English Corner

How long does a cruise ship wait for missing passengers?
The cruise ship should have left the port a long time ago but there are still passengers missing. With all the sightseeing, shopping and bar stops, they have forgotten the time and consequently have missed the boarding deadline.
Thousands of passengers are waiting on the ship ready to leave when they hear that there are still people missing over the loudspeaker. Annoyed, they look down from the railing onto the pier. Where are these unreliable fellow passengers? Laughter and mockery soon spread as the latecomers - usually loaded with shopping bags - run across the pier towards the ship, waving desperately.
Videos with the hashtag #pierrunners pile up on YouTube, Instagram and Tiktok. No wonder… it's somehow too funny and it's great to film from the railing. The delayed tourists are jeered at by the waiting passengers; ”go! go! go!”, accompanied by rhythmic clapping. As if the situation wasn't already embarrassing enough, a walk of shame ensues.
But how long does a cruise ship actually wait for missing passengers? The answer does not seem quite so clear. One of the first shipping companies contacted by Travelnews does not want to comment or give a time frame, probably to avoid raising false expectations.
«The longer a ship stays in port, the more expensive it becomes for the shipping company.»
We knock on the door of Dario Cremona, Product Manager Cruises at Knecht Reisen. The cruise professional answers our question in detail: "It's impossible to say whether a ship will wait half an hour, a whole hour or even longer. This is handled differently depending on the shipping company and, above all, it is also a question of budget. The longer a ship stays in port, the more expensive it becomes for the shipping company—it can quickly run into tens of thousands of euros. The captain consults with the shipping company ashore. This is where such cases - as well as weather and safety-related decisions are made.
If there is a delay, the first question that arises is how many people are involved. If an entire excursion group is missing with several dozen guests, a ship will probably wait several hours. In the case of a single person or a couple, the boat will wait between 15 and 30 minutes. The departure time is binding; as soon as a passenger signs a travel contract with the shipping company, they are also informed about the routing and the arrival and departure times. As a rule, the boarding time is half an hour before departure. And these times are also communicated the evening before in the on-board program that the customer receives in the cabin."
Dario Cremona also gives a good tip: "If you leave your passport on board, we recommend that you at least have an ID card or a copy of your passport with you on the shore excursion."
Tight slots
Sure, it's tempting to have one last drink in the Caribbean harbor bar before the ship sets sail. And many of the shore-goers probably think that the boat won’t leave without them.
Sure, it's tempting to have one last drink in the Caribbean harbor bar before the ship sets sail. And many of the shore-goers probably think that the boat won’t leave without them.
But things are more complicated. Other vessels, including ferries, cargo ships, naval ships and barges, have a departure time-slot just like airplanes at an airport. The tugs and the harbor pilot are assigned to this time slot, too. If the cruise ship departs late, scheduling gets disorganized and steep charges are incurred. In addition, the ship has a time slot for arrival at the next port for the same things.
So there is only one message: be on time.
If you are waiting at the port, watching the ship disappear over the horizon, perhaps having left your passport on board; that will not only be expensive, but also very uncomfortable. Whether it is easy to get to the next destination is also questionable.