Pier Runner Pauses for Selfie After Missing Cruise Ship
Missing your cruise ship is something that is almost always completely avoidable and comes with a huge hassle. Even so, cruisers push their luck all the time by rushing to rejoin their ship at the end of a port call at the very last minute.
Usually, these so-called pier runners are in an absolute panic when they finally arrive at their cruise ship – often to the amusement of other guests onboard who returned on time.
However, one guest who was left behind by a Royal Caribbean cruise ship had an unusual reaction. Instead of panicking or pleading for the ship to come back, he stopped to take a selfie – using a selfie stick and all.
The cruiser in question was left behind in Cartagena, Spain, by Odyssey of the Seas on May 7, 2025. Per cruise tracking data, the Quantum-class vessel departed the port at around 5 p.m. local time.
“Pier runners missing the Odyssey departure in Cartagena just yet. (40 mins past all aboard time). But….let’s first take a selfie,” one of the current passengers shared on social media, along with photos of the late guest. “Great entertainment for all with a port side balcony.”
It’s unclear if the guest was traveling solo or if three other people seen on the pier with him were also part of his group. At this time, he has not been identified.
But according to a current passenger onboard the 5,498-guest ship, the captain made an announcement that they left Cartagena with four less people onboard than when they docked in the morning.
“Captain Marek said 4 people got left in Cartagena today. Ricardo and his 3 guests. Oops. 4:30 means 4:30,” she wrote.
The left-behind passengers will now need to figure out how to catch up with the 169,000-gross ton ship at one of the final two ports of call on the 14-night itinerary (Barcelona, Spain, and La Spezia, Italy) or make their own way home.
No Mercy for Pier Runners
Unsurprisingly, most of the onlookers had no sympathy for the selfie-taking pier runner – but they still could appreciate his relaxed attitude about the situation.
“May as well see the funny side and take a selfie of the ship disappearing,” one cruise fan commented.
“No need to freak out, that won’t change the situation. It is what it is.Take a pic of yourself and laugh at yourself later with a reminder to never do it again,” another said.
Read Also: What Happens If You Miss Your Cruise Ship?
While novice cruisers may think that it’s easy for ships to turn around to retrieve late passengers or expect the ship to wait for them, this is incorrect.
With the exception of delayed passengers that are participating in cruise-line booked shore excursions, cruise ships will not wait because that would inconvenience potentially thousands of on-time passengers depending on the size of the ship.
Extending the time in port can also lead to additional port fees that the cruise line would have to eat.
That said, there really is no reason for cruise guests to miss their ship – barring an extreme situation like a natural disaster in the port that blocks the roads.
All aboard times are announced and posted in multiple places and guests are typically reminded several times before going ashore, so all it really takes to be on time is some good planning.
I always make a point to plan to return to the pier at least a half hour before the all aboard time in case I encounter an unexpected delay – and I often make that buffer a full hour if I’m unfamiliar with the destination.