Lesson learned I hope

[lbfluffy]

My co worker just told me the horrible event that happened to them. They were heading to their cruise in Long Beach on October 27th, the day of their cruise. The port is about 6 hours away. Her mom did not want to book a room the night before because she felt it was too expensive to book a room plus charge for two cars parking fee. It was a group of 5 of them. Her mom and sister were coming from a different town so they had two cars. Well my coworkers car broke down on the way to the port. They managed to get to the port at 312, 12 minutes after their boarding time. They would not let them on. They begged pleaded, name dropped, but the agents at Long Beach said no. Oh and they didn’t have insurance.  I feel bad for them. But it is always safer to drive the night before. I doubt they will get any money back, but her sister is trying.

 

 

[crochetcruise]

Oh dear! Due to multiple physical handicaps and needing to fly interstate, I always-well I've only done 1 cruise so far-fly in at least 1 day earlier-was 3 as I stayed with family beforehand-so I am not panicking about getting to the port on time.

 

Yes overnight hotels DO cost money, but I count that expense as part of the cost of the cruise. Much less stressful, and I can go to a supermarket and get any last minute snacks I want before boarding.

 

A rather harsh lesson learned.

 

 

[coevan]

I'll bet that room and parking look real cheap right now, and no insurance, double whammy. This is why we always arrive a day early and buy insurance.

[niciediva007]

1 hour ago, lbfluffy said:

My co worker just told me the horrible event that happened to them. They were heading to their cruise in Long Beach on October 27th, the day of their cruise. The port is about 6 hours away. Her mom did not want to book a room the night before because she felt it was too expensive to book a room plus charge for two cars parking fee. It was a group of 5 of them. Her mom and sister were coming from a different town so they had two cars. Well my coworkers car broke down on the way to the port. They managed to get to the port at 312, 12 minutes after their boarding time. They would not let them on. They begged pleaded, name dropped, but the agents at Long Beach said no. Oh and they didn’t have insurance.  I feel bad for them. But it is always safer to drive the night before. I doubt they will get any money back, but her sister is trying.

 

 

You’re saying the Cruise line wouldn’t let them board? I could understand if they were boarding an aircraft, with TSA and all, but the cruise line has more autonomy and certainly could have let them board. Wow. I wonder if there is more to the story? 12 minutes doesn’t sound like enough  of a tardy to warrant being turned away.

[Joebucks]

Such a shame. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. Imagine the excitement of a vacation, only to find out you can't go, but you paid for it.

 

Being as far away from ports as I am, I always fly in the night before. In fact, that is part of the vacation! Enjoying all that the port has to offer adds to the variety of this vacation. The only problem we have with the hotel, is trying to limit it. 1 day turns into 2, which turns into 3.

[lbfluffy]

40 minutes ago, niciediva007 said:

You’re saying the Cruise line wouldn’t let them board? I could understand if they were boarding an aircraft, with TSA and all, but the cruise line has more autonomy and certainly could have let them board. Wow. I wonder if there is more to the story? 12 minutes doesn’t sound like enough  of a tardy to warrant being turned away.

 

 

She said their reason was if they let them go they would have to bend for others. The way she explained it to me the employees seemed like they wanted to go home after a long day. Her boarding pass said 3 pm, also they said it would throw the timing off to get to the next port. Which really doesn’t sound right since they would be at sea. I don’t know it just sounds like they were going by the rules, and wouldn’t bend.

[lbfluffy]

5 minutes ago, fyree39 said:

I've been on Imagination and Inspiration a number of times. I've seen passengers boarding at around 4:30 pm just about every cruise. This is so weird hearing about this happening to your coworker.

It was a 7 day cruise. 

[Treyatl2006]

That is ridiculous... if your boarding time is 3pm then they definitely should have allowed you to enter at 3:12. Was it the port agents that would not allow them on or was it Carnival?

Edited November 6, 2018 by Treyatl2006

[RWolver672]

1 hour ago, Treyatl2006 said:

That is ridiculous... if your boarding time is 3pm then they definitely should have allowed you to enter at 3:12. Was it the port agents that would not allow them on or was it Carnival?

