Ever Miss the Ship? We Did.

[ronandannette]

☹️ Due to a very convoluted series of operational issues, the first three port stops on our Jade itinerary were all rescheduled from their original times. By the time we got to Sydney, NS, we were simply confused abouț what was happening and when. This was exacerbated by having gotten a rental car that had been previously driven in Newfoundland and had the clock set to the wrong time zone - something we didn’t realize until way too late.

We ended up on the pier 4 minutes after the gangway had been hauled up and watched for another 17 minutes before they hauled the lines and departed. 
 

Now we are fully aware that this was our own fault and accept that. It’s a minor misadventure that we will eventually laugh about. But for now, I’m extremely surprised and disappointed about a few things. Firstly, the local Port Agent. He was on the pier when we got there and his demeanour was shocking. He refused to try and contact the bridge - said he “didn’t do that kind of thing”. Didn’t offer one single smidgen of help or advice or try to explain any options. He actually turned his back on us when we asked what to do next. Didn’t walk away, just turned his back and stood there. WTH? Had we not been experienced cruisers and knew we could reboard at the next port, I’m not sure where we would be now, or what would become of a less-experienced traveller. Totally unacceptable.

 

My second issue is with the the Jade on- board management. We reboarded the next morning in Halifax and nobody batted an eyelash, even though I could see their security screen had us flagged. Now, a day later, we’ve still not been contacted by anyone to enquire about our well-being or ask about our experience or if we need assistance. At no time were we or our emergency contacts ever contacted (and all our necessary contact methods had been provided). At a minimum I would have expected this as a basic courtesy and act of human compassion. I’m left with big concerns about safety. If something truly dire had befallen us, would anyone ever have been alerted? How long before anyone would have noticed if we’d fallen off the face of the earth? I’m truly confounded by it all.

[PATRLR]

Sorry to hear of this misadventure.  Sounds like you have the right outlook on things, I hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise.

I do have a question.  I often read that for those that miss the ship they will get your passports from your room and leave with port agent. And I wonder if that is true.  Any comment on that?

Edited Wednesday at 11:05 AM by PATRLR

[ronandannette]

16 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

Sorry to hear of this misadventure.  Sounds like you have the right outlook on things, I hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise.

I do have a question.  I often read that for those that miss the ship they will get your passports from your room and leave with port agent. And I wonder if that is true.  Any comment on that?

Not that I know of, and in honesty, I never thought to check. The useless Port  Agent certainly didn’t mention it. We’re Canadians travelling in Canada and we haven’t taken our Passports ashore at all. Off now to make sure they’re still in the safe where we left them.

[ColeThornton]

Are you planning to discuss this with on board management?  Let us know what they say when you do.

[New2cruise2022]

Nearly missed the ship in Cabo a few years ago. It was an issue with a time zone, ship zone, cell phone network time confusion. (The confusion was ours in understanding any of these times were readjusting. We knew what time we needed to be back, we just were too dumb to know what time it actually was.) We boarded and it would be another 30 minutes on ship before we realized how close we were to missing the ship. The anchor was up and the ship was moving by then. 

 

Cabo is a tender port, so NCL was the port agent in this case. There is no gangway to pull. If you miss the tender boat, you miss the boat … er, ship. I know carry a cheap watch — a digital thing I bought at Walmart. I set that to ship time and set an alarm for an hour before we need to be on ship. It is a belt and suspenders solution, but I obviously never want to put myself in that situation again. 
 

I was surprised that there was no scolding at the end of the pier or on the tender boat. Again, no mention as we boarded again that we were the last ones on and nearly left behind. Maybe our worry and trauma is nothing for ship security? Maybe they aren’t worried if pax miss the ship and just do what they do? 
 

Glad you are safe and I’m impressed how quickly you readjusted and met up with the ship at the next port. 

[ronandannette]

14 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

Are you planning to discuss this with on board management?  Let us know what they say when you do.

I did. Very calmly because I am a customer experience professional myself and I am not a Karen. The response was underwhelming. The agent wouldn’t put me in front of anyone “senior” and took what she called “my complaint” without saying a word. She gave me a card with a case number and told me to report it to guest relations shore-side once we got home. Ah, well. Certainly not the way me and my staff treat customers but I guess I don’t know what specific response I was looking for anyway. 

[ronandannette]

19 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

 

Glad you are safe and I’m impressed how quickly you readjusted and met up with the ship at the next port. 

We immediately hauled it back to Avis and begged for a one way rental, which is apparently not too common for them here. Sydney NS is not a very cosmopolitan place. We were thankful to get one, even though it cost $700 CAD. We made hotel reservations in Halifax on the fly and drove 5 hours to get there, arriving just before midnight.

