Just Booked Our First B2B...What To Expect?

[pirate4me2]

Hi all!

We booked the Vista for Jan 8, 2017 and decided yesterday to make it a B2B by booking the Jan 14, 2017 cruise as well. We have the same room for both legs of the B2B. What can we expect on turnaround day? We have never done a B2B before so this is a whole new experience for us!

[bills blasters]

I usually mention to the room steward that we are doing a b2b. He should have this information, but just in case he doesn't. You will get a letter a day or so before the last day of the first cruise. It will tell you what to do. We have always met in the lobby bar area around 10. You will have to fill out a customs form and bring your passports. When everyone else is off the ship, they will take you as a group off the ship and have you go through customs, and will bring you back on. Should only take 10 minutes. Before getting off we have given them our sign and sail card, and when we get off we get a new one.

Some say they took pictures and had a drinlk. We never did that.

We did receive a fruit basket and bottle in our room later that day.

Very easy.

[bills blasters]

Forgot to mention. If you need to do laundry, it is easy to do it early that morning. No one else will be using the machines as they are all getting off the ship.

Your accounts are different on both legs, so you will have to go and give them a Credit card or cash to put on your acct. for the second leg. You will have to settle your account at the end of both cruises, like normal.

We really love back to backs. Only trouble will be that you will never want to do just one again.

Claudia

[evandbob]

Very similar experience, and my group on the Conquest had a champagne toast and a group photo in the atrium after customs and "re-boarding". I was able to retain my original S&S card, which I have displayed on the side of my refrigerator with all my other cruise cards.

[Ohio Bucki]

Forgot to mention. If you need to do laundry, it is easy to do it early that morning. No one else will be using the machines as they are all getting off the ship.

Your accounts are different on both legs, so you will have to go and give them a Credit card or cash to put on your acct. for the second leg. You will have to settle your account at the end of both cruises, like normal.

We really love back to backs. Only trouble will be that you will never want to do just one again.

Claudia

 

I had the same experience on a B2B on the Glory last November and defiantly agree about not wanting to do a single cruise in the future, I just booked another B2B for this coming November.

[pirate4me2]

Thank you everyone! The longest we have sailed so far is 8 days at a time. Next March we are on the 14 day Pride sailing, and we have always wanted to do a B2B. I figured what the heck, let's go ahead and do it in 2017!

[Sparky2]

Forgot to mention. If you need to do laundry, it is easy to do it early that morning. No one else will be using the machines as they are all getting off the ship.

Your accounts are different on both legs, so you will have to go and give them a Credit card or cash to put on your acct. for the second leg. You will have to settle your account at the end of both cruises, like normal.

We really love back to backs. Only trouble will be that you will never want to do just one again.Claudia

 

Hi, Claudia. You are absolutely correct. We have our 5th B2B booked for next January (4th in a row). We doubt if we'll every do less than 14 days.

 

OP - Be sure to ask for your S & S card for the 1st cruise if you want to keep it. Some of us did that on this past B2B.

 

On Conquest, we received the champagne, mimosa, or OJ when we entered the ship for the 2nd leg of our B2B. 2 photos were also taken which we received sometime during the week. In 4 B2Bs this is the first time we've been treated to this. Nice touch!

 

We've been lucky to receive the fruit basket/champagne on all of our B2Bs so far.

[Luckysll]

I'm also booked on that cruise and plan to do either the cruise before or the one after to make it a B2B. Since I have so far to travel (and have to pay so much for airfare), I figure I might as well make it worthwhile and do a b2b.

 

I've done 2 previous b2b's and they are very straightforward. Love knowing the last day of the first cruise when everyone else is getting ready to leave, I'll be staying on.

[countrygirlcruiser1234]

expect me to be really really Jelous!!!!!!!!:p

[mommom of 7]

Forgot to mention. If you need to do laundry, it is easy to do it early that morning. No one else will be using the machines as they are all getting off the ship.

