Missing the Ship???

[TravelDiva88]

 

That said we could fly out day before but then I have to contend with getting a hotel room that is close to port that doesn't cost an "arm and a leg"?

 

 

 

Comfort Inn- Midtown West is coming up at $254 (cancellable rate) or $217 (non-refundable, pay up front) for the night of 11/23.

 

It's less than 2 blocks to the pier, quick and easy walk. I highly recommend it.

[Warm-Water Diver]

Comfort Inn- Midtown West is coming up at $254 (cancellable rate) or $217 (non-refundable, pay up front) for the night of 11/23.

 

It's less than 2 blocks to the pier, quick and easy walk. I highly recommend it.

 

OK looks like I'm going to have to change plans and fly in day before. That hotel doesn't have room for 3 available.

 

Any other suggestions for close by hotels within walking distance that won't break the bank?

[hpecorari]

OK looks like I'm going to have to change plans and fly in day before. That hotel doesn't have room for 3 available.

 

Any other suggestions for close by hotels within walking distance that won't break the bank?

 

 

Hotel Carter $129.00 to $159.00 depending on if there is 1, 2, or 3 to a room. When you check in give the person a $20.00 bill and ask for one of the newer remolded rooms. We did that when we stayed there in June.

It's only for one night, close to the port, and anywhere you go in that area the rooms are going to be SMALL!

 

Harriet

[limeyalchemist]

Hard to watch, but entertaining in a sad/sick kind of way....one of the best example videos on youtube of why you should show up to your ship on it time...every cruisers worst nightmare.

 

 

 

[TravelDiva88]

I appreciate the heckling of this group:

 

[dgparent]

Is NCL more willing to wait for cruise passengers that are running late at the departure port?

 

I'm wondering because we are booked on the Breakaway and using our own transportation to the ship (Taxi) with a flight that's supposed to arrive at 11:58am / Departure is set for 3pm but NCL reps told me that if you registered online and had edocs you board as late as 2pm

 

I also asked the rep about it and said that you could call the 800 number to get customer service and request that they notify the ship that you are enroute but of course she could not comment on whether or not they would hold the ship for you.

 

I would not even try this especially in the winter, O'Hare to NYC ?

 

Like everyone else said leave the day before. I like leaving the day before it is another day of vaca, sitting in the hotel pool bar having a few drinks knowing that you have no real worries left and you will be on a great cruise the next day :)

[kcwingwalker]

Hard to watch, but entertaining in a sad/sick kind of way....one of the best example videos on youtube of why you should show up to your ship on it time...every cruisers worst nightmare.

 

 

 

 

It was sad, but the bus driver seemed helpful.

[zoobenny]

Punctuality is definitely not my strong point, however when I'm travelling I usually feel the stakes are too high to be late, and build in contingency time for any travel arrangement. We sailed on our first cruise in January, and always made it back to ship with at least an hour to spare.

However we are cruising with my mother next month and she is so ridiculously punctual all the time she'll be back on the boat before she's even got off it!!

[B6ConMe]

Punctuality is definitely not my strong point, however when I'm travelling I usually feel the stakes are too high to be late, and build in contingency time for any travel arrangement. We sailed on our first cruise in January, and always made it back to ship with at least an hour to spare.

However we are cruising with my mother next month and she is so ridiculously punctual all the time she'll be back on the boat before she's even got off it!!

 

Your mother and I would travel well together. I don't like being late at all, especially if we're on vacation. Start early, stay late, works for me. :p

[bowbiter]

Most people would not mention it on here if this happened to them. They would get crucified. There is not much sympathy on here for this sort of thing. Folks actually admit to watching the "dock run" as a sport!:eek:

 

I love watching dock runners. Cozumel is one of the best ports for that lol

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Forums mobile app

[dispachcops]

I always book a red-eye and try to sleep on the plane. (Since I fly the furthest in the continental US... Seattle- Miami).

 

Sent from my MB855 using Forums mobile app

[time2cruise1]

even one bad review can spoil the reputation, I guess, especially if the competition is tough.so, they usually very aware about this kind of situations:)

 

If one bad review spoil a reputation nobody that comes to CC would sail on any ship. Tour reviews like hotels, cruises, and restaurants have to be taken as a whole. The truth lies somewhere in the middle.

[Squidward Q Tentacles]

I was watching a show on TV about a cruiseship and they had some passengers that were late. Talking with the captain he was saying they would wait a little, but the longer the ship waited to leave the more it cost in fuel. The trip back to Miami would cost an extra $50,000 in fuel if he had to run the ship faster than normal.

[momoftwinteens]

My sister and I invited our 22 year old niece to join us on our up-coming cruise. I told her that she didn't have to stick with us or do the same excursions we were doing. However, that being said, I then made her watch all the YouTube videos I could find about people being left at the pier. She is pretty responsible but, I wanted it to be very clear to her that, if she gets left behind and we are already on the ship that 1. There would be absolutely NOTHING we could do about it and 2. She would be responsible for getting herself to the next port. I think she got the message. I really hope we don't find out the wrong way that she didn't!

[TravelDiva88]

My sister and I invited our 22 year old niece to join us on our up-coming cruise. I told her that she didn't have to stick with us or do the same excursions we were doing. However, that being said, I then made her watch all the YouTube videos I could find about people being left at the pier. She is pretty responsible but, I wanted it to be very clear to her that, if she gets left behind and we are already on the ship that 1. There would be absolutely NOTHING we could do about it and 2. She would be responsible for getting herself to the next port. I think she got the message. I really hope we don't find out the wrong way that she didn't!

