Cruising Ports
of Call
Going
Ashore
 |
|
Grand
Cayman doesn't observe daylight savings time
|
by
Linda Coffman
"Ship
Time" or "Island Time"—Which Is it?
No one
wants to be standing at the pier as their ship sails off into the
sunset. Before going ashore, be SURE you really know what time it
is!
Ship time vs. local time is a cause for considerable confusion.
Whether clocks stay set on "ship" time or are changed as
the vessel moves through time zones depends on the ship, the
itinerary, and the time of year (whether the US is on standard or
daylight savings time).
Most
ships adhere to the time zone they are in and clocks are set forward
or back to adhere to local time. Passengers are also advised to
change their watches to the 'correct' time—there
is usually a reminder card on your pillow before you go to bed.
However, not all ships do that, particularly in the Caribbean! Some
ships stay on "ship" time, which can be different from
"island" time.
Here's where it's tricky on a Western Caribbean itinerary... Florida
embarkation ports are in the Eastern time zone (and Eastern daylight
savings time). Grand Cayman is in the same time zone so during
standard time (from the last Sunday of October until the first
Sunday of April) there is no problem. However, during daylight
savings time, Grand Cayman will be one hour behind Florida because
Grand Cayman doesn't observe daylight savings time.
If you arrive in Grand Cayman at 9am and your ship DOES NOT make the
local time adjustment, it will be 8am ashore when the US is on
daylight savings time. If Cozumel is on the itinerary, it is in the
Central Time Zone, but DOES observe daylight savings time on the
same schedule as the US. Therefore, Cozumel is always an hour behind
Florida (and it's the same time there as in Grand Cayman during
daylight savings time). Are you confused? Many passengers are.
The best way to insure that you return to the ship on time is to
check—and double check—what
time the ship is observing before you go ashore and make certain
your watch is correct. Allow plenty of time to get back on board,
especially in Grand Cayman where tendering is mandatory. Local tour
operators are accustomed to the ships' schedules and will lend a
hand with timing when you book your excursions.
Hopefully,
this is clearer than mud!
How
to Read an Excursion Description — What are you getting?
Shore
Excursions vs. Independent Touring
Back to --> Going
Ashore
More Info on Ports
of Call
Stay Safe in
Ports of Call —
Getting away from it all shouldn't mean getting into trouble.
Identifying
Yourself —
If you haven't done it
already, isn't it about time to get a passport?
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