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Missed the Boat!


Al Horner

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3 hours ago, LindaN said:

I thought you always took your passport with you when you leave the ship, I guess not.

Most Caribbean cruises don't require that you take your passport off the ship.  Ships are cleared based on manifests submitted to governments.  A ship pulls up, local immigration clears the ship as a whole and every one is free to leave.  You never see local customs agents in each country, it's done while you are sleeping, or eating breakfast, etc...

When cruising to Cuba you must present your passport to Cuban immigration in the terminal so you need your passport to get off the ship there.  

Other than Cuba you just need ship card and in some cases a gov't ID like a drivers license to get back on the ship.  Some ports want gov't ID to see the name on the ship card is a match.  

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Ok, I looked up cruise ship dock runners on YouTube, I guess this is a thing, and not caused by the app.   The videos are kind of funny, sorry for laughing at the misfortune of others.   More than half of them you see Atlantas in the background, but it happens at other ports too.  One thing I know now for sure, if I am late and miss the boat, my run will be YouTube famous with lots of hecklers and mean, but funny, comments.  Lol

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1 hour ago, LindaN said:

Ok, I looked up cruise ship dock runners on YouTube, I guess this is a thing, and not caused by the app.   The videos are kind of funny, sorry for laughing at the misfortune of others.   More than half of them you see Atlantas in the background, but it happens at other ports too.  One thing I know now for sure, if I am late and miss the boat, my run will be YouTube famous with lots of hecklers and mean, but funny, comments.  Lol

Yep, should it (dog forbid) ever happen to me, I'll just be sure to wave and bow to anyone with a camera. Might as well embrace the pain! Glad you're still with us and posting :)

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I saw many people (here and other boards) do not like the shaming that is being done for the peer runner , I just want to remind people that for the few peer runner you have thousands on the ship that : 

  • Gave up the excursions they wanted as it was schedule to end only 30-45 minutes before all on board and did not want to take the chance.
  • Took the more expensive excursion just to be on the safe side
  • Had to argue with their family that wanted to stay another 30 minutes in the bar/the museum/ the beach/shop/another round in the flight simulator etc ... 
  • Will miss time on the next port since the ship had to wait for peer runner.
  • Will wait extra time for the ship shops/Casino to be opened.
  • And many other things .

Publishing such video/stories might help to avoid such cases in  the future , people will understand that ships will leave without them. The people in this movies are just a symbol , it might be they good excuses but it dose not matter , its not about them its about the general phenomenon . 
If the cruise ship could leave the port 15 minutes after all aboard and not 45 - 60 minutes as today they might add this extra 30 - 45 minutes to the port time ...

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I admit liking watching pier runner videos and pier runners when other ships depart.  The one video I loved was when there was one of the port workers running down the pier and then dancing for the watchers.  They know the legacy of the pier runners and even they have fun with it.  I got a great laugh from it.

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Just now, ThyriC said:

I admit liking watching pier runner videos and pier runners when other ships depart.  The one video I loved was when there was one of the port workers running down the pier and then dancing for the watchers.  They know the legacy of the pier runners and even they have fun with it.  I got a great laugh from it.

This I must see.

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8 hours ago, twangster said:

Most Caribbean cruises don't require that you take your passport off the ship.

Operative word here being "most". Our very first cruise, we had our first port stop in St. Kitts and I brought out passports with us "just to be safe" like so many here have recommended. It was a darned good thing I did, because when we went back to the ship after our excursion, the security staff at the dock entrance were telling everyone approaching them that they were requiring passports along with your SeaPass card for re-entry to the dock, and that they were not accepting the usual driver's license and birth certificate combo. I have no idea how the probably hundreds who were there without a passport got back on, and maybe this was just an overzealous security shift, but I was thanking my lucky stars that I'd paid attention to the advice given here and threw our passports into my backpack!

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16 hours ago, kjw83 said:

After seeing this I`m still undecided on an excursion we want to book...its in Jamaica and says it gets back at 6:15 and the ship leaves at 7...this seems iffy to me but I`ve been told theres no reason to worry...I`m stil not convinced!

If this is an RC excursion, the ship will wait for you or it will be RC's responsibility to get you to the next port/home.  On my last cruise, the ship left Falmouth almost an hour late because it was waiting for an RC excursion to get back. 

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8 hours ago, LindaN said:

Ok, I looked up cruise ship dock runners on YouTube, I guess this is a thing, and not caused by the app.   The videos are kind of funny, sorry for laughing at the misfortune of others.   More than half of them you see Atlantas in the background, but it happens at other ports too.  One thing I know now for sure, if I am late and miss the boat, my run will be YouTube famous with lots of hecklers and mean, but funny, comments.  Lol

Don’t feel sorry.  I admit this is a “guilty” pleasure since I do not know their exact circumstance.  Since it is actually pretty hard to get left behind I am comfortable that 99% of the time it is likely due to the persons negligence or arrogance.  

