B2B Questions

[AZmike480]

I see a lot people scheduling back to back cruises on the same ship, and I was curious about the benefits and what the process is when you return to the home port.

 

1. Do you have to get off the ship and check in again?

 

2. Do you typically stay in the same room?

 

3. Are the any price breaks by staying on the same ship twice?

 

AZmike480:D

[Shmoo here]

I see a lot people scheduling back to back cruises on the same ship, and I was curious about the benefits and what the process is when you return to the home port.

 

1. Do you have to get off the ship and check in again?

 

2. Do you typically stay in the same room?

 

3. Are the any price breaks by staying on the same ship twice?

 

AZmike480:D

 

My experience with my one B2B - If your turnaround day is in a US port, you will be required to disembark and re-checkin for the second cruise. Foreign ports usually the checkin will be done onboard.

 

You only stay in the same room if you book it that way.

 

No price breaks - each cruise is a separate cruise, same rate as booking 2 separate cruises (as that's what it is).

[LHT28]

Depends on the cruise & ports

 

For most US ports you need to debark on turnaround day for a short time

The ship must have a zero count ..

 

In our experience & others may differ

 

1)We get our new S&S cards the day before the 2nd cruise

2)we book early enough to get the same cabin

3)we get a 5% discount on the cruises for doing a B2B

[Keith1010]

Understand that some of this varies by cruise line in terms of any discounts for a B2B.

 

As noted if you are coming back to a USA port those doing a back to back (they are called in-transit guests) will be taken off the ship at the same time to go through immigrations and customs. From there they will wait in a room until they are told they can go back to the ship or they can just go into port.

 

The key is to book early so you can secure the same room for both cruises.

 

Keith

[paul929207]

1. In US ports, you will have to get off the ship and go thru US immigration before reboarding. In most other ports, you do not go thru immigration. You will have to activate your new cruise card. This is either done by bringing everyone together in one of the lounges, or going to the top of the gangway.

2. When booking, most people try to get the same cabin. Our last b2b2b, we could not get the same cabin for all three legs and had to move at the end of the second leg.

3. Some of the Princess cruises we have taken offered a discount for booking multiple legs, but not all.

[AZmike480]

Thanks everyone for the info, If I did a back 2 back cruise I think I'd prefer to change ships and check out different ports of call.

 

AZmike480:D

[Treven]

Thanks everyone for the info, If I did a back 2 back cruise I think I'd prefer to change ships and check out different ports of call.

 

AZmike480:D

Well, generally the second leg of a b2b is not going to have the same itinerary as the first leg. For instance on my b2b coming up next April, the first leg is a California Coastal, round trip out of SFO. The 2nd leg is a 15 day cruise to Hawaii. Certainly a different itinerary. Mine is on the same ship, Princess Grand, and got the same cabin.

[paul929207]

Thanks everyone for the info, If I did a back 2 back cruise I think I'd prefer to change ships and check out different ports of call.

 

AZmike480:D

Most of our b2b's have had totally different itineraries. For instance earlier this year, we did a b2b2b from Fort Lauderdale to Buenos Aires to Santiago to San Francisco.

[sail7seas]

We've done many b-to-b's and love them.

We only book on dates we can have the same cabin.

If you have turnaround day in U.S. port, you must leave the ship for it to zero down meaning all who are supposed to be leaving have done so. We wait until it is near

the end of disembarkation, go into the terminal, clear Immigration and usually only

wait about 45 minutes until we can reboard. Sometimes we go off elsewhere for

the day and when we return, we only have to go through security but we bypass

the check in lines.

 

There sometimes is a very small discount but we've never gotten any significant amount

off.

We have sometimes repeated the itinerary and sometimes have done an alternating itinerary

so go to different ports on the second segment. We usually cruise more for the ship than

the itineriary at this point in our cruising life.

 

[NMLady]

My experience with my one B2B - If your turnaround day is in a US port, you will be required to disembark and re-checkin for the second cruise. Foreign ports usually the checkin will be done onboard.

 

You only stay in the same room if you book it that way.

 

No price breaks - each cruise is a separate cruise, same rate as booking 2 separate cruises (as that's what it is).

 

In Port Canaveral after a ta before Western Caribbean, we did not have to get off the ship since Immigration check was done on board.

