Back to Back Cruises

[Twinkd]

Hey all – just a question for you experienced cruisers about “Back to Back” cruises. How do these work?? We are looking at doing a “Back to Back” in 2012 but am unsure how they work. We would be going on Radiance of the Seas again. We would sail from Vancouver – when we arrive in Seward do we have to leave the ship and re-embark through the whole process again or can we just get back on and have the same cabin.

Is there a discount for doing “Back to Back”? Any info would be greatly appreciated and would love to hear of people’s experiences with “Back to Back”. How was it visiting all the same ports again just days after the last visit??

Thanks in advance.:)

Twink D

[Yukon]

On a back-to-back where Seward is your change-over port, the crew takes care of what's known as "in transit" paperwork on board (I just did this on a Princess ship). You don't need to leave the ship except on paper - you do get a new cruise card. There's not usually a discount, but every sailing is different.

[fleckle]

Hey all – just a question for you experienced cruisers about “Back to Back” cruises. How do these work?? We are looking at doing a “Back to Back” in 2012 but am unsure how they work. We would be going on Radiance of the Seas again. We would sail from Vancouver – when we arrive in Seward do we have to leave the ship and re-embark through the whole process again or can we just get back on and have the same cabin.

 

Is there a discount for doing “Back to Back”? Any info would be greatly appreciated and would love to hear of people’s experiences with “Back to Back”. How was it visiting all the same ports again just days after the last visit??

 

Thanks in advance.:)

 

Twink D

If you book the northbound cruise on one ship and the southbound cruise on another, you can have a different itinerary, different menus and different entertainment in each direction.

 

If you book the same cabin on the same ship for both directions, that is the easiest way to do it because it eliminates the need to pack up, move and unpack again. But that way you end up repeating most of the same menus and the same entertainment as well as the same ports.

 

We have done it both ways, at different times for different reasons. There are trade-offs and whichever way you choose to do it, there are advantages and disadvantages.

 

When we stayed on the same ship, we didn't mind visiting the same ports again only a few days later because we did different things each time.

Staying on the same ship and keeping the same stateroom is really the easiest way to do it for anyone who has physical limitations or who is traveling with small children.

 

If you are unable to book the same stateroom for both directions, inform both your old and new stateroom attendants and they will coordinate the effort to help you make the move.

 

The turnaround in Seward is extremely simple if you are continuing on the same ship. They gave us our new ship cards and transit passes on the last night of the first cruise. The next day, we inserted our old cards into the machine to check out when we left the ship and inserted our new cards to check back in when we returned.

 

It could not have been easier. We received the VIP treatment at the Seward cruise terminal, where we could come and go as we pleased. When we returned to the ship, our transit passes enabled us to bypass the lines and board the ship ahead of the new arriving passengers who were first checking in.

 

No, you don't "have to leave the ship" in Seward. You could merely punch your old card out and punch your new card right back in, but that would be your loss. Seward is an interesting place. Take a look at the things available to do there, which have been discussed on this board and elsewhere. Our personal favorite thing to do there is to take a Kenai Fjords cruise.

 

As far as a discount, we have never received one for doing a "back to back" but we have heard of cases where they were offered, I believe by Holland America.

[Budget Queen]

The "leaving the ship" comment, can also be suggested to definately DO SO. :) Seward is loaded with excellent, superb activities to consider. I would not spend my time on the ship. :)

 

I'm tentative for doing a back to back, next season, with a week in between and not on the same cruiseline. Just running my options for the bargain sailings.

 

Frankly, with you going in 2012, I would not be rushing into booking at this point. Especially first timers, a lot can change your mind the more you find out.

[sg1phileshipper]

Whatever you chose, enjoy Alaska and enjoy the Radiance. She truly is an amazing and beautiful ship ;)

 

Cindy

[Twinkd]

Hi – thanks for your advise. Just a clarification – what I meant by “Do we have to leave the ship” was did we need to pack up and take our bags off and then check them back in again and do all the paperwork over again. This will be our second cruise to Alaska and yes I agree Seward is a beautiful place (we spent 3 days there last trip) and we most certainly will be exploring it again.

Looking forward to visiting Alaska again and can’t wait for 2012!!:)

[travishenry]

I wonder how people manage back to back cruises. Is it not tiring?

