Social media clips of cruise passengers sprinting along the pier as their ship sails away have become a viral staple. But according to travel experts, the real culprit behind these frantic dashes is often a simple oversight — forgetting to follow 'ship time'.
Donald Bucolo from Eat Sleep Cruise explained that passengers frequently forget their phones automatically switch to local port time, which may differ from the vessel's official time. 'We always tell people to manually set their phone to ship time before they leave the ship, and keep it there for the duration of their time ashore,' he said.
Chrissy Valdez of Squaremouth advised travellers to avoid booking end-of-day flights to their port and to plan a buffer of one to two days before sailing, especially for long-haul journeys. She also recommended choosing a hotel within 15 to 20 minutes of the cruise terminal to sidestep traffic or strike delays.
Booking excursions through the cruise line ensures the ship will wait if you are delayed, noted Bucolo. Some independent operators also offer a guaranteed return policy. Jeremy Clubb of Rainforest Cruises added that pre-cruise tours arranged by the line are safest, but early morning tours can be risky if embarkation is in the afternoon.
Experts also suggest taking a photo of the all-aboard time displayed at the gangway and setting an alarm to allow plenty of time for unexpected delays. 'Time tends to fly when you are out on an excursion,' said Chrissy, 'so we recommend setting an alarm to remind you when to return.'
