Carnival Clarifies Boarding Policy for Louisiana Guests

When a Carnival Cruise Lines vessel pulls up to the docks in the Port of New Orleans the ship is two feet or less away from land. However, for many Louisiana passengers that "leap of two feet" between being on shore and being on the ship can make all the difference between a dream vacation and a vacation that turns into a nightmare.

In the past few days, you have probably heard at least one cruise line horror story involving passengers and their inability to get back on the vessel. In the case of the most recent story, it did not involve a Carnival Cruise Lines vessel. The vessel in question was the Norwegian Dawn of the Norwegian Cruise Lines fleet.

In essence, the story is this. A couple got off the Norwegian Dawn at a stop in Africa. The couple failed to return to the ship at the assigned time for sailing and were left behind. The couple is currently raising a stink against Norwegian suggesting the cruise line was at fault for leaving them.

Here is a news flash, it wasn't the cruise line's fault. Cruise lines and cruise ships make "on board" times very clear every day. This way guests who have excursions know when they absolutely must be on board or they run the risk of being left behind.

Carnival Cruise Lines are very clear about their policy about being on time. It's your responsibility to know how to tell time, know what the proper time is, and know how you'll find your way back to the ship to be on time.

It's Easy To Become Time Blind on a Cruise Ship

There is a reason why many cruise lines put down a new carpet in the elevators every day that displays what day of the week it is. Traveling on a cruise ship is a great way to lose track of time. However, losing track of time can get you left behind if you don't know the difference between "local time" and "ship's time".

Local time is the time it is at your current destination. In many cases, your cell phone or electronic devices will sync up to the local time. Local time is not always "ship's time" though. This is where passengers can run into travel troubles. The ship operates on the ship's time. It's your responsibility to know that.

What makes it even more confusing is a lot of the in-cabin videos that are shown on cruise ships include time stamps that don't reflect local time or the ship's time. So, not knowing what time it is can be easy to do on a cruise ship. But not knowing what time it is when you're off the boat can lead to bigger issues.

Louisiana Cruise Guests Should Always Have at Least One Device Set to Ship's Time

You can think of that device as your "official time" for the excursion. Now, it is true that most cruise vessels will wait on passengers who are delayed in their return to the ship if they are on a cruise-sanctioned excursion. If you booked your tour on your own then you are just that, on your own if you are late getting back to the port.

And if you do miss the boat, it's up to you to figure out how to catch up to the cruise by traveling ahead to the next port of call. You will be allowed to reboard the ship at that time but no, the cruise ship won't wait nor will it turn around and come back for you. Be on time.