cmdrfrag

Very true, that is how our experience went.
The wife and I where so excited to be sailing on Anthem when she first launched, was her first cruise and mine in a number of years. Did a quick search to find information on Anthem to see what we where in store for and ended up in "the other place"
 
My heart sank when I start reading things about the ship, about the crew, about the other passengers. I was very close to cancelling at one point, but stumbled across this site, think someone had posted a link in a review or the like. It was like night and day. Started reading things by people not out to find fault with everything and actually enjoyed their experiences. Put my mind at rest a bit and when we went on the cruise I was happy to say that everything was fantastic. Since then I've never been back over to the dark side

Very true, that is how our experience went.
The wife and I where so excited to be sailing on Anthem when she first launched, was her first cruise and mine in a number of years. Did a quick search to find information on Anthem to see what we where in store for and ended up in "the other place"
 
My heart sank when I start reading things about the ship, about the crew, about the other passengers. I was very close to cancelling at one point, but stumbled across this site, think someone had posted a link in a review or the like. It was like night and day. Started reading things by people not out to find fault with everything and actually enjoyed their experiences. Put my mind at rest a bit and when we went on the cruise I was happy to say that everything was fantastic. Since then I've never been back over to the dark side

PSA - BREAKING NEWS!
Terrible ship.  Do NOT book this ship.  Everyone needs to book some other ship.  Leave this ship to me. 
I will take one for team RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com and sail on this ship so that you don't have to.
If you would kindly heed my words, rates for Navigator will plummet on poor bookings and I can enjoy my new favorite ship all to myself.
Thank you and you are welcome.
 

This is a very good point... I don't think they are thinking of that. (forgetting how (un)important they really are). My wife and I will be going on our first cruise this May and this would be terrible. Minimum of 1 hour early it will be...

US citizens traveling to Europe will shortly need to apply fo an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) visa which is the new travel visa to visit Europe that will come into effect from 2021. Similar to other countries and regions in the world Europe has recently decided to improve their security level to avoid any further problems with illegal migration and terrorism. This means that from 2021, ALL American citizens traveling to a European Schengen-zone country will be in need of an ETIAS.
All the answers to your questions and concerns can be found here: https://www.etiasvisa.com/etias-requirements/americans
 

Don't know if these guys were guilty of it or not as you cant seem them approach but I hate when people are late for the ship and you see them Walk across the port.....
RUN!!! The rest of us where all here on time, you move like you've got a purpose!

I get quite nervous about going too far from the ship when we head off by ourselves and keep checking my watch. 
I usually try and get us back at least an hour before departure time.
I remember on one cruise we where about 40 minutes late departing from Lanzarote and we where sitting on our balcony just looking out over the port when we saw this taxi screaming though the security point, lights flashing horn blaring. He pulled up right next to the ship and a couple got out and legged the remaining 20 feet to the gangway. Needless to say they where met with many cheers from the on lookers on the Balconys.

I get quite nervous about going too far from the ship when we head off by ourselves and keep checking my watch. 
I usually try and get us back at least an hour before departure time.
I remember on one cruise we where about 40 minutes late departing from Lanzarote and we where sitting on our balcony just looking out over the port when we saw this taxi screaming though the security point, lights flashing horn blaring. He pulled up right next to the ship and a couple got out and legged the remaining 20 feet to the gangway. Needless to say they where met with many cheers from the on lookers on the Balconys.

Just booked Allure yesterday so I will certainly be following. Hope you have a great time

I think this thread has served a purpose.  Cruisers old and new have learned the ship will actually leave without you when you don't return in time.  Of the 6,000 on board, 5,998 made it back. 
I was on a cruise two weeks ago and I saw 60 - 80 people slowly walking up the pier well past all aboard time.  None were in a hurry.  One drunk girl lay on the concrete pier and rested (or passed out) .   I had to check my watch thinking I was an hour off.  I wasn't.  Crew were waving to them to hurry up.  The bridge blew the ship's horn.  People are way too cavalier and just assume the world revolves around them. 
I tire at the muster drill waiting for the stragglers to show up.  I tire on an excursion waiting for people who show up late.  
Hopefully this video will serve to educate everyone that a ship will leave without you.  It is your responsibility to be on time.
The cruise community has a name for these types of people.  "Pier Runners" and it transcends all cruise lines.   
This is about personal accountability and yes, two ships full of passengers will make fun of you when you miss the ship.  
Lesson learned - don't be late.  

