Do we keep a shore excursion when its return time and the ship's clock have not been matched?
Travel“It gets us back at 3:15. All aboard is four. Plenty of time,” Jan says.
Her friend Elise points at the tour email. The return time is stated in local time; the ship's notice uses ship time. They are planning an independent excursion during a Royal Caribbean cruise from Australia. Neither has yet confirmed how those times line up on their particular port day.
In this timing example, Jan has put down an A$90 deposit. She thinks Elise is making a straightforward afternoon complicated. Elise wants the clocks, return point and transfer back to the ship checked before they commit to the balance.
[Royal Caribbean's guidance for Australian departures](https://www.royalcaribbean.com/aus/en/resources/know-before-you-go) says activities and port arrivals and departures use ship time. It does not establish the local-to-ship conversion or a suitable return margin for this example.
Should they hold the excursion while they get a clear answer, or choose a simpler day ashore? Jan wants an actual plan, and Elise wants “45 minutes” to mean something before they rely on it.