It’s the last thing you ever want to happen on a cruise vacation: missing the ship’s departure. Quickly your relaxing cruise turns into a nightmare, as you’re stranded in an unfamiliar port, possibly without money, clothes, medication, or your passport.
If you’re on a cruise, running late for all aboard time is perhaps one of the most stressful positions you could find yourself in. Because cruise ships operate on a strict schedule, all guests are required to be onboard by a specific time. Unless you are on a cruise-ship-sponsored excursion, the ship is not required to wait for any late passengers. If you aren’t onboard for the all-aboard time, the cruise ship can - and will - leave you behind.
This is where the term "pier runners" comes from. As you can literally imagine, passengers running behind schedule are often seen sprinting along the pier to prevent the ship from departing without them.
Guests who are left behind have few options to continue their vacation. Those who do not make it back onboard by the designated time will have to spend their own money to either meet up with the ship during the remainder of the voyage - if it’s allowed - or travel to the ship’s disembarkation port.
In fact, you’ve probably seen viral videos of pier runners sprinting to their cruise ship, such as this popular TikTok that chronicles Cozumel’s pier runners from Carnival Jubilee’s all aboard time. The video has over 15k hearts and nearly 400k views. In the video, you can see pier runners coming back to the ship upwards of 30 minutes late!
Although I’ve been on nearly 50 cruises, I recently witnessed something I had never seen before: leaving behind late passengers in a port. While cruising onboard Norwegian Jade, we were docked in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island during a Canada and New England itinerary.
When all-aboard time approached at 2:30 PM, our captain made an announcement that we were missing around 12 passengers. We watched from the promenade deck as passengers raced back to the ship before we departed.
All but two passengers made it back before the scheduled departure. Over the next 45 minutes, we watched a play-by-play of what happens when passengers get left behind.
To my absolute shock, we pulled away from the port and left behind the two passengers. The two women walked through the cruise terminal minutes after we started to set sail. Here’s how the unfortunate situation played out by the minute.
2:30 PM - All Aboard
During our 7-night cruise, we visited destinations throughout Canada that included Halifax (Nova Scotia), Sydney (Nova Scotia), Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island) and Corner Brook (Newfoundland). There were two sea days at the beginning and end of our cruise before returning to Boston, Massachusetts.
While docked in Charlottetown on Day 5 of the cruise, the all-aboard time was scheduled for 2:30 PM. Typically, cruise ships depart later in the day, closer to 4:00 PM. However, shorter days might be necessary for the ship to arrive at its next port of call as scheduled.
For me, the all-aboard time of 2:30 PM meant we would be back onboard between 1:30 PM and 2:00 PM. I never want to cut the time short, so I always leave some buffer time for unexpected delays or unforeseen circumstances. The port was a small, seaside town where we walked around, had coffee, and shopped.
We positioned ourselves on the promenade deck with hopes of watching pier runners - and we had quite the show! First, I was shocked by how slowly people were returning to the ship for all aboard, with many guests walking leisurely back to the ship. This caused other onlookers onboard to start heckling the late-running passengers.
2:34 PM - Shore excursion returned late
One of the biggest perks of booking a shore excursion with the cruise line is the guarantee that you won’t be left behind, in most cases. If an excursion is severely delayed, the cruise line is responsible for any costs associated with getting you back onboard.
Two ladies even stopped to take a selfie with the ship! To add to the suspense, there was a band playing music for our departure. Moreover, some of the port employees were walking back and forth to board the ship, presumably to communicate with the officers about late passengers.
While I was surprised to see some guests walking slowly back to the ship after the all-aboard time, I noticed some of the guests had shore excursion stickers on. This would explain why there was no rush from these seemingly late-running passengers. Because cruise lines will wait for delayed excursions, guests do not need to be rushed for the ship’s departure.
2:36 PM - Preparing for sailaway
Six minutes after all-aboard time, the Norwegian Jade staff started to pack up the gangway, as the ship began its preparations for departing to the next port of call in Newfoundland, which was Corner Brook.
We watched as a staff member started hauling two hand sanitizer stations from the end of the gangway up to the ship. There were also two cones that the port employee moved as well during this time. We could also see one of the presumed port agents exit the ship with some sort of paper, which could include a list of late passengers.
2:38 PM - Paging 12 missing passengers
As the port workers continued to pack up the gangway, they began paging missing passengers from Norwegian Jade. Again, to my surprise, they announced about 12 missing passengers on the intercom. I was shocked so many passengers were missing!
During the announcement, two late passengers walked briskly to the ship. They appeared to be independent passengers who were not on an excursion considering how quickly they were walking. The port worker said to them, “You’re good, but we almost left without you!”
Read more: What happens if you miss your cruise ship
2:57 PM - Still missing seven passengers
Nearly 30 minutes after the all-aboard time, the officers are still attempting to see if seven passengers are onboard. It was clear these passengers were missing, as the gangway was still down from the ship to the shore.
Right after paging for these passengers, we see five of the pier runners come through the cruise terminal and walk towards the ship. Based on the announcement, these five people were from the same family and were independently traveling.
The passengers were not running, however, which continued to surprise me. Two of the late-goers put their hands in the air as people cheered for their late arrival. The other stragglers thanked the port workers for not leaving without them!
At this point, we are only waiting for two missing passengers. The captain also made an announcement that we would be sailing soon to our next port of call, Corner Brook. He mentioned, “It looks like we will be leaving behind two passengers at this point.”