Not any misfortune here. They chose to miss the ship. People need to be held accountable for their decisions. 
 
I am sorry, but their tears sustain me...I enjoyed the photos and video immensely.
 

Don't show my wife this suitcase. My backs already broken carrying her stuff though the airport

Don't show my wife this suitcase. My backs already broken carrying her stuff though the airport

I get quite nervous about going too far from the ship when we head off by ourselves and keep checking my watch. 
I usually try and get us back at least an hour before departure time.
I remember on one cruise we where about 40 minutes late departing from Lanzarote and we where sitting on our balcony just looking out over the port when we saw this taxi screaming though the security point, lights flashing horn blaring. He pulled up right next to the ship and a couple got out and legged the remaining 20 feet to the gangway. Needless to say they where met with many cheers from the on lookers on the Balconys.

Don't know if these guys were guilty of it or not as you cant seem them approach but I hate when people are late for the ship and you see them Walk across the port.....
RUN!!! The rest of us where all here on time, you move like you've got a purpose!

Don't know if these guys were guilty of it or not as you cant seem them approach but I hate when people are late for the ship and you see them Walk across the port.....
RUN!!! The rest of us where all here on time, you move like you've got a purpose!

Don't show my wife this suitcase. My backs already broken carrying her stuff though the airport

I get quite nervous about going too far from the ship when we head off by ourselves and keep checking my watch. 
I usually try and get us back at least an hour before departure time.
I remember on one cruise we where about 40 minutes late departing from Lanzarote and we where sitting on our balcony just looking out over the port when we saw this taxi screaming though the security point, lights flashing horn blaring. He pulled up right next to the ship and a couple got out and legged the remaining 20 feet to the gangway. Needless to say they where met with many cheers from the on lookers on the Balconys.

