B2b rules

Hello,

I just called Princess to ask if I could book a back to back cruise and they told me that it depends. They told me that there is an old law which says you cannot embark and disembark at the same port unless you are going to a distant foreign port (Caribbean and Mexico are not considered distant). She said I could if I was switching ships. I feel like I was given the wrong info, because I think I have seen people that do it, and I see posts about it. I am thinking about two itineraries one which is on the Crown B2b and one that is on the crown then regal . I will most likely traveling by myself and I didn't really want the hassle of switching ships and liked the other itinerary slightly more. Is what she told me true.? Thanks for your help!

Hello,

I just called Princess to ask if I could book a back to back cruise and they told me that it depends. They told me that there is an old law which says you cannot embark and disembark at the same port unless you are going to a distant foreign port (Caribbean and Mexico are not considered distant). She said I could if I was switching ships. I feel like I was given the wrong info, because I think I have seen people that do it, and I see posts about it. I am thinking about two itineraries one which is on the Crown B2b and one that is on the crown then regal . I will most likely traveling by myself and I didn't really want the hassle of switching ships and liked the other itinerary slightly more. Is what she told me true.? Thanks for your help!

We did a 14 day B2B on the Regal in Feb.2016. The only issue we heard about was the possibility of switching rooms. This is because a B2B is simply 2 cruises combined. Luckily we didn't have to switch rooms or leave the ship part half way through the trip. I DO recommend you get a TA to handle this for you! They can answer all your questions as to the ups & downs of such a trip. Being on the same ship the menu "repeats" itself, even if you go to a different part of the Caribbean, for example.

Are you leaving from Fort Lauderdale and coming back to Fort Lauderdale on both cruises? You would be fine to book those as B2B.

Hello,

...................................They told me that there is an old law which says you cannot embark and disembark at the same port unless you are going to a distant foreign port (Caribbean and Mexico are not considered distant). She said I could if I was switching ships. ..........................

Wrong info. It is the other way around. You can't do it if you are leaving from one US port then ending at another US port unless you visit a distant foreign port.

You can read a little about the PVSA here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Vessel_Services_Act_of_1886

There certainly is no problem if you are departing and returning to a USA port like Ft Lauderdale. We have done this several times with no issue. You will be required to leave the ship as a group of B2B pax, process through immigration and then reboard the ship when boarding starts.

What you are referencing is the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA) of 1886 which impacts foreign flagged cruise ships like Princess. The PVSA does allow Princess to depart from and return to the same US post provided the ship visits ANY foreign port. So any cruise out of Port Everglade would be legal for a B2B.

Where the problem lies is if the ship departs a US port and returns to another US port in which case it must first visit a distant foreign port outside of the Caribbean etc.

The Passenger Vessel Services Act, however,

• does not prohibit foreign-flagged ships departing from and returning to the same U.S. port, provided the ship visits any foreign port;
  
• does not prohibit foreign-flagged ships departing from a U.S. port, visiting a distant foreign port, and then continuing to a second U.S. port. However, in order to embark in a U.S. port and disembark in a second U.S. port, the vessel must visit a distant foreign port outside of North America (Central America, Bermuda. the Bahamas, and all of the Caribbean except Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, count as part of North America)
  

Thank you for your help! I tried to tell her I didn't think she was correct.

As the folks above said, you got bad info. A travel agent is usually better for situations like this. They know who to call at Princess to be sure things are set up right

In some instances when doing a b2b at FLL, you don't have to leave the ship at the end of the first cruise. We did a b2b East/West Caribbean cruise last Thanksgiving and we were only required to meet at the Princess theater in order to go through the immigration process. What should have taken about 15 mins max ended up being about an hour as ONE proxy passenger didn't think that the rules applied to them and didn't bother to show up! Everyone else had to stay in the theater until the missing passenger showed up and they were only "caught" when they tried to use their cruise card at the bar. 300+ passengers wasted an hour of their cruise due to the selfish behavior of a single passenger.

