What happens If You Miss Your Cruise Ship?
Don’t Miss The Boat - What Happens If you Miss Your Ship!
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?” It is estimated that around 5% of passengers will miss their ship once in their cruising lifetime.
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? Not to mention those sightseeing trips that seem to over run! 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. The clock was ticking and I was convinced I wouldn’t make it back. 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.
I learnt two very valuable lessons from that close call:
Always take my passport ashore
Always take a credit card with me.
What Happens If You Miss your Ship On Embarkation Day?
If the delay is en route, prior to embarkation, provided you have adequate travel insurance, you should be covered for missed departure - which might include additional expenses incurred, such as hotels and onward flights to enable you to join your ship elsewhere. Similarly, if the flight was booked as part of a fly-cruise package with the cruise line there is likely to be a guarantee to get you to your ship.
On the other hand, if you have booked your trip independently “unpackaged” then unless you have that all-important travel insurance, you are on your own. You either sacrifice 100% of your cruise fare, or have to cough up whatever it takes to get you to your ship.
What Should You Do If You Think You Will Be Late?
You should make every effort to contact both your insurer, and also the cruise line as soon as possible so they know what is happening and don’t release your cabin assuming a “no show”. You will have been provided with emergency helpline numbers in your policy and booking confirmation, and both your insurers and cruise line will be able to offer you support and advice. Keep any evidence of delayed flights/missed departure to help expedite your case.
Of course, it might be that you are delayed in transit and are unable to notify the cruise line until you land. If this is the case, as soon as you have collected your luggage at your destination, try to find an agent or cruise representative at the airport to provide assistance. They will hopefully be able to advise you and may be able to help make alternative arrangements.
What Happens If You Miss Your Ship Following An Excursion?
Photo by Frank Zhang on Unsplash
If delayed whilst on a ship excursion, provided it was one sponsored/organised by the ship itself (not booked privately), you can expect some assistance. There might even be a member of the ship’s shore excursion team on the trip, who will notify the ship of the likely delay (otherwise the excursion supplier should do so). If it’s a minor delay, the ship may wait a very short while - but remember the old adage “time and tide waits for no man”! There is only a small window before sail away is inevitable. If the ship has already departed, then the ship agents at the port will assist, even possibly arranging for you to meet your ship in next port of call if necessary.
Passengers being transferred back to ship from excursion as it was leaving. Image: Cruise Lowdown
On a recent cruise I witnessed the very late return of the ubiquitous Pirate Boat excursion, brimming with “merry” passengers. The cruise signal for departure had already been sounded and the ship was about to be untied when the Pirate Ship dropped anchor alongside (well as near as possible). The passengers had to be disembarked in batches into a single dinghy and shuttled to the ship, which had already started its thrusters, resulting in a bit of a rocky transfer and a lot of bobbing about by the small wooden “pirate” vessel. Thankfully all boarded safely and we were quickly on our way.
If you are on a private excursion or worse still, delayed by your own negligence then unfortunately the outlook is not so rosy. If that pirate boat hadn't been a cruise line excursion, our cruise ship would not have waited and presumably those passengers would have been ferried back to shore and had to fend for themselves. The cruise company is under no obligation to wait for you, or indeed to assist you if you miss your ship (although generally they won’t leave you completely stranded).
What Happens If You Don’t Make It Back Onboard?
As each passenger boards, their cruise card is scanned, providing the data required to do a passenger count. Following the final boarding time, it is a simple procedure to track who has failed to return to the ship. The first thing to happen is that missing passengers are called over the tannoy system and asked to make themselves known. If a passenger fails to respond to this p.a. call out, their cabin is swiftly checked and if empty a search is made for their passport, including in their safe using a master key. This is because a passport will be required for any necessary ongoing international travel. If a passport is found it is left with the port agent on shore. If not found it is assumed that the passenger has their passport with them, and the ship will leave as planned. It is then the passenger’s responsibility to either arrange flights home or to meet the ship in a future port. If there is time before the ship sails, the tardy passenger’s belongings can be off-loaded and left with the port agent (worst case scenario).
How To Avoid Being Stranded When On A Cruise
Ensure you take out adequate travel insurance which covers delays and missed departures.
If travelling some distance to board your ship (a fly cruise for example), plan to travel at least one day before - it’s worth the cost of an overnight stay for peace of mind.
Either book excursions direct with the cruise line or, if booking privately, be over-cautious about return timings.
Make sure you take note of last boarding times - they vary from port to port. Don’t assume they will all be 5 pm!
Ensure you are on ships clock time - on longer cruises the time zone might change multiple times.
Always take the cruise port map with you - apart from shopping tips it will also have all the information you need (address of Port Agent, consulate etc) should you get stranded.
Whenever you go ashore, take your passport and a credit card (or Apple Pay) (with you so that you have the means to deal with any unexpected circumstances.
Have you ever been stranded?
Tell your story in comments below!