it. :( I hope I'll get cured real soon.

 

Unfortunately the only cure is to take a cruise, but it is a viscous cycle;).

[Hlitner]

Let me expand on a couple of the answers in the posts. Regarding question #2, as soon as the ship is cleared (by the local authorities) and the gangplank is open for passengers to leave the ship...a passenger could choose to come back on the ship with no delay. We actually have done this several times on a local cruise (in Europe) where I would run off the ship (as soon as possible) to get some info from a tourist official on the pier and immediately return to the ship.

 

Regarding Question #3, you will told the latest time you must return to the ship (it will be in your daily schedule and also on a board at the gangplank) and it is possible to leave the ship up until that mandatory return time. On most cruises you are required to be back on board 30 minutes before departure (we sometimes see 15 minutes).

 

Hank

[Rudyard]

After doing a dolphin swim in Cozumel I decided I didn't want to carry around our wet swimsuits and towels all day. Since we had to go by the pier to get to downtown I stopped and took everything back to the ship. The longest part was the walk down the pier. Once I got to the ship I was on and off in about five minutes.

[Cruisebehindthescenes]

The deck on which the gangway is situated depends entirely on the ship and the port. Some ports allow the passengers to simply walk off the ship onto the pier, while others require passengers to walk across a loading platform through the terminal.

[Havingfun2010]

(4) What is the minimal age of unaccompanied minor getting on or off the ship?

Minors are not permitted to leave the ship without the parent. Yes, they can go back on, but can not leave. Even for a US port like Alaska. Just imagine the kind of lawsuits that can happen now if they allowed kids into foreign lands without a guardian?