B2B- same or different cruise lines

[5Stringer]

We're thinking of doing two 7 day back to back cruises out of Florida. I'm wondering if there is price savings going with the same cruise company (X or Holland America)?

How easy is it to use two different companies? i.e: get off Celebrity and onto Holland America for example.

Thanks,

[gerryl12]

Sometimes there is a price saving. You just have to keep checking the prices to find the best deal.

 

Getting off one cruise line onto another is not a big problem, but depending on how much luggage you have the logistics vary. Taxi?

[paul929207]

If both are in the same port it is pretty easy. If they are in different ports, there is a little more hassle.

[dmwnc1959]

Booking a B2B on the same ship offers numerous benefits: not having to pack and unpack twice, not having to go through another complete embarkation process or Customs and Immigration twice, being able to relax poolside or in a comfortable lounge between sailings, not having to be out of your cabin by 8am after the first 7-day stretch, the possibility of a special luncheon for B2B guests, a gift of some small sort from the cruise line for doing a B2B (I got a bottle of wine), the benefits of two points toward the next level of the cruise lines past guest rewards tier, being able to get off the ship between sailings and sightseeing in town, enjoying that specialty restaurant or menu item you didn't have the first time around, and seeing the shows you missed or enjoying the ones you really liked again.

 

Doing a B2B on different cruise lines also offers benefits: different menus and different dining venues on two differnent lines, adding one point toward your past guest tier to each cruse line, seeing completely different shows and entertainment, and experiencing the different ambiance of two different ships.

 

As mentioned by others above, you have to disembark and after clearing C&I find a way over to the other ship if it is in the same port. In all likelyhood you'll arrive quite early for embarkation at the other ship because you'll be off the first ship by 10am. You can't really go anywhere or do anything because you'll have your luggage with you. And depending on cruise line your new room on the new ship may not be ready until 1pm.

 

After all is said and done I personally prefer doing a B2B on the same ship with alternating itineraries. I did this last year after combining two 5-nt cruises on the Celebrity Millennium and it was amazing. I received a special pass between sailings that allowed me to go off ship for as long as I wanted and be back by the designated time prior to the ship sailing. Quite a few people just stayed on the ship and relaxed by the pool.

 

Some cruise lines may combine two alternating itineraries into a 14-nt sailing sold as one cruise and there can be minimal savings, but you lose some of the benefits from the extra points toward your next tier level of memberships to fewer perks than if you had booked it as two separate 7-nt cruises. However for the most part cruise lines do not offer big discounts for booking a B2B.

 

Either way I hope you find the perfect combination that makes for the best cruise experience for you.

[Corby114]

My family and I did two seven day back to back cruises on the Norwegian Gem from Venice in July 2010. The ship did two different itinerarys to Greece, Turkey, and Croatia. We had a wonderful time and it didn't make sense to us to spend only one week on the ship when it costs so much to fly to Europe from the United States. Since we booked over a year in advance we stayed in the same oceanview cabin for both weeks. We met some passengers who had to switch rooms on the back to back because they only booked a few months out. A back to back on the same ship is a breeze and a back to back in the same port isn't much of a problem either. I've met passengers who do a Saturday to Saturday from Port Everglades on Carnival, spend one night in a hotel and do a Sunday to Sunday on Royal Caribbean.

[cb at sea]

The only problem with staying on the same ship will be that the menus and entertainment will repeat, with slight variations to the "guest" performer. It would be very convenient if you had the same cabin for both legs!

 

Of course, it's no big deal to change ships/cruiselines, especially if they leave and return to the same port!

[sail7seas]

We do many b-to-b's on HAL and they now have what they call Collector's cruises. Not every b-to-b is named by them to be Collectors but those that are carry a small discount.

 

There have been times we booked b-to-b and some months later, HAL chose to combine those dates into Collectors and our price was reduced a little. We were not necessarily happy with this new method as we liked when we booked them as two cruises and got two confirmation numbers. If we had to cancel one segment for some reason, we could still go on the other segment. Now, with Collectors, it is called one cruise and we would have to cancel the whole thing.

