Ship time versus local time?

[azcruise]

We are doing (sort of) back to backs on the Pearl then the Jewel in a few weeks. While setting up excursions with local tour guides, we have been asked by three different ones to check if the ship is using local time or "ship time". The ports specifically are Bonaire, Puerto Limon, and Cabo San Lucas.

 

We have been on about 15 NCL cruises and have never noticed NOT being on local time. Does anyone know if the ships are on local times in those ports? Any idea of how to find out?

 

Thanks!

[cb at sea]

It's really up to the captain if he/she changes time or not. I've been on cruises where we NEVER changed from our departure port time, and on some where we switched to local....

 

Ship's time is really all that matters to you, tho...and I'm surprised the "guides" don't know this....it's their livelihood!

[Kamloops50]

In some ports the ships stays on ship time not local.. This is at discretion of the captain. This quite often happens in the Western Caribbean where the port times change with every port.To keep it easier for the crew and passengers they will stay in one time zone.

[azcruise]

It's really up to the captain if he/she changes time or not. I've been on cruises where we NEVER changed from our departure port time, and on some where we switched to local....

 

Ship's time is really all that matters to you, tho...and I'm surprised the "guides" don't know this....it's their livelihood!

 

They have said it is up to the captain, so they don't know. I am not sure how to schedule a time, since I don't know the time the ship will be using....

 

Thanks for the replies.

[BirdTravels]

NCL usually switches the ship's clocks to Local time. We take 5-6 NCL cruises a year and have never not been on local time in recent years.

[ihopfar]

When researching my upcoming Western Caribbean cruise on the Dawn, I discovered that the ship appears to stay on Central Time -- so unfortunately the rule that I used to believe that NCL ships always change to local appears not to be true.

 

However -- it does appear the times provided on the official NCL itinerary are local time. Meaning, no matter what time the captain decides to make the ship time, NCL has let the port (and pilot boat) know that the ship will arrive at the advertised local time.

 

In other words, if the itinerary says port time is 9-5 that is local time. The ship time could be 8-4, 9-5, or 10-6 depending.

 

If I am right (and I am sure folks will come to concur or correct me -- probably some of both!), it means when booking you should be able to tell the local tour guides the time on the itinerary and be reasonable certain that is their local time.

 

---Brad