Back to Back on Carnival - first time

[Chrislynn55]

We've had the Oct 1 Bermuda cruise on the Sunshine (out of New York) booked since last summer. Yesterday we decided to book the 5 day Canada/NE for Oct 8 as well. We have a different reservation number and a different cabin for each of these two cruises.

 

This is our first time doing back to back cruises on any cruise line. We'd appreciate any information (and advice) on how the transition process works from the first cruise to the second cruise.

 

Thanks!

 

Kathy

[TC Cruiser]

We dined once with another couple who were on the second leg of their back to back cruises. They said that they were required to leave the ship but could keep their belongings in their stateroom before boarding again. But I'm guessing others who have done this before will chime in.

[Keith1010]

The morning you arrive after the other room is vacated you will move your other items into your new room with the help of your steward.

 

Keith

[Chrislynn55]

They said that they were required to leave the ship but could keep their belongings in their stateroom before boarding again.

 

If only we could keep the same cabin....unfortunately, booking the second cruise almost seven months after we booked the first one means that our first cabin is now reserved by someone else.

 

Does anyone know how the luggage thing works when you have to change cabins on a B to B?

 

Kathy

[Keith1010]

Kathy, you pack your luggage and the room steward will move it to the new room for you.

 

Keith

[martinchem]

We do b2b often, but my wife hates changing cabins. We always book b2b in the same cabin now. Anyway about 8:30 take your things to the other cabin and put in closet till after steward finishes the room, help is available from your first week steward if necessary, we've always met the new steward a couple days in advance and told him our plans and moved our bags ourselves. Secondly, fake book similar rooms and see if you can find a cabin available both cruises, this would be a big benefit to the packer. Make sure your TA who booked your cruises ties them as b2b because sometimes Carnival will give you something special for your extra business and set you up for your meet time for the turn around. Travel once cruise twice (or more), great deal.

[evandbob]

On The Glory Journey cruises, I had an inside on empress deck the 1st ten days, then after 500 of us B2Bers were kept in the theater for over 3 hours for the darn Customs check, I got my new cabin card and just wheeled my one suitcase to the new inside cabin on main.

 

I had been given a white card with the number 25 above the platinum designation to signify I had completed 25 cruises on Carnival. After getting unpacked and settled in my new cabin, I got a call from guest services that I was being upgraded at no cost to a balcony on upper deck. About an hour later, i was unpacked settled into my new home for the next 11 days of the voyage.

 

On my previous B2b, there were maybe 25 pax total doing 2 legs. On these Journey cruises, Carnival was totally unprepared for the 500 or so B2Bers and they later apologized for their ineptitude and gave us a party similar to and in addition to the past guest party. The CD stood on stage and accepted the blame for not developing policies to handle the unprecedented amount of B2Bers and keeping us so long on the turnaround Customs check.

 

I was quite pleased with my balcony cabin!

Edited March 16, 2016 by evandbob

[Chrislynn55]

Thanks for all the replies, everyone.....really appreciate it!

 

Kathy

[Davey Wavey]

Here's a play by play of our B2B in different cabins on the Sunshine.

 

We told our steward that we were on a B2B. He told us to just pack our suitcases on the morning of debarkation day and he would move everything to the new room. We could leave stuff on hangars in the closet, but we put everything in the suitcases. We received a letter in the room to report to a lounge at 9:30am on debarkation day of the first leg. We left the room at 8:30am with a carry on for our valuables and went to breakfast. Reported to the lounge at 9:30 with about 20 others. They took our S&S cards and returned in 15 mins with new S&S cards (and returned the old ones). About 10:15 when the entire ship was empty they escorted us off the ship and down to customs. We just said Good Morning to an agent and turned around and went back on the ship. Some people who wanted to go ashore were allowed to leave at that point. We went right to our new room around 10:40 and it was ready with our suitcases already inside the room.

[Chrislynn55]

Here's a play by play of our B2B in different cabins on the Sunshine.

 

We told our steward that we were on a B2B. He told us to just pack our suitcases on the morning of debarkation day and he would move everything to the new room. We could leave stuff on hangars in the closet, but we put everything in the suitcases. We received a letter in the room to report to a lounge at 9:30am on debarkation day of the first leg. We left the room at 8:30am with a carry on for our valuables and went to breakfast. Reported to the lounge at 9:30 with about 20 others. They took our S&S cards and returned in 15 mins with new S&S cards (and returned the old ones). About 10:15 when the entire ship was empty they escorted us off the ship and down to customs. We just said Good Morning to an agent and turned around and went back on the ship. Some people who wanted to go ashore were allowed to leave at that point. We went right to our new room around 10:40 and it was ready with our suitcases already inside the room.

 

Wow...that sounds fantastic! Hopefully it works the same way for our cruises on the Sunshine. And I like the idea of being able to leave the ship and spend some time in New York if we want to. Although we'll bring our bottle of wine each for the first cruise, I think we'll have to locate another two bottles in the city for the second cruise - I have a feeling they won't let us board the first cruise with four bottles in our carry-on luggage, lol.

 

Kathy

Edited March 17, 2016 by Chrislynn55