Your accounts are different on both legs, so you will have to go and give them a Credit card or cash to put on your acct. for the second leg. You will have to settle your account at the end of both cruises, like normal.

We really love back to backs. Only trouble will be that you will never want to do just one again.

Claudia

 

Be careful when you start your laundry. They do a check & flush of the water through out the ship. Makes for low water pressure & if your cloths are in the wash at that time they can & will come out with black spots. ( had it happen )

Also get your shower early for the same reason. Got caught with a full head of shampoo, had to just wait the 1/2 hour for water pressure to come back on.

Char

[Anyislandwilldo]

Make sure you contact Carnival and have them link the cruises together. Some people reported that once on board, the ship doesn't know you are sailing the next leg and the cabin steward removed all the items that morning from their cabin. When we did ours, I even doubled checked at guest services to make sure it showed that we were doing a B2B.

 

You will need to start all over in the casino to accumulate points if you do that sort of thing.

 

It's great having the ship to yourself that morning, seems like a ghost ship. Happy Sailings!

[pirate4me2]

Be careful when you start your laundry. They do a check & flush of the water through out the ship. Makes for low water pressure & if your cloths are in the wash at that time they can & will come out with black spots. ( had it happen )

Also get your shower early for the same reason. Got caught with a full head of shampoo, had to just wait the 1/2 hour for water pressure to come back on.

Char

 

Oh, thank you for that tip!

[pirate4me2]

I'm also booked on that cruise and plan to do either the cruise before or the one after to make it a B2B. Since I have so far to travel (and have to pay so much for airfare), I figure I might as well make it worthwhile and do a b2b.

 

I've done 2 previous b2b's and they are very straightforward. Love knowing the last day of the first cruise when everyone else is getting ready to leave, I'll be staying on.

 

You should join us on the first leg! Seems like there is a great group going so far. :D

 

Make sure you contact Carnival and have them link the cruises together. Some people reported that once on board, the ship doesn't know you are sailing the next leg and the cabin steward removed all the items that morning from their cabin. When we did ours, I even doubled checked at guest services to make sure it showed that we were doing a B2B.

 

You will need to start all over in the casino to accumulate points if you do that sort of thing.

 

It's great having the ship to yourself that morning, seems like a ghost ship. Happy Sailings!

 

We booked it thru our PVP, but I will go to GS once onboard to make sure they have it noted. I would hate to have our luggage thrown off the ship!

[ready2cruzagain]

I must warn you, once you do a b2b....it becomes VERY ADDICTIVE!!!!

 

This past December we did a b2b2b2b for a total of 26 days! Now that was awesome!!!!

[pirate4me2]

I must warn you, once you do a b2b....it becomes VERY ADDICTIVE!!!!

 

This past December we did a b2b2b2b for a total of 26 days! Now that was awesome!!!!

 

That would be AMAZING but I think that until we retire we can only dream of that. :)

[lego7191]

I agree with the other poster who said B2Bs are addictive!

 

We are doing our third B2B this fall! Love them! Great way to turn a 4 or 5 day trip into 9 or 10!

 

When I get on board during the first leg, I will, at some point, go by the Guest Services desk and make sure they know I am doing a back-to-back. Like someone else said, they may not always have that info, so I just like to make sure it's there.

 

I also mention to our cabin steward that we are doing a back-to-back and let them know we'll be sleeping in on debarkation day. They allow that and don't come around knocking on the door.

 

As others stated, on the last night of the cruise, you'll get a letter from Guest Services instructing where to meet. For both of ours, we had to meet at the Guest Services desk at a certain time (I believe it was around 10 am). Once they had everyone off the ship, a Carnival employee would give us our new sail and sign cards, escort us off the ship making sure to tell us to use the OLD card to ding off the ship. We would go down to customs (with our passports and customs forms just like you always do) and then they we walk us right back on the ship and make sure we ding on the ship with our NEW sail and sign cards. We then have the ship to ourselves for about a half hour until they start the boarding process.

