Diplomacy

There’s something beautiful about a cruise ship sailing off into the distance–unless you’re supposed to be on it.   In a recent social media post, cruise passengers who were left behind from their cruise ship revealed the cause and what happened next.

Missing the cruise ship is one of the biggest fears cruise passengers have, and even though it’s almost always 100% preventable, it’s better to learn from other’s mistakes than to make them yourself.

A recent Reddit thread titled “Who missed their cruise?”, revealed some common reasons people were left behind, revealing the real-life consequences of being left at the pier or terminal.

While “flying in the day of” might seem like a common factor, the stories shared in the post offer valuable lessons for any future cruiser wanting to avoid having this kind of story to tell.

Why Ships Don’t Wait

Unlike a delayed flight where you might get rebooked, a cruise ship operates on a strict schedule. They have port reservations, tight itineraries, and thousands of other passengers to consider.

And let’s be honest, if cruise ships always waited until everyone was back on board, it’s unlikely the ships would ever make it to the scheduled destinations on time, never mind making it back to homeport at the time scheduled.

Some captains will make the call to wait 20-45 minutes in some cases, but don’t rely on this when planning an excursion.

Airport Issues Leading to Close Calls

Flight cancellations, mechanical issues, and unforeseen delays were the most common culprits.  This is why we recommend flying in at least one day before, but when weather is a factor two days ahead of time may be warranted.

• One Redditor recounted a really close call: “Jetblue cancels the flight mere hours before we were supposed to leave… Flight gets delayed almost 2 hours. By the time we made it to the port it was around 12:30pm with the boarding cutoff being 2pm. Extremely stressful- to the point where one of my family members fainted at the port of Tampa.”
• Euphoric-Ad2210 shared a similar experience: “We missed embarkation in Seattle for our Alaska cruise thanks to Crowdstrike. We were flying in the day before but our flight was cancelled. Moved to an early morning flight the next day that would have gotten there in time but that cancelled too.” They added, “Because everything was so backed up at that point Delta didn’t have anything til 3 days later.”
• And sometimes it’s a mechanical issue causing delays, as another comment stated: “Land and next plane has a mechanical issue… It was getting to the point where we had to make a decision to rent a car and drive to Florida straight through or charter a jet… As we were debating, plane was finally fixed and cleared to fly but it was very close.”

Passport and Document Issues

Expired documents or unexpected travel snags can also shatter those cruise plans.

• zorasorabee told a story of a mother-daughter trip that turned solo: “My mom and I had a mother daughter cruise to Alaska planned. She waited until the last moment to look for her documentation. Expired passport card… She got sent home and I ended up on my first solo vacation.“
• StockFact1124 faced a nightmare shuttle ride: “The shuttle from the ship back to the hotel was under 20 minutes. The day of embarkation the shuttle took 2.5 hours. People were getting out of cars and carrying luggage. It was a nightmare.”

Medical & Family Emergencies

There’s a reason we also recommend cruise travel insurance for every single cruise. No one plans on having a medical emergency.  It just happens.  And sometimes it happens before the cruise even starts.

• FalynT mentioned a friend who couldn’t come because of “a death in her family. She got refunded port fees and taxes. And what she prepaid for the internet package and drink package. But had to eat the cost of the room.“
• Sea_Voice_404: “My parents missed a cruise since my dad ended up in the hospital the day before (full refund with insurance).”

Looking at the Wrong Time

Cruise ships will constantly remind passengers to stay on ship time when in a port of call.  Often there is a one or even two-hour difference.  And if you rely on your cell phone, you’re going to end up in trouble since it will often defer to the local time.

We’ve written many stories about cruisers being left behind because they relied on their phones for the time or even one instance when passengers relied on the clock in their rented Jeep.

Of course, if you plan on being back on the ship well before all aboard time then you’re better off anyway.

