What happens if you are late to your cruise ship?

So, the short answer is NO, the cruise ship will not wait for you if you are late. If you arrive late for the scheduled departure time, it's almost certain the cruise ship will leave you behind.



If you are late to your cruise ship, the most common outcome is that the ship will sail without you. Cruise lines operate on extremely strict port schedules; missing the "All Aboard" time (typically 30–60 minutes before departure) means the captain will likely pull up the gangway to avoid heavy fines or losing their departure slot. If you are on an independent excursion and miss the boat, you are responsible for the logistics and costs of reaching the next port of call to rejoin the cruise. This includes flights, hotels, and potential visa issues. However, if you are on a ship-sponsored excursion that is delayed, the cruise line will usually wait for the group or, if they must leave, they are contractually obligated to transport you to the next port at their expense. Always keep the ship's emergency contact number and a photo of your passport on your phone, and if you realize you won't make it, call the port agent immediately so they can assist with your belongings and provide guidance on re-boarding.

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Please note: All guests must be checked-in and onboard the ship no later than 90 minutes prior to the published sailing time or you will not be permitted to sail. If you choose to fly ChoiceAir, Royal Caribbean automatically displays only the airline schedules that will enable you to meet your cruise.

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What Happens If You Miss your Ship On Embarkation Day? If the delay is en route, prior to embarkation, provided you have adequate travel insurance, you should be covered for missed departure - which might include additional expenses incurred, such as hotels and onward flights to enable you to join your ship elsewhere.

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Since 2000, nearly 200 passengers have gone missing from cruise ships. It is the cruise line's responsibility to keep passengers safe and fully investigate disappearances.

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However, for most cruise ships, you must embark, at most, an hour or two before departure, with the absolute minimum being one hour. If you're any later than the strict time that your cruise line stated in your policies, you won't be allowed onboard, so it's much better to be too early than too late!

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When you book a shore excursion through Royal Caribbean, we guarantee that if your tour is delayed, the ship will wait for you. 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.

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So, the short answer is NO, the cruise ship will not wait for you if you are late. If you arrive late for the scheduled departure time, it's almost certain the cruise ship will leave you behind.

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Many first-time cruisers don't realize that they won't be able to go directly to their staterooms upon boarding. Pass the time while you wait for your room to be ready and for the ship to set sail by enjoying lunch on the Lido Deck of the ship. This is a great way to make sure you aren't starving by dinner time!

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You'll have to go through a security screening, and then it's time to present your travel documents, passport, and credit card (to cover onboard charges) for check-in. Your best bet is to streamline your check-in process with the Celebrity Cruises app, which is available on most Celebrity ships.

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Cruise lines generally do not offer refunds or future cruise credits for passengers who miss a cruise due to travel delays. This includes partial refunds for missed days if you join a cruise a day or two late.

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As soon as an incident happens, cruise ship crew will activate a button that pinpoints the place where the person went into the water. The ship will then stop and turn back to that area. The ship and its crew will perform a lengthy search and rescue operation, lasting several hours.

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The entire timeline can take 30 to 45 minutes after arrival. Just because your cruise ship is at the dock doesn't mean that people get off immediately. Once you are cleared to go ashore, you may experience a rush of people, but lines tend to decrease quickly.

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But for the most part, the best time to cruise the Caribbean is January through April during the dry season, especially in April when temperatures are warmer. The worst time is September and October during the peak months of the Caribbean hurricane season. May is a brief rainy season for some destinations.

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The best time to board a cruise ship is obviously when there are few lines and short waits. The trick is knowing when that will be. Unfortunately, it can vary from port to port and ship to ship, but I prefer arriving in the early afternoon, usually around 1 or 2 p.m.

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Storms in August and October have a moderate risk of developing into hurricanes while September has the highest risk of all. For these reasons, September is the worst month of the year to take a cruise.

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SETSAIL PASS Swipe left to view the SetSail Passes for other Guests in your party. If you need to edit your check-in or change your port arrival time, tap 'Edit Check-in' to make the necessary changes. When your documents (EDoc) are ready you will be able to find them on your Cruise Planner account on your computer.

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In 2023 thus far, there have been 10 overboard incidents affecting 11 people, according to data compiled by Ross Klein, a social work professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland, who runs a cruise safety website. Nine of those eleven people died as a result.

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The good news is that the overall number of serious crimes reported was quite low when compared to passenger counts. In a year in which more than 13 million passengers boarded ships in U.S. ports, fewer than 100 serious crimes were reported to the FBI.

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