Excursion possible on B2B turnaround day? How does B2B work?

[FunInTheSun9]

Is anyone familiar with the turnaround process on a back-to-back cruise when you have two different cabins for each sailing? We are on the Millennium in Alaska on a Northbound/Southbound from Vancouver to Seward in May 2016. We currently have the same cabin for both sailings, but I am thinking of upgrading - which at this late date will likely result in two different cabins for each leg. To complicate matters, in Seward we have an (independent from the cruise line: Kenai Fjords 6-hour National Park Tour) excursion that requires disembarkation by 10:30am. We should return to the ship by 6:15pm. Celebrity tells us we are cutting it too close, as we may not have Seapass cards by 10:30am and if we return late after 6:30pm the check-in will be closed. They recommend cancelling our excursion, or using one of the ship's tours. Is it really not possible to get new Seapasses before leaving in the morning, and have the cabin steward move our luggage to the new cabin? I've read another post were they were able to do this successfully, but they had the same cabin on each sailing. Has anyone out there been able to do this on the Millennium when also changing cabins? How did the B2B process work? ...Thanks.

[fleckle]

Is anyone familiar with the turnaround process on a back-to-back cruise when you have two different cabins for each sailing? We are on the Millennium in Alaska on a Northbound/Southbound from Vancouver to Seward in May 2016. We currently have the same cabin for both sailings, but I am thinking of upgrading - which at this late date will likely result in two different cabins for each leg. To complicate matters, in Seward we have an (independent from the cruise line: Kenai Fjords 6-hour National Park Tour) excursion that requires disembarkation by 10:30am. We should return to the ship by 6:15pm. Celebrity tells us we are cutting it too close, as we may not have Seapass cards by 10:30am and if we return late after 6:30pm the check-in will be closed. They recommend cancelling our excursion, or using one of the ship's tours. Is it really not possible to get new Seapasses before leaving in the morning, and have the cabin steward move our luggage to the new cabin? I've read another post were they were able to do this successfully, but they had the same cabin on each sailing. Has anyone out there been able to do this on the Millennium when also changing cabins? How did the B2B process work? ...Thanks.

Are you sure about the 6:15 pm return time? Have you checked the time with your tour vendor?

 

In the past, the Kenai Fjord 6-hour tours returned to Seward by 5:30, not just for those boarding a cruise ship, but mainly for the people needing to catch the 6 p.m. train to Anchorage.

 

When changing cabins, if you pack up all your belongings (except for the clothing on hangers), your stateroom attendant should be able to move everything for you.

(For an extra tip, your stateroom attendant should be very happy to do that for you.)

 

I would contact the stateroom attendant of the new cabin a day or two in advance, introduce yourself and ask him/her to give you a call on the turnaround morning as soon as the prior occupants vacate your new cabin.

Explain that you only want to transfer your items from your old safe to your new safe, even though they will not yet have had time to make up the room.

 

We have always found the ship's concierge to be very helpful with issues regarding port transfers, or anything that we needed to do at a port.

 

I suggest speaking to the concierge on your first cruise (or even the Captain's Club hostess, or a Guest Relations officer) and they should be able to make arrangements for you to pick up your new seapass cards at Seward, either in the morning before you depart, or when you return to the ship.

 

If you are upgrading to a suite, speak with the Michael's Club concierge, who can almost certainly arrange everything for you.

 

People on back-to-back cruises do the Kenai Fjords tours on the turnaround day all the time and have been doing them for years. It should be a pretty routine procedure.

 

We have done it ourselves, although it was several years ago, so I don't recall if we got our new seapass cards before leaving the ship or after returning.

(It must have been a pretty humdrum procedure because if there had been anything complicated or difficult about it, I would have remembered it.:D )

 

 

Here is a link to the ALASKA Forum

 

If you post over there, you should be able to get feedback from cruise passengers who have done it more recently.

 

 

Disembarking in Seward is very easy. No U.S. customs or immigration procedures to go through.

(You are pre-cleared in Vancouver before your ship leaves Canada Place.)

 

Those 6 hour Kanai Fjords tours are great.

Definitely do not miss the chance to go.

If you have any tendency toward seasickness, I would urge you to take precautions because there is a short rough stretch of water to travel through after leaving Resurrection Bay before your boat gets up into the calm waters of the fjords.

 

[FunInTheSun9]

Are you sure about the 6:15 pm return time? Have you checked the time with your tour vendor?

 

In the past, the Kenai Fjord 6-hour tours returned to Seward by 5:30, not just for those boarding a cruise ship, but mainly for the people needing to catch the 6 p.m. train to Anchorage.

 

When changing cabins, if you pack up all your belongings (except for the clothing on hangers), your stateroom attendant should be able to move everything for you.

(For an extra tip, your stateroom attendant should be very happy to do that for you.)

 

I would contact the stateroom attendant of the new cabin a day or two in advance, introduce yourself and ask him/her to give you a call on the turnaround morning as soon as the prior occupants vacate your new cabin.

Explain that you only want to transfer your items from your old safe to your new safe, even though they will not yet have had time to make up the room.

 

We have always found the ship's concierge to be very helpful with issues regarding port transfers, or anything that we needed to do at a port.

 

I suggest speaking to the concierge on your first cruise (or even the Captain's Club hostess, or a Guest Relations officer) and they should be able to make arrangements for you to pick up your new seapass cards at Seward, either in the morning before you depart, or when you return to the ship.

 

If you are upgrading to a suite, speak with the Michael's Club concierge, who can almost certainly arrange everything for you.

 

People on back-to-back cruises do the Kenai Fjords tours on the turnaround day all the time and have been doing them for years. It should be a pretty routine procedure.

