Will a cruise ship wait for me if I'm running late at a port stop? Here's what a captain has to say.

21.08.2023 - 14:35 / insider.com / Royal Caribbean

"Is the captain there, please?" a man shouted in Italian in a TikTok video showing two cruisers who appeared to be left behind by their ship at a port, Insider reported on Saturday.

According to MailOnline, the passengers were late to embark on an MSC Mediterranean cruise starting in Bari, Italy, on August 15. The cruise ship departed as the pair waved and shouted to crew members to let them onboard, the video shows.

On a 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?

The answer is maybe. 

On an April 2022 cruise onboard Royal Caribbean's  Wonder of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world, Insider attended a Q&A with Captain Rob Hempstead, where he answered this very question. 

Hampstead, who's been a Royal Caribbean captain for 18 years, 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. 

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, there are certain steps you must take to make sure you're not left 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 Insider.

Whether or not 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,