Are Pier Runners a Thing of the Past?

[Ret MP]

35 minutes ago, BND said:

LOL.  Your post is just as judgmental as those watching pier runners.  You have a good day.

What triggered me was the arrogance.  I don't have a problem with people that have empathy/sympathy and don't think it's funny at all.  But, I can't stand unjustified arrogance.  

 

 

[lenquixote66]

I confess.My wife and I were pier runners on our first cruise in 1973 The ship was being untied from the dock.We were running and screaming and barely made it.

[nasa1974]

17 hours ago, brillohead said:

We had a reverse pier runner on Explorer in Miami today...  a woman wouldn't get OFF the ship!  

All the B2Bers were all dinged off the ship and waiting in the terminal to go down through CBP, and we were waiting, and waiting, and waiting..... FINALLY this one woman and her luggage came off the ship and had to walk past the whole line as we all hollered and clapped.  

We had this happen on a B2B as well. A lot of frustrated cruisers.

[Tin can]

We were on a Fjords cruise in May, not exactly pier runners as two strolled back about 45 mins late and 6 passengers were actually left behind.

[Tin can]

On 10/16/2022 at 4:16 AM, brillohead said:

We had a reverse pier runner on Explorer in Miami today...  a woman wouldn't get OFF the ship!  

All the B2Bers were all dinged off the ship and waiting in the terminal to go down through CBP, and we were waiting, and waiting, and waiting..... FINALLY this one woman and her luggage came off the ship and had to walk past the whole line as we all hollered and clapped.  

We had a couple people late to the ship in Jamaica (the only actual port -- other stops were Coco Cay and Labadee), and about 15 people who were put off the ship in Jamaica due to their poor behavior.  

 

 

Side note: Terminal G in Miami now has two Facial Recognition stations!  WOOHOO!

 

We had exactly the same on our last cruise and as my post above it was the same cruise that had to leave 6 passengers behind at a port. I'm not sure if it was the pandemic but their seems to be an increase in entitlement with passengers since then and the 'ship will wait' or 'I'll get off when I want' attitudes.

[ReneeFLL]

On 10/15/2022 at 8:13 AM, Moltar said:

Been cruising since 1991 never seen a pier runner and I have better things to do than to look for one, much much much better things to do. You people have yourself a day 🤣🤡🤣

You don't sit out on your balcony with a glass of champagne or a cocktail getting ready for sail away? That's the time you would see the runners.

[jean87510]

On 10/13/2022 at 11:01 AM, NeepierRoad said:

Currently on Harmony but even my last cruise to Aruba and Curaçao there’ve been no pier runners (usually a cruise highlight for us!)  Have people become more timely post-Covid?

I think they are starting to come back (pier runners).  I don't know when you sailed but once a lot of the countries and restrictions changed (only ship excursions, approved taxis (Grenada in December))...etc..  I tended to see more.  I didn't see any last November off of Adventure but I'm usually at the gym at sailaway.  I did see a few in Bermuda in September.

[BND]

These are the same people that when they do an excursion are always the last ones back to the bus and late at that.  We did an excursion where we had like two stops and then the beach and there was a couple that was late getting back to the bus every time and made us wait and lose time at our next stop.  When we got back on the bus to head back to the ship after our couple of hours at the beach, they were the only ones not back.  Everyone on the bus, including the tour guide and driver were frustrated with them.  Every single person on the bus, said "leave them and let them find their own way back" (there were taxis there also) so we did.  We waited at least 20 minutes past the time we were supposed to leave and we had all had it with those two.  So, never assume an excursion will wait for you also.

[wikoffclan]

Last month (9/10/22 sailing on Valor) we were docked in Cozumel across from Carnival Paradise. Valor was waiting for late arrivals, team of security on the pier, crowds on both ships watching for pier runners. People leisurely strolling onto Paradise.

Two people come Racing down the pier, hair flying, bags waving, people cheering as they jump on the gangway of the Valor. No more than 15 seconds later, the 2 come sheepishly down the gangway of Valor and stroll over to board Paradise. Now That was Funny!

Edited October 17, 2022 by wikoffclan

[Ret MP]

8 hours ago, BND said:

These are the same people that when they do an excursion are always the last ones back to the bus and late at that.  We did an excursion where we had like two stops and then the beach and there was a couple that was late getting back to the bus every time and made us wait and lose time at our next stop.  When we got back on the bus to head back to the ship after our couple of hours at the beach, they were the only ones not back.  Everyone on the bus, including the tour guide and driver were frustrated with them.  Every single person on the bus, said "leave them and let them find their own way back" (there were taxis there also) so we did.  We waited at least 20 minutes past the time we were supposed to leave and we had all had it with those two.  So, never assume an excursion will wait for you also.

Yessssssss!  Good for you, your group, and the driver.  

 

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time. 

[Ret MP]

10 hours ago, BND said:

These are the same people that when they do an excursion are always the last ones back to the bus and late at that.  We did an excursion where we had like two stops and then the beach and there was a couple that was late getting back to the bus every time and made us wait and lose time at our next stop.  When we got back on the bus to head back to the ship after our couple of hours at the beach, they were the only ones not back.  Everyone on the bus, including the tour guide and driver were frustrated with them.  Every single person on the bus, said "leave them and let them find their own way back" (there were taxis there also) so we did.  We waited at least 20 minutes past the time we were supposed to leave and we had all had it with those two.  So, never assume an excursion will wait for you also.

