Back-to-back cruises: How do they work?

[antique sailor]

Ahoy shipmates,

 

have done 4 b2b's on the carnival fascination in jax.

 

Different cabin once due to upgrade. Room stewards brought us a nice cart and said they would be back in an hour. We hung things on cart and laid open suitcases on rack and just piled everything else on. They came back and we all went to new cabin . They hung every thing up and carried the other stuff to the bed...totally trouble free!!!!

 

When they announced departures started we went to front desk and gave them our customs card and exchanged room key cards for our new cabin. Couldn't ask for a smoother move.

 

Did a b2b on hal in tampa and it was a nightmare for some but not all the ships fault. Ship had been delayed entering port due to fog shore staff etc were unprepared as was the ships staff

 

being hal, the passengers were older ,more demanding, and

everyone thought they should be first etc. It was a real comedy act to watch but we all made it!!!!!!.

[Rena921]

Doing our 2nd B2B this summer in the Breeze. the first one was in the Freedom in 2013. Best cruise experience ever. I love the familiarity of the crew during the second week. They all make a special point to come up to you and greet you by name. Our Maître'd offered to have the chef make us something special for dinner in case we were tired of the MDR food. We were off the ship a total of 10 minutes to go through customs and right back on. There were only 10 of us doing a B2B and it was awesome to have the entire ship to ourselves. The computers crashed in the terminal, so we actually had a couple extra hours of alone time. :) I was pretty cool to enjoy the Mongolian Wok without any lines!

[LostPuppy]

We've done three or four B2Bs. 99 percent of what needs to be done is just common sense.

 

This thread has morphed into a series of anecdotal vanity posts (let me tell you about my B2B).

[Crusin Karen]

Ahoy shipmates,

 

have done 4 b2b's on the carnival fascination in jax.

 

Different cabin once due to upgrade. Room stewards brought us a nice cart and said they would be back in an hour. We hung things on cart and laid open suitcases on rack and just piled everything else on. They came back and we all went to new cabin . They hung every thing up and carried the other stuff to the bed...totally trouble free!!!!

 

When they announced departures started we went to front desk and gave them our customs card and exchanged room key cards for our new cabin. Couldn't ask for a smoother move.

 

Did a b2b on hal in tampa and it was a nightmare for some but not all the ships fault. Ship had been delayed entering port due to fog shore staff etc were unprepared as was the ships staff

 

being hal, the passengers were older ,more demanding, and

everyone thought they should be first etc. It was a real comedy act to watch but we all made it!!!!!!.

You didn't have to debark? We were told in Port Canaveral that the ship had to be CLEARED because of customs, Homeland Security, something, can't remember...before new pax could board...but we were only off for about 5 minutes. No big deal, just wondered!

[Crusin Karen]

We've done three or four B2Bs. 99 percent of what needs to be done is just common sense.

 

This thread has morphed into a series of anecdotal vanity posts (let me tell you about my B2B).

OP asked about B2B cruises, so everyone is just giving their opinion and/or relating their experience. That's what the purpose of this forum is! ;) PEACE and CRUISE ON! :D

[Rena921]

We've done three or four B2Bs. 99 percent of what needs to be done is just common sense.

 

This thread has morphed into a series of anecdotal vanity posts (let me tell you about my B2B).

 

 

Well, the OP did ask... :rolleyes:

 

If the responses seem anecdotal vanity posts to you, you didn't have to respond.

:cool:

[Elaine5715]

We've done three or four B2Bs. 99 percent of what needs to be done is just common sense.

 

This thread has morphed into a series of anecdotal vanity posts (let me tell you about my B2B).

 

Great phrase!!!! :)

[Sissica]

Very excited to read about everyone's B2B experience! Just booked our very first B2B on the Breeze! I have a question about the day you arrive back to port to start the second leg...can you come and go on and off the ship the same as you do at Port of calls or do you have to wait in the zone area to get back on?

[Liverpoollovely]

Hey, y'all!

 

I see a lot of people talking about back-to-back cruises on the same ship. How does this work? Do you keep the same room? Do you disembark to re-board later in the day?

 

Spill! I am intrigued by this idea but can't wrap my mind around the in' and out's. :)

 

I love back to back cruises ..

