Time Zone Question

[cruiseman1978]

I am going to the Western Caribbean in January on the Legend and I seem to be getting conflicting information about the change in time zones. We are leaving out of Tampa (EST) then we are going to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize and Roatan. Grand Cayman in January is the same time as Tampa so there is no confusion there (I hope). But the rest of the ports are one hour behind Tampa. The Carnival website says we will be in Cozumel from 10am - 6pm. Does that mean 10am central time or 10am eastern time? When we cross over to central time does the ship coordinate with the new time zone or stay at the original time zone? I only ask because I am booking an excursion privately and one option is 10am central time which is impossible if we arrive at 10am Central, but if we get in at 10am eastern that means its 9am Central and I can book this excursion....PLEASE HELP!! THANKS!

[*Mach*]

I am going to the Western Caribbean in January on the Legend and I seem to be getting conflicting information about the change in time zones. We are leaving out of Tampa (EST) then we are going to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize and Roatan. Grand Cayman in January is the same time as Tampa so there is no confusion there (I hope). But the rest of the ports are one hour behind Tampa. The Carnival website says we will be in Cozumel from 10am - 6pm. Does that mean 10am central time or 10am eastern time? When we cross over to central time does the ship coordinate with the new time zone or stay at the original time zone? I only ask because I am booking an excursion privately and one option is 10am central time which is impossible if we arrive at 10am Central, but if we get in at 10am eastern that means its 9am Central and I can book this excursion....PLEASE HELP!! THANKS!

 

 

With only rare exceptions, the ship will remain on port time to avoid such confusion. Ship time is what you're seeing on Carnival.com.

So, bottom line... when you arrive at 10 AM ship time it will be 9 AM in port.

[Ehpride]

On the Legend last October, the Legend stayed on ship's time the entire cruise.

 

Try http://www.timeanddate.com to see what time it is EST v. Cozumel and so on. They have a personal world clock.

[cruiseman1978]

So basically i should set my watch to eastern time and ignore the time in the individual ports because they will not conincide with ship time?

[Jrabbit128]

So basically i should set my watch to eastern time and ignore the time in the individual ports because they will not conincide with ship time?

 

Yeah basically! To avoid having to change the time and confuse people, they remind you at every port at the ship is leaving on SHIPS time, not island time! You don't have to change your time on each island, but if you forget to bring your watch, remember the time difference so when you ask an island person what time it is, you can do the time conversion.

[Ehpride]

So basically i should set my watch to eastern time and ignore the time in the individual ports because they will not conincide with ship time?

 

 

Exactly! If it says in the capers that the ship's time is changing or that you are to change to the time in port, they should tell you the time difference.

 

Also, don't rely on your cell phone for the time. Mine, at least, automatically changes time when I change time zones or for DST.

 

As far as booking the private excursion, either figure out what time it will be in that port when you get there and figure out if it's safe to book it. Or ask the tour operator if that excursion will work with your ship's schedule and what the procedure is if your ship is late or misses that port.

[Bases5]

It must be different with different lines.

We cruised RCCL last week and we change our clocks to port time (Cozumel) and then changed them back the next day going home.