BTW, did they wind up doing the Pier Runner Tango?  Did you ever see them again?

[BND]

51 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

BTW, did they wind up doing the Pier Runner Tango?  Did you ever see them again?

No idea, but the excursion got back probably three hours before all aboard.  I don't remember if we saw them as it's been probably 7 years.

 

 

[shofer]

On 10/15/2022 at 9:13 PM, nasa1974 said:

On our first Alaska cruise/tour we took the Alaska Line from Denali to Whitter. We were two hours late. Listening to people complain about the delay we explained the captain was waiting for over two hundred passengers not a few pier runners. 

This happened during our last Alaska cruise on Princess.  We were on the bus while others had the train to Whittier and arrived at least 4 hours before the train.  It had to go very slow d/t danger of avalanches.  We were sitting down to dinner and spotted all these people lining up to board the ship.

[nasa1974]

21 minutes ago, shofer said:

This happened during our last Alaska cruise on Princess.  We were on the bus while others had the train to Whittier and arrived at least 4 hours before the train.  It had to go very slow d/t danger of avalanches.  We were sitting down to dinner and spotted all these people lining up to board the ship.

It's funny how people don't realize that Alaska Lines only has one set of tracks for all north and southbound traffic. The reason we were two hours late is that our passenger train had to pull off on a siding and wait for the freight traffic that had priority.

[Moltar]

Oooohhh look pier runner!!!!! Ooooohhhhh aaaaahhhhhh!!!!

Edited October 18, 2022 by Moltar

[BND]

Hmm, someone takes things way too seriously.

[TravelGirlinDallas]

29 minutes ago, Moltar said:

I don’t get enjoyment out of watching people miss a cruise ship

Where did you get the idea that watching pier runners means hoping people miss the ship? NO ONE here has said anything about wanting people to miss the ship. That is not what this is about at all.

[rudeney]

4 hours ago, jimdalva said:

Have never been able to find joy in the hardship of others.

 

 

Which likely means that you keep up with the time and stick to the schedule so that you make it back to the bus or ship on time and don't inconvenience others causing them the hardship of having to wait on you.  Or even the worse hardship of causing your non-RCCL tour run behind so a whole busload of people miss the ship.  

[Mum2Mercury]

I haven't exactly studied up on this, but it seems to me that cruise ships -- on average -- are staying in port longer.  On our recent cruise, I think we were in each port something like 8:00 - 6:00.   Looking at our upcoming cruise, the same thing seems to be true. 

 

When people have more time in port, they're more likely to finish their excursion AND have ample time to hit up the tourist trap shopping AND drink a cheap beer by the port before re-boarding with time to spare.  Shoot, on our last cruise we actually re-boarded, had lunch onboard, hung around the pool a while, and then left the ship to hit the cheap bars.  It seems to me that would've been impossible a decade ago -- or do I just think that because I had children in tow back then? 

[BND]

40 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

I haven't exactly studied up on this, but it seems to me that cruise ships -- on average -- are staying in port longer.  On our recent cruise, I think we were in each port something like 8:00 - 6:00.   Looking at our upcoming cruise, the same thing seems to be true. 

 

When people have more time in port, they're more likely to finish their excursion AND have ample time to hit up the tourist trap shopping AND drink a cheap beer by the port before re-boarding with time to spare.  Shoot, on our last cruise we actually re-boarded, had lunch onboard, hung around the pool a while, and then left the ship to hit the cheap bars.  It seems to me that would've been impossible a decade ago -- or do I just think that because I had children in tow back then? 

They're not staying in port longer.  Schedules/Itineraries are pretty much the same as they've always been.   Pier runners are hardly new and some ports are more notorious for them such as Cozumel.  

[pattak619]

One of the best “pier runners “ was a woman pushing a baby stroller with one hand and a drink(? Alcohol?)  in the other running like crazy and the watchers cheering her on!

[pattak619]

Another one we witnessed was when we still had to tender to the port and on our way back(,it happened to be the last one) a woman was running like crazy and just made it on,when we reached the ship and scanned our sea passes alarms went off,here the woman was on the wrong ship,she was suspose to be on the Adventurer ,this was the Explorer! Fortunately for her they were able to tender her back to her ship before it left.

[Stealthdog]

9 hours ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

Where did you get the idea that watching pier runners means hoping people miss the ship? NO ONE here has said anything about wanting people to miss the ship. That is not what this is about at all.

 

Agree completely.  Watching pier runners (and cheering them) is a fun-natured jab for them being late.  I hope noone misses the ship and I have never seen a pier runner actually be left behind (though i guess it happens). 

[Mum2Mercury]

12 hours ago, BND said:

They're not staying in port longer.  Schedules/Itineraries are pretty much the same as they've always been.   Pier runners are hardly new and some ports are more notorious for them such as Cozumel.  

I would've sworn that years ago we left the islands more like 2:00 or 3:00.  It's probably a specific stop I'm remembering /generalizing into more than it was.  

 

Yes, Cozumel has always been the worst -- all that shopping and cheap beer near the ship.  

[F27TW]

On 10/14/2022 at 3:29 PM, Airbear232 said:

A similar question, what port do you most enjoy watching pier runners from?  

 

Ohhh, Cozumel definintely.  I've seen the best ones there.   Burp. 🤪