Left behind while at port

[TiaMaria]

If you do get left behind, you are responsible for getting yourself to the next port. DCL has ship agents in every port to help.

Yep, and everyone should ask themselves how they would do that without a passport? Not just a copy - because that would not be accepted - the entire passport. How would you FLY into another country. Say your next port was Castaway Cay - you couldn't go there - so how would you FLY back into the US without a passport? This is always what I say when I see someone balk at getting passports or taking their passports into a port with them.

 

[kimgg]

OK, Msmayor, thanks for that video, and the 'missing the ship' lesson is a good one to learn before cruising, however if you go to that youtube video it is followed by several about ships being tossed around in huge waves, and hurricanes, and there is even one of a ship sinking!! Of course, having never cruised before, I sure did NOT watch that one. By the way, off topic, do they ever show Titantic on cruises??? That would be kind of cool in a scary way.

 

[cathyce2]

By the way, off topic, do they ever show Titantic on cruises??? That would be kind of cool in a scary way.

I don't know about on a cruise ship, but DH and I did an Alaska cruise back in 1998. Guess what they showed on the flight to Seattle.... yep Titanic! Half the plane was rethinking their vacation!

 

[donioc]

Back on our first Disney cruise in August 2002 we went to the Western Carribean with our first stop being at Key West. While we were out on deck, the names of three individulas were called out twice over a 20-minute period of time. After that an announcement was made "Will the parents of ...please report to the pursor's desk!" The parents were then escorted off of the ship to wait for their "missing" teens. We could see two sets of parents standing at the dock as the ship pulled away. To give Disney credit, the ship did wait about an hour from the time we should of left to finally pulling away from the dock.

I assume both parents had to get off the ship due to legal issues of leaving the U.S, to meet up with the ship at our next port.

Could you imagine the conversation the parents must of had with the teens when they finally arrived to the dock!

 

[ppony]

Everyone has reoccuring dreams right? Mine are ALWAYS something happening to make us late for our flight to WDW or something happenening while there. Usually not getting to the park until they close at night. NOW, I have a new one to add to my line-up! I just told my hubby about all of these stories and warned him that I will have new anxieties for him to understand. I once made him sit at MCO for 6 hours until our flight left becuase I was over anxious about missing the flight. I'm glad he still loves me.

 

[mla2177]

I would never do it! I plan on being off the boat for maybe a couple of hours. I was just curious if they know who and who is not on board. Do they ask for yoour name when you get off the ship?

 

[msmayor]

OK, Msmayor, thanks for that video, and the 'missing the ship' lesson is a good one to learn before cruising, however if you go to that youtube video it is followed by several about ships being tossed around in huge waves, and hurricanes, and there is even one of a ship sinking!! Of course, having never cruised before, I sure did NOT watch that one. By the way, off topic, do they ever show Titantic on cruises??? That would be kind of cool in a scary way.

As I recall, a poster at Cruise Critic mentioned that Titanic was indeed the film scheduled to be shown on the Crown Princess in the evening, on the day that she listed hard to one side. I think it was the Crown's inaugural voyage too. The severe list was enough to toss folks from their chairs, dump water from the pools and cause a fair amount of damage.

When it comes to on-time boarding and on-your-own excursions, the best bet is to set your own deadline of one hour BEFORE the ship's All Aboard. If you can't ensure that you're on board one hour before they want you on board, take a ship's excursion for the 'insurance'. Its simply not worth risking a vacation like that to save a few bucks, IMO.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

I would never do it! I plan on being off the boat for maybe a couple of hours. I was just curious if they know who and who is not on board. Do they ask for yoour name when you get off the ship?

When you leave the ship your KTTW is swiped. When you get back on the ship your KTTW card is swiped again. If anybody is missing around the time they are supposed to sail, they start paging that person to Guest Services. Sometimes these people are onboard and their card didn't get read for some reason. Other times, they simply have not boarded yet.

 

[DISFamily18]

So here's another scenario/question. Can you get left at CC? Just kidding, but it sounds like fun anyway.

