Ever MISSED the boat?

[WMILLER86]

Have any of you guys ever been late and missed the ship? Were you able to catch up at next port?

Just curious about what could happen....


Willie

 

[mmouse37]

Did you change your screename??? I recognize your pic from a different screename (or so I thought!) ....There were many posts of people witnessing others missing the ship while in port....sometimes the harbor patrol will bring you to meet the ship and sometimes you are OUT OF LUCK!! There have been reports of crew missing the ship as well and I think if that happens they are terminated (I think).

MJ

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

YES

It was years ago on a Carnival cruise. My DH and I had flight delays right ou of the chute at our home airport. It was in the TWA days and by the time we reached St. Louis, we were totally screwed. It was the day from hell, but ultimately, we were put up at a beautiful hotel in Ft. Lauderdale finally at 11pm that night and puddle-jumped over to the first port (Nassau). We still to this day have never been through the lifeboat drill nor a sail away party.

To this day, we ALWAYS take the first flight out in the morning NO MATTER WHAT.

 

[evedein]

My mom & I were going on an Alaska cruise about 8 yrs ago. We had to fly from Baltimore to NYC then change planes for Vancuver. It was very foggy that day & Kennedy airport was closed so we were diverted to Connecticut. We waited there for about 8-9 hours. Meanwhile, our ship sailed without us.
I called the cruise line & they helped me to get a flight to Seatle. We got there about 2AM. The next day we flew up to Juneau (the first port-of-call) & had to wait there for 2 days until our ship arrived. So we missed 2 days of the cruise & were unable to get the shore excursion we wanted the most. It was already booked. Thank goodness we had travel insurance. We had to pay up-front for the additional air & hotel room & meals then were reembursed a few weeks later.
Also, no one told us that because we didn't make our original flight, our return flight was cancelled. We discovered that when we arrived at the airport to go home & didn't have any seats. So we had to fly stand-by & got home many hours later & by a very round about route. So FYI, if for any reason you don't make your orriginal flight, call the airline & make sure they don't cancel your return flight.
HTH
Eve

 

[SchultzFamily]

Last week my DH, DD and I almost missed the ship in Cabo. My watch had stopped (and I didn't know it) and I think we got on the last tender boat back with a late arriving DCL excursion. We spoke with 2 CM's later that evening and were told we would have been brought to the ship on a pilot boat but the ship would not stop, we would have to board a moving ship from the pilot. Sound pretty scary to me, glad we didn't have to experience it! Our 16 year old DS was on board and our 11 year old DD was with us at the time. We were told by 1 of the CM's that if that happens with a CM they are brought to the ship to pack and then sent home!

 

[dlf246]

We arrived to a nearly empty port in Vancouver for our 1998 cruise due to my ridiculously timing things too close. There was only one person behind a counter, and moments later we then walked up the gangplank and then the ship left, literally. It took us the night to calm down from the near miss.

Ever since, we never, ever arrive at port later than the night before. I urge all to do this as much as possible.

 

[E&BMom]

We were on the Magic in March this year and another Dis board member missed the boat. They could not get on in Key West because of some maritime law( I do not know the name of it) but had to wait until Grand Cayman(Tues). Biggest piece of advice....fly in the day before!!!!!!!!!

 

[TheWog]

WE saw plenty of luggage arriving in St. Maarten (our first port) with many people waiting to board as we were going to shore. Same experience also on our Enchantment cruise. When we reached Jamaica two days later, lots of people with luggage waiting to get on the ship. We have never missed the ship yet (knock on wood). Thank goodness.


p.s. E&B it is the Jones Act that prohibits you from boarding in a U.S. port not your original port to start your cruise.

 

[MnParrothead]

My brother and his family won a 7-day Disney cruise in approx. 2000-2001. The plane out of Minneapolis was delayed. Brother (and some other families on the plane) arrived at the port around the time the ship was to leave. Since the plane tickets were booked through Disney, apparently the Powers-That-Be were notified that the passengers would be arriving late and the families were able to board.

If I'm correct, I think that is one of the benefits of booking the airline tickets through Disney.

 

[zacsmom]

This past March we observed a family get back to port after we were already pulling away from the dock in St. Thomas. A pilot pulled up to the dock in a black rubber dingy and they threw the stroller, children and adults into the dingy and sped out to the side of the ship to climb aboard. The ship did not stop and it was quite the entertainment for all on deck.

 

[staceymerrill]

....figuratively, not literally

 

[WMILLER86]

Did you change your screename??? I recognize your pic from a different screename (or so I thought!) ....

MJ

Nope, same old Willie Miller here!

Thanks all for the replies. I have just wondered how it works. We are hitting Orlando 2 days early and visiting Universal/IOA.

Can't be too careful.

Willie

 

[E&BMom]

thewog...thanks for the name. I couldn't remember the name of the act and didn't want to misquote.

 

[susieh]

We are hitting Orlando 12 days early, checking the hire car back in at the airport the morning of the cruise and boarding the Disney bus there. With our ability to get lost on Florida's roads (strangely not a problem we have on UK roads) we would probably not find the port and still miss the boat!

 

[nezy]

I always thought that since we checked out and were scanned when we go onto shore that the ship wouldn't leave unless everyone is back on board!Where did I get that idea?

Does anyone remember that old "ILOve Lucy" episode where Lucy missed the ship and had to be airlifted and dropped from a helicopter on board the ship? Very funny.

 

[Jillpie]

This past March we observed a family get back to port after we were already pulling away from the dock in St. Thomas. A pilot pulled up to the dock in a black rubber dingy and they threw the stroller, children and adults into the dingy and sped out to the side of the ship to climb aboard. The ship did not stop and it was quite the entertainment for all on deck.

This visual has me intrigued. How exactly did they get this family on the ship as it moved along?

 

[CM_Mom]

The crew can secure the "dinghy" to the ship so it's moving at the same speed as the ship so it isn't as big a deal as it sounds. The harbor pilots board and then leave the moving ship at each port except Castaway Cay.

But DEVINITELY something you DON'T want to happen to you. Not sure if they charge for the trip out to the ship but wouldn't be surprised. And they WILL leave you behind.

 

[Jillpie]

hmmm...fascinating. Thanks.

 

[inkkognito]

That's one of the advantages of stateroom 5622. You are right above the door where they jump onto the pilot boat!
Barb

 

[mickeyboat]

We almost missed in March, 2004. Our flight was delayed from Manchester, NH. We had to book stnad-by for our connection out of Atlanta. We got to MCO at 4PM and were the only people on the DCL bus. Five people met us when we got off the bus to check our documents, and we boarded, sans luggage, through Deck 1.

DCL flew our luggage to St. Maarten and were as accomodating as possible while we waited for it.

"Fly down the night before" - my DCL mantra.

Denae