Time Change on East Bound Crossings

[Jack E Dawson]

We are considering an East bound crossing but are concerned about the time change, more specifically what time of day do the 5 time zone changes occur. In looking at past Cruise Critic postings, most say that the clocks are moved ahead 1 hour in the early afternoon. However, when I called Cunard today, I was told that both East bound and West bound time changes occur overnight. The agent I spoke to even took the time to check with the Cunard help desk. Does anyone have any direct experience with this?

Thanks

Jack

[majortom10]

In recent years it has always been at midday. It use to be overnight both ways but hasnt been like that for last few years we have done roundtrip TAs always been Westbound overnight and Eastbound midday.

 

Edited December 13, 2021 by majortom10

[wenlyn]

I'd be surprised if they changed it from midday because that really is the least impactful place for it. I guess officially time changes happen at night but perhaps it's a decision the Captain makes at sea? 

[john watson]

I agree with Majortom,  the Captain tends to come in at midday and do his official announcements on progress and weather then declares the time is midday but will change to one o'clock, a funny bing bong happens and then he says it's one o'clock and explains how brass monkey's is a nautical term and its origin.

 

I think they chose midday because the programme has an automatic void planned into it.  Restaurants know that hour wont exist and everybody is up and about hearing him announce this to all.

 

Regards John

Edited December 13, 2021 by john watson

[Colin_Cameron]

People can tell you what has happened (to them) but they cannot tell you what will happen (to you).

 

We have experienced eastbound time changes at, midnight, 1am, 9am, midday, 1pm and 4pm. The most recent being 9am.

 

We did not personally experience, but are aware, of one captain who ran the ship on Southampton time when sailing eastbound and NY time when sailing west. As soon as you walked up the gangway you shifted your watch 5 hours! I suspect the change officially happened when they let go the lines, or disembarked the pilot, but the passengers wouldn’t have been aware of that.

Edited December 13, 2021 by Colin_Cameron

[chengkp75]

Most cruise ships (and cargo ships as well), will retard the clocks (westbound) at night, to give the crew one more hour of rest.  Eastbound, the advancing of clocks is usually done during the "work day", so that it doesn't take away an hour of crew rest.  This is of great concern, since the hours of work and rest the crew have, and how it is partitioned during a 24 hour period, is spelled out in law.

[majortom10]

Well we have done 4 roundtrip TAs in recent years apart from last year obviously we should have done 2 but they were cancelled and they have all had their times changed as previously stated. Our first ever cruise was on QE2 in 1997 and was an Eastbound TA and the time change then was in middle of the night so you had 1hr less sleep. Everybody used to stay up for midnight buffet because it was a spectacle in those days and there were many bleary eyes and people asleep during the day in seats all over the ship.

[navybankerteacher]

2 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Well we have done 4 roundtrip TAs in recent years apart from last year obviously we should have done 2 but they were cancelled and they have all had their times changed as previously stated. Our first ever cruise was on QE2 in 1997 and was an Eastbound TA and the time change then was in middle of the night so you had 1hr less sleep. Everybody used to stay up for midnight buffet because it was a spectacle in those days and there were many bleary eyes and people asleep during the day in seats all over the ship.

I seem to recall that on Eastbound sailings it has always been mid-day to avoid shortening the rest time for the crew - which is brief enough anyway.

[comcox]

9 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

I seem to recall that on Eastbound sailings it has always been mid-day to avoid shortening the rest time for the crew - which is brief enough anyway.

How does that effect the restaurant hours for lunch?

[North West Newbie]

2 minutes ago, comcox said:

How does that effect the restaurant hours for lunch?

 

It advances one hour and becomes 1pm to 2:30pm

[john watson]

4 minutes ago, comcox said:

How does that effect the restaurant hours for lunch?

 

They schedule in an extra hour to the norm knowing it does not exist therefore returning to parity.  It is not difficult.

 

Regards John

[exlondoner]

11 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

I seem to recall that on Eastbound sailings it has always been mid-day to avoid shortening the rest time for the crew - which is brief enough anyway.

 

On the one Eastbound crossing I've done, on QE2 in 1999, the time changed in the night. And very tiring it was. So it certainly hasn't always been midday.

[RJChatsworth]

I much preferred clock changes at night on eastbound crossings.  It was changed by popular opinion, or so it was said.

