Back2Back on Elation-Any info or advice appreciated

Getting ready to do our first B2B in 3 weeks.I'd love to hear about anyone's experience on the Elation with doing this. Thanks!

have never done this, but wanted to thank you for starting this thread. i have always wanted to do this, but will have to wait until my children are old enough to leave them alone (too much school will be missed). am anxious to read the tips people give you. i'm always so jeleous at debarkation when i hear the special announcements for those lucky back to back cruisers. Hope you have a grrrreat time!

I would love to hear about this also. I just got back from the Elation on 10/1, and one of my dinner mates was getting off the Elation and going right next door and getting on the Valor for a week. This was his first back to back and he seemed very excited. It was his 28th with Carnival so he was a Platinum member. He took advantage of the free laundry service and had everything washed and folded so he was ready to move right over to the Valor.

Sorry for the bump, but still hopeing for some help.

Last December my DH and I did a B2B on the Carnival Liberty. The first cruise was a 6 day Western followed by a 7 Day Eastern. Two weeks on a cruise:) . We stayed in the same cabin for both cruises which made the transition even easier. We also asked the maitre'd to sit us at the same table for the second week. Our waiter welcomed us back as if we were long lost friends. Even other waiters did a double take. Except for Ft. Lauderdale all our stops were different. We really got to know the ship and felt really special watching the new people in their coats looking around while we were in the hot tub. Turnaround day was very simple. They asked us to meet at the pursers desk around 10 and then we were walked off the ship through immigration out into the terminal to get our new cruise cards and then back on the ship. We could have gone into Ft. Lauderdale to stock up if we had needed to but we stayed on the ship. If we ever decide to do a back to back again I think we would look into going on a different ship for the second week. Everything was repeated, shows, menus, jokes and it took some of the surprise element away. I have to say that it made it easier getting off after the second week than usual. Would I do 14 days on a ship again...absolutely. Whatever you decide I hope you have a great cruise!:D

We were on Elation 9/17 and met a couple on their second week of a B2B on Elation. They really enjoyed it. We met them at a meal and later happened to take the same tour with them, so we had some time to chat.

They said the debarkation and embarkation in the middle of the trip went great. They were last ones off and first ones on, and had the ship completely to themselves, which surprised a lot of staff who were not accustomed to seeing passengers at that time.

They really seemed relaxed, so the trip must have done them some good!

you'd think if you were B2B on the same ship, you wldn't have to get off. But rather, I'd hope that the Purser's info desk wld have all of your cards and info for "part two," so it wld be more of like a "check-in" process at a hotel. Do you always have to get off and go through customs and then, the embarkation process again?

Yes, you absolutely do. I do not think you have to pack your bags and take them off, but you must physically get off the ship at the appointed time. The purser will escort you through the process. Since there will be few, if any, others doing a B2B, it should be very personal service.

The couple I met did have to change cabins - they must have been on a guarantee booking, and their same cabin number could not be kept - but they did not mind and said the crew relocated the bags for them.

I just did a B2B on Elation 10/07/2006 and 10/15/2006. My wife and I were the only two people doing a B2B. Here is what we did.

On Sunday, we went to the Pursers office to check what time we would get off and back on. They told us we could get off then, but then we would have to wait until regular embarkation to get back on. OR We could come back down at 10:15 when everyone was off, and a Purser would escort us off, and then back on again. That is what we did.

We actually went down around 10:00 to give them some time. At 10:15 one of the pursers took us off. Brought us dwon to Customs. Went thru Customs, escorted us to the VIP Check in. There was no one there to do the check in since it was so early. She went and got someone, and they were back in 1 or 2 minutes. They entered our Credit Card information. Te purser then brought us thru Security, and right back up to the ship. When we got back on, we put our new cards in, and they took our pictures again.

That was it. We were back on by 10:30. They didn't start Early boarding until 11:30, so my wife and I were the only 2 passengers on the ship. Felt like we owned the ship.

Virtually Everyone that works on the ship knew who we were. We had the same room, so we didn't have to pack / unpack.

Some basic information about the Back to Back (B2B).

You must get off the ship for Customs. This is a Customs rule, not Carnival, so you have to do it.

Your Customs exemption resets. If you buy something fairly expensive, just keep the receipt for the second time thru Customs, then it is proof to customs that you did not buy it for the second week if there is a question.

At the end of the first week we talked to the Maitre D, and he was able to change us to a table exactly where we wanted the second week. He was very nice, and it was him, the Maitre D, who asked if we wanted a specific table for the next week when he found that we were going to be back on the next week.

If you have any questions about B2B, I have done 3 of them. Feel free to E-Mail me at: CruiseCCL@InsightBB.com I would be happy to respond.

Thanks for everbody's replies, esp. Pennme. It was good to hear about your experience on the Elation. We leave port next week and are glad that we were able to book the same cabin for both cruises also. Very excited!!