The port workers started to linger near the gangway, appearing to wait for the signal to pack up the gangway in preparation for the ship sailing away. One of the workers goes back onto the ship and looks like he is on a mission!
3:01 PM - Port agent obtains passports and gangway is packed up
After waiting 31 minutes after the all-aboard time, we witnessed one of the port workers, presumably the port agent, come back down the gangway. He could be seen holding two passports, which are likely the passports of the missing passengers.
As he makes his way down the gangway, the port agent shows another port worker the passports and looks at the time on his phone. The port workers are instructed to pack up the gangway at this point too, which they begin promptly doing.
I’ve heard rumors that the cruise line will attempt to leave your passport with the port agent if you do not make it back onboard. However, I’ve also heard this isn’t always the case. I would assume the cruise line will check the passenger’s cabin for their passports, which could be in the stateroom’s safe.
Considering we were traveling from the United States to Canada, most passengers onboard were United States citizens. Therefore, a passport would be required to travel from Canada to the United States or even within Canada as an international passenger.
3:13 PM - Ship begins pulling away from port without two passengers
Approximately 43 minutes after all-aboard time, Norwegian Jade began to slowly sail away from the port. Within one minute, two women - presumably the ones who were missing - came walking through the cruise terminal.
The timing was almost too ironic considering the gangway was just taken away from the ship and we started to pull away from port. How heartbreaking to watch your ship sail away while on vacation!
The two women were then approached by the port agent, who was in possession of their passports. There were two other port workers who also came up to the women, one with a clipboard. The port workers started talking with the women, likely discussing different options for reuniting with the ship.
It’s unknown whether the women flew to our next port of call, Corner Brook, or returned back to Boston, Massachusetts where Norwegian Jade would conclude its sailing in three days. Regardless, the consequences of missing the ship were likely very expensive for these two women; not to mention, their vacation was likely ruined!
How can I avoid being a pier runner?
Cruise ships rarely wait for late passengers; so, if you find yourself running behind schedule in port, you will want to do everything you can to make it back onboard by the all-aboard time. You might find yourself running down the pier (i.e the term “pier runner”), but this is better than getting left behind!
If you want to avoid being a pier runner, you should be proactive every time you disembark your cruise ship. Be sure to note the all-aboard time, whether this is on the app, in your daily schedule printout, or on the sign just before you disembark the vessel.
I will take a picture of the "all aboard" sign before I get off the cruise ship so I can reference this when needed. You can also take note of the port agent information for each port, as this is who you would contact if you were running behind schedule. The port agent is a designated, local person who acts as a contact between the ship and the port.
Read more: If you're late getting back to your cruise ship, expect to be jeered and cheered
While enjoying your port of call, you should note where your cruise is docked. Some ports have multiple places to dock, such as Cozumel, Mexico. I like to drop a pin with my iPhone so I can be sure to return exactly where I need to at the designated time.
Also, you should buffer extra time for returning to the port. Do not plan to come back right at the all-aboard time. I like to plan my arrival anywhere from 60 minutes to 45 minutes before the all-aboard time. If I am right next to the ship in the port area, I will board around 30 minutes before the all-aboard time.
Consider setting an alarm so you don’t lose track of time. You should also consider any changes in traffic to decide when you should return to port. If you are tendering from the port to the cruise ship, you should allocate more time than you think to ensure you make the last tender.
Avoid venturing too far from the port area if you are limited on time. Some of the attractions in each port are hours away from where the ship actually docks. The further away you are from the port, the more stressed you will be to make sure you get back in a timely fashion.
Finally, consider booking a shore excursion through the cruise line. Although you will pay a premium price for these excursions, you will have a guaranteed return to the cruise ship. Should there ever be an extreme, unlikely delay that causes an excursion to be hours delayed, the cruise line will take care of you, logistically and financially.
If you do end up running down the pier to ensure you catch your cruise, you might find yourself online in a viral video! It’s becoming more common for pier runners to be filmed from cruise ships, especially those in distress who almost miss their ship.
What if I am running late for my cruise ship?
People are left behind on cruises all the time, probably more often than you think. Just a few months ago, eight passengers were left behind on an African cruise onboard Norwegian Dawn when they failed to return in a timely manner to the cruise port. This left them scrambling across the continent to reunite with the ship.
If you should find yourself in the extremely unfortunate event of running late for your cruise ship, there are a few steps you should take. First, make sure you call the port agent as soon as possible. As I learned from this experience, there is sometimes a buffer with time if you are only running 10-15 minutes late.
However, you should never depend on having a buffer time. The cruise ships are on a strict schedule, so they have no obligation to wait for you and they likely won’t. If you are going to be more severely delayed, the port agent will work with the cruise ship and act as a local resource should you be left behind.
For this reason, some people choose to take their passports ashore. I also keep a few must-take medications in a small pill pouch when I am traveling should I be separated from my cruise ship.
If you are left behind, you will at least have passports for international travel, which is likely to happen. You should also have money and other identification with you when you disembark a cruise ship. It would be terrible to be stranded in a foreign country with no money!
Allie Hubers
Allie Hubers has been cruising since she was a tiny toddler. What started as a yearly vacation with family quickly turned into a passion for travel, cruising and adventure. Allie's been on over 45 cruises all over the world. She even studied abroad on Semester at Sea, sailing the world on a ship while taking courses for college and visiting 4 continents.
