B2B question

[Kkross]

I would LOVE to do a B2B. For those that have done them...14 days to long? Our 10 yr anniversary is next year and I would love to book one on one of upcoming cruises in either June or Sept. Are there any real benefits to booking onboard?

[PalmTreeBound]

It wouldn't be too long for me. I've only done one b2b, but whatever cruise I'm on, I always need just one more day.

[cmptrwiz]

If you have to ask if 14 days is too long it might be for you. We stated with 7 days then we went to 8 and 9 days and then did a 10 day. I kept asking how can we do more. We finally did a B2B with 14 days. I can honestly say we probably won't do anything less. With the cost of airfare it just doesn't make a good financial decision to cruise any less. We now have a 15 day side to side coming up where we are doing 7 days on one ship getting off and then doing 8 more days on a different ship.

 

On our first B2B we had friends join us for the second week and the husband kept asking me if I was going crazy the second week. He had only been on a few days and was going stir crazy. It isn't for everybody as hard as it is for me to imagine.

 

On A side note if you do it try to pace yourself on the food and especially the desserts. Other wise you'll put on the pounds.

 

Wiz

Edited April 9, 2016 by cmptrwiz

[chocolate melting cake]

Our next B2B is on the Vista, Europe and Transatlantic. I don't think the 23 days will be enough! We are on a chatroom for our cruise with a couple who are doing the cruise before ours, then our 2 and then the next. A total of 41 days.

 

In answer to your question, no, I don't think 14 days will be too much.

[Kkross]

Our next B2B is on the Vista, Europe and Transatlantic. I don't think the 23 days will be enough! We are on a chatroom for our cruise with a couple who are doing the cruise before ours, then our 2 and then the next. A total of 41 days.

 

In answer to your question, no, I don't think 14 days will be too much.

 

Wow! Now that's impressive.

[TomCruise48]

I would LOVE to do a B2B. For those that have done them...14 days to long? Our 10 yr anniversary is next year and I would love to book one on one of upcoming cruises in either June or Sept. Are there any real benefits to booking onboard?

 

We are avid cruisers, so 14 days just gets us warmed up. One advantage of B2B is that you can enjoy more of the entertainment. On a 7 day cruise you cannot catch all of the production shows, dive in movies, and comedy acts, especially if you like to eat in the Dining Room. With 2 weeks on the same ship, you can plan your schedule to see almost all of the entertainment. If we want to go beyond 2 weeks, we try to jump to another ship sailing from the same home port to get a different experience.

 

As far as the benefits of booking onboard, you will get onboard credit. Two 7 day cruises will get you $100 OBC/cabin on each cruise. An 8 day and 6 day B2B cruise will get you $100 and $75 respectively.

[Kkross]

We are avid cruisers, so 14 days just gets us warmed up. One advantage of B2B is that you can enjoy more of the entertainment. On a 7 day cruise you cannot catch all of the production shows, dive in movies, and comedy acts, especially if you like to eat in the Dining Room. With 2 weeks on the same ship, you can plan your schedule to see almost all of the entertainment. If we want to go beyond 2 weeks, we try to jump to another ship sailing from the same home port to get a different experience.

 

As far as the benefits of booking onboard, you will get onboard credit. Two 7 day cruises will get you $100 OBC/cabin on each cruise. An 8 day and 6 day B2B cruise will get you $100 and $75 respectively.

 

Thank you!! Very nice perspective. Let me ask....doing b2b with different itineraries. Is the meals offered in MDR different?

 

Has anyone done a B2B on alternating different lines?

Edited April 9, 2016 by Kkross

[cmptrwiz]

There are a couple of downsides to doing a B2B on the same ship. The shows are the same. The cruise director tells all the same jokes over again. The menus are the same except for the port of call section. You may need to do laundry if you don't pack a lot of clothes.

 

With that being said there are lots of advantages. If you couldn't decide between two items on the menu then the 2nd week you can have your number 2 choice.

 

When everybody is packing up to go home you are enjoying yourselves thinking about one more week.

 

You get to know the crew a little better.

 

And the list goes on.

[pusywillow]

[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]

Thank you!! Very nice perspective. Let me ask....doing b2b with different itineraries. Is the meals offered in MDR different?