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26 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

Operative word here being "most". Our very first cruise, we had our first port stop in St. Kitts and I brought out passports with us "just to be safe" like so many here have recommended. It was a darned good thing I did, because when we went back to the ship after our excursion, the security staff at the dock entrance were telling everyone approaching them that they were requiring passports along with your SeaPass card for re-entry to the dock, and that they were not accepting the usual driver's license and birth certificate combo. I have no idea how the probably hundreds who were there without a passport got back on, and maybe this was just an overzealous security shift, but I was thanking my lucky stars that I'd paid attention to the advice given here and threw our passports into my backpack!

I've been to St Kitts several times over the past several years.  Never needed passports.  How odd for port security to require them to leave their country but not enter the country.  

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12 hours ago, LindaN said:

I thought you always took your passport with you when you leave the ship, I guess not.

As mentioned it is not required at most ports.  We don’t always but many times will carry ours with us depending on circumstances.  

One bonus to doing so is to get a passport stamp.  While you cannot find this at every port, it is possible to get passport stamps at some ports.  In Nassau just stop by the small building just outside the fence on the left and they have a person that will stamp your passport for you.  There is a small gate with a guard that will give you access so you don’t need to exit through the hord of people trying to get you in a taxi or carriage ride.  

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On 2/18/2019 at 2:06 PM, Pima1988 said:

Now add on the additional cost of flying 1 way with 24 hr notice.  Betting that ticket is sky high.

Nah. Do not demonize those prices  Next day, one way ticket Nassau to Miami is less than $ 200 US.

Same day ticket from Saint Martin to Montreal on Delta cost me the around 200 US (Family emergency, not missing the boat ? )

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6 minutes ago, Cez said:

Nah. Do not demonize those prices  Next day, one way ticket Nassau to Miami is less than $ 200 US.

Same day ticket from Saint Martin to Montreal on Delta cost me the around 200 US (Family emergency, not missing the boat ? )

When was that?  Delta charges $150 just for permission to say Delta.  Doh!

And if you spell it wrong they charge a $150 change fee.

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15 hours ago, ScooterScott22 said:

One bonus to doing so is to get a passport stamp.

I enjoy getting my passport stamped!  My wife on the other hand could care less about that aspect of it.  ?

Last year on a cruise we stopped at Grand Turk and they charged us $1 for the stamp... ?  Every where else so far it has been free though

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17 hours ago, twangster said:

When was that?  Delta charges $150 just for permission to say Delta.  Doh!

And if you spell it wrong they charge a $150 change fee.

lol - Jan 30 2019. I've got the message in the morning, five hours and $ 200 US later (without any spelling mistakes) I was seating on the airplane to Montreal with connection at JFK. When talking to my TE she confirmed that it was a fair price but nothing extraordinarily cheap.

Ironically, instead of watching airplanes from Maho beach I was in one of them ?

I have to give kudos to Royal - they refunded unused portion of my drinking package, internet and excursions. Very professional and helpful throughout entire process.

 

 

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I was on Symphony on Friday and can confirm that the ship seemed to wait ages for them, blasted the horn numerous times and called so many times over the tannoy for the missing passengers.

At 15mins late there was actually four of five people who had not returned, a few turned up seconds before that footage begins and that seemed to be it off we sailed.

We were made to take our passports off the ship in Nassau so at least they will have or should have had them. 

As you all probably well know, we were made well aware by the crew as we disembarked in the morning that all aboard was much earlier than all previous ports.

Another point, even RCCL excursions seemed a shambles in Nassau. We were booked on one to leave at 9am, the bloke eventually turned up at 10 and then hurried us through the trip as he has three more to do after for Symphony. 

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On 2/18/2019 at 7:20 PM, twangster said:

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.  

These people are the type that delay departures of aircraft, they are still in the duty free! I will not take excursions or any type of "group" tour as I get impatient with the latecomers, or those that need a "smoke" or generally want to use their 

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Daaaang.  And they were *so close* to making it back in the nick of time.  I would lose my mind seeing the ship so close you can almost touch it just slowly drift away.

I think I have a phobia about being left behind, so the video absolutely horrifies me because I can't help but think how I'd feel in that situation.

I'm not going to celebrate their misery, but it totally reinforces my neurosis about triple-checking the time & getting back to the ship at least an hour ahead of the final boarding call.  I'd probably cuss out my own mother if she was dilly-dallying.

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On 2/18/2019 at 8:29 PM, LindaN said:

I thought you always took your passport with you when you leave the ship, I guess not.

I know there are others who travel besides "just" cruising...but everywhere I've ever traveled, even if "not required" to have my passport, i always take it just in case...even when getting off a cruise ship in a port that may not REQUIRE it...but that's just me.  I've watched too many movies/t.v. shows LOL

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On 2/28/2019 at 7:32 AM, cmdrfrag said:

I do wonder about what goes though these peoples minds at this point.
I mean, do they think that a train or a plane is going to wait for them too just because they've paid for a ticket?

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...

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