We had booked the same cabin for both segments but we still had to leave our cabin when last disembarkation group was called, until hallway doors were opened again when all cabins were ready at 1pm.

 

For our next cruise on the Star we are doing a b2b that is also offered as a single booking. Doing it that way we did get a price break, of about 5%.

 

B2B's rarely have same itinerary. Last time on Sun we did Northern Europe followed by ta followed by western Caribbean.

Our next b2b, on Star, is ta followed by Panama Canal.

[Seago2]

I just booked a five day before an existing 7 day and now have the least exciting B2B on record. Same ports. Different cabin. The price is outstanding.

 

Since we are switching cabins do we need to take everything off with us or can we pack it up and have it delivered to the second cabin?

[AZmike480]

Well, generally the second leg of a b2b is not going to have the same itinerary as the first leg. For instance on my b2b coming up next April, the first leg is a California Coastal, round trip out of SFO. The 2nd leg is a 15 day cruise to Hawaii. Certainly a different itinerary. Mine is on the same ship, Princess Grand, and got the same cabin.

 

 

Treven,

 

That would be an awesome back to back itinerary! Since we live in the Phoenix area it would be nice to jump on a 50 minute flight to LA or Long Beach. Course every time I look at cruises I end up wanting to go the carribean or bahamas!:D

 

AZmike480

[paul929207]

I just booked a five day before an existing 7 day and now have the least exciting B2B on record. Same ports. Different cabin. The price is outstanding.

 

Since we are switching cabins do we need to take everything off with us or can we pack it up and have it delivered to the second cabin?

You will need to check with your cruise line on the turnaround port rules. We moved on our recent cruise and did NOT have to take anything off. It all went straight from our old cabin to our new one.

[sail7seas]

I just booked a five day before an existing 7 day and now have the least exciting B2B on record. Same ports. Different cabin. The price is outstanding.

 

Since we are switching cabins do we need to take everything off with us or can we pack it up and have it delivered to the second cabin?

 

 

Which cruise line?

 

If HAL, you do not have to pack.

I'll explain, if that is your cruise line or anyone else is interested in that information.

 

[Treven]

Treven,

 

That would be an awesome back to back itinerary! Since we live in the Phoenix area it would be nice to jump on a 50 minute flight to LA or Long Beach. Course every time I look at cruises I end up wanting to go the carribean or bahamas!:D

 

AZmike480

I've been to the Caribbean 3 times, though I certainly haven't been to all the major islands and could go again, but there's that 5 hour plane ride to FLL and then back. I'm getting spoiled by the 90 minute train ride to SFO to pick up a cruise to somewhere in the Pacific area. Gotta go back to Alaska tho, also out of SFO.

[Seago2]

Which cruise line?

 

If HAL, you do not have to pack.

I'll explain, if that is your cruise line or anyone else is interested in that information.

 

 

Carnivalia.....

 

Two different cabins. Just added the five day. Also adding a third passenger to the second leg. Also, Sail, what level of packing do I need to do? Throwing things in LL Bean bags to get moved to the new cabin or full bore packing as if I'm really leaving the ship?

[Seago2]

You will need to check with your cruise line on the turnaround port rules. We moved on our recent cruise and did NOT have to take anything off. It all went straight from our old cabin to our new one.

 

Thank you. Cruise line?

[sail7seas]

Carnivalia.....

 

Two different cabins. Just added the five day. Also adding a third passenger to the second leg. Also, Sail, what level of packing do I need to do? Throwing things in LL Bean bags to get moved to the new cabin or full bore packing as if I'm really leaving the ship?

 

 

I can't tell you for Carnival but likely it is similar to what happens on HAL.

 

All the drawers in HAL cabins are interchangeable. Your steward(s) will help you move your filled drawers to the new cabin and exchange the empties back to your old cabin.

 

They will bring a hotel style hanging rack for all hanging clothes and move them from one cabin to the other.

 

The only things you will need to 'toss' into your LL Bean bags are your things from the bathroom and anything you have on the counters in your cabin.

 

They will help you move in under 30 minutes.

No need to pack anything.....

 

on HAL.

 

[sail7seas]

You do not have to remove any of your personal items from your cabin to clear.

You will not clear Customs until you leave the ship at the end of all your cruise segments.

