Carnival Cruise Line, one of many best cruise lines in the U.S. based on passenger ratings, is taking issues to the following degree this 12 months with its new private destination, Celebration Key. Not solely is Carnival a well-liked selection for its new choices and locations, nevertheless it’s additionally thought-about one of many top budget cruise lines, making it the proper selection for households and younger adults.
With reasonably priced itineraries to a variety of picturesque locations, the demand for holidays at sea is steadily rising. To make sure passengers are up to the mark, Carnival Cruise Line issued many essential coverage reminders through the first quarter of 2025.
In February, Carnival revealed the items passengers can’t bring off the ship into the U.S. and defined that some can pose critical environmental dangers. And in March, Carnival’s brand ambassador, John Heald, set the record straight following “pretend information” about muster drills.
Though Carnival Cruise Line constantly offers these reminders, passengers should still overlook some particulars. That is what occurred to 1 passenger who made a time-sensitive mistake final month that nearly price them their journey. Right here’s the passenger’s story and why it must be a lesson for all cruisers.
A Carnival Cruise Line Passenger Urged Others To Use Ship Time As a substitute Of Port Time
When embarking on a cruise ship, it is important to know the distinction between ship time, the time zone of the departure port, and native port time, which might change relying on the place the ship docks.
Final month, a cruise passenger shared a time-sensitive mistake they made whereas crusing aboard the Carnival Horizon. The passenger started the Reddit post by stating that they’d been on a number of cruises, however this was the primary time they’d issues with their cellphone sustaining the usual ship time.
“I have been on a number of cruises earlier than. I’ve heard the [cruise director] [mention] ship time, however I by no means needed to actually concentrate. My cellphone has at all times stayed on the usual ship time. No downside.”
Regardless of having had earlier profitable experiences utilizing a cellphone clock aboard cruise ships, the passenger’s cellphone one way or the other didn’t preserve the usual ship time throughout this journey. As a substitute, it robotically moved again an hour as they arrived at their subsequent port, and sadly, they weren’t the one passengers to make the error.
“Effectively, simply received off the horizon, and on the morning of our Jamaica port, each my [wife’s and my] cellphone occasions went again an hour. We did not discover it till we had been already off [the] ship. Apparently, it did not simply occur to us. [A] couple [of] individuals had been left on the pier, [and] a reasonably large group of individuals made it on board simply barely in time. And I heard from a number of individuals who missed their excursions fully because of the time confusion.”
The passenger additionally wrote that their cellphone did not present the proper time till after the cruise ended.
“Funnily sufficient, we missed out on dinner that evening because of the timing points. As soon as again in our room, the spouse and I showered and took a pleasant, lengthy winter’s nap. [I] awakened at [“8 PM”] to dress in a short time for dinner. [I] tried to verify in on the hub app, solely to search out that check-in was now closed. [I don’t know] how we forgot that our telephones received switched away from ship time, however resulting from that mistake, we had been caught with the deli line for dinner. Our cellphone by no means adjusted to the proper time, not till debarkation, no less than.”
To make issues worse, even after realizing the time discrepancy, the passenger and their spouse missed dinner as a result of they failed to regulate the clock after getting back from the port.
Different Cruise Company Weighed In On The Passenger’s Time-Delicate Mistake
Cruise lovers had been fast to touch upon the Reddit publish. Many had been conscious of how straightforward it’s to make a mistake like this whereas crusing to ports in several time zones, whereas a handful of different commenters known as the error a “rookie transfer.”
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“That was in all probability as a result of the locations you went did not observe daylight [saving] time regardless of completely different time zones.” |
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“Your cellphone will attempt [to] sustain together with your location and alter the time zone accordingly. Should you had been getting off a airplane or driving throughout time zones, it might be useful. On this case, not a lot.” |
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“Rookie transfer to not be again PLENTY early of all aboard time.” |
Different commenters additionally weighed in on the publish by offering life like options to assist different cruise passengers keep away from lacking the ship’s departure resulting from following the improper clock in port. Moreover, cruisers with out watches mentioned they set cellphone timers to allow them to know after they wanted to return to the ship.
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“We additionally set a timer. If we’re getting off at 11 am and should be again on at 5 pm, the timer is ready [for] 6 hours. The timer is not linked to the cellphone’s time, so it would at all times be correct.” |
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“I truly purchased a watch a number of cruises in the past, and it was nice for peace of thoughts. [And] an incredible accent!” |
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“I’ve a pocket watch clipped to my backpack that’s at all times on ship time. It hasn’t failed me but.” |
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“I at all times flip off [the] computerized time zone change after we get to our embarkation port. Somebody talked about it throughout our first cruise, and I do it each time.” |
A lot of the options concerned buying a separate watch that was not linked to any smartphone, and setting it to the ship time.
Cruise Strains Have Left Cruise Passengers Behind After Making Related Errors
Lacking the ship whereas in port is extra widespread than chances are you’ll assume. Earlier this month, a pair crusing on Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas was over half-hour late returning to the ship. Once they lastly arrived by way of golf cart, the gangway was pulled up, and the ship had already began crusing away from the dock.
In accordance with J of The Shiplife YouTube channel, cruise ships will usually wait between 30 and 45 minutes for late passengers. Nonetheless, this isn’t normal apply in all ports or aboard all ships.
Cruise lovers shared their ideas within the feedback, and it was evident that many didn’t have a lot sympathy for the couple who missed their ship.
They wrote:
- “The jovial get together music and the ship horn as they’re being left behind…completely diabolical!”
- “My concern is being considered one of these guys. The funniest a part of watching pear runners is them considering the ship will [re-dock] for them.”
- “Individuals dwell in a cocoon of self-importance.”
- “If 3000+ different individuals can get again on time, so can they.”
As cruising continues to develop in reputation, occasional errors are inevitable. Hopefully, tales like these being shared on social media will encourage passengers to pay shut consideration to the ship’s time to keep away from ruining their cruise expertise.

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