There are many ways to take a vacation but taking a cruise is a favorite for many people. For some, it is the fact that they are seeing the world in a unique and beautiful way but for others, it is the activities, unlimited food and the opportunity to relax that attracts them to the open sea. It is a dream holiday for many people and they try to pack as much excitement as they possibly can into every trip.
That being said, you want to make sure that you also pay attention to the rules when you are on a cruise or you could end up in trouble. That is what happened with one couple who learned their lesson in a very difficult way. They were on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship and they were running 45 minutes late to get back and board. When the captain decided that they waited long enough, the boat pulled away from port in Nassau, Bahamas. The problem was, the couple had arrived just moments later and stood helplessly on the dock and watched the boat go away.
One of the things that many people do when they are on a cruise is to take one of the excursions that is offered when they are in port. Some of these excursions are fairly tame, such as going on a catamaran or perhaps snorkeling at a local beach. Others, however, can be very active and might include anything from mountain climbing to horseback riding and almost anything in between.
The excursions that are offered by the cruise line are sanctioned by them directly. They work along with those companies and if an excursion happens to be late getting back in, the cruise ship will wait for them. If you decide to make your own plans for the day, however, it is up to you to ensure that you are back on the boat by the time the gangplank comes back in. If you aren’t, you will be left behind and you are given multiple warnings to that effect.
Nobody is really sure what happened to this couple and honestly, the Bahamas is not a bad place to be left behind. The issue is, much of what they had was probably on board and they not only had to make their own arrangements to get home, they also probably lost all of their money that they paid for the cruise in the first place.
Couple stranded as cruise ship leaves Bahamas after they turn up 50 minutes late https://t.co/c6jc5ICkMn pic.twitter.com/AHj1tcVNHK
— Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) February 27, 2019
No doubt, they learned a very painful lesson and you may even feel a little bit sorry for them. The Internet, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be cutting them any breaks.
One YouTube comment stated, “I just came off a cruise a few days ago. Daily I saw people come back after the “cut off” time of 430pm. I saw people coming in between 445pm-5pm. If you can’t respect the rules you deserve to get left.”
“Every time when we go on a cruise I always make sure I come back super early my wife and I because I don’t want to end up on YouTube looking like these two like a fool,” laughed another commenter.
As one comment eloquently put it, “Not that I’m rejoicing in their misfortune, but cruises are very scheduled. You have so many hours at port, for meals and for entertainment. If ships had a reputation for waiting for every person who was late, they would never leave port. Punctuality is the ultimate respect for someone else’s time.”
@fox2deena #TheNine been on a cruise and they tell you MULTIPLE TIMES that if you are late back to the ship and not on cruise excursion, they will leave without you! The couple must not have listened
— Les Zaldor (@zaldor) February 27, 2019
The cruise ship staff aren't your pals at home who don't mind when you show up an hour late. https://t.co/CUaTJSSnPn via @MailOnline
— Juliet Huddy (@JulietHuddyTV) February 27, 2019
Could be worse they could be stranded in Southampton
— Stewart Whittingham (@StewartWhittin3) February 27, 2019
Hopefully, they learned a valuable, if not expensive lesson.