The Captain issued a statement earlier
 

The Captain issued a statement earlier
 

Yesterday I experienced a trip delay returning on a cruise and I thought it would make an interesting "lessons learned" post.
My 4 night cruise on Brilliance of the Seas left Tampa on time and on schedule.  It was a great cruise with a group of friends and we all enjoyed it.  When we finished our day in Cozumel and re-boarded the ship none of us knew how mother nature had her own plans for our return to Tampa despite calm seas and smooth sailing.
Fog.  Heavy fog.  
To reach the pier in Tampa you need to pass under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.  In 1980 during severe weather a freighter struct the original bridge sending a section of the bridge crashing into the bay killing 35 people.  As such, Tampa and it's pilots don't take chances when it comes to weather.
We arrived to the Tampa pilot station six hours ahead of schedule in an attempt to beat the fog but the fog beat us, arriving earlier than forecast.
Our attempt to beat the fog and arrive early didn't come without cost.  Running any boat, vessel, craft or ship at full speed consumes a massive amount of fuel compared to running at a nominal cruising speed.  Royal spent tens of thousands of dollars on fuel and it's an example how Royal does try to do the best thing for everyone involved even if it costs them significant sums of money.
Waking up early on debark day I noted our speed was zero but we were still outside of Tampa Bay. Oh boy, here we go.  Up on deck 12 I could see several cargo and tanker ships hanging around with us in the fog.  Beyond the lights of the other ships you couldn't see much of anything.  Fog.
The Captain informed us that the channel into the port was closed by the Coast Guard and we would need to wait until the channel opened and a pilot could come out to board the ship.  The initial estimate was a 2:30pm arrival at the pier.
Not long after the Captain informed us that he just got word that another cruise ship got stuck in port the day before and couldn't leave due to the fog.  The channel through Tampa Bay is narrow and only one cruise ship can occupy it at a time, two ships cannot pass each other in the channel.  It takes 2 to 3 hours for a ship to transit the channel.  We had no choice but to wait for that ship to depart and clear the bay before could begin our entrance to the bay.  Estimated arrival now 5:30pm.  
Lesson 1 - Don't book early flights.
While sitting around an airport for a day doesn't sound that attractive you need to understand the risk that comes with booking an early flight.  Delays happens for a number of reasons most of which are no one's fault and unavoidable.  Weather delays happen, some ports like Tampa or Galveston are more likely to experience delays at certain times of the year.  Do some research before booking that flight.  Delays can occur for many reasons beyond weather.  
In my case, I had booked a 6:30pm flight home because it was cheapest, like $175 cheaper than the 10:30am direct flight.  Over the weeks before the cruise I kept looking at that knowing I could pay the difference on Southwest and grab the earlier direct flight but if someone said to me "I'll give you $175 and all you need to do is stay at an airport for 8 hours" I'd take that deal every time.
I knew I could get some work done using the free airport wifi so my plan was to get off the ship early and spend the day working from the airport knowing if there was a delay, I could be relaxed and not stressed out.  Not only did I save money but the later flight also saved me a bunch of stress during this experience.
Lesson 2 - Travel Insurance.  This is a perfect example of how travel insurance needs to be high on anyone's list to consider. 
Our group of about 70 included folks with travel insurance and some "self insured" as they put it.  Some people were out $400 or $500 per person to rebook next day airfare and they had to pay for a hotel and meals on top of that.  For a couple that can be over $1,000.  For a family of four that could be over $2,000.  Those with insurance will get some, if not all of that back.  Those without just lost a whole lot of money.
However know your travel insurance coverage and limits.  My annual travel insurance policy was chosen primarily for medical coverage.  It has some trip interruption coverage but it doesn't have great reimbursement for delays of this nature.  
Lesson 3 - If you have travel insurance, know how to use it.
A lot of people in our group had insurance but had no idea what to do in the hour of need.  What is their phone number? What is the policy number?  What is covered and what isn't?  How much is covered?  Do you need pre-approval? What documentation is required?  The ship had letters pre-printed and available at guest services stating there was a weather delay and some insurance companies will need that documentation for a claim to proceed.  
If you buy insurance that's great, but know what to do when you need to use it.
Lesson 4 - They keep the food and beverages flowing.  
No need to worry about your extra time on board, they have ample food for such events and lined up more activities to keep us busy.  Most people took it all in stride and rolled with it.  It was quite enjoyable, much like any sea day.
Lesson 5 - Listen to announcements and pay attention. 
On the last night of the cruise many people put their luggage tags on their bag and place them in the hallway.  Bags are collected by the crew and prepared to be offloaded once the ship reaches the pier.  It takes time for the pier personnel to offload thousands of bags.  There is a reason why bag tags have numbers and bags are offloaded in order so that numbers can be called only when those bags will be ready and waiting in the terminal.  
During an event like this there a natural tendency to want to get off as soon as the ship arrives but cruise terminals cannot hold thousands of people waiting hours for luggage to be offloaded.  
Of course what occurred once we did finally reach the pier?  Hundreds of guests ignored the announcements, made a stampede to exit during the "self assist" time and found themselves having to stand outside the terminal waiting for up to 2 hours for their luggage, with no where to sit and no food or water.  If they had listened to the announcements they could have been sitting comfortably on the ship with access to restrooms, food and beverages. Instead they made the self-assist process more chaotic and accomplished nothing but misery for themselves in the process. 
Listen to the announcements, follow instructions.  
Lesson 6 - You can't fight mother nature. 
It's not the crew's fault, it's not the Captains fault, it's not the cruise line's fault. Don't be one of those people making an already difficult situation any worse.   Even if you are one of those people who choose to ignore the lessons above, at the end of the day becoming ugly or snarky with the crew or terminal employees accomplishes nothing.  Sit back, take a deep breathe and relax.  Life will go on and it will all work out in the end.  Put a smile on in the face of adversity.  Be kind to other's and don't get everyone else spun up.  Staying calm and friendly helps other's stay calm and friendly.  If you are stressed out, it will make your spouse and/or kids stressed out.  If you are calm and smiling through it, your loved ones will be more relaxed.  Do it for them.
Lesson 7 - If you don't buy insurance you've only got yourself to blame.
Accept the fact that you saved some money by not buying insurance.  You took a gamble and lost.  The money saved by not buying insurance may take a small bite out of your losses.  No cruise line can change factors beyond their control.  It's not their fault.  You took the chance and lost.  Accept responsibility and move on.  
Me?  I got lucky.  A lot of factors combined to work out in my favor.  I had booked a later flight.  I have travel insurance.  I always use self-assist.  Customs was fast.  Taxi's were waiting.   TSA Pre lines had no wait.  Southwest did an amazing job getting my luggage on the plane checking in at 38 minutes before departure.  The stars aligned for me perfectly and I didn't need to make a claim against my insurance policy.  I was fortunate but in a small group of lucky guests.

Saw this one before Christmas and thought, yea I'm using this

Saw this one before Christmas and thought, yea I'm using this