 

Cutoff time means just that.  If they let one set of passengers on later, then everybody would say, hey, the time doesn't matter.  I can show up whenever.  If a store closes the doors at 9 PM and I  show up at 9:12, they aren't about to open the door just for me because I had car trouble getting there.  

[CdrJeff]

5 minutes ago, RWolver672 said:

 

Cutoff time means just that.  If they let one set of passengers on later, then everybody would say, hey, the time doesn't matter.  I can show up whenever.  If a store closes the doors at 9 PM and I  show up at 9:12, they aren't about to open the door just for me because I had car trouble getting there.  

Seems a little different- not getting a 7 day cruise and not getting milk don’t really compare, do they? And the store doesn’t make you pay for the milk two months in advance. If the boat was still there and the gang plank was still attached and the door was still open, well, this is starting to sound like a “My best friend’s second cousin’s neighbor” story. Maybe there’s some details missing.

[RWolver672]

What I was getting at and you missed the point is that rules are made to be adhered to.  It makes no difference when you paid for it or if the gang plank was still attached.  They have to submit a passenger manifest to who knows where before the ship can sail.  They are not about to wait around to see if Joe Blow is going to show up twelve or thirty minutes late.  If you are spending what I consider not small change to go on a cruise, then it's up to you to make sure you show up on time and not later.  You plan ahead.  

 

I can't tell you how many times I've seen on here where someone will say that it's only a 45 minute drive from Port Canaveral to the Orlando Airport.  That's true unless there's an accident, road construction, etc.   You plan ahead for those things so you don't miss your flight.   Once the airplane door is closed, they won't open it back up again even if it's still sitting at the loading ramp.  You're SOL.  Same thing with a cruise.

[deliver42]

It really has nothing to do with the cruise line. They have to turn in a manifest to, I believe, Homeland Security. That's why, even though I'm 4 hrs. from Miami in Fl, I go the day before and stay in a hotel for the night. plus we are rested for the first day on the cruise.

[beerman2]

Expensive lesson learned for sure. Cruise lines DO need to turn in passenger manifest 1 hour before sail time. There most definitely is a cut-off time.

 

Always, always fly/drive in the day before, you start the cruise in a relaxed mode.

 

Insurance is a must nowadays. 

 

That $200-$300 savings ended up costing thousands of 💰💰💰💰💰.

[firefly333]

10 hours ago, niciediva007 said:

You’re saying the Cruise line wouldn’t let them board? I could understand if they were boarding an aircraft, with TSA and all, but the cruise line has more autonomy and certainly could have let them board. Wow. I wonder if there is more to the story? 12 minutes doesn’t sound like enough  of a tardy to warrant being turned away.

Sounds crazy to me too, they were 12 minutes late to their boarding time and couldnt board? Thats being too strict

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, beerman2 said:

Expensive lesson learned for sure. Cruise lines DO need to turn in passenger manifest 1 hour before sail time. There most definitely is a cut-off time.

 

Always, always fly/drive in the day before, you start the cruise in a relaxed mode.

 

Insurance is a must nowadays. 

 

That $200-$300 savings ended up costing thousands of 💰💰💰💰💰.

I didnt see that this was the last time to board a hour before the ship left. the OP said their boarding time was 3 pm.

 

could be thats why, the ship left at 4 pm? sounds early to me for the ship to leave port.

[cherylandtk]

What also seems to have been missed thus far is that insurance would NOT have covered this event.  Documented car accident, yes.  Mechanical breakdown, probably not unless somehow documented with a police report.

 

As for the timing...Splendor departs Long Beach at 4 pm.  Cutoff time is 3 pm.  When you make your own arrangements to get to the port, you really do have to get to the port before the cutoff time.

Edited November 6, 2018 by cherylandtk

[naxer]

Cars break down.  Planes have mechanical problems.  Weather happens.  I live 4 hours from the airport.  Out of 8 cruises where I was scheduled to fly in the day before, I ended up getting the first flight the next morning two of those times due to 1) mechanical problems and 2) weather.  As I age, I'm beginning to think that even a day before isn't enough.  

