BtoB

[pema]

First time attempting to do this route B to B....do u get off the ship in between the 2 ?

If different decks , cabins when do u start the move on the day of the next cruise .i know the cabins have to be cleaned etc...where do we go during that transition

iF we get off the ship can we shop for wine etc. in FLL.

[CruiserBruce]

Thumbs down? Why?

 

If you look around, this discussed regularly. In US ports, the ship MUST empty, or "zero down". Depending on how the cruise line does it, this can take 1-2 hours before you will be allowed back on. You don't pack, you just walk off with your ID. The ship will give you specific directions to follow.

 

Yes, you may leave for a greater time, to shop or tour.

[LHT28]

Not sure why the thumbs down but If you can get the same cabin it makes life easier on turnaround day

Yes if a US port you need to get off for a short time...some will allow you right back on some you wait for about 1 hr

You will usually get a lketter a few days before the end of the 1st cruise giving you all the details on where when & how to move to the new cabin

 

Then you are free to go ashore ...just be sure to be back onboard on time

 

Each cruise line may do things differently so best to check with the forum of your specific line

[wwcruisers]

Not sure what cruiseline you are sailing, but they all have procedures for processing b2b passengers. You should receive information about "turn-around day", late in your first cruise. If not, call Guest Relations for information on the process. If you are staying in the same cabin, just ask your room steward what time you can return to your room, on turn-around day. If you are moving to another cabin, ask the GR desk who will be moving your luggage. Usually, that's handled by the room stewards, but some passengers prefer to move themselves.

But, no need for a "thumbs-down" -- b2b's are awesome! :cool:

[Langley Cruisers]

I see you've been a member here for a very long time - you will definitely get better results if you ask on the specific board of your cruise line (that is, if you have already booked). The B2B procedures are probably similar, but only one line - maybe even one ship - is specific to your question.

[marco]

As above posters have suggested , post on the thread for the line you are sailing on. Pollicies may vary by line. Our experience has been on both Princess and HAL on B2B : We had the same cabin, both cruises, so we did nothing as far as clearing things out the cabin. We did have to get off but in both instances for not much more than an hr or so if we chose to just get back on. Luncheon was served in the MDR for B2B pax. If you choose to stay ashore for a while (go shopping, site seeing, "whatever"), you could if you chose to.

[SadieN]

We just did a B2B on the Carnival Conquest out of NOLA. We changed cabins.

 

We packed up our suitcases, tagged them with the new cabin number and someone took them to our new cabin. We didn't have to pack hanging clothes, but we did.

 

We met in the lobby at 10am and we escorted off, thru CBP, checked onto the new cruise and back onto the ship. The whole process took an hour. Would have been less but the crew going thru with us had some sort of issue with CBP.

If we had wanted to get off to see New Orleans we could have left earlier and arrived after a certain time. We would have had to go thru check in on our own but we could have gotten on at any time because we would be given an 'in Transit' card.

 

Have read that for other cruises and ports pax simply get new cards for the next sailing.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who wondered why the OP selected a thumbs down for the thread. Considering the default is "no icon," I have to give this thread a :confused:.

[SadieN]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who wondered why the OP selected a thumbs down for the thread. Considering the default is "no icon' date='" I have to give this thread a :confused:.[/quote']

 

In a way it looks like a question amrk. Especially those of us with bad eyes.:p

[Bonnie J.]

When we have done B2Bs and had to change cabins it was easy. 1st, we didn't pack anything. We left everything in the drawers and took them then brought the drawers from the new cabin and exchanged them, The drawers are the same size. Our room steward brought a hanging clothes thing like you see in a hotel and everything was hung on it. we just put what was on our shelves on this. We have never been told when our cabin was being made up, when we couldn't be there.

Everyone met, usually in the atrium at about 10am, other passengers were off by then. All the B2B passengers are taken right to customs where we sometimes handed them our custom forms and our passports were checked. Then we were escorted right back on and got new sign 'n sail cards.

If you want to get off the ship you could but had too wait with all the new passengers to get back on board.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Ft Lauderdale

Yes -- the local authorities require all passengers to get off the ships and go through immigration.

You will get a letter the day before explaining the procedures for Intransit day.

Where to meet and at what time. You will need to take your passport with you.

No one can get back onto the ship until it is down to "zero" count -- indicating that all passengers have gotten off the ship.

Yes -- you can go shopping -- just keep your Intransit card with you. That way you will only have to go through the scanners but not the check-in lines when you return to the ship.

Since you are changing cabins, you will get new ID cards. Your photo should have been transferred to your new ID card before you get it. You will need your old ID card to get off the ship and the new one to get back on the ship.

[geoherb]

We took our first back-to-back cruises last month on the Ruby Princess. The procedure was simple. We received our new cards in the cabin the last day of the first cruise, along with an instruction letter. We had the choice of leaving the ship early to do something in Fort Lauderdale on our own or meeting in one of the lounges at 10:30. We chose to do the latter. After getting to the lounge, we had to wait about an hour until they were ready to take us as a group to do the immigration procedures (showing our passports to the federal officer). We were then led back onto the ship and had our new cruise cards scanned.

 

We ate lunch on the ship before heading off to buy a couple more bottles of wine. When we got back to the terminal, we had to go through the security screening and declare our bottles of wine. (Princess lets each adult bring along one bottle and charges a corkage fee for additional bottles.) We got to bypass all the other lines, showing our new cruise cards and the "in-transit cards" they had given us.

 

On the second cruise, we also got to skip the muster drill.

[sail7seas]

This is a report of the procedure we have followed many times with turn around day in Port Everglades on HAL ships.

 

You don't say which cruise line you are sailing and it could vary in some small ways but it likely is generally the same.

 

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

The last night of your first segment, you will receive a letter telling you the requirement for Immigration clearance, when and how to go and dining hours for 'turnaround day'.

 

You will have to exit the ship, go into the terminal with your passport and clear Immigration. You will not be permitted back aboard until the ship has 'zeroed down' meaning all who are meant to be leaving have done so.

This pertains to turnaround days in U.S. ports.

 

You can choose to either go as a group following the instructions as to where to meet or you can go on your own. We always go on our own. There has been some negative conversation that you must go with the whole crowd but that is not true. In a very large number of b-to-b, we have always gone on our own and security at the gangway, CBP Officials in the Terminal, Shore Operations people in the terminal and Security when we reboard all have told us it is fine and never have we had a problem.

 

We always wait until they call the last of the disembarkation colors/numbers and go then as that usually should mean a short wait ashore. Our average wait has been in the range of 30-45 minutes but it can vary. If there is a selfish idiot who takes their sweet time about leaving despite repeated calls to disembark, no one can board until they leave.

 

You can reboard by just clearing through security but no need to go to the check in lines or get a 'number'.

 

You should bring the 'in transit card' that will be enclosed with the letter you receive and your ship's ID, as always.

 

They will carry your shipboard account forward for the next segment. We have never had to settle our account after first cruise but we always look it over to be sure there are no obvious errors.

 

B-to-b's are fabulous. We've done a great many and always enjoyed each and every one.

[sail7seas]

sorry......

 

double post

Edited January 7, 2014 by sail7seas