The nightmare that happens when you miss your cruise

Do cruise ships really leave late passengers behind? Oh yes. Google “cruise passengers miss ship” and enjoy the YouTube videos of distraught pier runners as they’re known, as their ship pulls away from the dock.

Occasionally, pier runners make international news. In 2016, a couple hit the headlines when their ship left them at Nassau, in the Bahamas, with their kids still on board. In 2023, a very unexciting TikTok video garnered 2.4 million views after several guests were left behind at Long Beach, California.

Whatever you do, don’t be late.Credit: Getty Images

The most recent prominent example: eight passengers, in 2024, who were late to reboard in the tiny island nation of Sao Tome, off the west coast of Africa, and weren’t reunited with their ship until six days later in Dakar, Senegal.

Some pier-runner stories can be entertaining, at least to those uninvolved. One tale – probably an urban myth – says a passenger was delivered back to her ship off Gibraltar by pilot boat.

In Funchal, Portugal in 2016, a British passenger who attempted to swim back to her departing ship was lucky to survive. She was plucked from the Atlantic Ocean by fishermen hours later, still clutching her handbag.

The ship’s captain has every reason to set sail. Thousands of other passengers might be inconvenienced by a delay, and ship’s itineraries, harbour-pilot bookings and berth bookings are tightly planned.

You won’t be left behind if a shore excursion with the cruise line runs late: an incentive used to encourage bookings. Only a major delay might see the ship sail, but the cruise company will arrange your onward travel.

A ship might wait for individuals for a short time, depending on company and port regulations, the captain’s mood and the tightness of the schedule. If it sails, the onus is on you to sort it out. Travel insurance may not cover your costs, since missing the ship might be construed as negligent.

The general protocol is that the ship will hand over your passport to its port agent, who might assist you with your onward arrangements. Your belongings are unlikely to be offloaded.

When you go ashore, make sure to know the on-board time, and that your phone has been set to local time. Plan sightseeing to start at the furthest point from the ship and finish nearby.

If you have a health condition, always take a few days’ worth of your medicines with you while ashore. In 2023, a diabetic passenger was left in Palawan in the Philippines without his insulin, and ended up in hospital.

You’d be wise to bring identity and credit cards and a phone with you, as well as the contact details of the port agent, usually listed in the daily cruise newsletter or app.

Similarly, have the ship’s contact number. If a captain knows you’re only 10 minutes away, he or she is more likely to wait for you, and you can avoid being the next YouTube embarrassment.