 

Has anyone done a B2B on alternating different lines?

 

When you go on two different lines, it's called a side to side. I just came back from one. We sailed on the Carnival Breeze out of Miami for 8 days, got off and boarded the Regal Princess in Fort Lauderdale for 7 days. The day you switch is a little tiring, but other than that it's great.

 

Sue

[TomCruise48]

Thank you!! Very nice perspective. Let me ask....doing b2b with different itineraries. Is the meals offered in MDR different?

 

Has anyone done a B2B on alternating different lines?

 

Meals repeat in MDR. If you are on a ship with American Table, the Port of Call offering will change assuming that you visit different ports on the second cruise.

 

We recently did a 7 day on the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas and then jumped onto the Carnival Conquest for the next week. They dock right next to each other in Fort Lauderdale, so if was a 5 minute walk between ships.

[bakersdozen12]

...14 days to long?

 

 

I'm fairly certain this kind of talk is blasphemy. [emoji6]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Blondebomb]

Meals repeat in MDR. If you are on a ship with American Table, the Port of Call offering will change assuming that you visit different ports on the second cruise.

 

We recently did a 7 day on the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas and then jumped onto the Carnival Conquest for the next week. They dock right next to each other in Fort Lauderdale, so if was a 5 minute walk between ships.

 

Oh wow, so how soon could you get onto Conquest? What time did you have to be off of Allure?

Going on Conquest next month. It was a toss up between Allure. We had done Allure several years ago and liked it but just wanted to try something different.

[TomCruise48]

Our next B2B is on the Vista, Europe and Transatlantic. I don't think the 23 days will be enough! We are on a chatroom for our cruise with a couple who are doing the cruise before ours, then our 2 and then the next. A total of 41 days.

 

In answer to your question, no, I don't think 14 days will be too much.

 

We were on the Legend in the Baltic in 2013. Carnival had arranged the itineraries such that the last 4 Baltic sailings were different and then followed by the TA to NY and then NY to FL. There were 18 guests who had booked all 6 of these cruises for 63 days total. Even though we were nearing Diamond level on this cruise, we felt like rookies.

 

BTW, we will be sailing with you B2B on the last Vista Med and the TA.

[TomCruise48]

Oh wow, so how soon could you get onto Conquest? What time did you have to be off of Allure?

Going on Conquest next month. It was a toss up between Allure. We had done Allure several years ago and liked it but just wanted to try something different.

 

We stayed on the Allure as long as possible. By the time we had cleared immigration and customs it was a little after 10:00am. We were at the Carnival terminal too early to board, but the wait was not so long. We are Diamond level and boarded the ship right behind the wedding parties. I think we were onboard by 11:30am.

 

We were somewhat disappointed with the condition of the Conquest, as it is starting to show its age. Almost any ship would be a letdown after coming off the Allure. On the other hand, we really enjoyed the CD, Josh, especially his historic lectures.

[Kkross]

Omg! You are all making me jealous! Lol.

[Kkross]

We stayed on the Allure as long as possible. By the time we had cleared immigration and customs it was a little after 10:00am. We were at the Carnival terminal too early to board, but the wait was not so long. We are Diamond level and boarded the ship right behind the wedding parties. I think we were onboard by 11:30am.

 

We were somewhat disappointed with the condition of the Conquest, as it is starting to show its age. Almost any ship would be a letdown after coming off the Allure. On the other hand, we really enjoyed the CD, Josh, especially his historic lectures.

 

We were on the Christmas cruise last year on the Allure. By far the most amazing ship I've been on.

[Sparky2]

I would LOVE to do a B2B. For those that have done them...14 days to long? Our 10 yr anniversary is next year and I would love to book one on one of upcoming cruises in either June or Sept. Are there any real benefits to booking onboard?

 

We've been doing only B2B since 2013, and don't want to ever cruise less than 14 days. It justifies the high airfare cost.

 

We're not doing a B2B in 2017 because we're doing the 14-day Partial Panama Canal Journeys Cruise on Pride.

 

After 14 days, though, we are ALMOST ready to go home.

