This must be one of the more confusing issues that surround cruising. When you arrive at a new port, do you reset your watch to local time? And what about all the other times you see on cruise line web sites and brochures? Here are some questions and answers based on my experiences with Carnival Cruise Lines. Of course, by the time you read this, answers may have changed.

1. When I arrive at a new port, do I reset my watch to local time?
Yes. I mean no. Well...maybe. The sad state of affairs is that the answer varies by ship. When I cruised on the Carnival Liberty in February 2008, clocks were reset to local port time. Download the Carnival Capers on this site if you'd like to see how it was worded. On the other hand, the Carnival Legend kept to its home port time throughout my cruise in October 2008. Both cruises were in the Caribbean, and I have no idea why there was a difference.

2. This can easily be straightened out ahead of time by asking Carnival, right?
Yes. I mean no. Well...maybe. I've tried this approach twice. The first time, Carnival's answer was exactly wrong. The second time I emailed a series of questions; that must have scared Carnival, as I was directed to phone an agent for details. The phone response: she couldn't say, as it depended on the captain and the staff of each ship. If you decide to get information on cruise forums instead, be aware that answers given there are frequently incorrect, despite assurances from the authors that they are positive they're right. And I'm positive I'm right.

3. OK, I found out that my ship will NOT change its clocks. Are the port arrival and departure times, as listed on Carnival's web site, ship time or local time?
Based on my vast experience of four Carnival cruises, they're ship's time. However, some third party web sites disagree, so don't count on it.

4. Why should I even care?
If you're lucky, you won't need to. However, there are at least two situations where it matters:
(a) If you're on a Carnival sponsored excursion and stick with the group, they'll be sure to get you back to the ship on time. If you're on your own, and they say "the ship sails at 3 pm," it would be good to know by whose watch.
(b) If you're one of those people who arrange excursions directly with a local tour company, you need to know exactly what is meant by "the tour starts at 8 am."