Two tourists went through an unpleasant experience during a cruise, after reaching more than 30 minutes late for boarding. Although the vessel had not left the port, they were abandoned in the city where the stop had been made, while the rest of the passengers were amused on their behalf.
The cruise ship did not return for delayed tourists. Photo: video capture
The moment was surprised by a few witnesses and went viral on social networks, gathering over 12 million views on Instagram. In the pictures, he is seen descending in a hurry from a car, running to the docks, while the vessel had already raised the access staircase and had only moved away from the shore, according to Dailymail.
According to witnesses, the crew would have waited for more than 30 minutes after the official departure time, before lifting the boarding ramp and leaving the port.
When they finally arrived, as they prayed to be expected, the ship was removed from the port, in the whistles and applause of the other passengers, who shouted “goodbye” from the ship’s deck.
The incident happened on the fifth day of a seven-day cruise through the southern Caribbean, departing from Puerto Rico on March 30. The cruise, for which the passengers paid over $ 11,000, included stops in the American virgin islands, St. Maarten and St. Kitts. It is not known if the late passengers were embarked on the ship in the next stop, which would have been Bridgetown, Barbados.
Tips for tourists
The incident is not an isolated one, say cruise experts, who say that such situations are quite common. Basically, tourists who do not respect the boarding time risk staying in the port and, in the best case, meet with the ship in the next stop, at their own expense.
Michael Kay’s cruise vlogger, known for the “Journey Together” channel, offers some useful tips:
* Pay attention to the ads on board and return at least 30 minutes before set for departure.
* Reserve the trips to the stops through the cruise company. Although they can be more expensive, it offers the certainty that you will be expected in case of delay, in which means of transport that must bring you to the port do not arrive in time.
Hundreds of tourists lose the time of departure of the ship due to defective timing and many videos with so-called “keys run” who are encouraged by thousands of other passengers have gone viral on social networks.
* Take pictures of important documents (passport, permit, bank cards) before leaving the ship.
* Write down the essential contact details: Cruise Customer Service, insurer and local embassy, to which you can call if you stay stuck in the port.
