It’s the stuff of nightmares for a traveller – especially a cruiser.

A video uploaded to YouTube on Sunday shows a couple rolling up to the dock just as their ship, Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas starts to sail away.

According to Newsweek, an onlooker shot the footage from the building next to the cruise harbour and it shows the dock workers pulling the ropes off the ship as the couple sprinted towards the gangway at the port in the Bahamas.

The couple then move towards the stern of the ship where they appear to yell back at one of Royal Caribbean’s crew members. It appears that one of the ship officials tell the couple that the thrusters have been turned on and it is impossible for them to board the ship.

As cruisers, most of us know that cruise lines have extremely tight schedules they need to follow, and the lines will be charged extra time that they spend in port.
The cruise lines also give guests ample warning of the times that the ship will be departing the visiting ports, and what time you need to be back from exploring or from your shore excursions.

Here are some of the handy tips that will help you if you miss your ship.

Keep important information on you

When you’re heading out for a shore excursion, make sure you keep photocopies of your passport, credit cards (if you don’t intend to take them ashore with you), driver’s licenses as well as phone numbers of your ship as well as the port agent. The cruise lines will usually provide these on the daily schedules you receive the night before. Also, keep the numbers of your country’s embassy, travel agent and travel insurer. You can then contact any of these people to try and get you to the next port to meet the ship.

Find a port agent

Cruise lines will have port agents stationed in the port area to assist you if the ship has left without you. In some cases, when cruisers are late, the ship’s crew will often remove the passenger’s essential items like phones, passport and medication to leave it with port agents. They will then help you make further travel arrangements.

Use those phone numbers

The phone numbers you have will come in handy. The contact on your ship can help you figure out the next steps to meet the ship at the next port. The crew can also help you book flights and interim accommodation if you can’t meet the ship the next day. And if you don’t have the necessary identification on you, your embassy will be able to help you get to the next port.

Make travel arrangements

If you miss the ship, you’ll have to either make your way to next port or make arrangements to get home. Either way, this will incur additional costs and your travel agent and travel insurer might be able to help you make plans.