"All Aboard" time

[liberty176]

What time must everyone be on board in a port?

 

For example, if the port hours are listed as 7:00am-4:00pm, will all aboard be 4:00pm, or will it be earlier?  On our most recent Princess cruise, it was a full 30 minutes before the published time.  Booking some private tours for an upcoming cruise and I like to plan to be back with an hour or so to spare if we're going some distance, but not sure what time to base that off of.

 

Thanks!

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 minutes ago, liberty176 said:

What time must everyone be on board in a port?

 

For example, if the port hours are listed as 7:00am-4:00pm, will all aboard be 4:00pm, or will it be earlier?  On our most recent Princess cruise, it was a full 30 minutes before the published time.  Booking some private tours for an upcoming cruise and I like to plan to be back with an hour or so to spare if we're going some distance, but not sure what time to base that off of.

 

Thanks!

 

4:00 is when the ship sails, and HAL captains like to leave on time. They won't leave before 4, but they'll expect you to be onboard by 3:30, maybe earlier. 

[kazu]

For port days (not embarkation), it is usually 1/2 hour in advance.  So for a 4 PM departure you need to be on board by 3:30 PM.  It is always announced and posted.

[Heidi13]

1 minute ago, liberty176 said:

What time must everyone be on board in a port?

 

For example, if the port hours are listed as 7:00am-4:00pm, will all aboard be 4:00pm, or will it be earlier?  On our most recent Princess cruise, it was a full 30 minutes before the published time.  Booking some private tours for an upcoming cruise and I like to plan to be back with an hour or so to spare if we're going some distance, but not sure what time to base that off of.

 

Thanks!

 

If port hours are list as 07:00 - 16:00, the later time is departure, so everyone must be aboard a reasonable time prior. The all aboard time is at the discretion of the ship's Master.

 

In most ports, it is normally 30 mins when alongside and often 1 hr when tendering. The definitive information is posted on the sailing board, which should be located in the vicinity of the gangway. This will include any later changes to what is published in the daily paper.  Note - on some ships/ports you may see 2 all-aboard times, 1 for the crew and another for pax. When different, the crew time is often 1 hr before departure.

[liberty176]

OK, sounds like this is standard, thank you!

[julia]

41 minutes ago, liberty176 said:

OK, sounds like this is standard, thank you!

As said, 30 minutes prior is typical.  If you are looking at private excursions, any reputable vendor will check your ship schedule when booking and confirm it with you.  Their reputation depends on getting you back to the ship on time.

[DCThunder]

42 minutes ago, julia said:

As said, 30 minutes prior is typical.  If you are looking at private excursions, any reputable vendor will check your ship schedule when booking and confirm it with you.  Their reputation depends on getting you back to the ship on time.

They usually confirm with the group the All Aboard time at the beginning of the excursion just to be safe.  Usually you'll be back a good 60 minutes before that time.

[Haljo1935]

11 hours ago, liberty176 said:

OK, sounds like this is standard, thank you!

As others mentioned, For excursion planning purposes,  All Aboard is usually 30 min prior to departure  and 60 min for tender ports. The tour company will monitor, but it's ultimately up to you to notify them of itinerary changes.

Here's an example of the gangway notice @Heidi13 mentioned. You'll want to check it as you leave the ship as it will have the most up to date time.

[DE Solo]

Just be careful when scheduling excursions with outside vendors, because sometimes ports are eliminated for logistical reasons, and arrival and departure times can be shifted. On my last several cruises ports were skipped due to high winds or rough seas, and the time spent in port was shifted or decreased. Make sure that your provider will make refunds if the ship does not arrive, or if it is necessary to shorten or adjust the scheduling of your shore excursion. 

[Sir PMP]

22 hours ago, liberty176 said:

What time must everyone be on board in a port?

 

For example, if the port hours are listed as 7:00am-4:00pm, will all aboard be 4:00pm, or will it be earlier?  On our most recent Princess cruise, it was a full 30 minutes before the published time.  Booking some private tours for an upcoming cruise and I like to plan to be back with an hour or so to spare if we're going some distance, but not sure what time to base that off of.

 

Thanks!

5:00pm will be fine.