{"id":9487,"date":"2024-10-14T16:01:09","date_gmt":"2024-10-14T16:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelaffiliatewebsite.com\/mer\/what-happens-if-you-miss-your-cruise\/"},"modified":"2024-10-14T16:01:09","modified_gmt":"2024-10-14T16:01:09","slug":"what-happens-if-you-miss-your-cruise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelaffiliatewebsite.com\/mer\/what-happens-if-you-miss-your-cruise\/","title":{"rendered":"What happens if you miss your cruise"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Have you ever missed a flight<\/a> because you showed up late at the airport? It can be a painful lesson in the importance of building wiggle room into your travel plans. But, in many cases, it\u2019ll only cause a modest delay in your travels, with little or no add-on costs.<\/p>\n

Not so with cruises.<\/p>\n

Late arrivers for flights often can hop on another plane to their destination just a few hours later, sometimes even with change fees waived due to quasi-official \u201cflat tire rule\u201d policies. But travelers who are even just a few minutes late for a cruise can sometimes find their entire trip ruined.<\/p>\n

At the very least, cruisers who miss a ship\u2019s departure\u00a0often face huge expenses and logistical challenges trying to catch up with the vessel at its next port of call. In some cases, due to laws that restrict where ships can be boarded, they might not be able to join the vessel at all.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s for this reason that pretty much anyone having anything to do with the cruise business \u2014 cruise line sales professionals, cruise-selling travel agents and cruise-focused travel writers like me \u2014 will tell you to always travel to your departure port at least a day before your cruise, even if you\u2019re traveling by car. It might seem like overkill, and it\u2019ll add to the trip’s expense. But the consequences of missing a cruise departure can be so disastrous that it\u2019s a sensible move.<\/p>\n

For those whose initial impulse is to resist such advice, let\u2019s address some of the key concerns surrounding what happens if you miss your cruise.<\/p>\n

Can I board a cruise ship late?<\/h2>\n
The typical cutoff time for boarding ships is a full hour before departure so it\u2019s important to arrive well before the ship is due to leave. GENE SLOAN\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not only can you not board a cruise ship late, but the cutoff time for boarding<\/a> is actually much earlier than the sail-away time.<\/p>\n

This is a case where everything you\u2019ve learned about airplanes is true for cruise ships, too. Just because your ship is listed as leaving at 4 p.m., it doesn\u2019t mean you can stroll up to the pier at 3:57 p.m. and expect to make it on board.<\/p>\n

The typical cutoff time for boarding ships is a full hour before departure. That said, it can be even longer (and, in some cases, shorter) depending on the line, port and itinerary. To be safe, read the documentation that you receive after booking (these days, it often arrives in electronic form) for specific information about boarding times for your sailing.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also a risky move to aim to arrive exactly at the cutoff time. Keep in mind that some of the bigger departure ports, such as Fort Lauderdale\u2019s\u00a0Port Everglades,<\/a> can be jammed with traffic on departure days, slowing down the arrival process.<\/span>\u00a0I once got stuck in a massive traffic jam around one of the guard gates at Port Everglades that added at least 15 minutes to what should have been a quick five- to 10-minute Uber ride from a nearby hotel.<\/p>\n

Will a cruise ship leave without me?<\/h2>\n
\"A
One common misperception among cruisers is that cruise lines will hold a ship for late-arriving passengers if they are arriving on cruise line-booked flights. OLEKSANDRA KOROBOVA\/GETTY IMAGES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you do not arrive at the port before the boarding window ends, the cruise ship will most certainly leave without you \u2014 even if you are standing at the pier, waving frantically. That\u2019s because a cruise ship\u2019s departure time is carefully planned, and more than just your vacation is at stake.<\/p>\n

Just like airplanes, cruise ships are on tight schedules \u2014 much tighter than you might realize. If a ship delays its departure by an hour while it waits for you to arrive, it might also arrive an hour late at its next port of call.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a situation that, on bigger ships, can affect thousands of people \u2014 not just passengers who will see their experience at that port diminished, but also dock workers, tour guides and bus drivers at the destination who have planned their day around the vessel\u2019s arrival.<\/p>\n

At many ports, a local harbor pilot<\/a> will be waiting for your ship on a boat just offshore to help guide it in, and they will be expecting your vessel at an appointed time. This service often comes with a high charge, and if the ship arrives too far behind schedule, it can result in hefty fees. Ship captains will do all they can to avoid disrupting the planned schedule.<\/p>\n

Related: Can a cruise ship leave without you?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

One common misperception among cruisers is that cruise lines will hold a ship for late-arriving passengers if they are arriving on cruise line-booked flights. This generally is not the case. Even if you are arriving on a flight booked through the cruise line, the ship will still sail without you if that flight is delayed and you are not at the pier on time.<\/p>\n

What cruise lines will<\/em> do if you miss a cruise departure due to a delay on a cruise line-booked flight is help you get to the ship at another port. That is, if they can do so legally (more on that in a moment).<\/p>\n

The policies vary from line to line on this issue. Some lines are a bit vague about what exactly they will do to help passengers reach the ship. Others spell it out quite clearly. Carnival Cruise Line, for instance, says right on its website<\/a> that if you miss a cruise departure due to delays in flights booked through its Fly2Fun air program, it \u201cwill make alternate arrangements as needed for guests to meet the ship at … the first port of call,” unless doing so would violate the Passenger Vessel Services Act.<\/p>\n