I would have thrown them in the brig for the rest of the day! ;)

You can certainly do what you propose. No worries!

Hello,

I just called Princess to ask if I could book a back to back cruise and they told me that it depends. They told me that there is an old law which says you cannot embark and disembark at the same port unless you are going to a distant foreign port (Caribbean and Mexico are not considered distant). She said I could if I was switching ships. I feel like I was given the wrong info, because I think I have seen people that do it, and I see posts about it. I am thinking about two itineraries one which is on the Crown B2b and one that is on the crown then regal . I will most likely traveling by myself and I didn't really want the hassle of switching ships and liked the other itinerary slightly more. Is what she told me true.? Thanks for your help!

We've taken a Crown Princess B2B out of Ft. Lauderdale -- no problem! :)

In some instances when doing a b2b at FLL, you don't have to leave the ship at the end of the first cruise. We did a b2b East/West Caribbean cruise last Thanksgiving and we were only required to meet at the Princess theater in order to go through the immigration process. What should have taken about 15 mins max ended up being about an hour as ONE proxy passenger didn't think that the rules applied to them and didn't bother to show up! Everyone else had to stay in the theater until the missing passenger showed up and they were only "caught" when they tried to use their cruise card at the bar. 300+ passengers wasted an hour of their cruise due to the selfish behavior of a single passenger.

 

One benefit of the soon-to-be-used Medallions is that they can instantly locate the Medallion for that passenger. Hopefully the passenger will be where the Medallion is.

I don't want to get off subject but a poster stated on a B2B if they booked the same ship and same cabin you didn't have to get off the ship? Is this a correct statement? I am being told on a May 2019 B2B cruise round trip from Fort Lauderdale that I will have to get off the ship and go ashore for about 2 hours. I had always heard same cabin you can stay on board.

Thanks for any clarification.

Candie

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I don't want to get off subject but a poster stated on a B2B if they booked the same ship and same cabin you didn't have to get off the ship? Is this a correct statement? I am being told on a May 2019 B2B cruise round trip from Fort Lauderdale that I will have to get off the ship and go ashore for about 2 hours. I had always heard same cabin you can stay on board.

Thanks for any clarification.

Candie

 

 

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We had the same cabin. We did NOT have to leave the ship. You gathered in the theater & went through immigration that way.

Thanks Keithm, I though what they were saying was wrong.

Candie

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We had the same cabin. We did NOT have to leave the ship. You gathered in the theater & went through immigration that way.

It's not typical in Florida. I can't remember a time when we didn't have to leave the ship (at least to walk through the terminal until the ship cleared) and get right back on.

Sometimes they like to mix things up a bit to keep people guessing. :D

I don't want to get off subject but a poster stated on a B2B if they booked the same ship and same cabin you didn't have to get off the ship? Is this a correct statement? I am being told on a May 2019 B2B cruise round trip from Fort Lauderdale that I will have to get off the ship and go ashore for about 2 hours. I had always heard same cabin you can stay on board.

Thanks for any clarification.

Candie

 

 

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It is up to immigration. Sometimes they require all b2b passengers to leave the ship, and go thru immigration to reboard. Other times they have everyone staying on board come to the Princess theater and check people as they exit it. You will be notified what to do.

I don't want to get off subject but a poster stated on a B2B if they booked the same ship and same cabin you didn't have to get off the ship? Is this a correct statement? I am being told on a May 2019 B2B cruise round trip from Fort Lauderdale that I will have to get off the ship and go ashore for about 2 hours. I had always heard same cabin you can stay on board.

Thanks for any clarification.

Candie

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Depends how you define the word "off."

All passengers must disembark, including b2b passengers, and go through immigration. Practically this is done in three ways. B2b passengers can choose to disembark in a normal manner without their luggage and go ashore. These passengers go through immigration and customs when disembarking. They can then re-board anytime after general boarding has begun. This is probably the two hour wait you reference.