Financial Fallout & Catching Up

• You’re On Your Own: Unless you have specific travel insurance or cruise line packages, you’re responsible for getting yourself to the next port in most cases.
• Limited Refunds: For those who miss embarkation, the financial hit is a pretty big deal. As one noted, “You get taxes and port fees back but it doesn’t add up to much.  Another claimed, “It is ENTIRELY based on what promo code / deal you used… Nobody will know unless you read your terms of the contract.“
• Catching Up is Possible (Sometimes): As brokentr0jan mentioned, “I know someone that missed their cruise and just got on in St Thomas. Flight got delayed and the airline just sent them to St Thomas.” Another cruiser was able to fly into Sitka for their Alaska cruise, saying, “We called NCL and got permission to fly into the first port… They said it was allowed because the port was in the US and the ship had not stopped in a foreign country yet.”
• Passports on the ship: If you do get left behind at a foreign port of call, you will need your passports and travel documents.  If these were left in the cabin safe, the cruise line can retrieve them and send copies to the port.  This is why I often keep a copy of my own passport on me when traveling abroad.

Prioritize Pre-Cruise Travel & Documents

• Fly in Early: This is the golden rule. As a previous Reddit user said, “Went on another cruise this year and we did not make the same mistake. Flew down to Florida the day before… You just never know with airlines.”
• Double-Check All Documents: As seaofgreatnesss wisely concludes, “Sooo lesson learned, triple check passport before leaving the home and the day prior.”
• Factor in Travel Time: Don’t underestimate delays. Majestic-Height-2490 almost missed a cruise due to immigration, arriving “at 4:05pm, was amongst last 10 people boarding.”

Consider Financial Safeguards

• Travel Insurance: This can be a lifesaver. silvermanedwino bluntly stated, “Never. Unless you have insurance, you get nada.” Sea_Voice_404 also noted, “My parents missed a cruise since my dad ended up in the hospital the day before (full refund with insurance).“
• Cruise Line Air & Transfers: While pricier, booking through the cruise line can offer extra protection. EpiZirco highlighted this benefit with Viking: “We cruise Viking in Europe and let them take care of the travel booking… Had we booked our flights ourselves, we would have had a lot more stress.”

Bottom Line

Sometimes people miss their ship simply because they lose track of time and underestimate how long it takes to get back to the ship.  One helpful tip is that if you’re going to go far from the port, do this first and keep the activities close to the port for the end of the day.

If you do miss your ship, it’s not the end of the world.  Besides the cost of getting to the next port to meet up with the ship again, having some travel documents on hand can make this a whole lot easier. 

It seems like cruise ports in Alaska keep clashing with the cruise industry lately, as yet another legal battle unfolds.   Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has filed a lawsuit against Skagway, Alaska over an additional cost added to shore excursions.

Skagway Getting More Tax Money from Tours

For a long time, Skagway would charge a local sales tax on tours that started and ended right there in town.

But there was a key detail: this tax didn’t include the commission fees that cruise lines often add to the tour price. These fees are what the cruise lines get for organizing and making it easy for you to book these excursions right through the company.

Well, that’s changed. Late last year, Skagway decided to squeeze a little more money out of cruise passengers. They passed a new rule saying they want to collect sales tax on the entire amount you pay for a tour, including those commission fees.

Skagway officials say their goal is just to tax all tours consistently, no matter if you book them in town, online, or from somewhere else. They are saying they are treating cruise line shore excursions just like any other local business.

Cruise Industry Experts Say It’s Illegal

CLIA, however, sees this very differently. They’re arguing that Skagway’s new tax rule breaks both Alaska state law and even the U.S. Constitution. They’ve filed a lawsuit against Skagway’s borough manager and treasurer earlier this month, basically saying the town has gone too far.

The cruise industry’s main arguments are:

• No Real Connection: One of their biggest points is that local taxes are supposed to be for things that have a “substantial relationship” to that community. So, if you’re, say, a tourist outside the U.S. booking a Skagway kayaking tour online, CLIA argues that Skagway shouldn’t be able to tax the commission fee on that sale. The booking and the service of arranging it didn’t actually happen in Skagway.  According to KHNS, a tax attorney not involved in the case put it simply in saying that taxing that small amount a cruise line makes from arrangements made elsewhere is “problematic.”
• Interfering with National Business: The U.S. Constitution also has rules about local taxes not getting in the way of business that happens across state lines. The cruise industry feels that taxing transactions involving multiple places, or even ships moving between different ports, could violate these rules.
• Risk of “Double Taxation”: CLIA has stated that this new rule could lead to “double taxation and placing undue financial strain on cruise guests and Alaska businesses alike.” They’re concerned this will just add extra costs that passengers and local businesses will end up paying.

