Miracle Time vs Grand Cayman Time

[surmy555]

OK I know I'll understand this sooner or later. We will be on the Miracle in the Grand Caymans in early August, 2006. The Carnival itinerary says we will be there from 7AM to 4PM. If I understand it correctly that means we will be there from 6AM to 3PM Grand Cayman time with the last tender at 2PM Grand Cayman time(3PM ship time). Is this correct?

 

Thanks

Dave

[jstazy]

I do believe the ship goes by whatever time it is in the part of the world they are docked.

 

When we have traveled into other time zones our cabin steward has left reminders of the time change so we can adjust our watches........

 

So if you are in Cozumel from 7am to 4 pm and the last tender is 3pm...its 3pm Cozumel time.

 

Does that make sense or have I confused you further?

[seamama1]

OK I know I'll understand this sooner or later. We will be on the Miracle in the Grand Caymans in early August, 2006. The Carnival itinerary says we will be there from 7AM to 4PM. If I understand it correctly that means we will be there from 6AM to 3PM Grand Cayman time with the last tender at 2PM Grand Cayman time(3PM ship time). Is this correct?

 

Thanks

Dave

 

Always, always keep your watches set to ships time unless directed to do so. Time changes are prominently displayed in the Capers and announcements are made over the PA system. You'd be amazed at the number of people who miss the ship because they reset their watches to local time......:rolleyes:

[critcatny]

I just returned from a cruise on the Miracle and in EACH and EVERY port, we were told to keep our watches set to SHIP'S TIME which was the original time from Tampa. ALthough the time at each port might have been different..when Carnival states times (arriving, departing, tenders, etc) they refer to "Ships time". We just always used our watches and never changed them and never worried about anything....We were fine.

The only time you need to worry is if you book an excursion on your own...that company will probably use their "island time" and you will need to be aware of the time difference to not miss the tenders. Also if you ask for the time from someone on the islands, they will not be on ship's time either....

[yst347]

Some itineraries change time to match port time, and some do not. The Cayman Islands are in the Eastern time zone but they do not observe daylight savings time so they are an hour behind Tampa time.

 

The Capers will tell you if the ship is changing time or will warn you to use "ship time" while in port. The vast majority of private excursion vendors are awear of this problem and know what ships are on what time. Your vendor may not! But he should. In your e-mail correspondence you should mention this question and ask which time is being quoted to you.

 

Hopefully someone who has sailed Miracle since the change here in the states to DST can answer this question from pewrsonal experience.

[Darcy03231]

When we were on the Miracle last year we stayed on ship time for the entire cruise (the time when we left Tampa). As it was DST in Tampa, Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Costa Maya were one hour behind ship time and Belize was two hours behind ship time. We booked some excursions privately and made them aware about being on ship time so we didn't have any problems.

[jstazy]

In my defense......being the odd man out here :D

 

The only cruise line I was on that went through time zones was on a carrier other then Carnival.

 

Im sorry if I gave the wrong info ....and I am very glad to learn the answer to this so the OP and I will know now......

[marktac]

I do believe the ship goes by whatever time it is in the part of the world they are docked.

 

When we have traveled into other time zones our cabin steward has left reminders of the time change so we can adjust our watches........

 

So if you are in Cozumel from 7am to 4 pm and the last tender is 3pm...its 3pm Cozumel time.

 

Does that make sense or have I confused you further?

 

Not so....the Miracle does not change time. It will stay on Tampa time throughout the week (eastern zone, daylight savings during summer).

 

Don't know if it is up to the individual ship, but I've never been on a Carnival cruise where they changed the clocks.

 

Mark T

[suzy1212]

Don't know if it is up to the individual ship, but I've never been on a Carnival cruise where they changed the clocks.

 

Mark T

Apparently it is up to the indiviual ship. The Conquest changes its clocks for Jamaica and GC in the winter months. No need to change when we're on daylight savings time since Jamaica and GC do not observe the time change and Cozumel does, it keeps ship time and port time the same all week in the summer months.

[jerseygirl3]

Not so....the Miracle does not change time. It will stay on Tampa time throughout the week (eastern zone, daylight savings during summer).

 

Don't know if it is up to the individual ship, but I've never been on a Carnival cruise where they changed the clocks.

 

Mark T

 

We were on the Valor two weeks ago, and we were, indeed, told to change our clocks. On Monday evening, we were told to push our clocks BACK one hour, so we'd be on the same time as Grand Cayman. Friday evening, we were told to move our clocks AHEAD one hour. Grand Cayman is on EST, but they do not observe Daylight Saving Time.

 

It's funny because the Miracle was practically at every port with us, but they were told not to change their clocks. I'll bet it was confusing if a passenger from the Miracle ran into a passenger from the Valor and asked what time it was! The Miracle left every port about one hour before us; I wondered the entire week if anybody from the Miracle missed their ship and hitched a ride with us on the Valor until the next port.

[twofit]

When booking private excursions both companies I used were very clear about the difference between "ship time" and "local time." For both Belize and Grand Cayman the web sites of the recommended companies state the time issue very plainly and explain that most ships stay on the local time of the original port from which it departed. They promise to get you back to the tenders on time! And after reading through many, many posts on the ports of call board I have yet to read an account of anyone missing the ship due to a timing error made by the staff on an excursion. (Personal error, however, is totally different matter!)

[marktac]

Fascinating...we were on the Valor last year and they didn't change times. We were on the Miracle this year and they didn't change times.

 

Best advice....go with what they tell you on board. If they tell you to change, do it. Otherwise, don't

 

Mark T