 

We have done it ourselves, although it was several years ago, so I don't recall if we got our new seapass cards before leaving the ship or after returning.

(It must have been a pretty humdrum procedure because if there had been anything complicated or difficult about it, I would have remembered it.:D )

 

 

Here is a link to the ALASKA Forum

 

If you post over there, you should be able to get feedback from cruise passengers who have done it more recently.

 

 

Disembarking in Seward is very easy. No U.S. customs or immigration procedures to go through.

(You are pre-cleared in Vancouver before your ship leaves Canada Place.)

 

Those 6 hour Kanai Fjords tours are great.

Definitely do not miss the chance to go.

If you have any tendency toward seasickness, I would urge you to take precautions because there is a short rough stretch of water to travel through after leaving Resurrection Bay before your boat gets up into the calm waters of the fjords.

 

Thank you! I'll post in the Alaska forum as well, but I think I have my answer here. The vendor says we will be back at the ship by 6-6:15pm. Celebrity's concern is if they are late for any reason - even though the ship does not sail until 8pm, the check-in at the terminal apparently closes at 6:30pm. So it was cutting it close if we didn't get our new Seapasses before departing.

[cruzzzinma]

Our sea passes for the second leg of our back to back last year were delivered to our cabin the night before along with transit (skip the line) cards if we chose to get off.

[cruzzzinma]

the check-in at the terminal apparently closes at 6:30pm. So it was cutting it close if we didn't get our new Seapasses before departing.

 

If you are not going through customs, you don't check in through the terminal on the second leg of a b2b. It is all handled on the ship.

[Northern Aurora]

I also wonder about the 6:15 return time as both Major Marine and Kenai Fjords schedules are designed to fit with the Alaska Railroad departures from Seward. You might want to double check that time with your tour vendor.

 

Since we live in the middle of Alaska we almost always do B2B or B2B2B cruises as it just seems to be a more efficient use of air fare. We've seen great variation regarding how the turnaround day is handled, but your stateroom attendants will actually move your belongings if you need to change staterooms (pack your items from drawers in your suitcase, but they will move all items on hangers). We have rarely received our new sea pass cards the night before the turnaround day. Sometimes we have received them on the ship the morning of the turnaround day and other times from the pier coordinator in the cruise terminal. But you will definitely receive a transit pass which would allow you to reach the gangway if you did not have your new sea pass card when returning to the ship.

 

Also, if Celebrity does a Kenai Fjords cruise on turnaround day for the B2B passengers it would be interesting to know which vendor they use. That vendor could be the same one you are booking. Really wonder if the Celebrity

"advice" is an attempt to push you into purchasing a ship sponsored shore excursion.

[az_tchr]

Have always gotten new SeaPass cards the turnaround day. You are not likely to make it back in time as it is 20 minute walk to the terminal. We did Kenai full day and got back at 6:30. Tour is FANTASTIC but will likely not work with your schedule.

 

There are a couple shorter ones you could book last year, but some of those depart EARLY. Possibly the same issue.

[fleckle]

........ The vendor says we will be back at the ship by 6-6:15pm. Celebrity's concern is if they are late for any reason - even though the ship does not sail until 8pm, the check-in at the terminal apparently closes at 6:30pm. So it was cutting it close if we didn't get our new Seapasses before departing.

Getting the new seapass cards should not be a problem at all. Lots of cruise passengers take those Kenai Fjords tours.

 

Which vendor said you will be back by 6-6:15 pm?

The 2 main operators of the Kenai Fjords tours are Major Marine Tours and Kenai Fjords Tours.

 

I just looked at both their websites, and both are again offering 6 hour Kenai Fjords tours for the 2016 season that are scheduled to return at 5:30.

 

Here are links to their websites:

 

Kenai Fjords National Park Tour | Kenai Fjords Tours

 

6 Hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise - Major Marine

 

 

Major Marine is even offering an 8.5 hour Northwestern Fjord tour that leaves at 9 am and gets back at 5:30.

That one visits 3 active tidewater glaciers, but doesn't start running until May 28, which could be too late for you if you are going earlier in May.

 

8.5 Hour Northwestern Fjord Cruise - Major Marine Tours

 

 

As Northern Aurora posted, each B2B passenger receives a Transit Pass for the turnaround day, so you don't even need to check in at the cruise terminal but can head right to the ship.

 

(If you want to pick up a free coupon book for the southbound leg of your cruise, do look around the Seward terminal though because they usually have them available there.)

 

For the spectacular scenery and wildlife sightings, just be sure to book a tour that gets you out of Resurrection Bay and up into the fjords.

 

The shorter tours that only cruise around inside the bay are inferior by comparison.

A number of us found that out one time when we tried to take the longer trip on a day when the seas were rough, and they had to cancel our Kenai Fjords tour and turn back.

 

They substituted a tour that just cruised around inside Resurrection Bay instead. Even though they gave us a partial refund, we were very disappointed that day.

 

Edited December 29, 2015 by fleckle

[az_tchr]

Definitely agree the shorter tours are inferior. The problem is really simple. The good tours are scheduled to return at 5:30. It takes about 20 minutes to get to the terminal. That gives you a 40 minute cushion. If ANYTHING happens on the tour - either bad or good you will return late. We had an absolutely amazing series of whales and followed them for 2 hours. Because of that got off the tour boat a bit after 6. When we went this year with Major we were told when we got on we would be back about 6! The schedule was 5:30 with several notes that return times are approximate. Hard to imagine most passengers complaining about having another bit of time to look at the wildlife.

 

Guess I am conservative and do not want to risk missing my cruise. going south on this especially important as there is no good place to catch up. And yes, the Kenai Fjords tour is MAGNIFICENT! Either operator gives a great time