Skagway Stands Firm

Despite the lawsuit, Skagway is not budging. They say they’re just trying to modernize their tax collection for tours. Some local residents point out that the cruise industry, which brings over 1.2 million passengers to Skagway each year, should be contributing more to their small community.

But it’s a careful balance.  Local businesses want to benefit from cruise ship tourism while still maintaining a vibrant local community.   And then there are some who are worried about deterring cruise ships in the first place. 

A recent plan to limit cruise ships in Juneau Alaska has failed to reach the ballot, but these efforts seem to keep coming back. 

What’s Next for This Tax Battle?

CLIA’s lawsuit is asking the court to strike down this new tax rule and also wants Skagway to pay their legal fees. This isn’t just a small local issue; the outcome could really impact how cruise excursions are taxed in other port towns around the world, but especially in Alaska.

MSC Cruises has unveiled a new era of specialty dining on their ships with a simplified pricing structure for specialty restaurants.

From now on, all specialty restaurants on MSC cruise ships will come at a fix price with an easier to order menu.

The cruise line said that this will create greater value and a seamless dining experience.

Here are the highlights of the changes that MSC Cruise is making.

One menu, One price

Guests will now be able to choose from most of the items on the full restaurant menu, for one fixed price.

Menus will allow guests to choose at least one starter, one main and one dessert for a fixed fee. Menus will also offer extra-special dishes, such as Ozaki Wagyu beef, for a small additional charge.

Dining Packages

Dining packages can be purchase prior to cruises that include from one to four specialty restaurants. They will be flexible allowing guests to repeat restaurants.

Value with Advance Purchase

Any guest who purchases a dining package before their cruise will save up to 20% off the prices that are charge onboard the ship.

Georg Schmickler, Senior Vice President On-Board Revenues at MSC Cruises, gave the following statement:

“With increasing demand from our guests for flexibility, transparency, and personalization, this upgrade further strengthens our culinary product, offering today’s cruisers what they expect and deserve.”

Stéphane Franchini, MSC Cruises Senior Director of Food and Beverage Product, added:

“Simplified single-price menus mean greater transparency for guests, and customizable packages add flexibility to create a seamless dining experience for our guests. With these enhancements, MSC Cruises continues to redefine dining at sea, offering guests an unforgettable gastronomic journey with world-class cuisine and ultimate versatility.”

Carnival Cruise Line has sent out a notice to impacted future passengers that a cruise ship will not allow children on board during a week in November 2025.

A 7-night sailing on Carnival Magic has been changed to an adult-only sailing after the cruise line reportedly made an “operational change”.

Known for its family-focused marketing and offerings, Carnival Cruise Line is making a surprising move with this adult-only change. It’s leading some Carnival fans to wonder if it’s a test for more adult-only cruises down the road.

The Unexpected Move

Guests who had booked the 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on Carnival Magic, originally scheduled for November 1, 2025, recently received a notice from Carnival, informing them of the change.

The voyage is now designated as a special Casino Event cruise, part of the cruise line’s exclusive Players Club program.  Due to the event, every passenger on board must be at least 21 years old on the 3,690 double-occupancy ship (4,724 max capacity).

“We have made an operational change for this voyage, designating it as a special Casino Event cruise, dedicated to offering our playing enthusiasts thrilling and unique experiences,” the notice read.

For families who had planned their vacation with their children around this specific sailing, the news came as a big surprise. While the notice didn’t detail specific rebooking assistance or compensation, it’s typical that cruise lines will offer support, such as future cruise credits, to passengers affected by the changes.

Why the “Operational Change”?

While the official reason points to a focus on the casino event, there’s some speculation that the “operational change” seems to be based around the rescheduling of Carnival Magic’s dry dock.

Dry dock maintenance for the 130,000-gross-ton ship was originally set for fall 2025 but has recently been moved to spring 2026. With the vessel now available, Carnival appears to be trying something new with this adults-only, casino-focused voyage.

