Have a couple of questions on back to back cruises

[RandyinDEN]

Afternoon all,

 

We are thinking of taking the NA 14 day btb in March but had a quick couple of questions:

 

1. If we have the same room, do we have to pack up and take all our stuff off the ship?

2. Is there a holding area or lounge we can go to wait either on ship or off ship or do we have to leave through customs and re-enter?

3. Any info you can offer or advice would be helpful. Thanks

[sail7seas]

We just did b-to-b on Nieuw Amsterdam over Thanksgiving.

 

If you have the same cabin, you leave all your things in place.

You will have to go ashore to clear Immigration. You are free to stay ashore and do what you wish but cannot reboard until the ship has zeroed down meaning all who are leaving have done so. You can wait in the terminal or if a pretty day, do as we did which was find a bench and wait outside enjoying people watching and looking at the beautiful ships.

 

 

We were permitted to reboard around 11:20 or so. We didn't go ashore until nearing the end of disembarkation so we didn't wait all that long.

 

You will be given an in transit card. Bring it with you as that enables you to move right along to Immigration and to avoid the check in area when time to reboard and just clear security to go back aboard.

 

Hope you have a great cruise.

[Krazy Kruizers]

On the last full day of your first cruise you will get a letter giving you instructions as to what you are to do. The letter will tell you what time and where to report to on Intransit day. Depending on how many there are doing the back-to-back cruise -- depends on where you will meet -- we had 334 Intransit passengers on our last cruise. We all met in the show lounge. Usually the time is around 9:30.

Someone from the front office you come and escort you off the ship.

TAKE your passport with you as you will need to show it to the immigration officials. Also take your Intransit card.

Once you show your passport to the officials ashore -- you can go back up to the waiting lounge and wait for the announcement as to when the ship has gone down to zero count. Once that happens you can get back on the ship.

If you decide to go somewhere to shop -- still take your passport with you to show the officials as you leave the building. When you return to the ship -- show your Intransit card and you can bypass everything to get back onto the ship -- EXCEPT security. You will still have to go through that.

The last night of the first cruise you will get the LOG -- this tells you the breakfast times for the next morning which will be earlier than normal.

Your ID card will set for both segments of the cruise.

[George C]

If you drink best thing about b2b is at end of 1st week you can buy all the duty free booze for 2nd week

[kazu]

If you drink best thing about b2b is at end of 1st week you can buy all the duty free booze for 2nd week

 

Really? Interesting - I would have thought that on back 2 back or a collectors cruise that they would know who is staying on and not deliver the liquor to the cabin:confused:

[sail7seas]

You do not have to go with the group.

You are free to go ashore on your own to clear Immigration. We never go with the group, have never had a problem and because of the constant posting here that one needs to report to show room or wherever, I went out of my way to verify about back-to-backers going on their own.

 

I confirmed with shore operations people, I confirmed on the ship and most importantly, Customs and Border Patrol who do the Immigration Inspection. ALL said it was fine to go on our own as long as we reported promptly with our passports and did not delay the disembarkation/embarkation progress. AGAIN, this last cruise, we went on our own and everyone was perfectly fine with it.

 

I don't think it complete information to not include this is a permitted option when giving information that has been requested here. It just isn't fully accurate.

 

Bring your passport;

Bring your in transit card;

Bring your patience and

Bring yourself to CBP Immigration Clearance in a prompt manner.

 

 

[sail7seas]

Really? Interesting - I would have thought that on back 2 back or a collectors cruise that they would know who is staying on and not deliver the liquor to the cabin:confused:

 

 

We rarely buy liquor on the ship but I think you are right, Kazu.

 

I'm trying to remember about the once or twice DH might have bought a duty free bottle when we were disembarking at our home port, Boston........ I don't think he received it until the night before we actually left the ship, not the last night of the first week. However, he well may have purchased it during the second segment.

[rafinmd]

Afternoon all,

 

We are thinking of taking the NA 14 day btb in March but had a quick couple of questions:

 

 

2. Is there a holding area or lounge we can go to wait either on ship or off ship or do we have to leave through customs and re-enter?

