Passengers left in port...

[briguy]

Always wondered about people getting left behind in port somewhere because they were either not watching the clock or got too drunk or whatever..Have you seen this happen or heard about it on your own cruise? Its kind of a bummer for the person but at the same time its kind of funny too... I have seen people sprinting for the gangway as the ship is pulling out. What have you seen?

[mehawk]

I have seen the sprinting and I have heard of passengers being left behind. The ships have a contract to use the dock for X amount of time and then someone else has it temporarily leased. Gotta get when you are supposed to.

[skymaster]

At Cozumel there are always a few "sprinters" and probably a few left behind. Gotta love that "Carlos & Charlie's".....

Ken
"Sky"

[dlgnld]

Unfortunately the ship doesn't do a head count. If you are late, you will miss the boat and you will have to purchase airfare to the next port. I always try to get back to the ship 30-45 minutes early.

Debbie

[Trip]

Urban legend? I heard years ago, in Cozumel, they used to use wheel chairs to quickly roll passengers back to the ship.

I watched, as people ran like they were in the Olympics to get back to the ship in Key West.

For me, there would be little in port to lure me, to miss a ship.....

[Paul Motter]

I am sure it happens, but I have actually heard very very few first person accounts of it. Note the absense of people here saying they know of incidents. Most people DO make it back every time.

I knew a magician who missed the ship in L.A. once and had to get himself to Ensenada the next day to catch the ship - not an easy task considering you have to cross a border. I understand he had to take a train, change trains at the border, etc. This was back in '83, so I don't recall all the details.

Also - ships DO head counts, they just don't have a policy of waiting until everyone shows up.

Like I said, I am sure it happens, but rarely.

[IBCRUZIN']

back in 2004.

A lady who shared our dinner table and kind of buddied up with us during the cruise. She was a single parent on the ship with her two children (ages approx. 8 and 10 - boy and girl). She got off the ship in Jamaica without a watch. She went off on her own with her two kids, spent all her money and forgot that she could not depend on the island's time (an hour behind the ship's time). Well she got to the pier just after the ship pulled away.

She said the pain she felt in her stomach when her and her 2 kids walked up to the pier to see the ship leaving was very close to a labor pain (childbirth). She said she was so scared that she got hysterical and her stomach just cramped up because she had no money, passports, cellphone or credit cards. There was a small boat at the pier that offered to take her out to the ship but she had to pay $50 per person upfront. Of course she couldn't do that because she had spent all of her money on the island. After a few minutes of crying and pleading with the boat owner, the port authority contacted the ship and told them that there was a female passenger and 2 kids on the pier. Once the ship's captain promised to pay the boat's owner, the boat took her and her kids out to meet the boat. The ship was able to stop long enough for her and her kids to meet up with the ship and climb the rope ladder (the same one the port pilot uses) up into the ship. When they climbed into the ship, the captain was standing there and he had one of his officers pay the boat's owner. They put the fee on her sail and sign account. She said the boat owner was really mean to her but the captain was very nice about it.

I believe the ship stopped for her because she was a woman with two small children. When you weight the cost/inconvenience of stopping the ship to pick her up against the peril she would faced being stuck in Jamaica with no money and no papers, the captain made the proper judgment call to stop the ship and pick her up.

I got this story first hand and the way she told it at dinner, I believed her.

I know that the ship will do a roll call for all people the check-in system has not registered as having returned to the ship. Approximately 15 minutes before the ship pulls out you will often hear an announcement for the "following people to contact the purser's desk." They call off a collection of names and cabin numbers. Those are the people that may or may not be still on the island.

Also, depending on the circumstance and the port, sometimes the ship will wait for passengers even if they are not on a cruiseline excursion. In one cruise, the passenger fell and broke her leg on Grouda(??) in St. Thomas. They waited for the ambulance to bring her back to the ship, approx an hour. (They set her leg on the ship.) Another time a group of 60 passengers were delayed to embarkation because of bad weather in Canada. The ship waited two hours for them to get to the ship. From what I understand if it is a group of 30 or more, the ship (RCCL) will wait at embarkation and, on an island, it usually has to be a circumstance totally beyond the control of the passenger (injury/crime victim, etc.).

I usually will do my further-away excursion first and then get back to the vicinity of the pier/terminal to do my shopping a few hours before departure. That way I am close to the ship and can make it back in minutes.

[Paul Motter]

You are right, I stand corrected - they DO make a PA announcement before the ship leaves.

[cutiecat]

I have seen people running as they are tying up the ropes but not actually pulled away yet...