What This Means for the Onboard Experience

With children no longer allowed on board, the ship’s typical kid-centric programming, like Camp Ocean, Club O2, and Circle C, will be more like ghost towns.

While Carnival assured “most brand-specific offerings” would still be available on the sailing, the overall atmosphere shift will probably be fairly obvious. The adult-only sailing provides Carnival a unique chance to explore—or test—how passengers would enjoy this kind of cruise.

What Some Cruisers Are Saying

Some cruisers on Reddit said they were excited about the possibility of an adult-only cruise when asked if they would go on such a sailing:

• “I’d definitely consider it,” shared one comment, ready for an affordable adult-only option.
• Another stated, “I’m not a fan of other people’s kids… Being able to eat lunch, sit on my balcony, be at the pool deck, or anything else without kids sounds great.”
• “I hope they continue with this. I’d partake for sure,” expressed another.

However, others are more skeptical:

• “Yes, but not on a ship that old. I like newer one,” said one comment.
• One experienced Carnival cruiser admitted, “I would be interested to try the adult cruise just to see what it would be like.“

A Test or a One-Off Thing?

And that has some Carnival loyalists wondering if we’ll see more adult-only sailings. This unique sailing has certainly created quite the stir online.

Some are speculating whether this “operational change” is a trial run. If this Casino Event cruise sells out and proves successful, it might just clear the way for more dedicated adult-only options from Carnival, hinting at new options for the family-focused brand.

Another Royal Caribbean cruise ship has been overbooked, and the cruise line is actively looking for passengers willing to take one of their tempting offers.

This time, it’s the 4-night Navigator of the Seas cruise on June 2, 2025. This sailing from Los Angeles (San Pedro) to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico, currently has more passengers booked than available cabins.

A Familiar Request from Royal Caribbean

This situation isn’t entirely new for Royal Caribbean. The cruise line recently made similar offers for an Allure of the Seas cruises that has already sailed last week, and for an upcoming Liberty of the Seas trip on May 24, 2025.

For the Navigator of the Seas overbooking, Royal Caribbean sent an email to affected guests. It stated:

“Ahead of your Navigator of the Seas, June 2, 2025, sailing, we are looking to see if you and your travel party have flexible travel plans.”

The message then advised that if plans were “set in stone,” guests should simply “mark this email as ‘Read,’ and gear up for your upcoming adventure.” However, for those with flexibility, a “special offer” was waiting.

Options for Cruisers on the Overbooked Sailing

Royal Caribbean has given cruisers on this sailing two choices, both of which effectively provide a free cruise in exchange for a change of plans:

• Option 1: Switch Dates, Sail for Free: Guests can move their booking to another 4-night Navigator of the Seas cruise to Catalina and Ensenada later in the summer. Royal Caribbean has pre-selected dates including June 30, July 21, July 28, August 4, August 11, and August 25, 2025. As an incentive for changing plans, passengers choosing this option will receive a full refund of their original fare. This means the new voyage will cost them nothing.
• Option 2: Cancel Now, Get a Future Free Cruise: For those wanting more flexibility, the option to cancel their original booking entirely is available. In return, passengers will receive a full refund of their original fare and a future cruise credit equal to the value of their original fare. This credit can be used for any other Royal Caribbean cruise embarking on or before June 2, 2026. This option also results in a free cruise but gives passengers the freedom to pick their replacement trip later.

Why Overbooking Happens (and Why Some Aren’t Happy)

It might seem unusual, but overbooking is fairly common in the travel industry.  Companies use this strategy to protect against “no-shows” and still be able to sail near full capacity—or at least double-capacity with every cabin in use.

Studies have shown that when a ship is fuller, individual passengers tend to spend more on that cruise, as odd as it may sound.

Most of the time, passengers have no idea that their cruise was ever overbooked and there are enough cabins for everyone.

But, in situations like this Navigator of the Seas sailing, there just weren’t enough passengers that decided to cancel their cruise at the last minute.

Despite these options given to impacted travelers, some cruisers have voiced concerns about this practice. As I noted in my previous article about the Allure of the Seas situation, some passengers are simply not happy that overbooking occurs at all.