 

I'll agree with the others on this if you turn around in a US port. I'm not convinced it's always true in other countries as the authorities there determine what the requirements. In any case, you will be given information by the final day of the first cruise on what you will need to do.

 

Roy

[sail7seas]

The information I provided applies to U.S. ports. When we have turned around in foreign port, we do not have to do the zero down procedure nor are we required to leave the ship at all if we don't wish.

 

[Riversedge]

When you are on a collector's cruise, do you wait until the end of both segments to settle your account? We're doing a b2b with a total of 25 days. What about internet time? If we buy the 100 minutes will it last over the whole 25 days or just the first segment and then we have to start over?

[sail7seas]

We always get a print out of our bill at the end of the first segment to review. In case of error, our memory would be fresher then instead of waiting until the end. HAL processes our bill at the end of the cruise when we will be disembarking.

 

Whatever Internet minutes you may have left will carry over but many times I need to have the Internet Manager bring them forward. More cruises than not, I have trouble the first time I log on at the start of the second week of our collector's cruise. Once he fiddles with whatever he does, it's fine. I have never lost minutes or not had the manager bring them forward promptly.

 

[kazu]

We always get a print out of our bill at the end of the first segment to review. In case of error, our memory would be fresher then instead of waiting until the end. HAL processes our bill at the end of the cruise when we will be disembarking.

 

Whatever Internet minutes you may have left will carry over but many times I need to have the Internet Manager bring them forward. More cruises than not, I have trouble the first time I log on at the start of the second week of our collector's cruise. Once he fiddles with whatever he does, it's fine. I have never lost minutes or not had the manager bring them forward promptly.

 

 

Good tips on the internet - thanks Judy:):):)

[Krazy Kruizers]

If you drink best thing about b2b is at end of 1st week you can buy all the duty free booze for 2nd week

 

Really? Interesting - I would have thought that on back 2 back or a collectors cruise that they would know who is staying on and not deliver the liquor to the cabin:confused:

 

When you purchase the alcohol at the end of the first cruise -- your ID shows the date you are scheduled to leave the ship.

If the person looks carefully at your ID card -- he may just hold your alcohol until the end of the second cruise.

I wouldn't chance it.

We prefer to just buy bottles from either online or through our concierges.

[cruz chic]

I have purchased liquor on the first half of a B2B and it was delivered at the end of the first half. I even mentioned I would be staying on and still it was the same answer. This happened about 3-4 years ago. Also, I purchased it for my dad (not on the ship) to bring home so I really didn't care when it was delivered. I don't know if it's different now.

[sail7seas]

As is sometimes mentioned here, there is a degree of 'inconsistency' ship to ship, cruise to cruise. :)

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

When you are on a collector's cruise, do you wait until the end of both segments to settle your account? We're doing a b2b with a total of 25 days. What about internet time? If we buy the 100 minutes will it last over the whole 25 days or just the first segment and then we have to start over?

 

In the letter that you get the full day of your cruise -- they will inform you that your bill will carry over. Also any Beverage cards that you have not used up will also carry over.

I always make certain that on the last full day of the cruise I get a copy of the first cruise bill so that I can check it over. Sometimes we have gotten a preliminary bill at the end of the first cruise --sometimes we have not.

We also tip our cabin stewards and dining room staff and wine steward at the end of the frst cruise. 99% of the time we have had the same cabin stewards but I still like to give them some money just in case they have a chance to go shopping. The majority of the time in the dining room we get new wait staff and a new wine steward for the second segment.

[DaveOKC]

If you are worried about purchasing the liquor and not getting it until the end of the second week (which could be a problem for those traveling by air), why not just have someone who is leaving after the first week buy it for you?

 

Would this cause a problem at Customs?

 

DaveOKC

[sail7seas]

You do not have to declare something you do not import - bring ashore with you.

 

If you have a bottle in your cabin, you drink from it and you leave or finish it, there is nothing to declare. It has been consumed while out of the U.S. and you are not bringing it into the country.