The Passenger Vessel Services Act is a U.S. law that limits where a passenger can board a ship sailing between U.S. ports (more on this in a moment).<\/p>\n

If no viable options are available to join the ship, Carnival adds that passengers “will be given a Future Cruise Credit to apply towards a future Carnival cruise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Can I join the ship at the next port?<\/h2>\n
\"Several
A variety of cruise ships docked in Nassau, Bahamas. DANIEL PIRAINO\/EYEEM\/GETTY IMAGES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even in cases where it is logistically easy to get to a ship\u2019s next port of call, you may not be legally allowed to board the vessel at that port. Some countries, including the United States, have \u201ccabotage\u201d laws restricting the number of ports where foreign-flagged vessels such as cruise ships can pick up and drop off passengers. These laws are designed to protect domestic shipping industries from foreign competition.<\/p>\n

In the United States, for instance, the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886<\/a> says foreign vessels cannot transport passengers from one U.S. port to another U.S. port, either directly or by way of a nearby foreign port (defined as ports in most of North America including most Caribbean islands). The act does not apply to sailings that begin and end in the same U.S. port, provided the sailings include at least one stop at any foreign port. It also has an exception for trips between two different U.S. ports that include a stop at a distant<\/em> foreign port.<\/p>\n

What that means, in practice, is that a cruise line cannot let you join a ship at a U.S. port such as Florida’s Port Canaveral<\/a> if you later will be disembarking at a different U.S. port \u2014 say, New York or Miami \u2014 unless a visit to a distant port such as Aruba is on the itinerary. This is a rule that can severely limit your options if you want to join a ship partway through a cruise.<\/p>\n

Related: Ways you can ruin your cruise in an instant<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

To give one specific example: Under the law, it\u2019s perfectly fine for the Bermuda-flagged ships of Princess Cruises<\/a> to operate Alaska voyages that begin in Vancouver, British Columbia, and end in Whittier, Alaska \u2014 a common itinerary for the line. Since the voyages don\u2019t begin in a U.S. port, they are exempt from the law.<\/p>\n

But if someone misses the departure of such a voyage from Vancouver, they can\u2019t simply board at a later stop. All the later stops on this route \u2014 the Alaskan towns of Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway \u2014 are in the United States. Someone boarding in one of those ports and disembarking at the end of the cruise in Whittier would be traveling between two U.S. ports without a stop at at distant foreign port, creating a violation of the Passenger Vessel Services Act.<\/p>\n

Cruise brands do, occasionally, violate the law. For instance, it\u2019s standard policy in the industry to evacuate a passenger with a medical emergency to the nearest suitable port, even if it means triggering a Passenger Vessel Services Act violation. In such cases, a line would face a U.S. Customs and Border Protection penalty currently set at $941 per person, unless the line was granted a waiver by the agency.<\/p>\n

Note that some lines will charge you the cost of this penalty if you have to leave a ship early due to a medical condition.<\/p>\n

Some lines also will occasionally allow waylaid passengers to join a ship at a forbidden port if they agree to pay the penalty themselves. But it isn\u2019t common, if only because the penalty is so high. A family of four would pay $3,764 for the privilege \u2014 more than the cost of many cruises.<\/p>\n

If you are<\/em> legally allowed to board a ship at a later port, you will be responsible for paying all the costs related to getting to that port. One exception, as noted above, would be a situation where you missed the original departure because of a delay with a cruise line-booked flight. Another exception would be a case where you had a certain type of travel insurance (more on that below).<\/p>\n

Can I get a refund or credit for the missed cruise?<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The only exception here is that some lines might offer at least a partial refund if you miss a cruise due to a documented emergency. But they do this on a case-by-case basis, and you can\u2019t count on it.<\/p>\n

Related: Future cruise credits: What they are, how they work and when they expire<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Will travel insurance help if I miss my cruise ship?<\/h2>\n
\"A
DANIEL PIRAINO\/EYEEM\/GETTY IMAGES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you miss a day or two of a cruise because of a delayed flight, you might be able to get some reimbursement through a travel insurance policy<\/a>, assuming you have one. Then again, you might not. Most travel insurance plans offer \u201ctrip interruption\u201d coverage that kicks in after missed connections. But there often is fine print that limits the circumstances where it is valid.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome plans offer missed-connection coverage only for weather-related delays, while other plans may also cover delays caused by … mechanical breakdown,\u201d Stan Sandberg, co-founder of TravelInsurance.com<\/a>, a leading travel insurance comparison site, noted in an interview on the topic with TPG.<\/p>\n

In addition, while the missed-connection coverage in many travel insurance plans only requires a delay of three consecutive hours to be valid, some less pricey plans might have a six- or 12-hour delay requirement, Sandberg said. Coverage maximums for missed-connection claims also vary widely. Some are as low as $250, according to Sandberg.<\/p>\n

If it does kick in, missed-connection coverage would cover the cost of flights or other transportation needed to reach your cruise ship at a secondary port as well as \u201creasonable\u201d costs for accommodations, meals and telephone expenses incurred while in transit to the ship, Sandberg said. Such insurance also would reimburse any prepaid expenses for unused land- or water-travel arrangements.<\/p>\n

If you drive to a cruise and miss the ship due to traffic delays, travel insurance isn\u2019t as accommodating. Traffic delays typically aren\u2019t considered a covered reason for reimbursement under missed-connection coverage, according to Sandberg.<\/p>\n

That said, \u201csome travel insurance plans will provide trip cancellation coverage if the insured is involved in a documented traffic accident on the way to their departure point,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n