What to Do When You Miss Your Cruise Departure
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Here are the first things to do once you realize you won’t make it to your embarkation port on time. If you arrive back at the pier only to see your ship sailing away, find the port agent. You will need your passport to fly to the ship's next destination or home (your choice) from the Caribbean or any other international destination. If your passport has not been handed off to the port agent, you will have to contact your home country's embassy or consulate for assistance. If you are not on the ship and the departure time is drawing near, a security officer may enter your cabin and open your safe to locate your passport, driver's license, credit cards or any other important stuff you have left there. They'll also collect your medication and any other necessities you will need because the ship is about to strand you on shore and you will need to make your own way home.
Can I board a cruise ship late?
If your cellphone number is in your guest record, a crew member may try to call you directly. There are rules and regulations specific to the country you may be sailing within, so it is always best to speak with your cruise line directly. Typically, you would contact your cruise line and get in touch with their response team. They might be able to discuss potential options you could follow to join the cruise at its next port of call. Indulging in cocktails, beer, and wine in your port of call may be a fun way to spend the day, but take precautions if you plan on drinking excessively.
Set your watch to ship time
When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. That said, "some travel insurance plans will provide trip cancellation coverage if the insured is involved in a documented traffic accident on the way to their departure point," he added. But if someone misses the departure of such a voyage from Vancouver, they can't simply board at a later stop.
What Happens If You Miss Your Ship Following An Excursion?
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Bad weather or outbreaks of sickness onboard can ruin a vacation for a whole shipload of people. While many bad scenarios are out of your control, there is one common misfortune that typically is not. Missing a cruise ship's departure is usually avoidable, but it still happens. Listen for announcements, and read your daily onboard newsletters to see when you should set your watch forward or back. Be sure you know exactly what time to be back onboard after a day in port, and verify whether that time means the ship's time or the port's time. Also make sure you don't lose track of the hours while you're off having fun ashore.
This is particularly true if you hope to meet-up again with your cruise ship elsewhere. Additionally, your port agent should be able to make contact with your ship as well as helping you with alternative arrangements. The best option is usually to take the next available flight to the ship’s upcoming port where you may be able to rejoin your cruise. While there have been past cases of passengers boarding their cruise ship shortly after it has left port, these incidences are rare. The first thing to check is whether there are flights to the port of call where you’ll be joining your ship—bearing in mind some destinations may not require a flight. Lauderdale or Miami make their first calls at Key West—a relatively short bus ride or one-way car rental away.
The port agent is a certified expert who serves as a liaison between cruise ships and the shore. Weather delays, flight cancellations, and missed connections can cause you to miss your cruise altogether. Flying in a day ahead of time allots extra wiggle room to help ensure you’ll make it to the cruise port with plenty of time to spare. If you’re running late but are on an excursion you booked through Royal Caribbean, you’ll receive added protections and the ship will wait for you and your tour group for as long as possible. There are plenty of travelers these days who pooh-pooh the notion of booking through a travel agent. But in the case of a missed cruise departure, travel agents can be a big help.
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Don’t you just hate that panicked feeling if your taxi is taking forever to get to the airport, or worse still your flight is delayed? I remember having a half-day in Gibraltar and deciding to go to see the monkeys at the top of the Rock. The cable car took ages - the queues were horrendous, and it was near impossible to get a cab. If it wasn’t for the kindness of a fellow passenger offering me a lift in their minibus, I would have been stranded in Gibraltar indefinitely. I had no ID and no financial means to allow me to meet the ship in the next port or to get a flight home, having only brought out my cruise card and a few pounds sterling for souvenirs. Anyone travelling some distance to join their cruise ship, or taking a shore excursion in distant lands will have had the thought cross their mind - “What if I don’t make it to the ship in time?
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This ensures your phone’s time won’t switch to the destination’s time zone automatically when you switch on your phone service. If you do not have a passport or other proper identification with you, you’ll want to visit the nearest U.S. embassy to discuss next steps and receive replacement identification. This wiggle room is not very much time, however, and if you’re 30 minutes late for the ship, you should expect the gangway to be up and the ship ready to sail away. LaBarre said she had urged the family to fly to the port a day early and buy travel insurance.
What about flight delays?
Given that they coordinate services between the ships and the local port, they can assist you if you have managed to miss your ship while visiting a port of call. That said, it would remain your responsibility to return to the ship on time. If, for whatever reason, you do not make it back to the ship in time, the first action would be to contact the cruise line immediately. Amidst all the excitement, it is also important to ensure you are ready and prepared for boarding when that time comes.
In the event that your flight is delayed or cancelled and you miss the ship, you will be responsible for paying all costs to meet the ship in another port of call. To avoid delays, remember to keep track of the time, book excursions directly, and arrive at the port the day before your cruise ship embarkation process. Even though late passengers on cruise ships are rarely waited for, there is still hope for your trip.
Follow the strategies listed here so you always get back to the port with plenty of time and avoid getting stranded by your cruise ship. You hopefully are not too close to the limit on your credit cards because you are going to need them. While the port agent may help make your arrangements, it is entirely your responsibility to pay any related travel expenses. “During a travel disruption, contact your provider’s 24-hour assistance team as soon as you can,” says Steven Benna, marketing manager at travel insurance firm SquareMouth. When planning your time onshore during a cruise, make sure to confirm exactly what time you need to be back on the ship.
Although missing a cruise ship certainly throws a wrench into any vacation, with the right preparations you’ll be back to relaxing on deck in no time. Setting an alarm on your phone while out exploring a port is a great way to ensure that you do not lose track of time and arrive to your port too late. This method can help you gauge how much time you have left on land, which can ensure that you maximize your time. Investing in additional coverage through travel insurance may alleviate some losses due to missing your departure, but this is dependent on the circumstances. To avoid returning to the ship in time, you must pay close attention to the time. When you disembark at a port of call, you will be given clear instructions regarding when you should return and where you should meet.
They also have agents with personal relationships with problem solvers at various lines who can jump into action on your behalf. In addition, while the missed connection coverage in many plans only requires a delay of three consecutive hours to be valid, some less pricey plans may have a six- or 12-hour delay requirement, Sandberg said. The general answer is no, a cruise ship will not wait for you if you are running late.
It is essential to acknowledge and address these emotions, as they can influence your ability to make informed decisions moving forward. Cruise Radio prioritizes well-balanced cruise news coverage and accurate reporting, paired with ship reviews and tips. In a nutshell, no… and that fact is pretty specifically addressed in each cruise line’s contract.
Just be warned that this benefit often comes with a lot of fine print that can make it tough to collect in many circumstances. Some lines are a bit vague about what exactly they will do to help passengers reach the ship. Pull out that trusty list of aforementioned phone numbers, and start by calling your ship to let them know where you are and figure out next steps, including how and where to meet up with the vessel in one of the next ports on the itinerary. You might also have to call your cruise line's customer service department to let them know what happened and see if they can assist with booking necessary interim accommodations and travel. The folks at the embassy can help you to figure out next steps and potentially put you in contact with someone who can help you to reach your ship or return home.
If at this point there’s still no sign of the passenger, that’s when things are stepped up a notch. Crew members (including someone from security) will check the cabin to make doubly sure the passenger isn’t there. “They will then look through the cabin and see if they can [find] any passports,” explained Heald, “and they will also use the one safe master key… to open the safe and retrieve” the passenger’s passport if it happens to be inside. Each issue brings you destination inspiration and the travel tips you've been looking for to book your dream holiday.
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