 

[sail7seas]

The only problem with staying on the same ship will be that the menus and entertainment will repeat, with slight variations to the "guest" performer. It would be very convenient if you had the same cabin for both legs!

 

Of course, it's no big deal to change ships/cruiselines, especially if they leave and return to the same port!

 

 

That is not the case (entirely) when you do a HAL Collectors. Because they are aware there are many aboard for two cruise segments, there is some variety in the menus. The shows stay pretty much the same unless a particular 'act' changes due to limited engagement aboard such as you site as guest performer.

 

We always pick dates when we can get the same cabin for both segments and never have to move to a new cabin.

 

[dmwnc1959]

The only problem with staying on the same ship will be that the menus and entertainment will repeat, with slight variations to the "guest" performer. It would be very convenient if you had the same cabin for both legs!

 

Of course, it's no big deal to change ships/cruiselines, especially if they leave and return to the same port!

 

Having the same cabin for a B2B on the same ship is a huge plus. It is easy enough to move your stuff from one cabin to another with the assist of the cabin steward, but it is one less thing to have to do if you are in the same room for the entire cruise. ;)

 

As far as evening meals on the ship, some ships now have multiple dining venues and specialty restaurants aboard. You could eat in the MDR for the first week, then enjoy the different specialty venues for the second week. Even the menus in the multitude of restaurants may offer more than one tantalizing entree that you could try one on the first leg of your cruise, the other entree on the second time around.

 

The entertainment will be the big challenge on doing a B2B cruise on the same ship when combining 2-week long cruises. For the most part the entertainment will most likely be the same. On my B2B I got lucky and some of the entertainers contracts expired or they moved on, and new comedians or headliners took their place. Several of the main acts were the same and I surely did not mind seeing them twice.

[fleckle]

The only problem with staying on the same ship will be that the menus and entertainment will repeat, with slight variations to the "guest" performer. It would be very convenient if you had the same cabin for both legs!

 

Of course, it's no big deal to change ships/cruiselines, especially if they leave and return to the same port!

I agree. It is more tempting to remain on the same ship when we can keep the same cabin.

 

If we need to move to another cabin anyway, it is hardly any more trouble to transfer to another ship and is well worth doing it for all the added benefits gained.

 

Even changing ports is no big deal when they are reasonably close together, such as Miami and Port Everglades for example (which we did recently).

 

It just means sitting in a van or taxi for a short ride from one port to the other. If we had not done that, we probably would have been out on a tour that day where we would have been riding around in a van or taxi anyway.

[Penny Slots]

We have done b2b's both ways - staying on the same ship (same cabin) and switching ships. Both were thoroughly enjoyable! The last time, we walked off the Celebrity Century and pulled our luggage a short way to the RC Liberty of the Seas which was docked right beside the Century. We left our luggage with the porter and grabbed a cab to spend the day exploring Miami.

 

The advantage of 2 ships is that the entertainment and menus are fresh each cruise.

 

Enjoy - either way you decide!

[paul929207]

The only problem with staying on the same ship will be that the menus and entertainment will repeat, with slight variations to the "guest" performer. It would be very convenient if you had the same cabin for both legs!

 

Of course, it's no big deal to change ships/cruiselines, especially if they leave and return to the same port!

Even if you switch ships within a cruise line there is likely to be duplication.

[janetz]

I would do two different lines. If I could I would do a B2B2B Oasis, then the Allure and then Celebrity, to rest. :D

[sail7seas]

If you have your 'turnaround day' in U.S. port, you will have to clear immigration. It's easy and fast but the ship must zero down to all who are leaving have done so before those for the next cruise can begin boarding. Regardless you change ships/cruise lines, for a brief while you are required to be off the ship.