 

[MCourtney]

On the EBTA DCL left a couple behind and they had a small child on board. A CM had to stay with the child until the next day when the parents caught up with the ship. So I suggest you be on time if not early!

My child and passport and american express are with me each time I get off the ship (except CC!) . Although I love the kids club and use it all the time while we are on board, I just don't feel comfortable leaving my child there while I am playing tourist in another country. If I were to get injured/kidnapped/commit an international incident and couldn't get her, or as horrible as it sounds, what if there was a fire or something happened to the ship and she couldn't get to me? Maybe I'm a worry wart, but if all the adults are going into port so is our child.

She is only 5 right now... I will probably feel MUCH differently when she is 16!!

 

[RedSox68]

On the EBTA DCL left a couple behind and they had a small child on board. A CM had to stay with the child until the next day when the parents caught up with the ship. So I suggest you be on time if not early!

I am surprised to hear this. We were told after one such incident that they would never leave a couple who had children onboard. Our incident occured in St. Thomas in 2002. Our departure time was supposed to be 4 p.m. For one hour they kept announcing the name of two women in two separate staterooms. By 5 p.m. the port side of the ship was lined with passengers waiting to see if these women showed up. As we were watching, we saw a man get off the ship with all his luggage. Shortly after, we see two women stumbling down the dock arm in arm just looped! BOY did that husband looked pissed! We left one hour and 15 minutes late. As a result, we were late to Castaway Cay by an hour the next morning!

Well, since they kept announcing their room numbers -- everyone knew what they were. So the next morning at breakfast we got an earful about the whole story: CM told us the reason the captain would not leave was because one of the women had a small child onboard and was sailing alone. Secondly, the husband of the other woman had been told he could wait it our or pack and disembark in case she didn't make the sailing....so he did. And thirdly, CM said that the women got a lot of not very kind notes stuck on their doors, one of which apparently said "how does it feel to keep a whole ship waiting". That night at the Captain's dinner we asked him if he would have eventually left without them and that's when he told us about the child and it just wasn't a decision he wanted to make

And as another pro to taking a Disney excursion.......in Barcelona in 2007 we were on the Montserrat excursion. We had what probably is the dumbest tour guide we've ever had. She gave the wrong instructions to an elderly gentleman in our group (who was travelling alone). She told us to be on the bus at 3 p.m. -- but apparently told him 4 p.m. After they spent a very long time trying to track him down, and after calling her supervisor, they decided to leave without him! Montserrat is NOT a short ride to the pier! As a result of her mistake, we lost the opportunity to see La Sagrada because we had to get back onboard.

Everyone was so concerned for the gentleman, we all went up on deck to see what unfolded. Of course, the ship HAD to wait for him. Suddenly here comes this cab with a VERY upset and frazzled gentleman. An officer got off the ship to pay the gentleman's cab. However, the officer left the ship without his ID and the dock police would not let him back onboard. So another officer had to get off with his ID to get him back onboard What a mess all because one tour guide misinformed a member of our party.

 

[gydell]

My child and passport and american express are with me each time I get off the ship (except CC!) . Although I love the kids club and use it all the time while we are on board, I just don't feel comfortable leaving my child there while I am playing tourist in another country. If I were to get injured/kidnapped/commit an international incident and couldn't get her, or as horrible as it sounds, what if there was a fire or something happened to the ship and she couldn't get to me? Maybe I'm a worry wart, but if all the adults are going into port so is our child.

She is only 5 right now... I will probably feel MUCH differently when she is 16!!

We won't leave our 7yo grandson on the ship either.

 

[gydell]

I am surprised to hear this. We were told after one such incident that they would never leave a couple who had children onboard. Our incident occured in St. Thomas in 2002. Our departure time was supposed to be 4 p.m. For one hour they kept announcing the name of two women in two separate staterooms. By 5 p.m. the port side of the ship was lined with passengers waiting to see if these women showed up. As we were watching, we saw a man get off the ship with all his luggage. Shortly after, we see two women stumbling down the dock arm in arm just looped! BOY did that husband looked pissed! We left one hour and 15 minutes late. As a result, we were late to Castaway Cay by an hour the next morning!

