Did you like your B2B?

[samzgirl84]

Did you like your B2B? What are the pros and the cons?

[bills blasters]

We loved our b2b. We are doing another one in a couple weeks. It is best if you can get the same cabin for both cruises. There is something wonderful about unpacking on the first day and knowing you won't have to pack again for 2 weeks.

The only con I can think is that once you have done a b2b, you will think you need to do a b2b2b the next time.

[miched]

Really enjoy them.

 

You have the opportunity to be the first to mess up the buffet trays.

 

You also are sitting there waiting for the "first" guest to step on board and see the surprised look that others have somehow beat them aboard.

 

You are on 2 cruises instead one one.

 

The negative is that you still have to attend the second muster drill. The other is the credit card bill with be twice as much.

 

 

.🎄🎅

[Plant]

We've done several B2B's. The biggest problem we've found is that you have to wait until the ship is totally cleared before you are "escorted" off and back on the ship.

 

You're usually asked to meet in the Atrium area at about 10 AM. Unfortunately, the latest cruiser's to be cleared are sometimes about 11:30 AM :eek:.

 

Bring a book!

 

We've never had to attend the second Muster Drill. It's a pretty good idea to do so, though.

[Pom Lover]

We are going on our third B2B in a few weeks and the only con I can think of is they make you get off the ship after 14 days. We fly to our port so we get two cruises for the price of one airline ticket. We love unpacking and knowing we are set for two weeks. It sounds horrible but it is such a good feeling the last night of the first cruise to know you don't have to pack. Love them!

[montana200024]

We are going on our third B2B in a few weeks and the only con I can think of is they make you get off the ship after 14 days. We fly to our port so we get two cruises for the price of one airline ticket. We love unpacking and knowing we are set for two weeks. It sounds horrible but it is such a good feeling the last night of the first cruise to know you don't have to pack. Love them!

 

I totally agree with you here..we have done many..and it is good when we only have to pay one airfare...it is amazing , fun and after one you get hooked..

you need to book early for the same room..had it where we had to move, but make sure now that we get the same room..so much easier.. we are going on our 9th B2B in feb...only way to travel, but we are retired..

 

Edited November 11, 2013 by montana200024

[DarthGrady]

I've done one B2B and thoroughly enjoyed staying onboard for the next cruise. It's like we got to cheat our way out of that last night's depression for a cruise.

 

We'll be doing another one in December, although it's not going to be a typical B2B. For that one we'll be doing four nights on Ecstasy from PC, debark on Monday, drive across the state and jump on Brilliance of the Seas in Tampa. Should be fun!

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[shukapaw]

Well, somebody has to speak for the opposing viewpoint, right? :eek:

 

We did a B2B on the Freedom a couple years ago and will not do it again.

 

You can read our post about that here Our post is number 13 on that page.

 

The activities, menus, shows, clubs, etc are designed for a 7 day itinerary. You'll be seeing a lot of the same during week 2.

 

We are NOT opposed to 2 weeks on the water (who would be??) but will switch ships or even cruise lines when we do it in the future (like we're gonna this summer). And even though we have a week with Princess and 8 days with Carnival, we are also only paying airfare once like previous posters mentioned.

 

Brian

[bills blasters]

I liked the idea that we got a chance to see all the shows and entertainment at 2 different time. That way if we missed it the first week, we knew we could do it the second week. It was such a nice relaxing cruise. Didn't feel rushed to eat and do everything in just 7 days. It is nice if you book a cruise with with different ports of call for each leg.

We had 8 ports, and didn't want to book excursions on all 8 stops. Would be way to expensive. So, we picked a couple ports that we had visited before, and just stayed on the ship and really enjoyed the balcony and the ship.

On our upcoming B2b we plan on staying on the ship for 3 of the 8 ports.

Claudia

[Richjoxyz]

We are B2B at Christmas this year, can't wait, just a few weeks away!

 

The pros:

 

One week is just too short for ANY cruise.

 

It is extra relaxing knowing you dont have to worry about missing something. If you miss something, no problem, catch it next week.

 

The last day of week one is awesome, no cruise is over blues.

 

Turnaround day is awesome, you get to sleep in, and you have the whole ship to your self for about an hour. And then people slowly filter in.

 

The crew gets to know you and are surprised to see you the next week. Then you get special treatment.

 

You can relax at night in your own way on the second week because you have seen the shows.

 

When you get off after two weeks you are ready to go home. Very little cruise is over blues.

 

The cons: none

Edited November 11, 2013 by Richjoxyz

[tigercat]

We have done a couple of B2Bs and love them. Would do it more often if we could. Yes I know the menu's are the same and the shows but we love going to the Steakhouse one night and we also did the Chef's Table as well. We had different people to sit with the different weeks and what food I didn't taste the first week I had the second week. We loved having the ship to ourselves for a while and not having to worry about packing the first week.

tigercat

[Colorado Kat]

I've done a few back to backs, and it is a wonderful. Especially nice when others are packing up at the end of cruise 1, and you don't have to.

[wrigley80]

We've never done a traditional back to back on the same ship but we did a back to back last December on the Ecstasy and Sensation. This December in 3 weeks were doing a back to back on the Imagination and the Sunshine.