 

[DeepWaterMariner]

Here is another B2B question...can you make reservations for Pinnacle Grill or Canaletto for the second cruise of the B2B while still on the first cruise?

[sail7seas]

We have done that many times on at least three ships with no problem.

[kazu]

In the letter that you get the full day of your cruise -- they will inform you that your bill will carry over. Also any Beverage cards that you have not used up will also carry over.

 

I always make certain that on the last full day of the cruise I get a copy of the first cruise bill so that I can check it over. Sometimes we have gotten a preliminary bill at the end of the first cruise --sometimes we have not.

 

We also tip our cabin stewards and dining room staff and wine steward at the end of the frst cruise. 99% of the time we have had the same cabin stewards but I still like to give them some money just in case they have a chance to go shopping. The majority of the time in the dining room we get new wait staff and a new wine steward for the second segment.

 

This is good to know KK - do you ask if you will have them again or just automatically tip?

[Krazy Kruizers]

[/b]

 

This is good to know KK - do you ask if you will have them again or just automatically tip?

 

We always ask if we will have the same cabin stewards and dining room wait staff.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Here is another B2B question...can you make reservations for Pinnacle Grill or Canaletto for the second cruise of the B2B while still on the first cruise?

 

We have always been able to book the Pinnacle online for both cruises.

But once on the ship -- we were not able to book either the Pinnacle or the Canaletto during the first cruise for the second cruise.

And we have done quite a few back-to-back / Collector's cruises.

[GeriatricNurse]

We just did b-to-b on Nieuw Amsterdam over Thanksgiving.

 

If you have the same cabin, you leave all your things in place.

You will have to go ashore to clear Immigration. You are free to stay ashore and do what you wish but cannot reboard until the ship has zeroed down meaning all who are leaving have done so. You can wait in the terminal or if a pretty day, do as we did which was find a bench and wait outside enjoying people watching and looking at the beautiful ships.

 

 

We were permitted to reboard around 11:20 or so. We didn't go ashore until nearing the end of disembarkation so we didn't wait all that long.

 

You will be given an in transit card. Bring it with you as that enables you to move right along to Immigration and to avoid the check in area when time to reboard and just clear security to go back aboard.

 

Hope you have a great cruise.

 

 

Judy, it sounds as though you went ashore and through immigration on your own rather than as an entire group together, leaving from a ?lounge! Is that correct? :confused: If so, this must be something new, because on a Collector's Cruise, onboard the Eurodam, in February, 2010, several hundred of us, "in transit" left together, as a group, led by a HAL employee, to disembark, pass through Immigration, then either remain ashore or reboard immediately, (which I chose to do)! ;)

[GeriatricNurse]

On the last full day of your first cruise you will get a letter giving you instructions as to what you are to do. The letter will tell you what time and where to report to on Intransit day. Depending on how many there are doing the back-to-back cruise -- depends on where you will meet -- we had 334 Intransit passengers on our last cruise. We all met in the show lounge. Usually the time is around 9:30.

 

Someone from the front office you come and escort you off the ship.

 

TAKE your passport with you as you will need to show it to the immigration officials. Also take your Intransit card.

 

Once you show your passport to the officials ashore -- you can go back up to the waiting lounge and wait for the announcement as to when the ship has gone down to zero count. Once that happens you can get back on the ship.

 

If you decide to go somewhere to shop -- still take your passport with you to show the officials as you leave the building. When you return to the ship -- show your Intransit card and you can bypass everything to get back onto the ship -- EXCEPT security. You will still have to go through that.

 

The last night of the first cruise you will get the LOG -- this tells you the breakfast times for the next morning which will be earlier than normal.

 

Your ID card will set for both segments of the cruise.

 

It was my understanding that the "in transit" passengers were the LAST persons off of the ship! :confused: At least that was what happened on my Collector's Cruise, onboard the Eurodam, in February, 2010! We all left, as a group, from the Show Lounge, led by a HAL employee, went ashore, through Immigration, and then I reboarded immediately! ;)