Anyone ever get left behind?

[CardsRamsRock]

As I'm preparing to book some excursions for our cruise I can't help but think about not making it back to the ship on time.

 

This almost happened to us in Hawaii. We had rented a car for a day at the beach. We had put our rental car keys with our other beach stuff. When we went to head back to the ship our keys were nowhere to be found. As panic started to set in and the search intensified a couple we had been visiting with (who had left at least an hour earlier) came running back to us waving our keys. They had picked them up by mistake and upon discovering them had been kind enough to drive back and return them.

 

We hadn't left much time to get back to the ship and waiting for the rental agency to get us a new set would have surely made us miss the departure. This wouldn't have been too hard to remedy as flights between the islands were plentiful and reasonable. But I've got to be believe that wouldn't be the case from many ports.

 

So, has anyone every missed the boat and how did you catch up?

[Guest cruzr44]

We were in line at the pursers desk on RC and started conversation with a young woman in front of us. She was saying how much nicer RC was than the Carnival ship was that she and her new husband just missed in Cozumel. They were not watching the time, got back to the dock and watched their ship heading out. They talked to the RC guys on the dock who were in touch with the Carnival ship. RC put up the newlyweds for the night and since RC was literally following Carnival to the same port they were able to get back to their ship.

[Cruising89143]

We were in line at the pursers desk on RC and started conversation with a young woman in front of us. She was saying how much nicer RC was than the Carnival ship was that she and her new husband just missed in Cozumel. They were not watching the time, got back to the dock and watched their ship heading out. They talked to the RC guys on the dock who were in touch with the Carnival ship. RC put up the newlyweds for the night and since RC was literally following Carnival to the same port they were able to get back to their ship.

 

They were lucky as I have never heard of a cruise line doing that. Nice of RCI to do that. I can't imagine the feeling of standing there and watching your ship sail away. Not one that I want to try.

[Bunkie103]

Ever hear CD John Heald's spiel about that...."be sure to take your camera, so that if you're not back in time you'll get a great picture of us waving good-bye" :eek:

[JGR01]

With a cruise-line sponsored shore excusion .. you will not miss the boat. They KNOW about the excursions.. I have heard the discussion of 'waiting for one more tour bus' at some ports.

 

When you are on your own .. you literally are on your own! Miss the departure time and good luck!

 

Thats ONE reason ship sponsored shore excursions have the advantage over other options.

[Steamboatin]

Have seen people on several cruises we have taken left screeming at the pier as we sailed off to our next port.

 

We seen this happen while cruising with Holland America, Carnival and NCL as I remember.

 

On the other hand, we have had vessels with various cruise lines held up for us on more than one occasion for us to return from the cruise ship's own excursion that was running late back to the dock.

[Bsan1221]

When I went on the Carnival Spirit (hawaii cruise) we had a delay, we waited for a couple that had gone on their own. It wasnt a huge delay about 45 minutes. We were told that the couple had called the emergency number that they give you in the capers in each port to say they where stuck in traffic...

 

I thought that was pretty nice of Carnival