In March, a group of passengers were left stranded in Africa after returning late to their cruise ship. They were on a private tour that ran long, and their ship set sail without them, leaving the group scrambling to try to catch up at the next port. According to an article in USA Today, although rare, this can — and does — happen because cruise ships must adhere to a strict schedule.
Because no passenger wants to miss the boat, the reporter asked travel experts to share advice on what to do if you get stranded and how to minimize the chance of being left behind. Here’s what you need to know:
- Make sure you return to the ship by the all-aboard time. Pay attention to the ship’s announcement. Ship time and port time are often different. To be on the safe side, experts suggest planning on being back to the ship an hour early.
- Book guaranteed return shore excursions. When choosing a shore excursion, experts say “It’s safest to book through the cruise line or with another vendor that guarantees to get passengers back to the ship on time or to the next port.”
- Bring your credit card and ID. This is recommended in general but is especially important should the ship leave you behind and you need to cover costs to catch up. You will need identification to fly to the next port. (NOTE: If you do not have your passport with you, the cruise ship will typically retrieve it from your cabin and leave it with the port authority.)
Experts also caution that you should not count on trip insurance should you find yourself in this situation. Generally speaking, travel delay coverage or missed connection coverage is due to an airline delay or cancellation, not because you were exploring the port and were late returning to the cruise ship.
If you cruise, what do you do to make sure you never miss the boat? Message The Seniors Trust on Facebook or Twitter and let us know how you ensure you are back on board on time.
