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Missing the Ship???

rhinomike

By rhinomike,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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rhinomike

rhinomike

Posted
Posted

Has anyone on here done a non ship excursion, been late returning and then missed the ship? Or maybe know someone that has missed the ship? I know the cruise line states that they will leave passengers if they are late but I wasn't sure if that might be a scare tatic to get you to use the ships tours.

 

Also what about calling the ship and letting them know you are stuck in traffic but on the way and you will be a little late?

 

I have been on around 25 cruises and never met anybody that missed the ship. So thought I would ask.

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BigRed93

BigRed93

Posted
Posted

I've watched people running down the pier as the ship was pulling away after hearing named called repeatedly over the PA system. Who knows if they were on a private excursion, or simply doing their own thing.

I do know that every private tour operator I have ever dealt with is super careful about the time. They don't need any bad publicity and it's in their best interest to get you back in time. Now if they drop you off and you stop at fat Tuesdays and wonder what the horn is blowing for-well that's on you. :)

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

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jwlnroe

jwlnroe

Posted
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we've missed the ship but that was on embarkation day due to bad weather in the midwest so our flights all got delayed/canceled so we had to catch up with the ship in Cozumel back when I sailed on the Imagination but that was back in the day where the airline paid you for hotel/food and all that fun stuff.. with weather these days they don't pay for anything :-( we had the cruiselines airfare and went down the day of.. in the middle of winter. . lol we learned our lessons.. never again will we do same day flying.. always a day or two before hand.

 

never met anyone that has missed it due to a excursion though.. I always make sure i'm back onboard a good hour or so before the ship is suppose to leave. We have always done the ships excursions or just walked about the town.

 

Interested to read if anyone has had this happen and what you had to do to catch back up if the cruise line helped or if it was all out of your pocket..

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crusinpsychRN

crusinpsychRN

Posted
Posted

In Belize I came very, very close! Had done zip lining and cave tubing, had no time for any lunch and got to the pier as the last tender was boarding.

 

Due to a very unfortunate medical emergency, it took a lot longer for the tender to board. Someone spread a rumor that one of us in our party was related to the victim who had been badly injured by a monkey. Several men rushed to our late arriving van, arms frantically waving, and nearly dragged us from the van, through the building and down to the boarding tender, insisting one of us was the relative, all the while saying we weren't.

 

We boarded the tender in front of about 130 others and were asked to calm the young lady, which we did. When we got back to the ship we found out her mother was already on the ship waiting for her.

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HardToPort

HardToPort

Posted
Posted
Has anyone on here done a non ship excursion, been late returning and then missed the ship? Or maybe know someone that has missed the ship? I know the cruise line states that they will leave passengers if they are late but I wasn't sure if that might be a scare tatic to get you to use the ships tours.

 

Also what about calling the ship and letting them know you are stuck in traffic but on the way and you will be a little late?

 

I have been on around 25 cruises and never met anybody that missed the ship. So thought I would ask.

 

Never missed embarkation but seen those who have. Usual culprit is changing watch from ship's time to local time. Or asking a local for the time. Remember, ship's times never changes from original point of departure (except maybe trans oceanic cruises maybe).

 

Know when you need to be back on board and BE BACK ON Board. If 3000 other people can do it, you can too!

 

It is fun watching the stragglers run though.

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OCruisers

OCruisers

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Posted

It does happen. With the well know long time independents not so likely.

 

Still, it can even with those booked thru the ship. We have been very late arriving back from excursions thru the SHIP several times because of catamaran issues returning. Naturally, the ship waited.

 