 

We were blessed to have the knowledge and wherewithal to handle it. I do wonder about what would have become of less intrepid travellers though. 

Edited Wednesday at 12:11 PM by ronandannette

[vacation44]

I, too, am also impressed with the way you handled your situation.   I would think the ship would be a little more concerned about what had happened and why you did not reboard.   

 

Were your passports in the safe?    

[Adventures ahead]

Although Trans Canada Highways often take you through wooded areas for miles, it appears that you had a chance to see a little more of Nova Scotia than you bargained for. Wondering if trip interruption would cover your expenses.

 

The Port Agent won't be nominated for Mr. Congeniality! Tainted our friendly reputation! 

NCL won't win an award for communication either. Regardless of being Canadians in Canada, surprising treatment from NCL for your well being.

 

Glad you were able to catch up with the ship as well as you did. Hope you enjoyed Halifax!

 

[ontheweb]

Wow, glad you made it back. Sorry about how the port agent treated you. I wonder what he or she thinks the job entails.

 

It made me think of how lucky we were to be not stranded in Italy on our very first cruise back in 2002. We were at the port of Livorno for Florence, and I somehow managed to get us on the train going the WRONG way. Luckily, DW figured it out and we got off and caught a train back. (Partly her fault for listening to me as the cruise was for our 25th anniversary so she knew me long enough that she knew I have the world's worst sense of direction.) We no longer had time to go to Florence, but made a quick trip to Pisa. I thought I had blown 25 years of marriage since she is an art teacher (now retired) and making her miss Florence was a disaster.

 

As a postscript, 10 years later for our 35th anniversary, we booked a similar cruise and this time, even though we were more experienced travelers and could probably have done it on our own, booked a ship's Florence on Your Own excursion. She booked in advance timed tickets to the major museums.  It was wonderful, and as the old cliche goes, better late than never.

[JSar]

Well - it is indeed not the responsibility of anyone on the dock to contact the ship because you are "late". That piece doesn't surprise me. And they do say they will not wait for people who are late.

 

And I certainly wouldn't expect them to do a well being check  once you returned to the ship. My assumption would be - well obviously you made it back to the ship in the next port and there is always at least one adult in the group. I would expect adults to reach out if there were a problem. And I would think the security people at boarding checkpoint would notice if there was an OBVIOUS problem and perhaps report it (i.e. someone in the group appeared to be sick/injured)

 

I think my only concern with this is the "no attempt to check in with you or your emergency contacts" during the time period in which you are "missing". I mean, I wouldn't expect anyone to call you the minute you missed the boat to find out where you are or if you are on your way or anything like that... BUT... at SOME point someone should be reaching out because you ARE missing. I would be curious to know what the protocol is to report a missing person. I mean - I would assume they would ask the room steward if you took your belongings with you (and I think that would be noticeable as you left the ship) - so the assumption would be that you INTENDED to return. So - at what point DO they start attempting to reach out to you or your emergency contact?

 

And just curious... how long was the time period in which you were "missing" from the cruise ship? Was it a full 24 hours before you reboarded? I guess I would be understanding if they waited a full 24 hours to report a missing guest. That gives the person time to "show up" or "reach out" on their own. Sounds like you were "missing" less than that - so maybe it is less than what they use to trigger an alarm? I don't know.

 

But sounds like you handled the situation with grace and adapted without incident! I would like to think I would do the same - but I am sure it was extremely stressful. 

[graphicguy]

OP....glad you made it to the next port.

 

Cautionary tale that we hear over and over.

 

A.  MAKE SURE YOU SET YOUR PHONE, WATCH, ETC TO SHIP TIME

B.  NO ONE BUT YOU IS RESPONSIBLE TO BE ON BOARD BY "ALL ABOARD" TIME.

 

The "rental car's clock was wrong" is a bit weak.  You have a phone with the time listed.  If you're on a ship, you should be wearing a watch set to "ship time" for this very reason.

 

Personally, I'm so fearful I'll miss the ship that I'm on board AT LEAST 2 hours ship time before all aboard.  No ifs, ands, or buts!

 

Just curious....what did you want the ship personnel to do?  I mean, yeah...I guess they could say..."hey, sorry you missed the ship".  Does that solve anything?  Did you call the number on the key card or reservation to reach the ship telling them you were going to miss the ship?  If so, the number is posted at least on your reservation.  I'll have to dig out an old key card to see if it's listed there, too.  That number would have told you how to proceed if you miss the ship.

 

Not sure what the protocol is to report a missing person.  Even here we read all the time about people who just sail part of a cruise, disembark before it's over, and don't re-board.  I know around my 'burg, there's a 48 hour period for adults before the police  accept missing persons reports.

 

The ship's manifest would show you didn't re-board, as you wouldn't have had your key card scanned.  I would think if you were on board. announcements would have been made over the intercom asking you to check in.  But, you weren't on board, so you wouldn't have heard them.