And have heard them announce names over and over again before pulling away...I always thought those were people not checked in yet.

[Kamloops Cruiser]

Originally Posted by briguy

Always wondered about people getting left behind in port somewhere because they were either not watching the clock or got too drunk or whatever..Have you seen this happen or heard about it on your own cruise? Its kind of a bummer for the person but at the same time its kind of funny too... I have seen people sprinting for the gangway as the ship is pulling out. What have you seen?

On our cruise on MOS this Jan(08) , heard that about a dozen people missed the ship. They used locale time not ship time , a very stupid mistake.

[jackiesbooks]

In cozumel 2 years ago, they started paging this man. Then his roommates. Then a police officer pull up next to the ship. An officer came out with something on a clipboard. He gave it to the officer( it looked like it may a photo). That officer took off with sirens blasting. About 15 minutes later, we heard sirens and then a young man running for the ship. We left about 45 mins later. My friends were told later that he was in Carlos and Charlies and was going by the local time not ship time. They also were told that he would not be allowed to leave the ship in the next port.

[JoeMo]

A few years ago, an ambulance drove up to the ship just as we were to leave Cozumel. The officer at the gangplank must have called every white shirt on the ship, cause in a few minutes the Ship doctor, captain, and a few other white shirts were out on the pier discussing the situation.
We were up on deck and could not hear what was being said, but the ship captain was Italian, so we could read his hand and arm signals very well.
He asked the Doctor if the Doctor could care for the man in the ambulance, and the doctor declined. The Captain was then very articulate, and very forceful, telling the ambulance driver to take his passenger back to the hospital, told the doctor to get back on the ship, and then told the pier officer to raise the gangplank, after which the ship IMMEDIATELY left the pier. The patient in the ambulance had been involved in a motor vehicle accident, Moped ? or Jeep ? and the doctor was not about to care for him the rest of the week. Some of this information was learned later in the week from crew and others in the know. The young man who was left beat us all back to the states, arriving on the east coast two days later by air ambulance. I hope he had travel insurance.

[jmhn72]

We always heard once the anchor has pulled pulled, it is to late and the ship will leave. But last fall, on the Tahitian Princess in Bora Bora, the last tender was pulled and secured. The Captain came on the intercom and spoke there was one person at the dock. He ordered the tender to be lowered and the passenger came aboard. Some people were annoyed at this announcement, but I am sure the person at the dock was very much relieved. At this gesture, we soundly applaud Princess cruise lines.

[Trip]

Why in the world would anyone be annoyed at the ship allowing someone to get onboard. They hadn't even left the port!! That amazes me!

[Zach17]

Originally Posted by jackiesbooks

In cozumel 2 years ago, they started paging this man. Then his roommates. Then a police officer pull up next to the ship. An officer came out with something on a clipboard. He gave it to the officer( it looked like it may a photo). That officer took off with sirens blasting. About 15 minutes later, we heard sirens and then a young man running for the ship. We left about 45 mins later. My friends were told later that he was in Carlos and Charlies and was going by the local time not ship time. They also were told that he would not be allowed to leave the ship in the next port.

wow! can they realy do that?

[arie]

i think its part of the show because they will left on time any cruise i've bin allways we misted people so every body will not misted the ship

[BobMiller]

I have seen the “sprinting” for the gangplank. Our first time in St Thomas the pier had a gate a long way from the ship. About 15 minutes after the ship was scheduled to leave all of the gangplanks except a small one used by the crew had been loaded and the ship had blown it’s whistle a couple of times.

A woman ran up to the fence yelling wait. The crew acknowledged her but continued to untie ropes and load the signs, everything but the last plank. She was not too comforted with the acknowledgment so she ran up the pier to the gate with her arms waving in the air and yelling wait. Then she ran all the way from the gate to the ship still waving and yelling. By this time the crew was standing around waiting for her and probably just as amused as all of us watching from our balconies.

The is plenty of travel time scheduled between stops so most ships can probably loose a couple of hours and still make the next port on time.

[Cassandra]

They do a head count on the ships when you get on & off.

Notice that nice little computer screen you have to slide your card in and out of when you get on & off? It's the same one that took your picture when you first boarded the ship.

This acts as the manifest so the ship knows whether you are onboard or not at the islands.

This is why you might hear the exact number of passengers that were left behind.

Just a FYI for those that aren't aware of it.

[dottiel]

Happened to a couple when we sailed on the Conquest. They had to catch up with us at our next port.

