How to survive a B2B??!!

[cbowls30]

Hi all

We have only cruised the med and loved it, twice on RCI and once on carnival. Being from the uk we haven't always gotten off at every port as have done most before, we love cruising and would love to do a transatlantic or longer then our current longest of 8 nights, but every time we get off we are shattered! Also, we find that the type of food and all the cocktails start to take their toll on us after about 5/6 days...... how do people do a B2B when surely the entertainment must repeat in the second week?

Would love to hear anyone's tips for surviviving longer then 8 nights or transatlantic ?! Thanks!!

[Clarea]

I think it's the ports and excursions that are the most tiring. A transatlantic is easy, just a few ports, and mostly relaxation. You have to moderate the food and alcohol and mix in regular sessions at the fitness center.

[Desert Cruizers]

There is some repetitions of Food, some entertainers will remain on for a 2nd performance but we have also seen new entertainment during a 15 day cruise. What we love about the Transatlantic is the several days of Ports followed by the 5 to 7 days at see to really relax. My husband & I don't cruise less then 2 weeks unless we can do a b2b. many prefer the 7 day cruises, they are less expensive and they have the convenience of sailing from their home port like FL.

 

Our longest trip was the 18 day Transpacific followed by the 12 day Hawaiian Islands then back to Vancouver in 2014. It was a fabulous trip but we were ready to get home at the end.

[margeecruiser]

We have done several B2B cruises, usually including a transatlantic. We are going again in October, first a 12 day Mediterranean cruise followed by a 14 day transatlantic. We have found after about 4-5 days, we cut way back on eating and drinking alcohol. We skip lots of carbs at meals and walk everywhere. Our alcohol becomes just a cocktail and a glass or two of wine with dinner. With all the choices at dinner and throw in the speciality restaurants, we don't become bored at dinner. Breakfast and lunch can be boring, but they are at home too. How many ways can you cook eggs and make a salad or sandwiches?

 

We love it because we meet so many great people, so we don't mind eating the same thing.

 

Margee

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[LeeW]

Quit trying to eat every course at dinner! We did this on our first cruise and after a couple of days found it better to cut back. But there is nothing like being on the 7th day of a cruise and realizing that you are not getting off.

 

On a TA, look for cruises that hit Iceland. Our last TA had at most two days between ports and there are a lot of interesting things to see there (and Greenland, Shetlands, Faroes, Norway).

[sddsddean]

We've done a fair few b2b and long cruises, longest being 6weeks 1 day (bar 5 days in Washington). That was a transatlantic and then a Xmas and New Year b2b out of Cape Liberty. The secret (in my eyes) is to pace yourself. For instance, I love a full English when on holiday. Now obviously, after a week or so you start getting 'full', so I'll drop to having one every other day and have a bacon sarnie the other day. It is actually really good to have the same shows etc, 'cos then if you miss it one week, you can see it the next. Same with food in the MDR...if you really loved something, have it again...if not, you know what to avoid! We also avoid any alcohol during the day...it just knocks us out, and as we get our 'free' drinks in the evening being Diamond, we can normally get away with it. Like I say, pace yourself...you don't have to do everything first day!

 

Simon

[KiwiGal117]

Oh! I can't wait to have such concerns! One day... one day...:D:p

[Lessa123]

Oh! I can't wait to have such concerns! One day... one day...:D:p

 

Same here!

[CapeCodCruiser]

We keep booking longer & longer cruises. We did an 11 nt TA on the NCL Epic and never ate at all the restaurants! As far as entertainment - meh - we love the TA's to relax - all those glorious sea days! Our next TA is 15 nights - but I love the ports so I am excited for both!

 

As far as food & drink - moderation is key. I got over feeling bad about ordering something and eating only 1/3 of it - too many wonderful things to try.

[John&LaLa]

I think it's the ports and excursions that are the most tiring. A transatlantic is easy, just a few ports, and mostly relaxation. You have to moderate the food and alcohol and mix in regular sessions at the fitness center.

 

Fitness center :eek::eek:

 

And you usually give such good advice. ;)

[swoopy2110]

You won't survive it. You should transfer your second cruise into my name.

 

Thanks! :)

[cb at sea]

Our longest was a 10 nighter...we were ready to go home at day 8....some love it..some hate it! If you aren't a lover of long cruises...simply don't do it! Very easy!

 

B2B's repeat everything, unlike a longer cruise...so it can be repetitive.'

 

Do what YOU like...don't do it because others like it!

[Ashland]

We just recently did our first B2B southern Caribbean on Adventure....and only repeated one port (St Kitt's).....the time actually went by so fast.

 

Up until then the longest was a 12 nighter northern Europe/Baltic's.

 

So looking forward to booking our next B2B...but doubtful it'll ever be a TA....I love my port stops too much.

[Desert Cruizers]

Most of the time we will do a 2 week cruise, however April 2018, we will be doing a b2b on the Freedom of the Seas out of FLL ( 6 night & 8 night ) . Living in Calif if we are going to spend $700 round trip to get to FL we will book the longer cruises.

[Paulette3028]

Hi all

We have only cruised the med and loved it, twice on RCI and once on carnival. Being from the uk we haven't always gotten off at every port as have done most before, we love cruising and would love to do a transatlantic or longer then our current longest of 8 nights, but every time we get off we are shattered! Also, we find that the type of food and all the cocktails start to take their toll on us after about 5/6 days...... how do people do a B2B when surely the entertainment must repeat in the second week?