 

ETA: A couple of the great things about back-to-backs for us - It's nice knowing that the last night of the first leg is not really the last night of the trip for you. It's nice being able to sleep in the next day. It's awesome for the bar waiters, bartenders, waiters, etc to recognize you on that first day of the second sailing - like old friends.

 

Love back-to-back sailings!!

Edited April 23, 2015 by lego7191

[WildBlueYonder64]

Quick question if you don't mind: We are signed up for our first B2B, however, at this point, we will have to move to another cabin for the second leg. How does that work? I'm assuming if we end up having to do this, that we will have to pack up our stuff and be out of the first cabin by 9:00 or so, would we just have to wait somewhere with our luggage until the second cabin is ready? We will be turning Platinum on the second leg, so our second cabin should be available to us earlier, right?

[najnelle]

My husband and I will be doing our first b2b this September. We are so excited!

 

I do have a question for those of you who have done b2bs in the past. Are you seated at the same table or with the same wait staff in the MDR? I have some special dietary needs and it would be great to be with the same wait staff for the 2nd week.

 

Thanks for the info on the S&S cards. I definitely keep my cards for my scrapbook and this is good to know to ask to keep them.

 

I also want to have the embarkation day photo for week 2. Is that something I can get if they don't do the group photo for the b2b-ers?

 

Thanks for all your help!

[ready2cruzagain]

Quick question if you don't mind: We are signed up for our first B2B, however, at this point, we will have to move to another cabin for the second leg. How does that work? I'm assuming if we end up having to do this, that we will have to pack up our stuff and be out of the first cabin by 9:00 or so, would we just have to wait somewhere with our luggage until the second cabin is ready? We will be turning Platinum on the second leg, so our second cabin should be available to us earlier, right?

 

You pack up your luggage but you do not move it. Your pack everything into your suitcases but leave your clothes on the hangar in the closet. Your room steward will move it to your new room for your.

 

Whenever we have had to switch cabins, half way through the first cruise I go and introduce myself to our new steward and make sure he knows we will be staying on the ship and he will be our new steward.

[ready2cruzagain]

My husband and I will be doing our first b2b this September. We are so excited!

 

I do have a question for those of you who have done b2bs in the past. Are you seated at the same table or with the same wait staff in the MDR? I have some special dietary needs and it would be great to be with the same wait staff for the 2nd week.

 

Thanks for the info on the S&S cards. I definitely keep my cards for my scrapbook and this is good to know to ask to keep them.

 

I also want to have the embarkation day photo for week 2. Is that something I can get if they don't do the group photo for the b2b-ers?

 

Thanks for all your help!

If you want to keep the same table for both of your cruises then on the first cruise, introduce yourself to the maitre'd and tell him that you will be on a b2b and would like to keep the same table with the same waiters. We have done this on numerous occasions.

 

Can't help with the photos, been cruising so long that we quit buying them years ago.

[bills blasters]

My husband and I will be doing our first b2b this September. We are so excited!

 

I do have a question for those of you who have done b2bs in the past. Are you seated at the same table or with the same wait staff in the MDR? I have some special dietary needs and it would be great to be with the same wait staff for the 2nd week.

 

Thanks for the info on the S&S cards. I definitely keep my cards for my scrapbook and this is good to know to ask to keep them.

 

I also want to have the embarkation day photo for week 2. Is that something I can get if they don't do the group photo for the b2b-ers?

 

Thanks for all your help!

 

 

If you like the seating you have and the wait staff, just talk to the Maitre d. Ask if you can be seated in the same place for the next cruise. We did that, and he asked if there was a better seat in that section that we would like to move to. We moved over one table so we could be at the railing looking down to the lower level. Great place to watch the entertainment.

Claudia

[islandatsea]

If you want to keep the same table for both of your cruises then on the first cruise, introduce yourself to the maitre'd and tell him that you will be on a b2b and would like to keep the same table with the same waiters. We have done this on numerous occasions.

 

Can't help with the photos, been cruising so long that we quit buying them years ago.

 

Great tip about staying with my old table & wait staff :) . Had not thought about that .