When the return connection is an onward leg to or from a port, it can make the departure-day pickup plan uncertain. If the connection is not available as expected, the pickup time may need to be checked or revised rather than treated as fixed. The journey-planning guidance states that onward connections to or from ports cannot be guaranteed, particularly during disruption.
Why the pickup plan can change
A pickup arranged around the onward journey depends on the connection remaining workable. If the return leg cannot be relied on, an itinerary-based pickup time may no longer match the available connection. The available guidance does not say that disruption will cause a particular delay, so the pickup plan should remain conditional and be reconfirmed.
How to check the plan
The cited journey-planning information can be used to review the connection to or from the port. The same guidance points travelers to a separate planner for bus, rail and ferry journeys, so the full route can be reviewed across those modes. Because the connection itself is not guaranteed, a displayed itinerary should be treated as a planning assumption, especially during disruption, and the pickup arrangement should be confirmed for the specific journey.
What still needs confirmation
The available material does not specify a standard pickup lead time, whether the pickup time changes automatically when the return connection changes, or what alternative applies if the connection is unavailable. Those details must be confirmed for the date and route. No fixed replacement pickup time or guaranteed onward connection follows from the guidance.