Ship time versus port time (Gem/San Juan)

[Becky]

NCL itinerary states we are in San Juan from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. I have booked a segway tour in which the tour states to arrive at 4:00 p.m. San Juan time (it is not booked through the ship). Is there a difference between the two? I want to make sure 3:00 p.m. ship time is not 4:00 p.m. San Juan time or I will arrive late to the segway place.

[sweiss]

You'll have to take time zone changes into account. Unless San Juan is the same time zone as the port you departed from, the times will be different

[Demonyte]

NCL itinerary states we are in San Juan from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. I have booked a segway tour in which the tour states to arrive at 4:00 p.m. San Juan time (it is not booked through the ship). Is there a difference between the two? I want to make sure 3:00 p.m. ship time is not 4:00 p.m. San Juan time or I will arrive late to the segway place.

 

With NCL, the ship time is (usually) the same as the port time - the room steward will deliver "a time change notice" to your room every night before time change when they turn down the cabin and deliver the next day's Freestyle Daily.

 

ETA: I don't personally remember any port of call (for sure) where the time would have been different but there might have been one (out of 20+ ports of call with NCL).

Edited December 28, 2013 by Demonyte

[KeithJenner]

You'll have to take time zone changes into account. Unless San Juan is the same time zone as the port you departed from, the times will be different

 

 

Unless I misunderstand what you mean this is incorrect.

 

The ship time changes during the cruise so that, with very few exceptions, the advertised port times will be local time for the port, not your departure place.

 

So, in this case, you should arrive at 3 pm local time.

 

I believe that there are a couple of exceptions (one being where there is a 30 minute time difference, but I don't have any reason to believe that this port is one of them.

 

Also, most tour companies who run excursions used by cruise passengers are well aware of the ship docking times. If you had to tell them the ship you are in then they will be well aware of when you are arriving. If there is any delay in the ship arriving then they will probably know before you do.

Edited December 28, 2013 by KeithJenner

[VickiD59]

I've cruised into San Juan twice, and they were on the same timezone as the ship, which was on eastern time. Now both times it was during the month of July - not sure if they adjust their clocks twice a year like the U.S. does, but it was the same on the ship and off.

Perhaps your excursion vendor is taking into consideration that even though your ship is docking at 3:00, it will take some time to disembark, which is why they're giving you a 4:00 meet time. I do remember that it seemed to take longer in San Juan than our other ports - I always attributed it to being our first port of call and that everyone was anxious to get off.

[KeithJenner]

They do adjust the times for daylight saving.

 

Basically, with very few exceptions, ship time and local time at the current port are the same.

[njhorseman]

They do adjust the times for daylight saving.

 

Basically, with very few exceptions, ship time and local time at the current port are the same.

 

Not so...Puerto Rico does not observe Daylight Savings Time. The island is on Atlantic Standard Time (one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time) year round. This means that the time in PR is currently one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time...10am in NY or Miami will be 11am in Puerto Rico, but when NY or Miami is on EDT, 10am there will also be 10am in Puerto Rico.

 

As to NCL's practices, in most cases they observe local time, but that does not occur 100% of the time. In certain circumstances (and I have been on NCL cruises where this has occurred) the ship does not switch to local time.

Edited December 28, 2013 by njhorseman

[KeithJenner]

Not so...Puerto Rico does not observe Daylight Savings Time. The island is on Atlantic Standard Time (one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time) year round. This means that the time in PR is currently one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time...10am in NY or Miami will be 11am in Puerto Rico, but when NY or Miami is on EDT, 10am there will also be 10am in Puerto Rico.

 

 

I was confirming that NCL adjust for daylight saving.

 

 

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Edited December 28, 2013 by KeithJenner

[njhorseman]

I was confirming that NCL adjust for daylight saving.

 

 

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OK...I interpreted what you said as meaning Puerto Rico adjusted to DST. The word "they" isn't specific enough to distinguish whether you were referring to Puerto Rico or NCL, particularly because your post immediately followed one from a poster who did not know whether Puerto Rico observed DST or not. Since you didn't quote the the post to which you were responding I took your post as being a response to the immediately preceding uncertain poster.

 

Nonetheless, while NCL in most cases does observe local time (whether DST or ST) it is not done on 100% of their cruises and I have been on a couple of cruises where the switch to local time was not made in a particular port or ports.

Edited December 28, 2013 by njhorseman

[KeithJenner]

OK...I interpreted what you said as meaning Puerto Rico adjusted to DST. The word "they" isn't specific enough to distinguish whether you were referring to Puerto Rico or NCL, particularly because your post immediately followed one from a poster who did not know whether Puerto Rico observed DST or not.

 

 

Actually, the previous poster also said "they" which I (probably incorrectly) interpreted as referring to NCL. :) just shows how we can all misinterpret the written word.

 

Anyway, we do agree that, whilst NCL ships are usually at port times, there are some occasions where they don't. Those do seem to be fairly few, and I've never done across one.

 

 

 

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[njhorseman]

Actually, the previous poster also said "they" which I (probably incorrectly) interpreted as referring to NCL. :) just shows how we can all misinterpret the written word.

 

Anyway, we do agree that, whilst NCL ships are usually at port times, there are some occasions where they don't. Those do seem to be fairly few, and I've never done across one.

 

 

 

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FWIW, that poster didn't say they were on NCL (just that they cruised into San Juan twice), and in fact from their listed cruise history they show no prior NCL cruises and two Carnival cruises from San Juan...so it was a fairly easy leap of faith on my part to conclude they were referring to Puerto Rico, not NCL. ;)

[KeithJenner]

Yeah, which is why I said I was probably incorrect.

 

Shall we move on now. ;)

[Becky]

I actually chose the tour time at 4:00 p.m. The segway company asked me what time my ship arrived and I told them the itinerary says 3:00 p.m. My confirmation email from the segway company says "look forward to meeting in local time" that is why I asked the question. So, what am I to think? Will it be 4:00 p.m. local time when we arrive or 3:00 p.m., as you can see this will make a big difference.

[spirit rev]

Becky

You should be more than okay with a local time 4 PM tour. Monitoring the Gem the past few weeks, it has actually arrived before the 3 PM time on the itinerary.

The 3 PM arrival time, in my experience, has always been local time.

[quercus alba]

On Pearl this March, the ship remained on Miami (EST) time throughout the trip, despite Grand Cayman and Cozumel local times being different.

 

FYI

[spidybabe]

I actually chose the tour time at 4:00 p.m. The segway company asked me what time my ship arrived and I told them the itinerary says 3:00 p.m. My confirmation email from the segway company says "look forward to meeting in local time" that is why I asked the question. So, what am I to think? Will it be 4:00 p.m. local time when we arrive or 3:00 p.m., as you can see this will make a big difference.

 

You will be fine. You will arrive 3PM local time. PR is a walk off port (no tenders) never had problem getting off.

Relax---enjoy

Safe sailing

[vols_159]

On Pearl this March, the ship remained on Miami (EST) time throughout the trip, despite Grand Cayman and Cozumel local times being different.

 

FYI

 

That is weird my 3 cruises to Cozumel Belize roatan we adjusted to local time 2 sun 1 dawn