I Almost Missed My Cruise – Here’s How You Can Avoid Becoming a Dock Runner
It was 12:58. It was 1 p.m. A long chain-link fence separated my companion and me from the cruise ship’s boarding stairs, which were minutes away from closing.
My heart was pounding, and I was sweating like I had just finished an Olympic 100-meter dash—except the race hadn’t even started yet. How was I supposed to get from the tourist shops along the Freeport, Bahamas, harbor fence to my ship? I couldn’t climb over the fence on a good day, let alone after a morning of sunshine and a glass of extra-strong rum.
Lucky me, Carnival Cruisers like to have a drink, sit on their balconies around the time everyone boards, and cheer on the latecomers as they run down the gangway hoping to reach their ship before it leaves them on a strange island. These people come to laugh at me—but they are also my saviors.
“Right!” a shipmate of mine called from above. I looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a gap in the fence.
We sprinted as if the rest of the vacation depended on it (and it did), sliding around the open fence without stopping and running up the stairs. If our fellow passengers cheered or the crew rolled their eyes, I didn’t stop to notice.
I went to the security desk to show my card to the security guard and then looked at my watch.
Exactly 1pm. We may have been the last ones to board, but technically we were on time.
However, it was a call too close to home for this punctual, rule-abiding, detail-oriented editor. I am a professional yachtsman and would be embarrassed to have to play the role of bridge runner.
How did this happen? And how can you learn from my mistakes to avoid becoming a train runner and missing your train yourself?
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My Bad Time Management Mistakes
Don’t judge me, but I’m about to throw my companion under the bus.
The day started out great. Carnival Pride arrived early in Freeport for a half-day of sightseeing before heading back to Baltimore. My friend (let’s call her M) and I had a great time without our husbands and kids, and enjoyed Carnival’s live bands, hearty Indian food, lots of brunch, and plenty of time on the beach.
For our final stop, we bought day passes to a local beach club where we could lounge, snorkel, and buy snacks and drinks. It wasn’t a Carnival tour, but something I found online and booked myself. (Remember—that’s an important part of the story.)
We chose this beach club based on reviews, price and shuttle service so we didn’t have to pay extra for a taxi.
We left the ship at the scheduled time and watched as other guests were picked up for tours before our bus arrived. Since it was 2021 and tourism was still at a standstill due to COVID-19, we were the only guests heading to the beach club from our ship.
When I asked what time the bus would leave to take us back to the ship, the driver said he would take us whenever we wanted. The trip took about half an hour.
“Okay,” I said to M, “let’s plan to leave at noon so we don’t have to wait until 1 p.m. for everyone to board.”
After that, we started to enjoy our time as the only guests at the beach club. (A few people had shown up that morning.) We paid extra for a guide to take us snorkeling, rather than going on our own. The $20 was well spent because he pointed out sea turtles and rays we might not have seen otherwise and told us the names of the fish we saw.
When we returned to shore, we exchanged our included tickets for a rum punch each. And this is where our carefully planned day began to fall apart. Those shots were strong, and we hadn’t eaten since breakfast on the boat.
I’m a light person when it comes to cocktails, but I’m also 6 feet tall. M is the epitome of petite. She downed half of her plastic shot glass without any pain.
As noon approached, I told M that if we wanted to buy some locally crafted souvenirs from the beach club’s little shop, we’d have to do it soon so we could leave on time. M couldn’t have been happier as she started browsing. While I quickly looked around and bought some Bahamian hot sauce for my husband, she took her time examining each piece of art on display, even asking the shop owner if she had any extra prints in the back.
Noon came and went, and M was still undecided about which piece of art to buy. “Hurry,” I pleaded. “We need to go.”
“I’m almost done,” she replied, then changed her mind about which print to buy.
When she finally made her decision, all the items needed to be packed while time passed, and my anxiety increased. We finally got in the truck around 12:30pm.
Our driver, in true Bahamian fashion, was also unperturbed. He assured us it would take less than half an hour to get back to port.
Maybe so, but I sweated through every long red light and crowded street we passed. We pulled into the port’s drop-off area with just a few minutes left… and, well, you know the rest.
Related: Can a cruise ship leave without you?
How not to miss your train
Our undoing on this adventure was alcohol. I can assure you we are not the first or last people to almost or actually miss the boat because we were drunk and not paying attention. My original plan was solid, but it fell apart after those damn rum punches.
If we had purchased the tour through Carnival, someone would have gathered us all together when it was time to leave. If the cruise-sponsored tours were delayed due to traffic or lost passengers, the cruise ship is contractually obligated to wait for all the buses to return before leaving port.
When you’re traveling alone, it’s your responsibility to get back to your ship on time. Here’s what you can do to make sure you don’t miss your ship — or cut in and have to run down the gangway before the crew pulls up the stairs.
Related: Cruise-Sponsored Shore Excursions vs. Independent Excursions: Which Should You Book?
Stay alert — or designate someone on your team to be responsible.
I guarantee you will make better decisions if your tour group is still there. conscious and control when exploring independently in port. But I also realize that many tourists enjoy drinking in port and many tours include drinks. Have fun but know your limits and stick to the time limit for when you can get back to your ship. You may also want to take turns being the non-drinker (or just having one drink) and being able to convince everyone else when it’s time to leave.
Define return time with multiple buffers
Before you leave the train, find out when everyone is boarding and plan to be back on the train half an hour or an hour before that time. That way you can account for any unexpected delays.
Important: All-Boarding Time and Departure Time are not the same. All-Boarding Time is usually half an hour earlier than Departure Time. Once the stairs are up and the doors are closed, the captain will not re-enforce the stairs just because you waved frantically from the dock.
Make sure you know how long it will take to get from where you’re spending the day back to the ship. Set a timer on your phone so you know when you need to leave. If you’re staying away from port, whether you’re taking a self-organized tour or taking a taxi to a more distant destination, make sure you plan for traffic on the way back to the ship.
If you have a definite return plan, you are less likely to have to return to port after the ship has left port.
Related: 6 Cruise Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Vacation Instantly
Set your watch to train time
In some ports, ships do not adjust to local time. (This is rare, but it does happen.) Make sure your phone or watch is set to the ship’s time.
Enjoy but focus
Many of us fall victim to vacation brain. We lie on the beach in the sun without a care in the world and forget to think about when it’s time to pack up and leave. We’re so focused on all the beautiful things we can buy in a foreign city that we forget to check the time.
We get so distracted and focused on the fun and new things we’re experiencing that time can pass more quickly than we think.
You don’t want to randomly check your phone and find out you need to board a cruise in 15 minutes.
The last line
Whether you like to sit on your balcony and judge the tired people who race to catch a train at the last minute, my story proves that anyone can become a train runner under the right (or maybe wrong?) circumstances. The best intentions can fall victim to the power of rum, the holiday brain, and the herding nature of group travel.
However, you can set yourself up for success by following the tips in this article when you head out to port on your own. Don’t trust yourself—or your friends and family? Then book a cruise-sponsored tour and leave the logistics to a professional.
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