What do you like to do on a B2B turnaround day?

Keep in mind that on most ships breakfast will be early on disembarkation day and end early so that the staff can get everything cleaned for the next group of passengers.

Everyone must go through immigration.

HAL does not allow people to take any large items off the ship like laundry to be done.

Usually we only get about 15 minutes to ourselves on the ship before the new passengers arrive.

A few times we have waited 1 1/2 hours in the terminal before we could get back on the ship. Some passengers think that the rules for getting off the ship is for everyone else but them.

Sometimes we have had to attend the second lifeboat drill and sometimes we haven't. The rules keep changing on that each year.

Forgot about the possibility of not having to do a second drill. Bonus! :D

You might be disappointed. We always had to participate in the second muster drill, different lines, different parts of the world, same drill.

Keep in mind that on most ships breakfast will be early on disembarkation day and end early so that the staff can get everything cleaned for the next group of passengers.

Everyone must go through immigration.

HAL does not allow people to take any large items off the ship like laundry to be done.

Usually we only get about 15 minutes to ourselves on the ship before the new passengers arrive.

A few times we have waited 1 1/2 hours in the terminal before we could get back on the ship. Some passengers think that the rules for getting off the ship is for everyone else but them.

Sometimes we have had to attend the second lifeboat drill and sometimes we haven't. The rules keep changing on that each year.

ARGH! You are so right. We once did a back to back on the Westerdam with Port Everglades our turn around port. There were about 150 who were doing back to backs (some did back to back to backs) and all but two of us showed-up at the designated lounge and were escorted off the ship to a rather uncomfortable holding area. But alas, 2 passengers (married) were missing and could not be found. Announcements were made on the ship and even in the port terminal building. Everyone cooled their heels for over an hour while staff searched the ship. They finally located the couple who were lounging on an isolated part of the deck. Apparently their explanation was simply that they did not think they had to follow the rules. When they brought them off and put them in our holding area quite a few passengers vocally expressed their outrage!

Hank

You’re both confirming for me that a walk to the shops, enjoying the Florida sunshine while my home city is besieged by 5 months of winter weather, is the best way to spend a couple of hours.

Keeping my fingers crossed about the second drill, but no biggie if we have to do it again as Princess has made it about as painless as possible on the Regal.

In most US ports you DO have to get off the ship so it can be zeroed down. You can wait in a special area in the terminal and reboard when notified.

A few times we went to Galleria Mll to et a few things we had not packed. Nothing so important but w wanted them. I like Dillards and we don't have one in Boston area, I l also like Neimnsn and we do have tthat! :).

Just had a thought...I booked this as a 14 day cruise (we come back to Fort L midpoint) and the ports are different in the two weeks, except for Princess Cays. I guess that doesn’t really make it a B2B, does it? Just a single two week cruise? It’s also sold as separate 7 day cruises.

What does that mean for muster? Again, have absolutely no problems doing it the second week, just wondering what to expect. I could wait til I’m on board to find out for sure, but how else to wile away the time until the cruise (and the last few days of my school summer vacation) than to spend some of it on CC?! :D

Just had a thought...I booked this as a 14 day cruise (we come back to Fort L midpoint) and the ports are different in the two weeks, except for Princess Cays. I guess that doesn’t really make it a B2B, does it? Just a single two week cruise? It’s also sold as separate 7 day cruises.

 

What does that mean for muster? Again, have absolutely no problems doing it the second week, just wondering what to expect. I could wait til I’m on board to find out for sure, but how else to wile away the time until the cruise (and the last few days of my school summer vacation) than to spend some of it on CC?! :D

For you it is a single cruise but for Customs Border Patrol, it is a back-to-back (B2B). Since it is in the Caribbean, you will be with a lot of your fellow passengers doing the same 14 days. The ship will let you know before the end of your first week if you need to attend a second Muster Drill, or not, as well as give you instructions for your return to Fort Lauderdale between cruises.

From the information in some of the above posts, it appears that B2B passengers who have disembarked can bypass the embarkation lines inside the terminal and go straight through back to the ship.

However, what about the lines of new passengers just outside the terminal doors - would we be able to bypass that line as well and go straight into the building?

For those disembarking who want to leave the terminal, would we have to get in line with the regular passengers to go through the customs line or is there a special, quick exit? I understand that the ones who are going back to the ship right after the zero count are escorted through the whole process, but wondering about those who choose to leave for a while. I’m hoping we don’t have to get behind everyone and their luggage!

From the information in some of the above posts, it appears that B2B passengers who have disembarked can bypass the embarkation lines inside the terminal and go straight through back to the ship.

However, what about the lines of new passengers just outside the terminal doors - would we be able to bypass that line as well and go straight into the building?

 

For those disembarking who want to leave the terminal, would we have to get in line with the regular passengers to go through the customs line or is there a special, quick exit? I understand that the ones who are going back to the ship right after the zero count are escorted through the whole process, but wondering about those who choose to leave for a while. I’m hoping we don’t have to get behind everyone and their luggage!

Great questions and sometimes we think the policy changes with the phases of the moon :). Most of the time we have done back to back out of Florida ports they will give us (before we leave the ship) a card that says something like "Transit" and tell us to show it when we return to the port. We also have our cruise card (valid on the next cruise). Usually, when we return we just show the "Transit" card to security and they let us bypass the long lines and move right to the security screening. But there was one cruise when none of the security (rent-a-cops) had a clue and we had to wait in line for about 20 minutes.

But keep in mind that if you return to the ship later in the afternoon...things have generally quieted down in the terminal. Not sure I would want to come back to the port around noon. We have another back to back (out of the Port of Miami) in December and are current thinking is to just go immediately back on the ship (once cleared). Having once lived in South Florida we often find that the ship is better then the other alternatives :)

Hank

Good advice, Hank. Thank you. I’m thinking about getting off around 7:30 and being back around 10:30.

I have done one B2B in San Juan and took the opportunity to go hiking in the rainforest, something that I didn't have time for prior to sailing on the first leg.

I'd echo the posters who have recommended attending the B2B cruiser's meeting that will happen sometime in the first leg. They will walk through the options for the turnaround day to let you know what to expect, as well as talk about any special perks they're providing to B2B cruisers. On my sailing, Celebrity gave all B2Bers a free bag of laundry- which was a very nice perk for someone like me who doesn't have enough loyalty status to get free laundry.

Whatever you decide- enjoy the happiness that comes from knowing you're getting to stay when everyone else is packing up to go home.

We've done it twice in Fort Lauderdale. Both times, we waited to clear Immigration with the others who chose to remain on the ship. We enjoyed a nice lunch in the dining room, then I left the ship to walk to Total Wine to restore our supply for the next leg. We like to swim in the pool near the spa during the muster drill. It's quiet there. We kept our "in-transit" cards nearby to show any crew members who tried to make us muster.

Explore the port and then skip the embarkation queues.

I'd be heading out of the port and up 17th Street to either the Publix supermarket or Total Wines for a coupe more bottles of wine for the 2nd leg!! If you're able and ambitious, it's walkable!!! Otherwise, I'd snag a taxi.