 

All's well that ends well.  So, enjoy the rest of your cruise.

Edited Wednesday at 02:02 PM by graphicguy

[ronandannette]

32 minutes ago, JSar said:

Well - it is indeed not the responsibility of anyone on the dock to contact the ship because you are "late". That piece doesn't surprise me. And they do say they will not wait for people who are late.

 

And I certainly wouldn't expect them to do a well being check  once you returned to the ship. My assumption would be - well obviously you made it back to the ship in the next port and there is always at least one adult in the group. I would expect adults to reach out if there were a problem. And I would think the security people at boarding checkpoint would notice if there was an OBVIOUS problem and perhaps report it (i.e. someone in the group appeared to be sick/injured)

 

I think my only concern with this is the "no attempt to check in with you or your emergency contacts" during the time period in which you are "missing". I mean, I wouldn't expect anyone to call you the minute you missed the boat to find out where you are or if you are on your way or anything like that... BUT... at SOME point someone should be reaching out because you ARE missing. I would be curious to know what the protocol is to report a missing person. I mean - I would assume they would ask the room steward if you took your belongings with you (and I think that would be noticeable as you left the ship) - so the assumption would be that you INTENDED to return. So - at what point DO they start attempting to reach out to you or your emergency contact?

 

And just curious... how long was the time period in which you were "missing" from the cruise ship? Was it a full 24 hours before you reboarded? I guess I would be understanding if they waited a full 24 hours to report a missing guest. That gives the person time to "show up" or "reach out" on their own. Sounds like you were "missing" less than that - so maybe it is less than what they use to trigger an alarm? I don't know.

 

But sounds like you handled the situation with grace and adapted without incident! I would like to think I would do the same - but I am sure it was extremely stressful. 

We reboarded at 8:30 the next morning with just enough time to brush our teeth and catch our Halifax tour. 
 

As to the idea of them contacting us, I suppose it is just my expectation of a customer-focused company to offer at least a gesture of concern and acknowledgement. That could have been done without any further liability and would have gone a long way to soothing our feelings. Like I said, I do this sort of thing for a living - smooth ruffled feathers  on the daily, and it often doesn’t take much more than a little genuine kindness and aplomb. Too much for NCL though, apparently.

[Middleager]

48 minutes ago, ronandannette said:

We reboarded at 8:30 the next morning with just enough time to brush our teeth and catch our Halifax tour. 
 

As to the idea of them contacting us, I suppose it is just my expectation of a customer-focused company to offer at least a gesture of concern and acknowledgement. That could have been done without any further liability and would have gone a long way to soothing our feelings. Like I said, I do this sort of thing for a living - smooth ruffled feathers  on the daily, and it often doesn’t take much more than a little genuine kindness and aplomb. Too much for NCL though, apparently.

As others had said, I would always set my watch or something to the ship's time.  It's my own responsibility to know what the correct time is, and not pointing to some other incorrect time (car or wherever) that may confused me.

 

We've sailed many times.  On every cruise, there would be some ports where we'd hear the ship calling for a bunch of names, for them to contact the ship, near the all onboard time.  This almost always continues past the time the ship leaves the port.  That'd be some people missing the ship, or the ship think people are missing.  More often it's people missing the ship. People miss the ship, all the time.

 

That's a burden to the ship.  If it was me missing the ship, and did whatever we had to to do reboard at the next port, I'd be apologetic.  I wouldn't be expecting the ship to try to "sooth our feelings",  "smooth ruffled feathers", or even think there'd be any further liability by the ship.  Saying the ship may have further liability sounds like you do expect some compensation -- what exactly would you think that is.

 

You say you're a customer service professional.  Ok.

[laudergayle]

Most concerning for me is that NCL didn’t retrieve their Passports and leave them with the Port Agent.  I wrongly assumed this was a SOP for those who have failed to reboard.  
 

OP…happy you made it back onboard. I agree with you that someone on the NCL staff should have made contact with you.  It’s as though they never knew you were left behind.  

[JohnIreland]

On my last cruise the ships wifi kept resetting my phone to Bermuda time. To be safe turn off automatic timezone updates.

[yakcruiser]

Most folks are discussing what NCL did or didn't do but I think that the port agent's reaction is the main problem here. They may not be required to contact the bridge, but they are supposed to tell you what your options are and assist you. That's one of the things they're paid to do.

[yakcruiser]

And I also would not go on here letting everybody know how I would never miss the ship for fear of jinxing myself.