Some comments to the story said things like, “After that? I wouldn’t trust them.”

They question the practice itself, feeling that even with compensation, it creates uncertainty and inconvenience, suggesting that cruise lines shouldn’t be overselling staterooms in the first place.

With the summer travel season now in full swing, it’s very possible we’ll see more of these overbooking offers from Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines in the near future.

But for passengers with flexible plans, these overbooking scenarios are proving to be amazing opportunities.

Disney Wish, the second newest cruise ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, has just received a perfect score of 100 on its latest routine health inspection.  This news comes despite false reports that the CDC is no longer inspecting cruise ships.

This perfect score marks the seventh time a cruise ship has earned a 100 in 2025, placing the 2022-built Disney Wish among other cruise ships that have earned the highest possible score.

This also marks the third time a Disney cruise ship has earned a perfect score this year.  Only Disney Wonder and Disney Dream have earned lower scores with a still impressive 99 and 96 respectively.

The unannounced inspection of Disney Wish, conducted on April 18, 2025, by officials from the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), evaluated a comprehensive range of areas critical to public health on cruise ships.

These include proper food handling and storage, water systems, integrated pest management, and overall cleanliness and sanitation of the ship’s facilities. The thorough nature of these inspections means that a perfect score is a testament to attention to detail and consistency.

Six Other Ships to Receive a Perfect 100 in 2025

The Disney vessel joins six other ships that have achieved a perfect 100 score in recent inspections in 2025. These include:

• Disney Magic (Disney Cruise Line) – Inspected March 2, 2025
• Disney Treasure (Disney Cruise Line) – Inspected January 11, 2025
• Explora I (MSC Cruise Management (UK) Ltd) – Inspected February 9, 2025
• Norwegian Escape (Norwegian Cruise Line) – Inspected January 6, 2025
• Valiant Lady (Virgin Voyages) – Inspected February 28, 2025
• Viking Sea (Viking Cruises) – Inspected March 31, 2025

Cruise ship health inspections are typically conducted twice a year, unannounced, while ships are in U.S. ports. The VSP, a program within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), aims to prevent and control the introduction, transmission, and spread of gastrointestinal illnesses on cruise ships.

These detailed reports are made public, providing transparency and allowing potential passengers to review a ship’s health and safety record.  You can find these reports here.

For Disney Wish, this perfect score underscores Disney Cruise Line’s reputation for excellence across all aspects of the guest experience, and we at Cruise Fever congratulate them on this 3^rd ship to receive a perfect 100 this year.

Two British cruise passengers, a 23-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman, were arrested in Ibiza this week after they allegedly tried to cut their cruise early, leaving behind a £2,685 (about $3,410) bill for onboard expenses.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, May 21st, when the cruise ship docked in Ibiza, Spain.  According to news reports, around 3:00pm, the two cruisers tried to rush off the ship with their luggage, seemingly in an attempt to avoid settling their account.

“The couple tried to leave the cruise liner in a hurry with their luggage, declining to pay the cost of expenditure linked to their holiday,” a spokesperson for the National Police in Ibiza stated.

According to the National Police, crew members grew suspicious of their behavior and alerted authorities right away.

Police quickly launched an operation to try to find the pair of travelers.  While attempting to get off the island of Ibiza local authorities were able to stop them around 6:00pm, 3 hours after they had gotten off the ship. 

They were apprehended at Ibiza Airport and now face charges of fraud.

The specific cruise line involved has not been publicly identified by the police. However, maritime schedules for May 21, 2025, indicate that either MSC Grandiosa or Costa Toscana were visiting Ibiza on that date.

For both of these vessels, Ibiza was a port of call on their itineraries, not the final destination. This could suggest that the couple may have been trying to take advantage of an early exit that would have been much more difficult had it been disembarkation day.

If the pair tried to get off the ship with an unsettled bill at the final destination, they would have been turned back.

On one MSC cruise a while back I forgot to settle my bill and was not allowed to get off the ship until I went to the kiosk to take care of it.  While I had a card on file, I still have to take care of this crucial step.

Police have stated that the charges in this case were for “several consumptions” and “various items linked to their room.”

It is currently unclear if the arrested individuals have already made a court appearance.