 

I think she'll get the message.

 

 

Even at the tender age of 20 when I took my first "real vacation" without my parents, and despite the fact that I was completely intoxicated while ashore, I managed to make my way back to the ship with plenty of time to spare.

 

 

3 things we always take ashore with us (aside from key card + photo ID)

 

1) Port Agent's contact info- this is your last ditch contact to get back on the ship if you're delayed

 

2) Credit card that has enough available credit to cover $1,000 of emergency transportation needs.

 

3) Copy of passport- I don't risk taking my passport ashore in low-risk situations, but having a copy will at least expedite processing of an emergency passport if the need arises.

[mypleasure]

I have never come close to missing the ship but on our last 2 cruises on Spirit in the Med numerous pax were left in just about every port we stayed at.

On the first cruise Captain Lars gave a daily roundup every evening about 30 minutes after we set sail and he would tell exactly how many chickens did not return to the coop. This was usually close to the number of names that were being repeatedly paged on the speaker system. We lost 6 in Toulon (France) and he told us at Livorno (Italy) that they had returned by taxi and he wondered how much that had cost as he had seen a very happy French taxi driver leaving the port that day.

On this years trip it was a different Captain who was not so forthcoming but I am certain we lost people. On leaving Athens we were late and it was clear that 2 were missing. Our balcony was above the gangway and I saw someone from guest services hand over 2 blue passports to the port agent, just then two girls in their 20's came running out of the terminal. Port agent smiling handed them their documents, all crew boarded, gangplank up, away we went.

If you are sailing in the Mediteranean don't risk being left as it is clear that they can and do leave people to maintain the schedule for everyone else.

[Charles4515]

 

The private tours are all very much aware of the ships' schedule. They know in this day and age that if they make you miss the ship, you'll blast them in a review online, and hurt their future business. They make every effort to get you back early to avoid hurting themselves!

 

Yes, and for that reason I feel very safe doing private tours. Done many in the Caribbean, Alaska and Europe and never came close to missing the ship. A private tour company these days knows that if their customers miss the ship it will be all over Cruise Critic and Tripadvisor. They would lose a lot of business.

 

My observations from over 40 cruises is that people who miss the ship lost track off time at a bar or shopping or took a taxi somewhere and did not account for traffic. Yes, even small Caribbean Islands have rush hour. And with only one main road there can be traffic jams as everyone has to use at road!

[Charles4515]

You are correct about the Breakaway leaving at 3 instead of 4. The only problem is if the OP missed the ship that can't fly to Fl to catch up because they would be boarding in one port and disembarking in another without a distant foreign port, so they would be violating the Jones act which comes with heavy fines. OP I would change to the day earlier if at all possible

 

I am doing the Breakaway in a few weeks and will arrive a day early even though I am only 200 miles from the port.

[Charles4515]

To the original OP, if you would like to see the Captain and crew deliberating leaving someone behind and having to navigate with port authorities to be allowed to stay even minutes late, watch the show, "Mighty Ships" on the Smithsonian Channel. (DirecTV channel 570)

 

Some ports it's not even a question of the port authorities. Because of the tides they have to depart before a certain time. That is one reason why there is no guarantee they won't leave people even if they are on a ship sponsored excursion.

[wheatengirl]

My in-laws (83, 84 years of age) went on their one and only cruise out of NYC 2 years ago on an NCL ship and they were left in St. Marteen. They got off the ship in port and filled the last 2 spots on a private excursion. Problem was the other people were from a different ship and they didn't realize that they needed to be back earlier than the other folks. When they got back to the port the ship was gone.

 

The port authority helped them make arrangements to get back to NYC via a flight to San Juan, Miami, NYC. Some 15 hours later they arrived home to NYC in shorts to horrible winter weather. They went to the port in NYC once the ship returned to pick up their luggage which had been packed by their cabin steward. It was a very expensive mistake.

 

The moral to this story, BE ON TIME.

[jaja]

Some ports it's not even a question of the port authorities. Because of the tides they have to depart before a certain time. That is one reason why there is no guarantee they won't leave people even if they are on a ship sponsored excursion.

 

 

I never thought of that !!!...:o--good point..!

[Reader0108598]

My in-laws (83, 84 years of age) went on their one and only cruise out of NYC 2 years ago on an NCL ship and they were left in St. Marteen. They got off the ship in port and filled the last 2 spots on a private excursion. Problem was the other people were from a different ship and they didn't realize that they needed to be back earlier than the other folks. When they got back to the port the ship was gone.

 

The port authority helped them make arrangements to get back to NYC via a flight to San Juan, Miami, NYC. Some 15 hours later they arrived home to NYC in shorts to horrible winter weather. They went to the port in NYC once the ship returned to pick up their luggage which had been packed by their cabin steward. It was a very expensive mistake.

 

The moral to this story, BE ON TIME.

 

 

Oh how sad is that ,those poor people :(

[MCAT48]

I am way too paranoid of a person to be late coming back to the ship! Last cruise there were so many late comers it was getting pretty annoying!

[sheshe01]

I dont think I saw anyone in this thread confirm they missed ship due to non ship excursion. Funny we are going on a cruise in Dec. 1 of our group refuses to take non ship excursion due to this reason but they are flying in the same day as departure (from Ca. to Miami)?? Me, I will fly day before and take a non ship excursion without any worry:rolleyes:

[seventhwardhustler]

I remember reading about a ship being two hours late leaving bermuda because at the decision of the Captain he was not going to depart without the couple as they had left a minor child onboard the ship.

 

Good for him. However, I wonder if these folks have to foot the additional charges the line incurs?