Port Docking Question

[tbenson81]

How closely do the ships follow their itinerary schedule. When we go to honolulu, the ship says it docks at 8am and leaves at 11pm.

 

I copied this from another post:

 

"Honolulu-We docked at 930PM and left the next day at 1100PM giving us more than 24 hours in Honolulu. "

 

Does the ship really get there earlier or even a night before?

 

If so - can we get off the boat whenever we want? Say 2 or 3 in the morning?

 

Thanks

Tony

[spongerob]

The schedule can change for a variety of reasons. In only one case can I recall arriving early, and that was in Cozumel the day before we were scheduled to arrive due to missing Costa Maya. We were permitted to go ashore as soon as the ship was cleared and tender service could be started.

[Globaliser]

Unless something has gone wrong, my experience is that ships keep surprisingly closely to their published itineraries. This is probably because arrangements are made long in advance that revolve around the ship arriving at a particular time; neither too early nor too late.

 

However, bad weather, mechanical problems or medical emergencies can result in re-planning and schedule changes. Also, one exception to the general rule is for the port of disembarkation, when ships tend to arrive significantly earlier than published, so that the process of unloading baggage can begin as soon as possible.

 

But these are relatively rare, and if a ship (not boat! ;)) is due in to a port at 8 am it will be very unusual for her to arrive about 12 hours early.

 

Usually, if a ship is docked at a port of call (as opposed to the final port of disembarkation) you can get off and on as much as you like throughout the time that she's there. That includes overnight, if the stop is an overnight stop.

[tbenson81]

Thanks everyone!

[Druke I]

Like trains of old, they sometimes arrive in port early, and then "dwell" until scheduled departure time, which they try very hard to adhere to (dockage fees etc. often climb rapidly if departure delayed).

[Pam in CA]

The ships stick pretty close to the schedule for a number of reasons, one of the main ones being that they're charged docking fees by the hour. They can arrive late due to weather or other unforeseen events and they can leave late but it's usually not by much. When there are lots of sea days, such as going to/from Hawaii, the ship has plenty of time to adjust its speed to get there on time.

 

I've had ships sail late because Princess tours didn't get back on time or, like in Lahaina, the seas were rough by the time the ship was ready to embark. The tenders had to share a dock with other boats and were delayed getting people back to the ship on time.

 

Advice: don't ever plan on the ship leaving late or else you'll be waving to it from the dock as it sails away. Also, if you miss the ship in Hawaii, you'll be fined several hundred $ because you'll be in violation of the Passenger Services Act.

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Pam in MA stated:

Also, if you miss the ship in Hawaii, you'll be fined several hundred $ because you'll be in violation of the Passenger Services Act.

 

That might be true on Princess and other foreign-flagged cruise lines, but not on NCL America ships of course, as they are U.S. flagged.

 

BobK/Orlando

just off: Sea Princess