 

When we make our bookings we always request the same room for the two weeks on board because we don't want to pack and repack although I have been informed of you have one room for one week and a different room the next week if you let your cabin steward know they will remove your bags from your room to your new room .. However I don't know how accurate this is as we have never had to do this

 

You get a letter and passes to get off the ship on the day of debarkation, you have a time and location to meet the following day of debarkation for the other passengers it's usually around 10:30am and it's mostly in the lobby or the lounge where the shows are performed, you give in your name and your old sign and sail cards and your told to wait, all other passengers need to get off the ship before you can, then when it's time you all line up and move our with one of the guest relations people who reissues you with new cards and you get off the ship as a group, you still need photo ID and your customs form filled in. One by one you go up to port immigration once you have been checked you line back up and then once everyone in your back to back cohort have been checked your lead off back onto the ship to re-embark, this past cruise we got back onto champagne and we had two photos taken and delivered to our cabin free of charge. We never usually get off the ship we enjoy the stillness of the ship before everyone gets back on, it's just you and the crew who are making preparations before the new intake of passengers gets onboard.

 

You also get a mini fruit basket and champagne from the hotel director delivered to your room.

 

Back to back cruises are great because like someone said you feel like part of the crew you know a lot of the crew from the previous week and we have been fortunate to get to know some amazing staff onboard the ship

 

For em and my family we do it because the UK is a long way to come for just a seven day cruise and at the beginning that's what we did seven days on the ship and seven days off the ship on land in the USA .. But we enjoy the cruise experience you get to see more places and save on airfare as to do the amount of cruises we have done these past few years had they not been back to backs would have cost a fortune :)

[frugalKansan]

You'll love a B2B I promise. After you've been to a bunch of ports, doing the same ones can be great fun.

[Sissica]

Alcohol question...if you purchase liquor on board or at Port on the first leg is it delivered to you the last night of the first cruise or do they hold it until your cruise is complete?

[cruiser fanatic]

We are doing our first B2B in 13 days on the Valor! We have the same rooms on both legs. I must say it was a NIGHTMARE getting it for both cruises. We did not book both cruises at the same time (we needed to see where we could work it out in our budget) We booked the second leg of the trip first in a TBA cabin (probably a big mistake). A few months later we booked the first leg. We asked them if they could assign a room that we could get on both legs. FIVE different people said "we don't know what you will get". I booked the first leg and then I emailed Guest Solutions and they gave me the same room on both cruises. My question is: Has this happened to anyone else before? I wonder why Guest Solutions could do this but not the booking agents. Also, how long do you have the ship to yourself before new guests start boarding?

[Liverpoollovely]

Alcohol question...if you purchase liquor on board or at Port on the first leg is it delivered to you the last night of the first cruise or do they hold it until your cruise is complete?

 

This depends on the ship .. On our last cruise back to back we purchased alcohol on the island and had it delivered to the ship and we received this the last day before embarkation of the first cruise which meant we had it in our room for the second cruise, we didn't drink it because it was presents for two family members ... Sometimes this happens and sometimes you get it at the end of the second week

[BARBARA J.W.]

Ahoy shipmates,

 

have done 4 b2b's on the carnival fascination in jax.

 

Different cabin once due to upgrade. Room stewards brought us a nice cart and said they would be back in an hour. We hung things on cart and laid open suitcases on rack and just piled everything else on. They came back and we all went to new cabin . They hung every thing up and carried the other stuff to the bed...totally trouble free!!!!

 

When they announced departures started we went to front desk and gave them our customs card and exchanged room key cards for our new cabin. Couldn't ask for a smoother move.

 

 

Hellooooooooooo.............Antique Sailor.......

I met you and your Wife one morning on the Lido..

You had your Carnival Towel vest on....

Fascination is a easy Ship for BTB Cruising...............:)

[VeggieGirl83]

We did a B2B in Tampa 2 years ago and did not have to get off the ship. We had to deliver our customs form to Guest Services by 10 am and then just get a new S&S card from them. It was so easy and smooth. We got a bottle of champagne on the second leg of the voyage.

 

As for the itineraries, we don't care...we just like the cruising part. Most of the time we don't even leave the ship :)

 

Alcohol question...if you purchase liquor on board or at Port on the first leg is it delivered to you the last night of the first cruise or do they hold it until your cruise is complete?

 

We bought our booze late on the last night, so we just got to carry it back to our room. We had it for the next leg of the cruise :)