Edited Wednesday at 04:25 PM by yakcruiser

[shof515]

OP is very lucky that the next port of call was in Halifax, south of Sydney. two ports somewhat close by that is drivable or easy to fly 

 

It could of been much much worse if it was two separate country's like Greenland and Canada or one of many Caribbean islands 

[cruiseny4life]

OP, I didn't feel the need to chime in, but now I do. Why? I agree with you! First, thank you for accepting that what occurred was your own fault. I'm not sure why some don't understand you stated this, though you were very clear in this. 

 

Secondly, I would certainly think NCL would at least ask, "hey, I hope everything's ok" when you re-boarded in Halifax. Alas, customer service ain't what it used to be. Giant corporations don't care. Heck, I have to reprimand supervisors at my own organization for not asking employees if they "are ok" after an unexpected sick day. It's just production, production, production, man! I'm sure that's how NCL's employees feel. 

 

Alas, I'm glad you shared your story! Thank you.

[Travelling2Some]

I'm a fan of the "cheap Walmart watch" myself.  I never wear a watch except when cruising.  The cheapo watch serves two purposes.  First, it stays on the time you set it for (ship's time).  Second, It help's me look low key (broke) when traveling in certain parts of the world (which doesn't really apply to Canada).  I think it helps deter thieves and pick pockets.  No jewelry, and  Walmart luggage and watch.  Maybe if I keep taking all these cruises I won't have to pretend to be broke, haha.

[kitkat343]

1 hour ago, laudergayle said:

Most concerning for me is that NCL didn’t retrieve their Passports and leave them with the Port Agent.  I wrongly assumed this was a SOP for those who have failed to reboard.  
 

OP…happy you made it back onboard. I agree with you that someone on the NCL staff should have made contact with you.  It’s as though they never knew you were left behind.  

I wonder if that didn't happen because the next stop was relatively close and in the same country.  I would certainly hope if the OP had needed to cross a border or was somewhere they might not have been able to reach the next port easily NCL would have left the passports with the Port Agent.

 

I also agree it would have been nice for NCL to check on you, but once you made contact (as terrible as it was) with the port agent, you were no longer missing.  NCL should be in contact with the port agent, and they should know your tour ran late, and that you are in Canada.  If you never checked in with the port agent, then I'd hope they'd contact your emergency contacts because you could have gotten into an accident driving, but they did know you safely arrived at the port (albeit late) and that you were safely in Canada.  Back when I sailed to St. Petersburg I'd expect the ship to be really concerned about a passenger who didn't make it back on board there, but I wouldn't expect the ship to be worried about a passenger in Canada.  The port agent absolutely should have helped you.  You'd be responsible for paying for and booking your own transport, but I'd think it would be a part of their job to  say "so sorry this happened.  Here are your options for getting to the next port and you'll need to decide if you want the bus, train, rental car, uber or whatever."

 

Edited Wednesday at 05:03 PM by kitkat343

[CC Help Michell]

9 minutes ago, Travelling2Some said:

I'm a fan of the "cheap Walmart watch" myself.  I never wear a watch except when cruising.  The cheapo watch serves two purposes.  First, it stays on the time you set it for (ship's time).  Second, It help's me look low key (broke) when traveling in certain parts of the world (which doesn't really apply to Canada).  I think it helps deter thieves and pick pockets.  No jewelry, and  Walmart luggage and watch.  Maybe if I keep taking all these cruises I won't have to pretend to be broke, haha.

OP, I'm glad you had options and the wherewithal to implement them, and that you are safe.  I second the above suggestion.  My daily "watch" is (allegedly) "smart" -- so it is tied to my phone, which lives in its own universe at times, I think.  When I cruise in changing time zones, I bring an analog watch which is always set to ship's time.  If the ship's time changes, I change the watch.  

[Travelling2Some]

27 minutes ago, shof515 said:

OP is very lucky that the next port of call was in Halifax, south of Sydney. two ports somewhat close by that is drivable or easy to fly 

 

It could of been much much worse if it was two separate country's like Greenland and Canada or one of many Caribbean islands 

I always consider the difficulty of reaching the next port of call, just in case.  Many times (like this) it is no big deal.  Anytime I would have to cross a border to reach the next port I take my passport with me.  I've never missed a ship but I have gone so far as to make a note of the inter-city bus/train schedules to make sure I would be able to reach the next port in time to rejoin the ship.  There are frequent "island hopper" flights between most Caribbean islands so that is not the catastrophe it appears if you have your passport and credit card.

[CruiseMH]

3 hours ago, JSar said:

. BUT... at SOME point someone should be reaching out because you ARE missing. I would be curious to know what the protocol is to report a missing person.

They were not missing,they just didn`t re-enter the ship.

If they had gone missing during a sea day thats something completely different.

I am sure they simply waited until next day whether OP would re-board or not. They did and so it is just a case of "missed the ship in one port". If they had not re-boarded next day/port as well then there would for sure have been a reaction.