B2B Question

I have looked and I can't find an answer to this question regarding a B2B cruise. We are doing a B2B in Feb 2018 on the Glory, for the 1st week we are in one of the front Ocean views on deck 9, for the 2nd week we are moving to a balcony room next to friends that are coming with us. After we go off ship, through customs and are brought back on, are we allowed to go directly to our cabin or do we have to wait until 1:30 like everyone else?

You have to wait until the cabin is cleaned and made up, which takes a while. In my experience, you can get in there early. Just don't bring a lot of stuff with you when you leave. You're only out of one room and waiting for the next for 3 hours or so.

you do not get off the ship with everyone else. All B2B guests will meet in a room, DR or showroom. The group will then be escorted off around 10am and privately run through customs, it took 10 minutes. You will pack just your drawers, leave all clothes on hangers. your room steward will move you stuff to your new cabin, easy peasy. On the Dream last year, we did not even get off the ship. We were check out and in at the showroom with 5 customs agents on the stage.

You have to wait.

Have to wait, unless you're Diamond/Platinum/FTTF when you can access you cabin when boarding starts.

I have looked and I can't find an answer to this question regarding a B2B cruise. We are doing a B2B in Feb 2018 on the Glory, for the 1st week we are in one of the front Ocean views on deck 9, for the 2nd week we are moving to a balcony room next to friends that are coming with us. After we go off ship, through customs and are brought back on, are we allowed to go directly to our cabin or do we have to wait until 1:30 like everyone else?

From our experience last year where we had two different cabins for our first B2B: We asked our cabin steward about the process. He told us what to expect and then gave us the name of our other steward. We went to meet with him and he said the two would work together. As others have stated, all we did was pack the things in the drawers and bathroom. The first steward removed all the hang up items and sent them to the new cabin and they were inside when we arrived. We had 62 B2Bers on our cruise. We met in the MDR for coffee and snacks at 10. Our old cards were taken, we walked off the ship through customs and immigration, we were given our new cards and met with champagne and a Welcome Back sign. They took a group picture and then we were free to explore the ship or, in our case go to our new cabin. We didn't have to wait at all. They really work to get those B2B cabins done first.

From our experience last year where we had two different cabins for our first B2B: We asked our cabin steward about the process. He told us what to expect and then gave us the name of our other steward. We went to meet with him and he said the two would work together. As others have stated, all we did was pack the things in the drawers and bathroom. The first steward removed all the hang up items and sent them to the new cabin and they were inside when we arrived. We had 62 B2Bers on our cruise. We met in the MDR for coffee and snacks at 10. Our old cards were taken, we walked off the ship through customs and immigration, we were given our new cards and met with champagne and a Welcome Back sign. They took a group picture and then we were free to explore the ship or, in our case go to our new cabin. We didn't have to wait at all. They really work to get those B2B cabins done first.

When you say your cards were "taken"--did you not get to keep them? We are on the Vista in a couple weeks on a back to back and we have a scrap book of each cruise, part of it is the cards.

They give your old cards back to you after they run them through the machine to check you off the first cruise. In spite of what some people have said here, you do not have to wait in the terminal for you next boarding. The times we have done B2B, we went into the terminal and the custom agent came to where we were standing. They checked our I.D.s and collected our custom declarations. We then went immediately back on to the ship. If you have booked an excursion in the home port that day, they will have given you a entry ticket that you will use when you get back from your excursion.

" In spite of what some people have said here, you do not have to wait in the terminal for you next boarding. "

I have reread this thread and can not find someone saying you had to wait for the next boarding, as we all know you don't

When you say your cards were "taken"--did you not get to keep them? We are on the Vista in a couple weeks on a back to back and we have a scrap book of each cruise, part of it is the cards.

We did not get to keep ours. I was kind of sad about that.

if you really want to keep your cards, go to Guest Services part way through the cruise and tell them you "lost" yours!

Karen

This is my experience with a B2B on the Elation's sailing on 1-23 & 1-28. We met at guest services at 9:30. We took our passports, which they never looked at and our customs declaration. They took our old cards. While they were getting our new cards, we had our pictures of the B2B people. One picture was as a group which we received free. We never did leave the guest services area, as they took care of the customs declarations forms. They asked if we wanted our old card back when they brought the new ones. We were given transit cards if we wanted to get off the ship. We had access to our rooms after we left guest services. The sailing on the 28th was my 25th Milestone cruise. We received a bottle of bubbly ,I also celebrated my birthday and a $50 gift card from the spa. We met in the casino for both muster drills. The first one we went to the lifeboats, second one we didn't. The weather wasn't the greatest for either sail away. No consistency in how these were handled.

" In spite of what some people have said here, you do not have to wait in the terminal for you next boarding. "

 

 

I have reread this thread and can not find someone saying you had to wait for the next boarding, as we all know you don't

Read it again. riclop and SadieN say that very thing 3 post above mine..

This is my experience with a B2B on the Elation's sailing on 1-23 & 1-28. We met at guest services at 9:30. We took our passports, which they never looked at and our customs declaration. They took our old cards. While they were getting our new cards, we had our pictures of the B2B people. One picture was as a group which we received free. We never did leave the guest services area, as they took care of the customs declarations forms. They asked if we wanted our old card back when they brought the new ones. We were given transit cards if we wanted to get off the ship. We had access to our rooms after we left guest services. The sailing on the 28th was my 25th Milestone cruise. We received a bottle of bubbly ,I also celebrated my birthday and a $50 gift card from the spa. We met in the casino for both muster drills. The first one we went to the lifeboats, second one we didn't. The weather wasn't the greatest for either sail away. No consistency in how these were handled.

Very helpful. So you never even had to get off the ship? I have heard that many times customs agents have just been on board and did the clearance

I think the experience varies re: waiting to get back in the ship. I've been in a large group of B2B'ers and we had to wait a pretty long time at GS to be led off the ship, brought all the way off, and brought back on again. Our cards were given to us right as we were boarding. Once we were the only people doing a B2B and we didn't get off the ship, the cards were brought to us, we "ding'ed" in, and then our picture was taken with a big Back to Back banner and the Guest Services manager. We all got champagne. We got the run of the ship and as soon as the cabin was ready we went in. I spent that time doing laundry and taking pics of the whole empty ship.

In none of the trips was my first card ever taken.

We were the only two on our Triumph b2b. We waited at GS until the ship was cleared out. Then we were personally escorted off, through customs and right back on. We had champagne and a photo with the guest service staff with the b2b banner. They took our old cards and gave us the new. Though we should have gotten our red cards the new cards were blue too and we didn't get the free bottle of water that we should have received for the 2nd sailing. We didn't complain though. We had the ship to ourselves for a full 2-1/2 hours. Our room was available right away. We received a bottle of champagne and a fruit basket in our room and on the first night in the MDR we were also given our choice of bottles of wine up to $50. We sure felt special. We did get off the ship long enough to go to our car and get our bottles of wine for the second leg of the cruise and received "In Transit" cards that allowed us to walk right back on the ship without any waiting in line.

Well I think we can all agree, regardless of how the process works for any of us, a back to back is just great! We are very excited to do our first back to back in just 2 weeks now!!!

B2B's are awesome. The only weird time is 10:30-11:30 as nothing is open and there are more employees then guests.