 

I love the mornings aboard ship and at noon it is suddenly 1pm and the morning is much shortened.  Breakfast, morning coffee, talks and lunch come too quick and almost merge into one leaving a long afternoon with no talks and little to do.  Could go to afternoon tea but something has to give to stop becoming overweight!

 

Additionally, at my age, I seem to require little sleep so the loss of one hour at night was no great deal.

[majortom10]

14 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

I seem to recall that on Eastbound sailings it has always been mid-day to avoid shortening the rest time for the crew - which is brief enough anyway.

The time is also adjusted at midday on Westbound.

[navybankerteacher]

20 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

The time is also adjusted at midday on Westbound.

I recall midnight adjustments on Westbound - lengthening the night, rather than the day.

[BigMac1953]

Are you sure? On the last half dozen or so westbound that we've done, it's always been overnight.

[TheOldBear]

1 hour ago, majortom10 said:

The time is also adjusted at midday on Westbound.

Not on either our 2017 or 2019 round trips - westbound time changes were sometime after midnight & before room service 🙂

[bluemarble]

For the record, the switch to moving the clock forward at noon during QM2 eastbound crossings rather than at night appears to have begun (as a routine procedure) around June 2012. Here's an old thread talking about it.

 

 

From our own experience, the clocks were advanced during the night on our first two QM2 eastbound crossings in 2005 and 2010. They were advanced at noon during our next eastbound crossing in 2014 and all six of the other eastbound crossings we have been on since (2015 through 2019).

 

The time changes have been at the night during all five of the QM2 westbound crossings we have been on (2016 through 2019).

[RJChatsworth]

I think there is some mis-information going on on this thread.  Having completed a total of 28 eastbound and westbound transatlantic crossings, to my recollection the clock changes have always been overnight westbound and were changed from overnight to noon eastbound a few years ago.

 

Incidentally, I am told that when SS France was on the transatlantic run many years ago they changed the clocks by 15 minutes every 4 hours.  Well, the French would, wouldn’t they?! I think that adds up.

[majortom10]

I stand corrected I have checked and my mistake they change overnight on Westbound and at Midday on Eastbound.

[bluemarble]

56 minutes ago, RJChatsworth said:

Incidentally, I am told that when SS France was on the transatlantic run many years ago they changed the clocks by 15 minutes every 4 hours.  Well, the French would, wouldn’t they?! I think that adds up.

 

Ah, yes. I can't recall if it was specifically in reference to SS France, but one of the many interesting things I've learned from Bill Miller's ocean liner lectures while on board QM2 is that one about clock changes being done four times a day at 15 minute increments.

Edited December 14, 2021 by bluemarble

[chengkp75]

Were they 4 15 minute intervals, or 3 20 minute intervals.  With the 3 watch system of bridge and engine crew, 3 20 minute intervals gives each watch the same time shortened or lengthened.

 

And, when the SeaLand SL-7 ships were doing 30+ knot crossings, they advanced/retarded clocks 2 hours every day to accommodate the 3 day crossing.

[RJChatsworth]

I think it was a QM-2 captain who mentioned a 15 minute change every 4 hours on SS France.  I don’t think chengkp75’s figures work out.  There is 6 hour time difference between New York and France, and the crossing was 4 and a bit days.  Changing the clock by 15 minutes, 4 times a day is miles out (kilometres in French!).

[bluemarble]

28 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Were they 4 15 minute intervals, or 3 20 minute intervals.  With the 3 watch system of bridge and engine crew, 3 20 minute intervals gives each watch the same time shortened or lengthened.

 

It's entirely possible my recollections of the details of Mr. Miller's lectures are inaccurate. @RJChatsworth's comment triggered a memory that seemed right at the time but could very well be faulty on those specifics. It's clearly faulty in that I can't remember the ship or line Mr. Miller was discussing.

[chengkp75]

Sorry if I wasn't clear.  The standard non-cruise ship procedure is to change clocks 20 minutes on each of 3 4 hour watches, or 60 minutes in a 24 hour period.  Since each "watch" stands 4 hours on and 8 hours off, advancing/retarding clocks 20 minutes at 0800, 1200, and 1600 hours (or the equivalent at night) equals out the watch hours.