[Yukon]

I wonder how people manage back to back cruises. Is it not tiring?

 

Yeah, 14 days on a cruise ship doing whatever you want is exhausting! (I just did 21 days!) :D

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have done several back-to-back cruises in Alaska.

No you do not have to pack up your suitcases and take them off the ship.

We book early enough that we have the same cabin so we don;t even have to worry about changing to a new cabin in Seward.

I see that you are from New Zealand -- you may be required to go through immigration.

The first couple of times we did this we did get new cards for the second cruise. But the last time we did this -- we got the same ID card for both cruises.

We did not get a discount for either cruise.

By booking early and getting the same cabin - you don't have to wait until the new cabin is ready for you move into it. You can get off the ship any time you want to and do whatever you want to. We had a separate check-in line when we returned to the ship in Seward - HAL -- so that we didn't have to get in line with the new passengers. We still had to go through security though.

[Yukon]

I see that you are from New Zealand -- you may be required to go through immigration.

 

Non-American passengers have to go through Imigration on a Vancouver change-over, but not at a US port.

[Budget Queen]

I wonder how people manage back to back cruises. Is it not tiring?

 

Over the past several years, my outings have gotten longer. I used to go for a week and go home. Now, I'm gone weeks, and "expect" it actually. Although I have never done a back to back, I am considering one next year- but with a week in between. I was gone this year for three weeks. I've spent a month in Europe the last two years, and will be again this year. I've taken 10++ longer cruises the past few years as well. Never tiring. :)

[mytime53]

I wonder how people manage back to back cruises. Is it not tiring?

 

You can make it as active or inactive as you want. You don't have to be up first thing every morning getting off the ship if you prefer to relax. We are usually off right away so as to get the most of every port. But that makes sea days just that much more enjoyable!

[tetleytea]

I am a huge fan of back-to-backs with a several-day layover in the middle. The whole bit with packing your luggage is not that bad when you consider you would have to do that during a land portion anyway. The real pain is the long lines getting off & on the ship, and there are ways you can beat that. Like when you board the ship, board late, like ~4pm. And when you get off, volunteer to carry your own luggage off the ship and be in the first group to get off.

 

In the end, it's just like an independent cruisetour--only instead of paying obscene airfares to fly into Fairbanks, you're buying another cruise with the same money. You have to figure out how you're going to go each way to Denali & back--I have never found taking the train one way and then driving back a viable option cost-wise, as much as I would like to do it.

[DougH]

The "leaving the ship" comment, can also be suggested to definately DO SO. :)

I'm tentative for doing a back to back, next season, with a week in between and not on the same cruiseline. Just running my options for the bargain sailings.

 

.

 

I've done a couple of B2B's but would love to do this with the week in the middle to explore. Two different lines wouild also give some variety.

 

I've also found that I want the longer cruises. 7 days is not nearly enough time, I'm now looking more at the 14-18 day routes.

[tetleytea]

I've done a couple of B2B's but would love to do this with the week in the middle to explore. Two different lines wouild also give some variety.

 

Not only that, but I would suggest getting off at Seward and back on at Whittier, or vice-versa. It's a little tough logistically to plan, but it means you don't have to visit Seward (or worse, Whittier...) twice; and you don't have to backtrack that same stretch of highway. Come to think of it...you could take the train from Seward->Anchorage, the train from Anchorage->Whittier, and a round-trip rental car out of Anchorage in the middle. That flows.

[Middle Aged and Happy]

I am getting ready to do a B2B Vancouver to Seward and vice versa this September. Thanks for posting your questions as they have been helpful to me. We found that the B2B was less expensive than the airfare difference to two different cities and that was our reason for doing the B2B - one more week for less cost seemed like a no brainer. I did not even consider two different ships but now that I think about it, that might have been a good idea.

[bird2sea]

At the end of this month into Sept. I am doing what I call a B2B with HAL. It will be a cruise tour NB 10 days and then 3 days in Anchorage and then just a 7 day cruise SB on another of their ships. I will revisit some of the ports I have seen back in 2008 but am glad as there is so much to do. I am so looking forward to this adventure. OF course I am going to see 3 glacier areas Tracy Arms, Glacier Bay and Hubbard which is a bonus for me also. Have fun on all of your Alaska adventures it is a wonderful place.