All passengers wishing to physically stay on board the ship must meet in a designated location, usually the theater, not later than the indicated time. If even one passenger is missing the process can not begin. When there are lots of passengers each passenger is scanned "off" the ship when they enter the theater. When all are present immigration usually comes on board and each passenger goes through immigration. At that point you are scanned back "on" to the ship.

Sometimes immigration will not come on board and every passenger must actually walk off the ship pass through immigration and then walk back on. This is done in groups escorted by staff members.

The process has nothing to do with cabins. If you have to switch cabins this is handled by the cabin stewards. This process can usually be completed before the reporting time mentioned above.

For information this is only at U.S. ports. My experience on turn arounds in other countries is that you do not have to go through any immigration process, and the day is treated just like any other port day.

It's not typical in Florida. I can't remember a time when we didn't have to leave the ship (at least to walk through the terminal until the ship cleared) and get right back on.

Sometimes they like to mix things up a bit to keep people guessing. :D

That's how it was on the Regal. Glad we didn't have to leave the ship. If we do it again we'll probably do an excursion in Ft. Lauderdale. This probably won't happen for a while. We're booked on Oceania Next.Jan. & on the Reflection Jan.2019. Couldn't resist a Concierge cabin on the Reflection for about $2500PP. Just doing a ocean view on the Eclipse in 2018 was about $5300. I think it's anticipation of everyone jumping onto the new Edge class ships at that time.

Thanks Keithm, I though what they were saying was wrong.

Candie

 

 

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I'm seeing info. from Floridalover that it's not always the case. For us it was, but I guess not always. As to B2B cabins: you can get moved from one cabin to another. If that happens the attendants takes care of it. We had booked the cruise pretty far out so I think that's why we had the same cabin the full 14 days. The main downside was the menu repeating for the second part, even though it was 2 totally separate parts of the Caribbean. The food was fine. We did more specialty rest. at that time. Our head waiter stayed with us the entire trip. The asst. waiter changed. The first part he was great. The second leg, the guy(from Ukraine)was really "green" the first few days. Flora (our head waiter) was great. If you do the Regal. Ask for her. She's the best we've EVER had, anywhere!

We had the same cabin on the Regal on our b2b and were were given the option in the MDR later in the week to stay at the same table for the following week, or we could move if we liked. We liked the area that were were in, liked the waiter and wine steward and there was quite a few of our table guests doing the b2b, so we all opted to stay where we were.

We had the same cabin. We did NOT have to leave the ship. You gathered in the theater & went through immigration that way.

Depends upon the US port and whatever immigration wants to do. I have been in B2B in the same cabin. Sometimes the immigration folks come on board to process. Sometimes you meet in the theater, but then have to walk off in a group to go through immigration and then come right back on board. It all depends.

The process is the same if you keep the same room or change rooms between legs of the B2B.

We were on the B2B on the Crown last March/April for the East/West Caribbean cruise. Stayed in the same cabin. We had no problem.

"..That's how it was on the Regal. Glad we didn't have to leave the ship. If we do it again we'll probably do an excursion in Ft. Lauderdale......"

Don't do the Everglades excursion...we did last year. General consensus of fellow passengers on the excursion was it was a waste of time & money. Worst tour director we have EVER had!!!

We did a b2b on the Royal in February 2017. When we booked the cruise, we booked the same room for both cruises, so we didn't have to move. The cruise was out of Fort Lauderdale. We met in the theatre, and we did have to get off the ship, but it was quick and painless. We sat on chairs in the terminal, had our passports checked and went back on board before general boarding. We kept the same cruise cards as it was booked as a 20-day cruise.

Don't do the Everglades excursion...we did last year. General consensus of fellow passengers on the excursion was it was a waste of time & money. Worst tour director we have EVER had!!!

We did it several years ago and it was one of the best excursions we have ever done. It also included a visit to Flamingo Gardens.

A bad tour director can make any good tour bad.