Cornelis Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 On a regular base you can read stories of guest who miss the sailing time of theyr cruise ship and start blaming teh captain and cruise company through socail media Some times you read that they blame the cruise company in not waiting for them. But that is wrong. It is your own responsibilty to be back in time on board, and always consider as we always do to be back at least one hour before sailing time. You have to understand that the ships are sailing under a tight sailing scedule. When the ship is not arriving in a port on its scedule there can be long delays before the ship is moored and guests can go ashore. So there is one advice book your tours on the ship which are organised by the cruise ship itselves. I know on shore many may people are waiting to give you an excursion for less money but this can end in the disaster of missing your ships departure time. They al promise we will be back in time but as a cruise guest you do not know the local situation on roads etc. It is your own risk doing a local tour, never the captains one. One example : we took once the train from the port to Rome. On the way back it was complete Italian chaos on the station , it was nearly impossible to find the right platform and gave a lot of stress. Yes it was cheaper as the coach from the cruise ship, but for us it was a lesson learned. Make the best out of your cruise but keep the ships clock in your brains all the time when ashore.😃 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendall James-Vargas Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 @Cornelis I think the captain shouldn't be at fault if guests aren't on time! It's not the responsibility of the captain to force guests to be on time. That would be an unrealistic expectation! The captain already has enough responsibility, and the responsibility of punctuality for every guest would be a wild assumption. All guests should give themselves enough time to get back to the port. It oftentimes takes longer than expected, and my rule of thumb is getting back two hours before departure. If something goes wrong, you at least gave yourself a buffer of time. It's always nice to book an excursion through the cruise line because you know the line will wait for the guests to arrive back on the ship. If you book your own excursion, as you mentioned, you can't expect the ship to wait for you. You are responsible for you! No one else should be held responsible for your choices/actions. Do you typically book your excursions through the cruise line or on your own? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeJ Posted May 7 Share Posted May 7 No the captain is certainly not at fault, he has an itinerary of his own to stick to and should t be dictated by the lateness of passengers. People are aware of the times that is required to be back on board,and if they miss that time, whether it's their fault or not, then that's not the captain's problem. We are all responsible adults and shouldn't be pushing your luck when it comes to the time. If we are due to leave by 3:00, then personally I'd like to be going on board the ship 2:20 the latest to give myself plenty of allowance. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendall James-Vargas Posted May 7 Share Posted May 7 @LukeJ Some cruise guests really feel entitled enough to have an expectation that a ship would wait on them. Unless it was an extremely rare emergency, I don't think an entire ship filled with tons of guests and crew members would wait up for me due to my own error. I'm glad you agree with me here! I'm sure if I was in this circumstance I would be so upset, but it's unfair to place the blame on another person. Giving yourself enough time in case of incidentals is key. You have to plan accordingly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeJ Posted May 8 Share Posted May 8 I don't understand how some people's minds work sometimes. If that's the time the ship is leaving, then that's the time it's leaving. I hear daily people and their attitude, well they will have to wait because I'm doing this. No, sorry, the world shouldn't work like that. We have been given a time for a reason, and if you don't abide with that, then I will smugly be waving at you as you stand on the port. Too many entitled personalities in the world today. No manners or care. If I arranged to meet someone, I'd rather be an hour early than 10 minutes late. It's bad manners. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Sisters Posted May 8 Share Posted May 8 @Cornelis That's so unfair to the captain! People need to grow up and take ownership of themselves. Clearly, I also get irritated by this. How can one person be so self-centered to ignore the needs of the hundreds, potentially thousands, of other people onboard? I don't think a captain should wait for tardy guests. It's unfair to the rest of the guests onboard. If you were on the other end you would understand. Yes, it would be a disappointment to be left behind, but you didn't make it. That's life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emrys Posted May 8 Share Posted May 8 On 5/3/2024 at 3:18 PM, Cornelis said: On a regular base you can read stories of guest who miss the sailing time of theyr cruise ship and start blaming teh captain and cruise company through socail media Some times you read that they blame the cruise company in not waiting for them. But that is wrong. It is your own responsibilty to be back in time on board, and always consider as we always do to be back at least one hour before sailing time. You have to understand that the ships are sailing under a tight sailing scedule. When the ship is not arriving in a port on its scedule there can be long delays before the ship is moored and guests can go ashore. So there is one advice book your tours on the ship which are organised by the cruise ship itselves. I know on shore many may people are waiting to give you an excursion for less money but this can end in the disaster of missing your ships departure time. They al promise we will be back in time but as a cruise guest you do not know the local situation on roads etc. It is your own risk doing a local tour, never the captains one. One example : we took once the train from the port to Rome. On the way back it was complete Italian chaos on the station , it was nearly impossible to find the right platform and gave a lot of stress. Yes it was cheaper as the coach from the cruise ship, but for us it was a lesson learned. Make the best out of your cruise but keep the ships clock in your brains all the time when ashore.😃 Well said @Cornelis and thanks so much for posting. Always important to keep track of ship time, especially in a port which you're not so familiar with. Always good to book a tour through the cruise line too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Lizzie Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 I always book my excursions through the ship. I look at it like insurance, if something happens on the tour, if possible the ship will wait, if not possible the evening meal, hotel room, transport to next port is on the cruise line. I don't understand why someone what's to save a few bucks or even go somewhere the cruise line has not vetted to avoid the cruise line excursions. I just think cruise line excursions are safer all around and will never do one outside the ship. All excursions I have been on were fantastic and well worth the minor extra cost. Thanks 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Sisters Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 @Miss Lizzie It's truly the more secure excursion booking option. I really struggle with booking once I get off the ship, at the port, because I don't really feel as safe with my young children just hopping on a random bus to explore unknown territory. I would love to be able to feel confident in doing that but it's not the same. The prices aren't that much higher when you book on the ship anyhow, particularly for beach break style excursions. I would always rather pay the extra for peace of mind when traveling with my children. I feel confident doing more on my own when I have been to the port in the past. If it's a new-to-me port, I will definitely be booking my excursions through the cruise line directly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeJ Posted June 5 Share Posted June 5 I totally agree with the above statements. There isn't that much of a difference in costs. I understand if there are many of you, then there may be quite a saving, however the anxiety that follows that in the hope you don't miss the ship will be huge as you will have a number of people to make your away around the country in case you missed it. I'd always pay the extra for the piece of mind, and guaranteed I'd be going back on the ship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendall James-Vargas Posted June 5 Share Posted June 5 @LukeJ I agree as well. If you aren't good at time management it's best to go with an excursion through the line. It provides maximum security and peace of mind. The fact that the ship will wait for you in case of an incidental during the excursion is also huge. I consider the bit extra you have to pay as insurance. It's the travel protection that is most worthwhile alongside expected security. If you choose a street vendor, you can't expect security/safety, you can hope for it, but it's not always a guarantee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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