Cruisers Reveal Why They Missed Their Ship and What Happened Next

There’s something beautiful about a cruise ship sailing off into the distance–unless you’re supposed to be on it.   In a recent social media post, cruise passengers who were left behind from their cruise ship revealed the cause and what happened next.

Missing the cruise ship is one of the biggest fears cruise passengers have, and even though it’s almost always 100% preventable, it’s better to learn from other’s mistakes than to make them yourself.

A recent Reddit thread titled “Who missed their cruise?”, revealed some common reasons people were left behind, revealing the real-life consequences of being left at the pier or terminal.

While “flying in the day of” might seem like a common factor, the stories shared in the post offer valuable lessons for any future cruiser wanting to avoid having this kind of story to tell.

Why Ships Don’t Wait

Unlike a delayed flight where you might get rebooked, a cruise ship operates on a strict schedule. They have port reservations, tight itineraries, and thousands of other passengers to consider.

And let’s be honest, if cruise ships always waited until everyone was back on board, it’s unlikely the ships would ever make it to the scheduled destinations on time, never mind making it back to homeport at the time scheduled.

Some captains will make the call to wait 20-45 minutes in some cases, but don’t rely on this when planning an excursion.

Airport Issues Leading to Close Calls

Flight cancellations, mechanical issues, and unforeseen delays were the most common culprits.  This is why we recommend flying in at least one day before, but when weather is a factor two days ahead of time may be warranted.

• One Redditor recounted a really close call: “Jetblue cancels the flight mere hours before we were supposed to leave… Flight gets delayed almost 2 hours. By the time we made it to the port it was around 12:30pm with the boarding cutoff being 2pm. Extremely stressful- to the point where one of my family members fainted at the port of Tampa.”
• Euphoric-Ad2210 shared a similar experience: “We missed embarkation in Seattle for our Alaska cruise thanks to Crowdstrike. We were flying in the day before but our flight was cancelled. Moved to an early morning flight the next day that would have gotten there in time but that cancelled too.” They added, “Because everything was so backed up at that point Delta didn’t have anything til 3 days later.”
• And sometimes it’s a mechanical issue causing delays, as another comment stated: “Land and next plane has a mechanical issue… It was getting to the point where we had to make a decision to rent a car and drive to Florida straight through or charter a jet… As we were debating, plane was finally fixed and cleared to fly but it was very close.”

Passport and Document Issues

Expired documents or unexpected travel snags can also shatter those cruise plans.

• zorasorabee told a story of a mother-daughter trip that turned solo: “My mom and I had a mother daughter cruise to Alaska planned. She waited until the last moment to look for her documentation. Expired passport card… She got sent home and I ended up on my first solo vacation.“
• StockFact1124 faced a nightmare shuttle ride: “The shuttle from the ship back to the hotel was under 20 minutes. The day of embarkation the shuttle took 2.5 hours. People were getting out of cars and carrying luggage. It was a nightmare.”

Medical & Family Emergencies

There’s a reason we also recommend cruise travel insurance for every single cruise. No one plans on having a medical emergency.  It just happens.  And sometimes it happens before the cruise even starts.

• FalynT mentioned a friend who couldn’t come because of “a death in her family. She got refunded port fees and taxes. And what she prepaid for the internet package and drink package. But had to eat the cost of the room.“
• Sea_Voice_404: “My parents missed a cruise since my dad ended up in the hospital the day before (full refund with insurance).”

Looking at the Wrong Time

Cruise ships will constantly remind passengers to stay on ship time when in a port of call.  Often there is a one or even two-hour difference.  And if you rely on your cell phone, you’re going to end up in trouble since it will often defer to the local time.

We’ve written many stories about cruisers being left behind because they relied on their phones for the time or even one instance when passengers relied on the clock in their rented Jeep.

Of course, if you plan on being back on the ship well before all aboard time then you’re better off anyway.

Financial Fallout & Catching Up

• You’re On Your Own: Unless you have specific travel insurance or cruise line packages, you’re responsible for getting yourself to the next port in most cases.
• Limited Refunds: For those who miss embarkation, the financial hit is a pretty big deal. As one noted, “You get taxes and port fees back but it doesn’t add up to much.  Another claimed, “It is ENTIRELY based on what promo code / deal you used… Nobody will know unless you read your terms of the contract.“
• Catching Up is Possible (Sometimes): As brokentr0jan mentioned, “I know someone that missed their cruise and just got on in St Thomas. Flight got delayed and the airline just sent them to St Thomas.” Another cruiser was able to fly into Sitka for their Alaska cruise, saying, “We called NCL and got permission to fly into the first port… They said it was allowed because the port was in the US and the ship had not stopped in a foreign country yet.”
• Passports on the ship: If you do get left behind at a foreign port of call, you will need your passports and travel documents.  If these were left in the cabin safe, the cruise line can retrieve them and send copies to the port.  This is why I often keep a copy of my own passport on me when traveling abroad.

Prioritize Pre-Cruise Travel & Documents

• Fly in Early: This is the golden rule. As a previous Reddit user said, “Went on another cruise this year and we did not make the same mistake. Flew down to Florida the day before… You just never know with airlines.”
• Double-Check All Documents: As seaofgreatnesss wisely concludes, “Sooo lesson learned, triple check passport before leaving the home and the day prior.”
• Factor in Travel Time: Don’t underestimate delays. Majestic-Height-2490 almost missed a cruise due to immigration, arriving “at 4:05pm, was amongst last 10 people boarding.”

Consider Financial Safeguards

• Travel Insurance: This can be a lifesaver. silvermanedwino bluntly stated, “Never. Unless you have insurance, you get nada.” Sea_Voice_404 also noted, “My parents missed a cruise since my dad ended up in the hospital the day before (full refund with insurance).“
• Cruise Line Air & Transfers: While pricier, booking through the cruise line can offer extra protection. EpiZirco highlighted this benefit with Viking: “We cruise Viking in Europe and let them take care of the travel booking… Had we booked our flights ourselves, we would have had a lot more stress.”

Bottom Line

Sometimes people miss their ship simply because they lose track of time and underestimate how long it takes to get back to the ship.  One helpful tip is that if you’re going to go far from the port, do this first and keep the activities close to the port for the end of the day.

If you do miss your ship, it’s not the end of the world.  Besides the cost of getting to the next port to meet up with the ship again, having some travel documents on hand can make this a whole lot easier.