Back to Back Cruises

[heidik]

I am a bit confused as to what "back to back" means? Is it like taking a 7 day Carribean cruise out of San Juan, returning to San Juan and then staying on the ship to do the same cruise again? Or do people take a different itinerary from the port? I see quite a few people doing these "b2b" cruises and I am very interested in finding out more.....thanx

[paul929207]

b2b means taking two cruises back to back. In most cases people stay on the same ship. Some repeat the intinerary, while others have two different itineraries. We did a b2b2b where each cruise had different itineraries, a b2b with different itineraries and a b2b where the second cruise was the reverse of the first.

[Fredr]

Heidi,

 

We did a B2B in Alaska, and another in South America and B2B cruises are a real treat. You get to go on another cruise while most of the first group has to go home. Also , you may see different ports or repeat some again, giving you time to experience a port in more depth.

 

Sometimes you have to change cabins but the ship's staff will help you move, but it seems that if you are on a B2B, the cruise line will let you keep the same cabin for both.

 

A B2B means that you complete two cruises, one after the other, on the same ship.

 

Hopefully you will be able to go on a B2B.

[Alexis]

I am a bit confused as to what "back to back" means? Is it like taking a 7 day Carribean cruise out of San Juan, returning to San Juan and then staying on the ship to do the same cruise again? Or do people take a different itinerary from the port? I see quite a few people doing these "b2b" cruises and I am very interested in finding out more.....thanx

 

We only do 14 night B2B cruises on the same ship that goes to two different itineraries for the two weeks.

For example: One week to the Eastern Caribbean and one week to the Western Caribbean.

I also never sail a B2B cruise unless I get to book and stay in the same cabin for both weeks. Unpack and pack once. ;)

As you can see by my clocks, we are doing the RCCL Adventure of the Seas B2B's next. She and the RCCL Serenade of the Seas have two of the greatest itineraries offered for B2B cruising to the Southern Caribbean.

[Keith1010]

When people refer to a back to back cruise it relates to staying on the same ship. The itineraries could be the same or they could be quite different.

 

For example you could take a back to back of the eastern and western caribbean.

 

Or a back to back in the Mediterranaean or anywhere in the world.

 

We have done several back to backs.

 

The key is to book early so you can find a cabin that you like for both cruises.

 

It's a great feeling when others are gettng off the ship and you know you are one of the folks who are staying for the next cruise.

 

Keith

[momofmeg]

I have read of people doing back to backs on two different ships-I know I read a blog of "Kuki" who 2 years ago cruised the Carnival Glory then headed to Ft. Lauderdale and got on the Celebrity Constellation that same afternoon. He compared the 2 ships.

 

Zeta3 did something similar last year. She had a family reunion cruise on Carnival Imagination Thanksgiving week-the weekend before, she took a short cruise on NCL Sky with her immediate family.

 

Another poster posted here recently that her extended family will be doing a family reunion cruise on Disney Magic next year-and the week after this, her parents would meet friends of theirs and do a week on NCL Epic.

 

Years ago I met a man on Carnival Fascination when I was doing the southern caribbean, in the laundry. thsi was the last day of the cruise. We were staying in San Juan a couple of days post cruise-so I was washing a few things. He told me he was doing laundry for a simliar reason, after debarking the next day, (Saturday) he and his wife would spend one night at a hotel, and then the next day, (Sunday) he and his wife were getting on another ship for another week. He told me his mother had bought that cruise for him and his wife's 25th anniversary-but did not buy their airfare-when he checked airfare costs-it was fairly steep-and so he and his wife decided to treat themselves to another cruise-since they surmised with the high airfare-they would not be returning soon.

 

I would call all of these situations back to backs-it does not have to be the same ship. If you do 2 cruises 2 weeks in a roll or do 2 short cruises within a week or so, this is still back to backs.

[paul929207]

We have friends who rcently did a 4 or 5 day cruise from Port Canaveral, then two days in a Tampa hotel and then a 7 day cruise from Tampa.

[sandrac213]

DH and I will be going out on the Independence of the Seas on January 3rd for a 6 night Western Caribbean and then staying on the ship to go back out for an 8 night Eastern Caribbean. This will be our second B2B. We went out on a B2B last year as well and I think this is probably how we will continue our cruising careers lol. We really enjoy staying on the ship when we come back into port and have the ship practically to ourselves until around 11:30. Absolutely wonderful!

 

Happy Sailing

Sandy

[momofmeg]

We have friends who rcently did a 4 or 5 day cruise from Port Canaveral, then two days in a Tampa hotel and then a 7 day cruise from Tampa.

 

I could go for that, I like Tampa, there is lots to do-or I may even would have thrown in a day at the Disney park or SeaWorld in Orlando, between the 2 cruises.

[heidik]

Thanks everyone -- I've only done 1 cruise so far and am a real newbie on how all of this works -- I thought that the ships did the same itinerary over and over again :o. To be able to experience one itinerary and then a new one immediately after is very appealing. I have looked at the long cruises (21+ days) and have yet to find one that I am really interested in the entire itinerary. I believe there will be much more to choose from if putting together different cruises b2b.

[momofmeg]

Thanks everyone -- I've only done 1 cruise so far and am a real newbie on how all of this works -- I thought that the ships did the same itinerary over and over again :o. To be able to experience one itinerary and then a new one immediately after is very appealing. I have looked at the long cruises (21+ days) and have yet to find one that I am really interested in the entire itinerary. I believe there will be much more to choose from if putting together different cruises b2b.

 

Some ships do the same itinerary each week during a season-others alternate.

[paul929207]

Thanks everyone -- I've only done 1 cruise so far and am a real newbie on how all of this works -- I thought that the ships did the same itinerary over and over again :o. To be able to experience one itinerary and then a new one immediately after is very appealing. I have looked at the long cruises (21+ days) and have yet to find one that I am really interested in the entire itinerary. I believe there will be much more to choose from if putting together different cruises b2b.

Some ships do the same itinerary week after week. Others alternate two itineraries. Still others do many different ones over the course of a year. You have to do some digging to find the right cruises in the last group, but you can find some wonderful trips.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have done quite a few back-to-back cruises -- different itineraries.

 

The best ohe we did was last year -- 19 days from Ft Lauderdale to Seattle -- then we stayed on and did an Alaskan cruise.

[cruiserbryce]

we have done it once...on Elatrion from SD. Work was not great that month and they were asking ppl to take some of their vacation time. So we booked a couple cruises 2 weeks out, got great rates and went on a trip. The cruises were mostly the same...the 4 day had one more port than the 3 day...but a good time and the best way to spend some forced time off