Bout happened to one couple on the Explorer we just cruised. They were late 3 ports and were warned at our last we would not wait for them. They were left behind.

Why can't everyone just abide by the rules and not ruin things for others?

[green_rd]

The DW & I were in the art auction in the aft lounge shortly after departure. Suddenly we feel a lot of shaking and a sound like the engines are reversing (I once heard the shuttle engines turned off on an aborted launch - something like that). I said I bet we stopped for a straggler. Our son sitting topside reported seeing a tender flying out the the ship. We joked about somebody having a rather unpleasant opportunity to meet the captain.

[Phil&Liz]

This is one reason a balcony is sooooo worth the $ !!!

Phil & Liz

[misguidedangel]

In San Juan last September the departure time came and went (5pm). Between the departure time and the time the two passengers came running the captain blew the horn around eight times. I sensed the captain was NOT happy with these two passengers!

Also, we docked in Costa Maya in Jan 07 and three people failed to read their capers or listen to the annoucements made the day before and the day of to NOT move your watch back one hour, but to keep it on ship time. One guy made it onboard with two minutes to spare (running to the cheers from the people on deck/balconies). Two more realized they were late when the saw the dock workers pulling the ropes from the stern!!! They promptly ran the full length of the ship and had an officer point to his watch and remind them of the time...

Tis past February we had no problems with latecomers at all, in fact we left Jamaica 10 minutes early because everyone was onboard!!!!!!

[SupperMommy]

One of my favorite things to do on my cruise is stand out on the ships deck and watch the sprinters run in. I think the best place so far has been in Cozumel. I have also seen the wheelchairs being pushed (for those who passed out at Carlos and Charlies, or took the Booze Cruise)


I'm so paranoid it will happen to me one time that I make sure my excursions are the early ones and I don't drink while in port. Well okay I may drink a little I just stay away from the Tequila!!

[katlady]

I was cruising with my family and I got back to the ship. I got worried my sister wouldn't make it. I went to the purser's office to check. They known if someone is on the ship or not. My sister made it back in plenty of time I worried for nothing. It was her first cruise.

The ship left 2 hours late from port anyway. Someone had a heartattack and they were removing the person from the ship to recieve medical treatment. If it's a medical emergency I don't care about making it to the next port. I just want the person fo recieve treatment. My cruise is not as important as someone's life. Not even close. I never found out if this person recovered from the heartattack, I hope for the best.

[David West]

On every cruise we go on, the wife and I always go to the Lido deck, port side and watch for the late ones to come. Usually spotted several hundred feet away running as fast as they can.

There seems to be somebody on every cruise to test the captain. Its amazing

Happy Cruising to all ;
David

[ferrangi]

Thanks everyone... you've just help me decide on a new excursion...
"Sprint Watching"

Seriously, I'm going to talk to my sis and see if we can't make it a plan, if we can't see from our balcony... then we meet up on the lido deck with drink in hand!!

By the way, my sis and I will get off the ship early, and get back on ASAP and just kick back and enjoy the amenities the ship has to offer.
No sprinting for us!!

[Ron]

I'm like another poster---one of my favorite things to do in Cozumel is to watch the " show " put on by the drunks coming back starting about 45 minutes prior to sailing.
I have seen them brought back in wheel chairs, on crutches--saw one come back with her leg in a cast in a wheel chair--saw several drunks who were so drunk they could barely stagger get in a fight on the dock near the ship. I saw one couple who were so drunk he couldn't get up the gangplank. He kept trying but his legs would buckle. She wasn't much better off---she wobbled over and sat down on one of those orange plastic cones--on the sharp end-- I figured when she got up it would go with her but no such luck !
I have seen people brought out to the ship in boats and have seen many do the hundred yard dash to the boos, cheers, yells, etc. of everyone watching.All entertaining--and it's free !!

[mehawk]

When we were on the Elation, in Cozumel in 2005, the ship was held a tthe dock for over an hour. When we left, the captain used the intercom to explain the delay... a couple of fellows were in the hoosgow and the captain paid their bond and had them delivered to the ship. That was very big of Carnival to do that. I related this story in another post back then.

[Pamulla]

Last April on the Freedom, a couple missed the boat and had to fly to the next port. They took a train on their own in Istanbul and didn't get back in time.
On the same cruise, we were in a tourbus accident delaying our return but we not worried since it was a ship excursion and we didn't miss the boat.

[ginnyanne]

Don't we always leave our watches on ship time?

Anywho....really excited about having the balcony now! This could be great. I always want to get back about 45-60 minutes before hand; just to be on the safe side.