Well, since they kept announcing their room numbers -- everyone knew what they were. So the next morning at breakfast we got an earful about the whole story: CM told us the reason the captain would not leave was because one of the women had a small child onboard and was sailing alone. Secondly, the husband of the other woman had been told he could wait it our or pack and disembark in case she didn't make the sailing....so he did. And thirdly, CM said that the women got a lot of not very kind notes stuck on their doors, one of which apparently said "how does it feel to keep a whole ship waiting". That night at the Captain's dinner we asked him if he would have eventually left without them and that's when he told us about the child and it just wasn't a decision he wanted to make

And as another pro to taking a Disney excursion.......in Barcelona in 2007 we were on the Montserrat excursion. We had what probably is the dumbest tour guide we've ever had. She gave the wrong instructions to an elderly gentleman in our group (who was travelling alone). She told us to be on the bus at 3 p.m. -- but apparently told him 4 p.m. After they spent a very long time trying to track him down, and after calling her supervisor, they decided to leave without him! Montserrat is NOT a short ride to the pier! As a result of her mistake, we lost the opportunity to see La Sagrada because we had to get back onboard.

Everyone was so concerned for the gentleman, we all went up on deck to see what unfolded. Of course, the ship HAD to wait for him. Suddenly here comes this cab with a VERY upset and frazzled gentleman. An officer got off the ship to pay the gentleman's cab. However, the officer left the ship without his ID and the dock police would not let him back onboard. So another officer had to get off with his ID to get him back onboard What a mess all because one tour guide misinformed a member of our party.

How awful for that poor man!
It was in Cadiz where they left the couple. It seemed like they paged them forever! It was around 10 or 11pm. The announcement woke our dgs. The couple had gone some place and had had a few drinks and just forgot about the time. A CM stayed there and escorted them to the next port which was the next morning.

 

[Brooklyn]

How awful for that poor man!
It was in Cadiz where they left the couple. It seemed like they paged them forever! It was around 10 or 11pm. The announcement woke our dgs. The couple had gone some place and had had a few drinks and just forgot about the time. A CM stayed there and escorted them to the next port which was the next morning.

How did I miss this drama???

 

[gydell]

How did I miss this drama???

I don't know but they kept calling the peoples names all over the ship!

 

[Brooklyn]

I don't know but they kept calling the peoples names all over the ship!

Maybe I was already in bed! Those time changes KILLED me!

 

[gydell]

Maybe I was already in bed! Those time changes KILLED me!

Me too!

 

[mrsklamc]

Yep, and everyone should ask themselves how they would do that without a passport? Not just a copy - because that would not be accepted - the entire passport. How would you FLY into another country. Say your next port was Castaway Cay - you couldn't go there - so how would you FLY back into the US without a passport? This is always what I say when I see someone balk at getting passports or taking their passports into a port with them.

That won't be an issue shortly- I believe June 1 is when passports will be required for all itineraries.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Yep, and everyone should ask themselves how they would do that without a passport? Not just a copy - because that would not be accepted - the entire passport. How would you FLY into another country. Say your next port was Castaway Cay - you couldn't go there - so how would you FLY back into the US without a passport? This is always what I say when I see someone balk at getting passports or taking their passports into a port with them.

I totally agree. I don't understand people who get passports and then lock then in the safe for the entire cruise. The purpse of passports is to have them with you in a foriegn country for the purpose of identifiying yourselves and, God forbid, miss the ship and have to fly to the next port or home.

That won't be an issue shortly- I believe June 1 is when passports will be required for all itineraries.

Well that's partly true. Under the WHTI passengers leaving a US port on a cruise and returning to the same US port will still be able to use a certified birth certificate and gov't issued ID. However, they would still need a passport if they needed to fly home.

 

[lbgraves]

That won't be an issue shortly- I believe June 1 is when passports will be required for all itineraries.

Actually, they will not be required for close looped cruises, which is what most of DCL's cruises are, leaving and returning to the same port.