 

If your turnaround is in a U.S. port, you will have to leave the ship, clear Immigration and wait until the ship zeros down in that all who are supposed to leave have done so before you can reboard. You will not have to process through check in but will clear security and go directly back aboard.

 

[Seago2]

You do not have to remove any of your personal items from your cabin to clear.

You will not clear Customs until you leave the ship at the end of all your cruise segments.

 

If your turnaround is in a U.S. port, you will have to leave the ship, clear Immigration and wait until the ship zeros down in that all who are supposed to leave have done so before you can reboard. You will not have to process through check in but will clear security and go directly back aboard.

 

 

Thanks, Sail. But- we are changing cabins. Procedure? And we are picking up my husband when we get back to Boston (adding him to our party). Do we need to collect him or does he just find his way on?

[OCruisers]

Original QUOTE=AZmike480;37939325]I see a lot people scheduling back to back cruises on the same ship, and I was curious about the benefits and what the process is when you return to the home port.

========================================

1. Do you have to get off the ship and check in again?Depends on the turnaround port. Normally, in US ports you do but it's painless and they walk you through.

 

2. Do you typically stay in the same room? We don't book a B2B unless we can have the same cabin for both sailings.

 

3. Are the any price breaks by staying on the same ship twice? Now, we don't get anything. Once, there was a bit (not much).

 

We love taking B2B cruises! :)

 

LuLu

~~~~

[Seago2]

I can't tell you for Carnival but likely it is similar to what happens on HAL.

 

All the drawers in HAL cabins are interchangeable. Your steward(s) will help you move your filled drawers to the new cabin and exchange the empties back to your old cabin.

 

They will bring a hotel style hanging rack for all hanging clothes and move them from one cabin to the other.

 

The only things you will need to 'toss' into your LL Bean bags are your things from the bathroom and anything you have on the counters in your cabin.

 

They will help you move in under 30 minutes.

No need to pack anything.....

 

on HAL.

 

 

Ok, should have read that first. Why am I thinking that's so very HAL and so very NOT Carnival :rolleyes:.

 

What I said before, clumsily, is that my DH is joining us for the second leg- do we all need to board together?

[sail7seas]

You do not need to board together.

Your DH can board when he arrives..... he should have his boarding pass and ID. He also will have to indicate what credit card for his onboard charges.

 

Can't say for Carnival but on HAL, he can do that at the front office after he boards if that works better for him/you.

[sail7seas]

When the ship is tied up in Boston, your cell phones should work fine off a land tower with no charges to you. DH and you can communicate and decide where to meet,,,,, if you wish. You can go into the terminal to join up with him or he can join you on the ship after his check in and embarkation is permitted.

[varoo]

1. Do you have to get off the ship and check in again?

The procedure can vary by port and by cruise.

On some cruises you pre-clear immigration, while on others you don't clear immigration until you get to the turnaround port.

 

(For example, you may take a northbound Alaska cruise out of Vancouver where you clear US immigration in Vancouver before boarding the ship.)

 

On a B2B they typically give you a packet the night before the turnaround day telling you how the turnaround procedure will be handled on your cruise.

 

You usually receive a transit pass that allows you to come and go freely on the turnaround day without needing to wait in line with the new passengers who are boarding the ship for the first time.

 

Sometimes they give your your new key card that night, and sometimes not until the next day.

Sometimes they have a special lunch for the B2B people on the turnaround day, but we usually manage to miss it because we are off doing something in port that day.

 

2. Do you typically stay in the same room?

That just depends on whether or not you book the same cabin for both cruises.

 

Most of the time most of us prefer to keep the same cabin if we can, but even when we are able to keep the same cabin for both cruises, every now and then a terrific upgrade opportunity will come along that makes it very worthwhile to change cabins.

 

 

3. Are there any price breaks by staying on the same ship twice?

Sometimes, but not always. Ask at the time of booking.

There are some itineraries where you can book a B2B as either two separate cruises or as one cruise, and there is usually a price break if you book it as one cruise.

 

Thanks everyone for the info, If I did a back 2 back cruise I think I'd prefer to change ships and check out different ports of call.

Many like to do that if they are going to change cabins anyway.

The advantages are not only different ports of call, but gaining an entirely different onboard experience with different menus, different entertainment, different decor and staff, and often the chance to experience a different cruise line.

We like to do it different ways at different times for different reasons.