[evandbob]

My take on the lesson learned is to use reliable transportation to the port.  Except for a Med and an Alaskan cruise, I have flown or driven to the cruise port the morning of the cruise 46 times so far. 

 

Probably 80% of cruisers do so as well.  It's only on CC where a good number of people have joined the "arrive days before the cruise" chorus.  The chorus cries mimic a CD who scares folk into only shopping at cruise approved stores or only taking cruise line excursions.  But these are probably less than 1/2% of the cruising public.  

 

Had I spent an average of $100 for a hotel and $50 for meals so I could arrive the night before, I would have spent about an extra $7,000, which translates to perhaps 7 solo cruises I wouldn't have gone on - and if I do happen to miss one some where in the future, it's not the end of the world and I'm still way ahead cash wise.

 

As for insurance, we purchase an annual policy not individual ones - way more cost effective since we travel enough times in a year to warrant it

 

There are always the exceptions, like the folks whose car broke down, but exceptions do not translate to the mean or average..

[Elaine5715]

11 hours ago, niciediva007 said:

You’re saying the Cruise line wouldn’t let them board? I could understand if they were boarding an aircraft, with TSA and all, but the cruise line has more autonomy and certainly could have let them board. Wow. I wonder if there is more to the story? 12 minutes doesn’t sound like enough  of a tardy to warrant being turned away.

Nope, the cruise lines also have a cut off time.  It is also well noted.  It is the FAA that controls airplane boarding, not TSA.

Edited November 6, 2018 by Elaine5715

[sparks1093]

27 minutes ago, cherylandtk said:

What also seems to have been missed thus far is that insurance would NOT have covered this event.  Documented car accident, yes.  Mechanical breakdown, probably not unless somehow documented with a police report.

 

As for the timing...Splendor departs Long Beach at 4 pm.  Cutoff time is 3 pm.  When you make your own arrangements to get to the port, you really do have to get to the port before the cutoff time.

I was going to say this too (and a mechanical failure in one's own vehicle appears to be not covered even with a police report). The lesson that is really learned is to allow as much time as possible for getting to the port to include arriving a day early. (And I do have to say that the timing issue seems to be a little off too, especially if they had a 3pm boarding time.)

Edited November 6, 2018 by sparks1093

[summersigh]

I don't know about California because we sail from Florida BUT .... we always book a room for the night before the cruise at a hotel with a "snooze and cruise" package. 

The one we're using in Canaveral includes one night stay, breakfast, free parking during the cruise and free shuttle to and from the terminal. Our very nice room at Country Inn and Suites is $191 for all that.  So if parking at the port is $15 a day then for 8 days that's $120 making the room a sweet $71.

There are deals available that are even cheaper at all the Florida ports but we especially like this hotel.🛳️

[CruisinCrow]

2 hours ago, firefly333 said:

could be thats why, the ship left at 4 pm? sounds early to me for the ship to leave port.

 

I've been on several cruises that left at 4.  And I'm going on another one on Thursday.  

 

From my boarding pass.

 

Edited November 6, 2018 by CruisinCrow

[LuckyStar]

8 hours ago, Treyatl2006 said:

That is ridiculous... if your boarding time is 3pm then they definitely should have allowed you to enter at 3:12. Was it the port agents that would not allow them on or was it Carnival?

 

It most likely was the boarding time cut off not necessarily the time they were set to board.  

[iria64]

I too have no problem with the cutoff time... if they let someone in at 12 minutes late what's to stop then they have to let the 13 minutes late also enter.  Where is the real cutoff then?  As someone previously mentioned I am pretty sure the passenger manifest needs to be sent a certain time period before the ship can actually sail.  If they are 15 minutes late sending the manifest then the ship sales 15 minutes late.

Our next cruise I just have a 1 hour train ride and short cab to the port.  There are many things that can go wrong in that hour to have a serious delay of an hour or more.  Even if I get a late check in time I plan on leaving at least 2 hours to get to the port.  I would rather have to find something to do for an hour than be too late.

[memoak]

I always fly in 2 days before if it is cross country - 1 day before if it is west coast (LA - LB)  I used to fly in the morning of but too much stress if we sit on the tarmac for awhile