 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

The only problem with staying on the same ship will be that the menus and entertainment will repeat, with slight variations to the "guest" performer. It would be very convenient if you had the same cabin for both legs!

 

Of course, it's no big deal to change ships/cruiselines, especially if they leave and return to the same port!

See half the shows first cruise and half the next cruise

[Treven]

I'm booked on my first B2B next January, Eastern then Southern Caribbean; same ship & same cabin. Looking forward to the experience.

[Smokeyham]

If you have your 'turnaround day' in U.S. port, you will have to clear immigration. It's easy and fast but the ship must zero down to all who are leaving have done so before those for the next cruise can begin boarding.

 

Regardless you change ships/cruise lines, for a brief while you are required to be off the ship.

 

 

Does that mean you must pack everything up, and take it off the ship, or do you just have to take your passport ashore and do the immigration formalities?

 

If the latter, can you then immediately return on board to enjoy the ship's amenities for the day?

[dmwnc1959]

Does that mean you must pack everything up, and take it off the ship, or do you just have to take your passport ashore and do the immigration formalities?

 

If the latter, can you then immediately return on board to enjoy the ship's amenities for the day?

 

Last year on Celebrity Cruises they gave us two options:

 

- If you are staying on the ship for Turn-Around Day muster in the designated lounge at the specified time. You will clear Customs and Immigration together as a group. They will take you down down together as a group, clear C&I, then return to the ship via the check-in counters in the terminal with your new room key (Sail and Sign card). All of your belongings stay on the ship. Take a photo ID with you.

 

- If you plan on sightseeing during Turn-Around Day you go down to Customs and Immigration on your own. All of your belongings still stay on the ship. The cruise line will give you a Transit Pass so that when you come back to the terminal you just show that to security and proceed to the check-in counters inside the terminal where they will issue you a new room key (Sail and Sign card). Take a photo ID with you.

[sail7seas]

Does that mean you must pack everything up, and take it off the ship, or do you just have to take your passport ashore and do the immigration formalities?

 

If the latter, can you then immediately return on board to enjoy the ship's amenities for the day?

 

 

NO... you do not have to remove your things from your cabin, just yourself.

 

You clear Immigration but not customs.

 

You can return to the ship as soon as all who are supposed to be leaving the ship have done so. It is called 'zeroing down'. They cannot begin embarkation until disembarkation has finished. You are technically embarking for the second cruise segment. Our usual wait in Port Everglades has been in the range of 35 - 50 minutes. If there is some selfish boar who decides to ignore the ship's calls to get themselves moving and lingers over his/her coffee, you will have to wait until they hunt them down and boot 'em off. We have never waited more than an hour.

 

If you wish to stay ashore to do something on your own or a tour in FLL, you are free to do that and return to the ship in time for Life Boat Drill.

 

[sail7seas]

The only reason you would have to pack your things if you are moving to a different cabin and even then you do not have to pack everything.

 

The stewards will bring you a clothes rolling rack and all your hanging clothes can go from closet to the rack. On HAL, all the drawers are interchangeable. They will move your filled drawers and replace them with the empties from the cabin into which you are moving.

 

The only things you would have to pack are your bathroom items and anything on counters etc

 

Easy and fast.

[momofmeg]

On our last rollcall we had RCI Diamond members that took a 3 day on the Monarch of the Seas in Port Canaveral and then drove to Tampa the same day and boarded the Jewel of the Seas for a 5 day. They were doing it for double points.

 

Some other RCI diamond cruisers on our roll call had taken a 7 day in ft. Lauderale; drove up to Tampa afterward, spent the night and the next day boarded Jewel of the Seas. They were doing it also for double points.

[sail7seas]

:) How about doing it for the fun of the cruise? :)

The days credited are the bonus...... for us.

 

[paul929207]

:) How about doing it for the fun of the cruise? :)

The days credited are the bonus...... for us.

 

My thinking exactly. I cruise for the pleasure of it. Any benefits I accrue are a nice extra, but not the purpose of my trip.