Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas Captain Rob Hempstead told passengers that the ship may wait for latecomers, but only under two circumstances.
Joey Hadden/Insider
On March 27, eight travelers on a Norwegian cruise in Africa were stranded on the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe after their private excursion arrived back at the ship more than an hour after boarding closed. The cruisers chased the ship for almost a week before reboarding in Dakar, Senegal.
More recently, on May 13, a couple sailing in the Mediterranean with the same cruise line was left stranded in Motril, Spain, after their excursion (not organized by Norwegian) had an hour bus delay getting back to the ship due to rain, CNN reported.
On any cruise, travelers have the freedom to experience multiple destinations on one trip with port stops where they can exit the ship and explore a new place.
But cruise ships run on a tight schedule, often only allotting passengers around seven or eight hours for a one-day stop, sometimes even less. This leaves many to wonder what happens if you're running late getting back to the ship: Will the crew wait up, or will you end up stranded, chasing the ship from stop to stop?
The answer is maybe.
On an April 2022 cruise on board Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, Business Insider attended a Q&A with Captain Rob Hempstead, where he answered this very question.
Hampstead, who's been a Royal Caribbean captain for two decades, started his career in Alaska's fishing industry. After 14 years of fishing, he became a captain. Before Wonder of the Seas, Hampstead served as captain of seven other Royal Caribbean ships, including Oasis of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas.
The most stressful part of a cruise for the crew is getting out of the ports on time, he said, "Because the faster we go, the more fuel we have to burn."
Some people come late, and as a result, are left behind, he added.
However, this doesn't mean he won't wait for you — you just need to know what to do.
Joey Hadden/Insider
There are two instances in which the ship will wait. The first is if you're late returning from a cruise-line organized excursion. Since the excursion is supposed to only take place within the allotted port time, the ship will wait for passengers coming from a cruise line excursion that's running late.
However, if you've spent the day independently on your own, or with a private tour company, there are certain steps you must take to avoid being stranded.
If you're behind schedule, call the ship agent to alert the cruise that you're running late, he said. On Royal Caribbean cruises, this number can be found at the bottom of Cruise Compass, a daily flyer all passengers receive in their stateroom each day detailing the day's activities.
The agent may also be referred to as a port agent, according to a copy of Cruise Compass obtained by BI.
Joey Hadden/Insider
Whether the ship can wait for you, however, will depend on how late you'll be, he added.
"If I know you're 10 minutes away, I can make an educated decision about whether or not we can wait," Hampstead said. "We will wait if we can."
Of course, if that's you, you'll have to run up the dock to the ship with many passengers watching, wondering what is holding up the departure, as they quickly realize it was you. Instead, always plan your day with ample time to return to port, or better yet, book your excursions through the cruise line.
