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Can cruise ships leave passengers behind?

Last updated on March 8th, 2025 at 02:06 pm

While it doesn’t happen too often that a passenger gets left behind, people arriving late is all too common. If you stand out on the deck, shortly before the ship is scheduled to depart, you’ll likely notice the last few stragglers running for their life in order to get back to the ship before the gangway is pulled back. It can be quite entertaining to watch.

Yes, cruise ships can leave passengers behind when departing from a port. It’s usually caused by people not paying attention to the time, or their shore excursion has been delayed and they are getting back late to the ship.

While it doesn’t happen too often that a passenger gets left behind, people arriving late is all too common. If you stand out on the deck, shortly before the ship is scheduled to depart, you’ll likely notice the last few stragglers running as fast as they can in order to get back to the ship before the gangway is pulled up.

Passengers who are on the ship on time, call these late people “pier runners.” That is exactly what they have to do to make it back on the ship in time. On time folks can find it quite entertaining to watch.

DON’T BE LATE RETURNING TO THE CRUISE SHIP

In general, if a large number of passengers are going to be late getting back to the ship due to a late shore excursion, the ship will wait.

However, if it’s just a few stragglers, the ship will leave you behind. If you wish to re-join the cruise at the next port, you will need to arrange transportation (flights) at your own expense.

And remember, many cruisers leave their passport and other important items on board the ship which can make getting to the next port even more difficult.

Such a case in point is when eight passengers of the Norwegian Dawn had started a dream cruise that turned ugly. The ship departed from Cape Town, South Africa, March 20, 2024, for a 21 -day voyage up the coast of Africa. The cruise was set to end in Barcelona, Spain on April 10.

The eight passengers were more than an hour late returning from a private excursion on the African island of São Tomé and Príncipe. If an excursion booked with the cruise line is late, the ship will wait for the passengers. A private excursion does not have the same assurance.

The group was stranded on the island off Nigeria, with no knowledge of the language, no understanding of the currency and the huge problem of trying to catch up with the ship.

While most cruise lines, Norwegian included, do all they can to accommodate passengers, the cruise line said that when the guests failed to return their passports were delivered to local port agents and the ship departed.

In the end, the eight passengers did rejoin the cruise nearly six days later. Needless to say, the passengers went through extremely difficult times that left them jaded about the cruising experience.

Why Do Ships Leave Without Passengers?

Ships are usually on a pretty tight schedule, and it can cost a lot of money if there are delays in leaving a port. Cruise ships pay port fees for that go towards the cost of the ship docking at the port.

Ships can be heavily fined for not leaving at the scheduled time, especially if it’s a busy port. Also, if a ship is delayed leaving port, they often have to speed up to get to the next port on time, which can burn through a lot of fuel and add to operational costs.

Cruise lines have strict schedules to maintain, and one of their most critical policies is departing on time—even if it means leaving late passengers behind.

This rule is enforced for several reasons, primarily related to operational efficiency, passenger fairness, and safety regulations.

Cruise ships follow tight itineraries that are coordinated with port authorities. Delaying departure for a few passengers could disrupt schedules, incur additional docking fees, and affect the arrival time at the next destination.

Since thousands of passengers are on board, accommodating a few latecomers could create logistical problems, including missed refueling or supply deliveries.

Finally, safety protocols require that ships depart on schedule. Some ports have limited docking windows, and in some cases, ships must leave before high tide or certain weather conditions set in. To avoid being stranded, passengers must always return on time or risk having to find their way to the next port at their own expense.

All in all, it’s really up to the captain if he/she decides to wait, or determines it’s time to pull out without someone.

So, how do you avoid getting left behind? There are few ways:

1. Pay attention to the time.

Before you get off the ship, make sure you know what time you need to be back. You can find this information in your daily cruise news and there will likely be announcements before you get off the ship.

Also make sure you know if the time is running on “ship time” or “port time.” Cruise ships use their home port’s time, known as “ship time,” to maintain consistency in scheduling, regardless of local time changes at different ports.

This prevents confusion for passengers and crew, especially when sailing through multiple time zones. Keeping a fixed time ensures smooth operations, timely departures, and adherence to onboard activities.

If the ship adjusted to each port’s local time, it could lead to miscommunication, late returns from excursions, and missed departures. By sticking to ship time—typically based on the home port or departure port—the cruise line minimizes errors and keeps everything running efficiently.

If you have been tendered into a port, make sure you know what time the last tender leaves (and try to get on before that). Lines can be long and the tender boats can fill up fast the closer you get to boarding time.

2. Take an excursion instead of going off on your own.

Going off on your own can be tricky if you’re unfamiliar with your port. You will need to be really conscious of the time, and do some research of the port prior to arriving.

You will also have to factor in time for unexpected delays. Many islands run on “island time” and do not have a sense of urgency, even when guiding a tour.

The cruise line always says it’s best to take their shore excursions because they are guaranteed to get back to the ship on time. There are other independent tour companies that offer excursions at a lower price than what the cruise ship charges, but you have to take the chance that they will get you back on time.

Shore Excursions Group is a good example of this. All of their tour operators are fully aware of what time your ship departs and the tours are designed with this in mind, giving you plenty of time to spare to get back to the ship.

In the very rare occurrence that you don’t make it back in time, Shore Excursions Group will fully pay for your meals, hotel costs and transportation to the next port, to meet back up with the ship.

Just be responsible for yourself and make good decisions. You don’t want to end up like this: