Royal Caribbean - What Time Does the Boat Leave a Port?

Go on You Tube and watch the video's of cruise ships pulling away with people running and yelling. It happens.

Restating this because it is so important... Do not test the system or dilly-dally or not be mindful of the ship's time versus local time.

What I mean is, those who try to eek out every last minute of port time before reboarding often end up regretting their decision because as soon as the gangway is pulled, lines cast, and thrusters push the ship a millimeter away from the dock, you are S-O-L.

One cruise, my husband and I listened to overhead pages for three people... two or three of them actually. We were sitting on our balcony, enjoying the late afternoon sun and watched as these stragglers ran down the pier to the ship, getting to the end of it they were waving their arms and yelling at first but then just stood there with shocked (WTF) looks on their faces because they could have reached out and touched the ship but it was too late, it had just pushed off the pier. For whatever reason, they blew it and were left behind.

I like having a good time like everyone else, but being on a cruise carries a level of responsibility for each and every passenger. It is critically important to be mindful of one's surroundings, any difference between the ship's time versus local time, and to know what time to be back on board on time for departure. Not only does the ship have a tight schedule, but at least couple thousand other people want to stay on schedule and get to the next port of call.

The issue of being on time is the reason I often recommend new cruisers take ship-sponsored excursions for their first few trips. If you do take a ship-sponsored excursion, the ship will not leave without you even if the excursion runs late. If you do something on your own, there is a considerable burden on you to be back to the ship on time or earlier.

Drinking too much at Carlos and Charlie's (or similar establishment), losing track of time, and returning late to the ship is inconsiderate but also very risky and potentially expensive. You have to get yourself to the next port of call in order to get back on board.

Make sure you check with the ship before you book excursions or leave the ship.

Be especially careful if you are booking private tours and excursions. If you are late the ship will leave. If you book through the cruise line they will wait until you get back.

You need to be back on board at least a half hour before the ship is scheduled to leave a port. Don't count on what the listed itinerary says pre-cruise as things can change and often do because of weather, crew or passenger emergency, mechanical problem or weather. Read the daily schedule once you are on board for the latest update and do pay attention to announcements on the ship.

The best answer is: always check the daily shipboard newsletter and pay attention to any announcements. The ships have a planned schedule but this is always subject to change. Also, some ships change their clocks to match local time while others stay on “ship time” (aka the time zone of the embarkation port) so you can’t ask a local what time it is or trust your cell phone which may auto-reset to the local time.

I always get back to the ship a least 1 hour before the ship leaves, I do not want to see the ship leaving without me

Which date are you sailing?