Would love to hear anyone's tips for surviviving longer then 8 nights or transatlantic ?! Thanks!!

 

 

I look forward to the day we can do a B2B or a long cruise because right now it doesn't fit into our lives -- that thing called work, gets in the way.

 

Our longest cruise to date is 8 days, and we are looking to at a 9 day for 2018.

 

Our goal would be to do a B2B with the first part cruising the Med and then the second leg as a TA coming back to S. Florida where we live. But to do that it will be post retirement.....but that is only a little over 4 years away.

[Missusdubbya]

I have done an 18 nt transpacific and a 14 nt b2b on Oasis. The longer cruises are much more relaxing because you have longer to fit your activities in.

 

My tips for a b2b:

- try a b2b on a ship that has a different schedule every week if possible e.g Oasis Eastern & Western

- prebook/schedule the entertainment over the two week period

- mix up dining with a specialty restaurant or two

- I like to exercise every day even if it just a few laps of the ship or an exercise class

- keep your stateroom organized

- keep the Cruise Compasses from the first week so you can plan for the next week

- stay on board on turnaround day - it's bliss :)

- take your 4 bottles of wine with you on day 1 - they will hold them for you and deliver on turnaround day

[A&L_Ont]

We have done two of them, being B2B on Allure this March and last March. It is easy to do. I did a live review to which you can find below in my signature. You will get an idea to how we filled our days.

Edited June 30, 2016 by A&L_Ont

[GTMoose]

I am REALLY looking forward to the day that we can take a two week B2B cruise. Thanks to work, family, etc responsibilities, it will be a while before we can do this, unless my work will allow me to work remotely.

 

That being said, we'll probably end up on one of those 60 or 90 day cruises when we first retire. :D

[bunzini]

Been on several longer cruises in the Med, Baltic, etc. and finally did a TA last fall which we absolutely loved! Had no problem filling our time or just relaxing. Plan to do a B2B in September. First leg is Alaska and second in Pacific Coastal. Looking forward to both the sightseeing and the relaxation.

[Clarea]

Fitness center :eek::eek:

 

And you usually give such good advice. ;)

You're in good shape, you must be doing some sort of exercise.

[John&LaLa]

You're in good shape, you must be doing some sort of exercise.

 

You know the drill

 

Jumping to conclusions

Running in circles

Flying off the handle

etc. etc. etc....

 

I forget the rest of them

[xpcdoojk]

Our longest was a 10 nighter...we were ready to go home at day 8....some love it..some hate it! If you aren't a lover of long cruises...simply don't do it! Very easy!

 

B2B's repeat everything, unlike a longer cruise...so it can be repetitive.'

 

Do what YOU like...don't do it because others like it!

 

I really try to not reply.... But 70,000 posts, and you want to leave on day 8?

 

Wow...

 

Sorry, Lord I apologize for the pygmies in ...

 

Sigh....

 

JC

[nekzaadvakil]

I absolutely love cruising and for DW and me, the ideal cruise is a 11-14N cruise. If I had to do a B2B, I would only do it on an Oasis class ship. We just completed a 7N Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Allure last month (our first cruise on an Oasis class ship) and we honestly felt rushed trying to do and see everything since there was just SO much to see and do.

 

We didn't try a single specialty restaurant (we usually try 1-2 per cruise); I really wanted to eat in Johnny Rockets, the dogwalk etc and never got a chance since we were either stuffed from our usual meals, or doing some activity or the other on the cruise.

 

Also since the Oasis class alternates between E and W Caribbean, you wont need to repeat the ports either. That's an ideal B2B in my opinion. I've done a 13N cruise in the Mediterranean, loved it. Just did 2 cruises nearly back to back (did 5N in Vegas between them) and we loved that too.

 

Nick

[Piggeldy]

Would love to hear anyone's tips for surviviving longer then 8 nights or transatlantic ?! Thanks!!

 

We have our fourth cruise booked - third transatlantic - and our shortest cruise so far has been 9 nights (QM2 TA New York - Hamburg) which we found a tad short acutally :D

 

Our next one will be 15 nights, the longst yet (the others were 11 and 13 nights respectively) and I am so excited! I love sea days. I can go swimming, have breakfast, read, nap, do some kind of activity, have a cocktail, read and nap some more, watch a show and have dinner. Then St. Maarten, St. Kitts and St. Thomas for snorkling, San Juan for a bit of sight seeing (first time), Labadee for a beach day and another sea day to pack.

We skip a few meals per cruise (usually lunch, sometimes breakfast), don't drink much (never get alcoholic drinks packages) and limit ourselves to three for fee restaurants. We try to do stairs as much as possible and be active on port days (walking, swimming etc.).

 

We are considering a seven day med cruise in spring 2018 (my mom will retire in April 18) and I am actually scared that it might be too short and too busy and I might need a week of vacation to recover from vacation.

[Desert Cruizers]

We have a 7 day cruise for July 2017 on the Liberty and the only reason we are doing that one, is friends of ours we met on an earlier cruise will be celebrating their 50th and asked friends and family to join them. We naturally said yes.:) Other wise I never would have booked that cruise but gone with the 7 day Baltic which would tie in with our Copenhagen TA on August 26, 2017.