We’ve all seen them. The folks dashing down the pier, arms waving as the ship sets sail without them. Longtime cruisers even have a name for them: runners, for obvious reasons. And while we shake our heads and use their plight as teachable moments (“See, that’s why you always make sure to sync your watch to ship time and be back long before sail away!”), some folks simply never learn the lesson.
And the results can be downright disastrous.
Caught On Tape
One recent example? Video surfaced this week purporting to show a woman dropping to her knees, apparently weeping, as the Breakaway left Nassau on Thursday, April 21st. The videographer’s voice can be heard telling another passenger that the woman had been yelling that her children were on board. Various postings on message boards recounting the events indicate that the ship originally was slated to leave at 5:30. The woman’s husband reportedly made sure their children were safely aboard the ship, then disembarked in order to find his wife. When she still had not been located nearly an hour later, the Breakaway left port and she, it would appear, arrived after the ship had pulled away.
Don’t Let This Happen To You!
Believe it or not, ships leave without passengers more often than you might think… or what to think about! And that is why we always encourage people to make sure that they are safely on board well before the time the ship is due to sail away. While it is always awful to think about those who wind up missing the ship – talk about a ruined vacation! – it is also impractical to think that a cruise line will inconvenience everyone else on board by waiting for stragglers to return. (If they did, imagine how any folks would throw caution to the wind and order another round – or three – at legendary Nassau watering hole Senor Frogs!)
Have you or someone you know ever missed the ship? What happened as a result?
photo: Christoffer Andersen