[crzndeb]

I have done - B2B2B (35 days) in 2012, and a B2B last year (21 days). I will be on the Vista for 33 days this Oct. (B2B2B). As Sparky2 mentioned, I like longer to offset air prices, and it seems like everywhere is a long flight for me. 14 days would be fine if it was Westcoast. I went on a Disney 7 day cruise with daughters and grandkids in Jan. and it seemed so short. I hadn't been on that short of a cruise for several years.

 

I usually have hobbies and books along with me, so I'm never bored. I never depend on the ship to entertain me. I go for the itineraries.

[bakersdozen12]

I just wanted to say, I'm so jealous of all you guys who can take such long cruises! I have to ask, is it because you are retired? I can't imagine being able to get that much time off from work all at once.

 

It might be because I work in accounting, and all of my time off has to be arranged around month-end close. I have to be present for that, and it happens every month, obviously. Even taking two weeks off in a row is hard. I've done it once in 9 years, and I got crap for it from a lot of my coworkers.

 

I'm not really sure why two weeks off in a row is considered so taboo in my workplace (at least in my department), but I feel like we are not the only ones. I think it's much more of a U.S. thing, and that other countries value time off more than we do. It's sad, really.

Edited April 9, 2016 by bakersdozen12

[pusywillow]

I just wanted to say, I'm so jealous of all you guys who can take such long cruises! I have to ask, is it because you are retired? I can't imagine being able to get that much time off from work all at once.

 

It might be because I work in accounting, and all of my time off has to be arranged around month-end close. I have to be present for that, and it happens every month, obviously. Even taking two weeks off in a row is hard. I've done it once in 9 years, and I got crap for it from a lot of my coworkers.

 

I'm not really sure why two weeks off in a row is considered so taboo in my workplace (at least in my department), but I feel like we are not the only ones. I think it's much more of a U.S. thing, and that other countries value time off more than we do. It's sad, really.

 

I am retired but do have other obligations so my cruise time is limited too.

 

Go see the Michael Moore movie, Where to Invade Next." It has a great part about vacations and employers in Europe. Italy gets 8 weeks of vacation.

[cmptrwiz]

It might be because I work in accounting, and all of my time off has to be arranged around month-end close. I have to be present for that, and it happens every month, obviously. Even taking two weeks off in a row is hard. I've done it once in 9 years, and I got crap for it from a lot of my coworkers.

 

I'm not really sure why two weeks off in a row is considered so taboo in my workplace (at least in my department), but I feel like we are not the only ones. I think it's much more of a U.S. thing, and that other countries value time off more than we do. It's sad, really.

 

I agree I take a bunch of crap when I try to take 2 weeks in a row both from the boss and coworkers.

[almitra]

I just wanted to say, I'm so jealous of all you guys who can take such long cruises! I have to ask, is it because you are retired? I can't imagine being able to get that much time off from work all at once.

 

It might be because I work in accounting, and all of my time off has to be arranged around month-end close. I have to be present for that, and it happens every month, obviously. Even taking two weeks off in a row is hard. I've done it once in 9 years, and I got crap for it from a lot of my coworkers.

 

I'm not really sure why two weeks off in a row is considered so taboo in my workplace (at least in my department), but I feel like we are not the only ones. I think it's much more of a U.S. thing, and that other countries value time off more than we do. It's sad, really.

 

My only B2B was aboard Carnival Mardi Gras back in 1979, and no, I was nowhere near retirement age (I was mere days into being 18 YO). I had a wonderful time and it was my first cruise ever. Been doing cruises ever since and would do another B2B in a heartbeat, just haven't yet.

 

But I definitely WILL sometime......

[N2Mischief]

Our longest so far was last year we did a S2B2B2S, total of 28 days. We did have to stay overnight in Miami for one night between the last two. We now have a B2B booked for a total of 23 days and it doesn't seem long enough. I know my sister would go crazy after 7 days, so it is all up to you and what you like. I could live on a cruise ship!

[shof515]

i booked a back to back for next year on the sunshine..do i need to do anything on the ship, like talk to guest services on the first leg of the trip?..i will be keeping the same cabin

[crzndeb]

i booked a back to back for next year on the sunshine..do i need to do anything on the ship, like talk to guest services on the first leg of the trip?..i will be keeping the same cabin

 

No, you will receive a letter on where to meet for the 2nd leg. They will usually walk you off as a group, and then you can either leave ship and come back, or go right back on board.