 

We absolutely love them....I mean what's not to love

[jarand]

We did a B2B on the Carnival Breeze in the Med in 2012 for a total of 24 nights. It was great to be able to visit the ports twice and to know our way around the ship. But as much as we loved it, we found that the repeat in entertainment and menus detracted from the whole experience.

 

This summer, we did a sort of B2B in Alaska, but we changed ships. Anchorage to Vancouver on the Diamond Princess, overnight in Vancouver, then back north on the HAL Zaandam. We enjoyed the variety and preferred this type of itinerary rather than a long trip on the same ship.

[ready2cruzagain]

We loved our b2b. We are doing another one in a couple weeks. It is best if you can get the same cabin for both cruises. There is something wonderful about unpacking on the first day and knowing you won't have to pack again for 2 weeks.

The only con I can think is that once you have done a b2b, you will think you need to do a b2b2b the next time.

Yes, and once you start doing a few b2b2b's you think...hmmm...b2b2b2b LOL. I use to think a b2b was great...now I just absolutely love the b2b2b's.:D

 

I love the fact that you aren't rushed, if you miss a show, see it the next week. If you want two things on the menu, order the other one next week. If you want to do two different things in port, do it the next week.

 

When doing a b2b we like to choose a ship that has 2 different itineraries for the 2 different weeks. These next cruises we are doing the first week and third week are the same itinerary and the second week is different.

[Thommy_Boy]

I did my first B2B in July. It actually was a B2B2B but it was 3 day, 4 day, 3 day. Absolutely loved it. Getting ready to do a B2B on the conquest. This is 2 different itinerary so 8 different ports. It was nice not having to rush around to make sure and see all the shows. Catch the first cruise, don't need to the second. Miss it the first cruise, still got time to catch it the next.

 

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Edited November 11, 2013 by Thommy_Boy

[shawne71]

We're doing our first B2B on the Carnival Dream when she gets to New Orleans. Same aft-wrap balcony on both legs. We can't wait! :D

[Noel182002]

We did a 6 day and an 8 day.... Which was fun my only complaint was the turn around day after the 1st part we had to meet in the theatre at 10 to be escorted off and back on... Well they were having trouble with disembarkment and we were stuck in there til 1130. By the time they got us off they had already let others on... So I missed out on that whole boat to your self feeling

[bills blasters]

We're doing our first B2B on the Carnival Dream when she gets to New Orleans. Same aft-wrap balcony on both legs. We can't wait! :D

 

You will love the aft wrap. We had it on the Dream the past January. It would be wonderful having it for a b2b.

 

claudia

[elspeth]

We've only had one B2B, but loved it, and would do it again in a heartbeat. No point in repeating all the pros others have already stated, but I agree. No downside for us. Like previous poster said, let's you get a second chance to see/do things you missed the first time.

[Aplmac]

When doing a b2b we like to choose a ship

that has 2 different itineraries for the 2 different weeks.

Now that's a great suggestion for Back-to-Backs!

 

 

There are ships that do a "Northern Leg" one week

- and a "Southern Leg" the next week, alternating those two legs, per week.

 

We get U.K. ships doing just that, out of Bridgetown Barbados -10 mins. from my house! :)

 

.

[Sparky2]

We loved our b2b. We are doing another one in a couple weeks. It is best if you can get the same cabin for both cruises. There is something wonderful about unpacking on the first day and knowing you won't have to pack again for 2 weeks.

The only con I can think is that once you have done a b2b, you will think you need to do a b2b2b the next time.

 

Hi, Claudia.

 

We're doing our 3rd B2B this January and hope to do another one in 2015.

 

I think we met you on the 1st B2B we did in 2008. We're hooked.

 

I agree with all the pros that people have posted. At the end of 2 weeks we still don't want to get off the ship, but it's time to go home.

 

We also do a Western/Eastern itinerary so they are not duplicate ports. We no longer do excursions (or maybe just 1 or 2) since we've been to almost all of the ports.

 

We're looking forward to Half Moon Cay and San Juan on this cruise. Have never been to HMC. We went to San Juan on our very first cruise, but did not get to see much of anything because we got off the ship around 5 & by 5:30 or 6 it was dark. The bus driver kept pointing out things that we couldn't even see. We stopped at one of the forts and it was totally dark except for a spotlight near the driveway.

[2Ports]

Liked it so much we're leaving on our 4th in a couple of months.

 

Pros: see above posts

 

Cons: None, except that part where they make you get off... :(

[shawne71]

You will love the aft wrap. We had it on the Dream the past January. It would be wonderful having it for a b2b.

 

claudia

That's good to hear! Now we're even more excited! :D

 

Now that's a great suggestion for Back-to-Backs!

 

 

There are ships that do a "Northern Leg" one week

- and a "Southern Leg" the next week, alternating those two legs, per week.

 

We get U.K. ships doing just that, out of Bridgetown Barbados -10 mins. from my house! :)

 

.

We're doing the Eastern Caribbean on our first leg and the Western Caribbean on our 2nd leg. 14 days... 6 ports. Gives us plenty of sea days! ;)

[seattleny]

Just got home last week from our 2nd b2b on carnival dream - first week was western caribbean; 2nd was eastern caribbean. stayed on ship when stopped in Nassau (been there several times) - real nice staying on ship when everyone else is leaving - looking forward for our next b2b cruise - havent decided when yet. bon vonage.