Docking and Excursion Times

[SlvrFox85]

I booked a dive excursion and according to the website it is set to begin at the same time the ship is stating that it will be in port. Will the excursion wait a time period for those that have booked with them? Also, how close in time is the listed port times and the actual port times? This is my first cruise so I am not sure how everything exactly works, I just don't want to have paid for something and then have it leave without me because the ship itself was late.

 

Thank You!

[Ms411]

There is ship time and local time. Sometimes they're the same but when daylight savings time ends the ship time is an hour behind local time if you're on a Caribbean cruise.

 

Your excursion time is local time.

 

[NAGooner]

SlvrFox85,

 

On the cruises that I have been on to the Caribbean Ship Time has always matched Island Time, regardless as to time of year (St. Thomas is on Atlantic Standard Time and has no daylight saving time). However, if your ship does not observe Island time, and assuming a winter cruise, there will be a 1 hour time difference, ie 8:00 am Island Time will be 9:00 am Ship Time.

 

If you dock at Havensight it will only take 5 to 10 minutes to get off the ship and get to the tour meeting place (the tour parkng lot adjacent to Gate 3). Private tours are usually scheduled to leave from 30 to 90 minutes after docking (8:30 to 9:30 am) and the tour operators are well aware of the time ships dock.

 

If the ship says that you are scheduled to arrive at 8:00 am than it is likely that you will dock at 7:30 am and be allowed to leave at 8:00 am, having been cleared by the local authorities. Cruise lines are pretty good at keeping to the planned schedule although sometimes they could be a little late, if eg. two ships are scheduled to dock at the same time.

 

I am assuming that when you booked your diving excursion you provided details of the ship you were on and the arrival time. If your tour is scheduled to depart at 8:00 am I would suggest that you contact the operator directly to clarify pick-up times, ie how many minutes after the ship docks will I be picked up, unless the small print on your reservation confirmation contains this information.

 

NAGooner