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What did you like about back to back?

crusinpsychRN

By crusinpsychRN,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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coevan

coevan

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My last 2 cruises were B2B. January 2016 on the Dream, Journeys cruise 10 and 11 days, our longest ever. We were a little nervous about the length, but after the first 10, we were so excited about round 2. Last year we did a B2B on the Magic, awesome trip. This January we are cruising on the Miracle from Long Beach to Tampa, a 14 day transcanal cruise. We can scratch the canal off our bucket list. Make sure you get the same cabin both legs so you do not have to pack and unpack again.

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bakersdozen12

bakersdozen12

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We did our 1st B2B last summer and LOVED it! You get the whole ship to yourself for an hour or 2.

 

 

Not necessarily. When I did a B2B on the Conquest it took them so long to debark everyone that by the time we got back onboard (after clearing customs) people were already boarding. So we were never on the ship alone.

 

 

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Doggielover68

Doggielover68

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Thinking of doing one in November on Magic. Can't decide. What did you like about it? Is 14 days too long?

 

 

Might be too long for some but personally for me, the longer the better. I don't like traveling to and from the departure port, so we only have to do it once vs taking 2 separate 7 day trips.

 

I like getting to know the crew, being able to take my time doing the activities on the ship, not having to leave on the first debarkation day, and much more.

 

Do yourself a favor though and book the same room for both. It is so much easier. Yes, the steward will help you move your stuff to another room if you do have to switch...but I prefer to just leave my stuff where it is.

 

 

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KroozFoolz

KroozFoolz

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I did a b2b on Conquest earlier this spring. My third b2b but my first time not changing rooms - and that was so much better! I think my favorite part was enjoying the last day of the first cruise, relishing the fact I didn't have to pack that day and leave the ship the next morning. Even better that that was the day at Half Moon Cay. :p

 

I enjoyed having a second turn at the entertainment choices - trying some new things the second time and repeating the events I particularly enjoyed the first cruise. Same thing with the mdr menus. It was nice not feeling the pressure to have to do everything the first cruise.

 

I knew 14 days was not too long as I had done a 14 nighter on Princess in 2010.

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Seago2

Seago2

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Leaving on B2B this Saturday on Magic, 15 days. Once you do a B2B you get spoiled and a 7 day seems too short. We have to have an interior to afford it, and it's still way out of my financial comfort zone, but it's worth it in the long run. You can really get away from your daily routine (work) and relax. Turnaround day is usually really fun; you get the ship to yourselves.

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KroozFoolz

KroozFoolz

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I would love to do a b2b one day.

Probably would have to book interior to make that happen.

 

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Well worth doing that, imo. I had one of the "secret" 1A's on Conquest class that have two twins on the floor. Mid-ship and very convenient to both lower and higher decks. I think interior category motivates me to get out and explore/enjoy what the ship has to offer more. When I have a balcony (which I have done and enjoyed) I feel guilty for spending the extra money if I don't spend a lot of time on the balcony.

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najnelle

najnelle

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Not necessarily. When I did a B2B on the Conquest it took them so long to debark everyone that by the time we got back onboard (after clearing customs) people were already boarding. So we were never on the ship alone.

 

 

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Same thing happened to us.

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telebax51

telebax51

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I will be doing my first BTB on the new ship Horizon i'm retired so being away 30 days is no problem also thought about staying in the same cabin and we did it will be in the new Havana Cabanas and same cabin. this will give us plenty of time to know the ship and try out all the eating and entertainment venues, very excited

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najnelle

najnelle

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We loved the relaxed feeling that we had. If we missed a show, or a meal one week, we could do it the next week. We think the more days on board the better. We have another one scheduled for next year. I highly recommend choosing a ship that you can do two different itineraries and having the same room is really nice too. We were able to request the same dining room staff for the second leg of our B2B. It was nice to have someone that knew us and knew what we liked.

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JayDeeJay

JayDeeJay

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Love B2B so much we do that exclusively now - even did a 3B on the Magic. We tend to do shore excursions evenly divided between the two cruises. Very relaxing. If you can enjoy kicking around on the ship, by all means do it.

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samiam0403

samiam0403

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I've done a B2B that was 2 7-night cruises, and a B2B2B that was 5, 4, and 5 nights (all different routes/ports) - I think they're wonderful! That normal 'aw darn, I have to get off the boat soon' feeling that hits on day 5 or 6 is a thing of the past! And honestly, after 14 or 15 nights, I'm usually ready to go. Usually. ;) Also, as mentioned previously, I liked not having to worry about missing a show or event on the ship the first week - easy enough to catch it the following week! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a B2B.

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Doggielover68

Doggielover68

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I'm generally a positive person, but the thought of back-to-back muster drills is a double downer I think I want to avoid.

 

 

It's a small price to pay for 2 weeks of vacation...I'd much prefer spending 45 minutes at the muster drill vs spending a day at the airport

 

 

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2Shoes2Go

2Shoes2Go

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We love b2bs. We have done many and several b3b and a couple b4bs. It's really neat breaking the crust on Lido buffet on consecutive cruises. A real nice extra is the complimentary drink(s) offered when returning onboard from customs. Always a picture made of the b2b cruisers. Usually a bottle of champagne and fruit basket from the Hotel Director.

Yes, they're great! Have our first b5b (5 cruises), 24 days scheduled for next Jan., same cabin. We'll just move in. :D

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genegri

genegri

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If you cruise to enjoy being on a ship at sea there is nothing wrong with any B2B. If you are port person though, for the same number of days you could have a 14-night cruise, which tends to have more interesting ports.

 

I tend to like B2Bs where a repo is involved. For example a port-intensive Europe cruise followed by a relaxing transatlantic. :cool:

Edited by genegri
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hightownCO

hightownCO

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We would love to do a b2b but we can't leave teen kids alone that long. Do you get to sleep in on debarkation day or is it still a rat race for you in the morning?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Good question. My first B2B is in August.

 

Can you stay in your room until time to meet up with the rest of the transit passengers?

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