
If you miss the ship in Charleston, South Carolina and the next port of call is Port Canaveral, Florida, you unfortunately will not be able to board the ship in Charleston without breaking the PVSA. This is because the cruise line technically transported a passenger from one U.S. port including a stop at a “distant foreign port” like Cartagena or Bermuda), cruise lines will violate the PVSA if you depart from Miami and miss the ship on a port day in Key West, for example. that visit a foreign country and travel from one U.S. While there are a few exceptions to this rule (round-trip sailings from the U.S. This is because of the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA), which prohibits foreign-flagged cruise ships from transporting passengers from one U.S. port of call and want to meet up with the ship in another U.S. Missing the cruise ship gets more complicated when you miss the ship in a U.S. Passenger Vessel Services Act complications embassy to discuss next steps and receive replacement identification. If you do not have a passport or other proper identification with you, you’ll want to visit the nearest U.S.

These travel arrangements will not be covered by Royal Caribbean and can be costly, especially when traveling from island to island at the last minute. Once you are able to contact the ship/Royal Caribbean, you can discuss your options with them and they can assist you with booking any necessary travel arrangements. Once at the port, the port agents can assist you with figuring out the next steps and contacting Royal Caribbean. You’ll be able to retrieve the items Royal Caribbean left with the port agents when you eventually show up to port, even if the ship has already left. Keeping these items in an easy-to-find place (like the safe) can help crew members locate the items quickly in an emergency. Once the ship realizes you have not returned, they’ll often enter your stateroom to remove any essential items like passports and leave the items with the port agents on land. Related: Guide to picking the perfect Royal Caribbean shore excursion What happens if I miss the cruise ship when NOT on a Royal Caribbean excursion? If the tour is running extremely late due to an unforeseen event and the ship absolutely cannot wait for the tour group to return before leaving port, Royal Caribbean will cover the cost of transferring all tour group members to the next port of call. If you’re running late but are on an excursion you booked through Royal Caribbean, you’ll receive added protections and the ship will wait for you and your tour group for as long as possible. What if I’m on a shore excursion booked through Royal Caribbean? This wiggle room is not very much time, however, and if you’re 30 minutes late for the ship, you should expect the gangway to be up and the ship ready to sail away.Įxact protocols can change depending on specific ports and scheduling situations. When a captain is notified that passengers have not made it back onboard, he or she will try to keep the gangway up as long as possible to ensure they can make it back to the ship. If all-aboard time is 5:30PM and you arrive at 5:35PM, the gangway will likely still be open. The general rule of thumb is that a Royal Caribbean cruise ship will not wait for you if you’re running late and miss all-aboard time when not on a Royal Caribbean shore excursion.Ĭruise ships run on tight schedules, and even a 30 minute to an hour delay can cause problems later on, whether arriving late in the next port or rearranging onboard schedules. Will the cruise ship wait for you if you’re running late? Here’s what happens when you miss your cruise ship and the steps you can take to avoid this mistake. The good news is that missing the cruise ship is not as common as you might think, and with proper planning and responsibility, you’ll be able to ensure you arrive back to the ship with plenty of time to spare.

While you’ll have extra protections when on a shore excursion booked through Royal Caribbean, missing the cruise ship can still be a stressful experience for any passenger. Paying out-of-pocket to travel to the next port and being in a foreign country without any of your belongings is not on anyone’s vacation bucket-list. Videos of “pier runners” (people frantically running to the ship) are popular online and can provide a great laugh, but the reality is that missing a cruise ship is not something you want to deal with on vacation!
