How To Read The Itinerary

[beg3yrs]

If you are on a ship's tour, they will not sail without you. Our tour in the Panama Canal got back 2 1/2 to 3 hours past when the ship was due to sail. Of course, they kept calling to get an ETA from the tour group.

 

Like "Pam in Ca" said, there are times when the ship MUST sail regardless of ship's tours being late. Reasons include weather, tides and ship's safety among others.

[sherryf]

Also, please be advised that if you take a Ship-Sponsored Excursion and there are delays that cause you to arrive after the ship's scheduled departure time, the ship HAS to wait for you. :)

 

If you tour independently, and you are delayed in your return time, the ship DOES NOT have to wait for you . . . and they won't. :eek:

 

The OP is cruising to Alaska. The independent tour vendors in Alaska are very aware of this situation and it is not an issue. I don't think I've ever heard a report of someone being left behind in Alaska because their independent tour was late.

[Ethel5]

If you are on a ship's tour, they will not sail without you. Our tour in the Panama Canal got back 2 1/2 to 3 hours past when the ship was due to sail. Of course, they kept calling to get an ETA from the tour group.

 

This is not carved in granite! A ship can and will sail without passengers on a ship's tour if circumstances demand the departure. Princess will cover hotel, meals and transportation to the next port. There is always the chance that it will leave on schedule.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

Always take a copy of that day's Patter with you. It states the time to be back on board as well as the contact info for the port agent (just in case you run into any problems)...

 

Great idea!

[crush on cruises]

Alaska is a beautiful and a great itinerary for a first cruise. Check out the destinations boards for more information specific to Alaska. You might as well staet planning thw following cruise because you'll be hooked!

[pablo222]

Like "Pam in Ca" said, there are times when the ship MUST sail regardless of ship's tours being late. Reasons include weather, tides and ship's safety among others.

 

Of course you're right; but there are endless 'truisms' here that

will be repeated forever...

[Thrak]

Alaska is a beautiful and a great itinerary for a first cruise. Check out the destinations boards for more information specific to Alaska. You might as well staet planning thw following cruise because you'll be hooked!

 

Alaska was our first cruise and it changed our lives forever. I truly think it is a wonderful itinerary for a first cruise.

 

I'm actually a bit jealous of the OP. Unlike some other cruisers who love to make sure everyone sees their cruise card because their black or platinum card (or even a lowly ruby card like mine :D) makes them feel somehow "superior" to someone with a blue card, I tend to envy the blue card folks. You only get one"first cruise" and I will always treasure that memory.

[Lucky TGO]

To double-check the ship's time with your watch, the phone has a digital readout of the time. You can also check the TV but the phone is faster and easier.

 

Hi Pam,

Tony from Chelsea MA

I think this is the best way to check the ship's time. I never thought of checking the phone. Good advice!!

 

Thank You,

Tony

[gdisney]

I know on the iPhone, if you go under Setting > General > Date & Time, you can turn off the "Set Automatically" feature, so your phone won't automatically change to local time. This is what I do, then I make sure my phone time matches ship time before I leave the ship.

[Tuscan]

Not quite accurate. There are times when the ship must sail whether a ship's excursion is back or not. Princess will make arrangements, including hotel, meals and transportation, to get you to the next port. It doesn't happen often but it does happen. I've been on a couple of cruises when this happened although I wasn't on the delayed tours.

 

Sorry to get back so late. But, as you describe, they MUST have been passengers on Princess Shore Excursions. If I leave the ship on my own, Princess has NO responsibility to contact me regardless of what's on my Passenger Immigration info. That's the chance you take with 3rd party contractors or sightseeing on your own.

[Katjoy]

When getting ready for the day in my stateroom I turn the TV on to the Cruise Director's Early Morning Show. They have a semi funny informative show, explaining all you need to know each day & on Port days. They are repetitive about the ship's time, when you can disembark & when you need to be back on the ship.

 

They also go over all the activities scheduled on board for the day etc.

[Pam in CA]

Sorry to get back so late. But, as you describe, they MUST have been passengers on Princess Shore Excursions. If I leave the ship on my own, Princess has NO responsibility to contact me regardless of what's on my Passenger Immigration info. That's the chance you take with 3rd party contractors or sightseeing on your own.

Yes. If you take an independent tour, the responsibility is all yours as are any expenses to catch up with the ship.

 

Ship's tours are more expensive than independent tours but that also includes insurance to get you back to the ship wherever it is or any other expenses incurred. I usually do a mix of independent and ship's tours depending on the port.

 

Years ago, I was on the original Royal Princess and I remember the port lecturer, Joe May, tell everyone during his lecture to have a great time and if you're on an independent tour, be sure to bring your camera so you can take a picture of the ship sailing away without you. It was funny then but the next day, we were in Barcelona and four people missed the ship. The two couples had to take the train to Cannes, stay at a hotel and meet the ship the next day. Expensive tour.

[shredie]

When getting ready for the day in my stateroom I turn the TV on to the Cruise Director's Early Morning Show. They have a semi funny informative show, explaining all you need to know each day & on Port days. They are repetitive about the ship's time, when you can disembark & when you need to be back on the ship.

 

They also go over all the activities scheduled on board for the day etc.

 

"The Wake Show." Yes, semi-funny. :D This is how most people meet the cruise director, I think.

[Pam in CA]

"The Wake Show." Yes, semi-funny. :D This is how most people meet the cruise director, I think.

Maybe that's why I rarely care who the CD is. I never turn on the TV much less for the Wake Show. I'm not a morning person. :)

 

Unfortunately, people get the impression that the best CDs are the funniest or most entertaining without a clue as to what a CD actually does. Here's what CD Richard Joseph replied to an interview a few years ago. The job of a CD has evolved since then even further to being a manager:

 

"Today's Cruise Director must have many skills. You have to be a talented emcee, and strong communication and public speaking skills are a must to present informative port of call briefings for the guests. You have to be an excellent manager and motivator to handle some very strong personalities of entertainers within your department. You have to socialize and make sure that the guests aboard are having a great cruise experience. A good Cruise Director and Entertainment Team set the overall mood of the ship. In addition to all this, the CD must liaise with both the onboard (Captain, Hotel Manager and all department heads) and shore side (Director of Entertainment, Hotel Operations, etc.) management teams. The best Cruise Directors must be multi talented. (Public Relations Specialists, Mediators, Managers, Entertainers, Problem Solvers, Guidance Counselors and more) all within an 18 hour work day!"