Cruise Time v. Ship Time

[Reddyrat1981]

We're booked on the January 24 Royal Caribbean cruise leaving out of Sydney and touring New Zealand. We are trying to book private excursions in New Zealand, but are wondering about the time difference.

 

Is there a difference between ship time and local time? Or will we all change our clocks when we leave Australia to match New Zealand time?

[Aus Traveller]

We're booked on the January 24 Royal Caribbean cruise leaving out of Sydney and touring New Zealand. We are trying to book private excursions in New Zealand, but are wondering about the time difference.

 

Is there a difference between ship time and local time? Or will we all change our clocks when we leave Australia to match New Zealand time?

You will change your clocks to match New Zealand time. 'Ship time' is always the same as local time. Have a great cruise. :)

[bazzaw]

You will change your clocks to match New Zealand time. 'Ship time' is always the same as local time. Have a great cruise. :)

 

Hmmm -- Ship time is "mostly" the same as local time -- but there are well known instances where this has not happened. Somewhat weird, I know -- I guess that mostly it has happened during ocean transits - not likely to happen for a visit to NZ --- BUT -- fact is sometimes stranger than fiction :)

 

 

Barry

[Very Frequent Flyer]

I was on the Radiance early last year. When we arrived in Brisbane, we were told not to change our time even though Brisbane was one hour behind Sydney.

[goodycruising]

Yep, we have done 2 Royal Caribbean ships to NZ and they change time zones to match local time for sure.

 

The only thing I would be careful with is when you hear on this forum from other members - that have the best intentions - that while the ship says it is going to allow you off the ship at a certain time, the port booking says differently. We found that the ship may be booked into port for certain hours, but on our trips to NZ the schedule was as per the Royal Caribbean times on their itinerary.

[fishtaco]

Hmmm -- Ship time is "mostly" the same as local time -- but there are well known instances where this has not happened. Somewhat weird, I know -- I guess that mostly it has happened during ocean transits - not likely to happen for a visit to NZ --- BUT -- fact is sometimes stranger than fiction :)

 

 

Barry

 

Especially for pier runners after a few too many:D:D:D

 

Regardless the hour here the hour there time change I am always back on the ship at least 2 hours before the deadline! Call me cautious but you really have to be aware that the ship wont wait forever just because you paid them some money for a cruise:)

 

Ship v port time is announced all the time,over the air and in the daily ship Rag, you really have to be a "Dunderhead" to get it wrong:D

[Gunner22aa]

While some will say different every cruise that I have been on with 4 different lines has had time adjustments made either forward or backward so that the ships time was always set to local time. On Princess for example the daily activity news letter the Patter will tell you when a time adjustment is to be made. "Don't forget to turn your watch ahead one hour this evening prior to retiring" or something to that effect.

[bazzaw]

While some will say different every cruise that I have been on with 4 different lines has had time adjustments made either forward or backward so that the ships time was always set to local time. On Princess for example the daily activity news letter the Patter will tell you when a time adjustment is to be made. "Don't forget to turn your watch ahead one hour this evening prior to retiring" or something to that effect.

 

Yes -- the time situation has always been made very clear on the cruises we have been on, and 99% of the time, ship time has coincided with local time. BUT -- there are exceptions, just do a Google search and you will find many reports of where a cruiseship has been in port using a different time to the local port time. It does appear to me to happen mostly in the Americas?? -- why?, I don't know.

 

Really, the answer to this OP question should be -- don't take anything for granted -- read the Ship's newspaper and listen to all announcements. Has anybody ever been in a situation where an announcement is being made - and the crowd at the next bar table are having a whacko time!!! :mad::mad:

 

Barry

[Einreb61]

We were on Voyager of the Seas in Oct/Nov. when we got to Darwin, we were definitely on ship time, not real time. The captain constantly reminded passengers about this. There were signs up at the gangway telling people what time they had to be back on board and it clearly said "ship time" not real time. Darwin was the only port we were on ship time, the rest was real time.

[bazzaw]

We were on Voyager of the Seas in Oct/Nov. when we got to Darwin, we were definitely on ship time, not real time. The captain constantly reminded passengers about this. There were signs up at the gangway telling people what time they had to be back on board and it clearly said "ship time" not real time. Darwin was the only port we were on ship time, the rest was real time.

 

That is very curious :)

 

Do you have any thoughts/ideas/theories why this happened ??

 

 

Barry

[Einreb61]

That is very curious :)

 

 

 

Do you have any thoughts/ideas/theories why this happened ??

 

 

 

 

 

Barry

 

 

I think it was because changing over to being on the half hour (Darwin time) rather than the hour may have confused people even further, but no reason was given, it just 'was'. Interestingly, getting back to ship from shore time, ready for departure, was also earlier than other ports, maybe because they were concerned passengers would still be confused.