LuLu

~~~~

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Carnival_Brides

Carnival_Brides

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We nearly missed the ship at embarkation on our first cruise. There was a weird frost/ice storm in the south that caused our connection Atlanta to be delayed. We did call the port agent and they were able to hold the ship, but only because there were loads of other passengers delayed.

 

That was how we learned to always arrive the night before or at least in enough time for a Plan B.

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LovesCruising

LovesCruising

Posted
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Its not a scare tactic - the ship WILL leave without you:eek:

 

Years ago we were on Celebrity, a large family was cruising together - we were in Aruba - and this is not a joke - its a true story - sitting at the bar with an elderly man, his wife had missed the ship - last seen in the Casino in Aruba. Unfortunately, next port was the end of the cruise - don't know if she had her passport on her but she was meeting them at home!

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Tbay-eh

Tbay-eh

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We were on a Carnival excursion for the Panama Canal - 2 buses of us - we got stuck behind an accident on a 2 lane road - 2 hours late and ship was waiting for us. HOWEVER, 2 buses of private tours were behind us and the ships (Princess and I believe Royal Caribbean) left and they had to catch up with ships. Apparently the ships both waited over an hour and then finally left. If I am doing an excursion close to ship I will do private tours but never ever if I have to rely on a bus 2 to 3 hours away - just not worth it

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GranysT

GranysT

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Posted

We were on a ship a few years ago, where the husband of a cruise friend was nearly left, in Cozumel. He and his family had rented a car, for the day. Upon returning the car, there was some problem with the paperwork, which delayed his checkin of the car. As it got close to boarding time, he sent his family on to the ship. The ship had backed away from the dock, and was turning to head out to sea, when he came frantically running up the dock. We could hear him yelling"come back", but we didn't. Instead the ship stopped and waited, while a small pilot boat brought him to the ship. Then he had to climb up a rope ladder, they threw over the side for him. He had to pay the small boat $250, to bring him out to us. Moral of story being, Don't Miss The Ship.

 

My husband and I were on a Hawaiian cruise, in 2007. We took the Road To Hana tour. That's pretty much an all day excursion. If the road were laid out straight, the trip would be about an hour. Because the road has a few dozen turns, it takes about 4 hrs. We were to be back at the ship by 5:30, and we got back about 6:30. The driver said not to worry, he had contacted the ship, and they knew this particular tour almost always got back late. Thank goodness this was a ship sponsored tour, and they did wait for us. I hate to think of ever being left behind.

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cherbear4000

cherbear4000

Posted
Posted

I do private excursions/my own thing more than half the time. I have never had an issue. There was a time in Belize when we did cave tubing with Carnival that ran over an hour late. Of course, the ship waited for us. There was also a private tour running late. Luckily, they were fine since the ship was waiting for our tour. I talked to a couple people on that private tour. They said people on their bus were so nervous, some crying thinking they missed the ship.

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Powriv

Powriv

Posted
Posted

Was on NCL Pearl 3 yrs ago when it stopped in Guatemala. There isn't anything at the port so everything required at least an hour drive. Going to town was fine, coming back it poured rain causing some flash flooding across the highway.

 

The bus I was on made it past the flood point but other buses behind us were trapped. Buses that were near the port were brought to flood area and people either walked across the flood or there were boats used.

 

The ship waited over 3 hrs for all passengers to arrive back as everyone was on ships tours

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Crusin6

Crusin6

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Posted
In Belize I came very, very close! Had done zip lining and cave tubing, had no time for any lunch and got to the pier as the last tender was boarding.

 

Due to a very unfortunate medical emergency, it took a lot longer for the tender to board. Someone spread a rumor that one of us in our party was related to the victim who had been badly injured by a monkey. Several men rushed to our late arriving van, arms frantically waving, and nearly dragged us from the van, through the building and down to the boarding tender, insisting one of us was the relative, all the while saying we weren't.

 

We boarded the tender in front of about 130 others and were asked to calm the young lady, which we did. When we got back to the ship we found out her mother was already on the ship waiting for her.

 

Glad you were able to help in some way but I would be interested in why they didn't believe you that you weren't related? Imagine if this were a very small child and they insisted you were related to them? Great give a kid to a total stranger even though that total stranger says we are not that kids family.

 

So what did they say after you calmed the girl down and you asked them why they didn't believe you when you said you weren't related? Are they stupid?

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Out to sea!

Out to sea!

Posted
Posted
Never missed embarkation but seen those who have. Usual culprit is changing watch from ship's time to local time. Or asking a local for the time. Remember, ship's times never changes from original point of departure (except maybe trans oceanic cruises maybe).

 

Know when you need to be back on board and BE BACK ON Board. If 3000 other people can do it, you can too!

 

It is fun watching the stragglers run though.

 

That depends on the cruise. I have been on Eastern and Western cruises where they did both (changed time and didn't change time). Whether the ship changes time or not, ALWAYS follow ship time!

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Out to sea!

Out to sea!

Posted
Posted
Glad you were able to help in some way but I would be interested in why they didn't believe you that you weren't related? Imagine if this were a very small child and they insisted you were related to them? Great give a kid to a total stranger even though that total stranger says we are not that kids family.

 

So what did they say after you calmed the girl down and you asked them why they didn't believe you when you said you weren't related? Are they stupid?

 

Maybe their English sucked and they didn't understand (yes I understand English is the language used in Belize but it sure isn't the same English I grew up with ;)).

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