It’s a sight that most cruisers dread: Watching their ship sail out of port as they sprint down the pier. But for one reason or another, missing a cruise ship is a situation that travelers could easily find themselves in.
The most recent example is a group of eight Norwegian Cruise Line passengers who were left behind in São Tomé and Príncipe off the western coast of Africa after their private tour ran long, causing them to miss the ship’s scheduled departure time. Those passengers spent several days and thousands of dollars (which were later reimbursed) attempting to rejoin their voyage.
Cruise ships take their “all aboard” time seriously, as they must adhere to strict docking times in each port, not to mention the fact that thousands of other passengers could potentially be inconvenienced.
The good news is there are simple precautions travelers can take to avoid being left behind at port. But if you do (literally) miss the boat, there are certain steps you can take to help ease the process and ideally meet back up with your cruise at the next port.
How to avoid missing a cruise ship
When planning your time onshore during a cruise, make sure to confirm exactly what time you need to be back on the ship. Most cruise lines advise passengers to be back on board no later than one hour before departure time. This time, usually called the “all aboard” time, is generally announced in daily schedules or displayed at the ship’s exit. If in doubt, ask a crew member at the exit of the ship for the all-aboard time before you disembark.
Another thing to take into consideration is whether you plan on participating in the cruise line’s shore excursions or opt for a private tour. In general, the ship will wait for stragglers “only if the passenger booked a shore excursion through the cruise line,” says Linda Speer, a travel specialist who runs the agency Cruises by Linda. Major cruise lines, including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and NCL, have published policies reflecting this.
As for the NCL passengers left behind last month in São Tomé and Príncipe, “given that these guests were on a private tour and did not return to the ship at the communicated all aboard time, they are responsible for any necessary travel arrangements to rejoin the ship at the next available port of call, per our protocol,” a spokesperson for the cruise line told The Guardian. The passengers traveled through six countries to meet up with the ship at its final port of call in Senegal, according to the report. Norwegian ultimately reimbursed the eight guests for the travel costs incurred during the journey, the spokesperson told the outlet.
The terms and conditions of most major cruise lines state that if you venture out on your own in port, you don’t have many protections if you miss the ship. “When you book a shore excursion through Royal Caribbean, we guarantee that if your tour is delayed, the ship will wait for you,” the line’s policy says. “In the unlikely event that your tour is significantly delayed, and the ship cannot wait, we will make all the arrangements for you to return to the ship at no expense to you. The ship will not wait for any guest faring on their own, as it is their responsibility to be onboard before the ship’s scheduled departure time.”
