Cruise passenger misses ship after going to the wrong port
In:One cruise passenger missed their ship's departure in Port Canaveral, Florida, after traveling to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. They then tried to meet up with the Oasis Class ship in Nassau. However, their request was denied, causing them to miss out on their entire cruise vacation.
Nobody wants their long-awaited vacation ruined before it even begins. Unfortunately, that was the case for Redditor Crispy-Don, who shared how they accidentally missed Utopia of the Seas' departure from Port Canaveral on January 12, 2026, in the r/royalcaribbean thread.
"[W]e pulled a major travel fail today and showed up at Port Everglades instead of Port Canaveral (which is 3 hours away from Fort Lauderdale). We’ve obviously missed the ship’s departure. We are currently at FLL trying to book a flight to Nassau to meet the ship tomorrow morning," they wrote.
"We have already contacted Royal Caribbean’s emergency travel line to request approval for a "downline join" in Nassau. They told us they have to review it and will email us if approved."
Initially, Crispy-Don planned to spend the night in Fort Lauderdale and catch an 8:00 a.m. flight to Nassau on Tuesday, Jan. 13, from Miami International Airport (MIA).
However, their hopes of rejoining the ship were quickly thwarted by Royal Caribbean, which proved that meeting up with a cruise in the next port of call isn't always a guarantee.
In a follow-up post, Crispy-Don explained that they received an email from the cruise line, denying their request to board Utopia of the Seas in Nassau.
(Credit: Crispy-Don/Reddit)
"We regret to inform you that your request to embark in Nassau, Bahamas has been denied by port authorities. The reason provided does not meet the established criteria for authorization to embark at an alternate port of call. Please note that this decision is final and cannot be appealed," the email reads.
According to their post, Crispy-Don said that they told the cruise line they had confused Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale for Port Canaveral and were over 3 hours away by the time they realized the mistake on embarkation day.
Despite the disappointment, Crispy-Don took full responsibility for the mistake, saying, "Obviously we [are] crushed as we booked our Nassau flight tickets (refundable) hoping it would work, but this was my own mistake to learn from. Good to know that Royal won’t just green light you to join at a different port."
In the end, Crispy-Don lost about $1,000 on two cruise fares, though with Royal Caribbean refunding taxes and fees of roughly $200, the actual loss was closer to $800.
Other users flocked to the comments to share their own travel mishaps
Perhaps because it was the way that Crispy-Don handled the situation (i.e., taking responsibility and not taking their frustration out on the cruise line), but Redditors flooded the comments with support, sharing their own travel mistakes.
"I once missed a flight because I went to the gate of my seat number instead of the correct gate which was in a different terminal. My seat number gate was completely empty and I sat there like an idiot until it was too late," one person wrote.
Another added, "Was going through a divorce and needed to get away. Booked last minute trip. Price was really good. I arrived at my big city airport. Good news; my ticket was for that day; bad news; not for that year."
The cruiser's unfortunate incident serves as a cautionary tale to always check and double-check every aspect of your travel plans before departure
Cruising is essentially a form of time-sensitive travel. As such, flights, pre-cruise accommodations, and embarkation details require careful attention before and during your vacation.
If you arrive at the port too late, whether because of an unexpected traffic jam or flight delay, you may miss your cruise ship entirely. So, it's important to plan ahead. For example, if you know you need to fly to your embarkation port, plan on arriving at least one day before embarkation.
The same goes for during your sailing. If you venture off the ship alone, whether independently or with a third-party tour agency, give yourself a buffer to return before the all-aboard time.
A few Redditors thanked Crispy-Don, as his experience was a reminder to double-check their own travel details ahead of time.
"Whew made me double check that I am indeed flying into Orlando and not [Fort Lauderdale]," said one user.
Another commented, "I’m sorry this happened. I leave on a cruise on Friday and I’m checking to make sure I have the right port."
