Vision Class Being Sold?

[ShillyShally]

Just now, HBE4 said:

 

Same cabin is a must have.  Muster drill is a pain but that's only 30 minutes of the day.

 

Do you have to get off the ship? I thought they just stuck you in the Schooner Bar for an hour & then you are free to roam around. First in line at the Windjammer!!! lol

Never done a B2B but I think at worst you get off to step foot in terminal then get back on - but I've heard this process varies completely by ship and departure port so I'm not even sure anyone would know unless they were a ship and B2B regular and even then we know it could change at any time/whim 🙂  Being first at things would be fun though!

[Clarea]

1 hour ago, HBE4 said:

 

You do get to stay on the ship, right?

 

Most B2B procedures on Royal as US ports require us to leave the ship until they have a zero count.  Sometimes this is 5 minutes, sometimes longer.  One time it was 45 minutes because they could not find a guest who was supposed to get off the ship.

 

Once on Adventure, the customs people came to us in one of the lounges and we didn't have to get off the ship.

[Milwaukee Eight]

6 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Back in the day Laura would do B2B or B3B and I would join first or last leg.  

Those solo Jr Suites sure rack up those points when your in the fast lane. 

[grapau27]

18 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Those solo Jr Suites sure rack up those points when your in the fast lane. 

JS got us to D and D+.

Pauline and I would never sail solo

BTW your motorbike looks brilliant.

Edited March 28, 2019 by grapau27

[Milwaukee Eight]

2 hours ago, grapau27 said:

JS got us to D and D+.

Pauline and I would never sail solo

BTW your motorbike looks brilliant.

If your chasing P, sailing solo in JS is the way to rack up the points. 

 

Thanks. We enjoy our motorcycles. The boss just added a BMW XR S1000 HP bike of the year. We are back to 5. I like my HD ‘s. 

[island lady]

22 hours ago, ShillyShally said:

Never done a B2B but I think at worst you get off to step foot in terminal then get back on - but I've heard this process varies completely by ship and departure port so I'm not even sure anyone would know unless they were a ship and B2B regular and even then we know it could change at any time/whim 🙂  Being first at things would be fun though!

 

It was a total confusion on Radiance when we did B2B in Alaska.  We did our turn around in Vancouver, where most do it in Seward.  We were the only two, plus one high mucky-muck from RCI.  At first they told us we could leave the ship on our own to visit the city, then they changed their minds.  All three of us were escorted off the ship with security officers after all pax had departed, through customs, and right back on.  Weird...indeed different ships...different ports.  

Edited March 29, 2019 by island lady

[ShillyShally]

5 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

It was a total confusion on Radiance when we did B2B in Alaska.  We did our turn around in Vancouver, where most do it in Seward.  We were the only two, plus one high mucky-muck from RCI.  At first they told us we could leave the ship on our own to visit the city, then they changed their minds.  All three of us were escorted off the ship with security officers after all pax had departed, through customs, and right back on.  Weird...indeed different ships...different ports.  

I expect that would be my luck!  I'm surprised they wouldn't let you explore the city though, technically you could disembark cruise 1 and then embark on cruise 2 later right?  Not though that would give you that much time and you'd likely lose the perks of not going back through the lines!

[island lady]

2 minutes ago, ShillyShally said:

I expect that would be my luck!  I'm surprised they wouldn't let you explore the city though, technically you could disembark cruise 1 and then embark on cruise 2 later right?  Not though that would give you that much time and you'd likely lose the perks of not going back through the lines!

 

My sister had flown into Vancouver that morning to join us on leg #2.  We had planned on meeting her for lunch...so much for that.  😞  But we were standing next to the gangway when she did board.  

 

I think the problem may have been being in a foreign country for turn around, from having originated in a US port (Seward).  Our next B2B is in January on Vision in PR.  We originate in PR...so hopefully no problem.  Especially since sail away is not until 8:30 pm. 

[ShillyShally]

1 minute ago, island lady said:

 

My sister had flown into Vancouver that morning to join us on leg #2.  We had planned on meeting her for lunch...so much for that.  😞  But we were standing next to the gangway when she did board.  

 

I think the problem may have been being in a foreign country for turn around, from having originated in a US port (Seward).  Our next B2B is in January on Vision in PR.  We originate in PR...so hopefully no problem.  Especially since sail away is not until 8:30 pm. 

True, that makes sense!  Did you have passports?  I would think that would have helped but even if not thank goodness she was joining you on board and you didn't completely miss the chance to see her!  But that's a good point - at most schedule possible sightseeing but don't make plans with someone else in a port!

[molsonschooner]

On 3/28/2019 at 8:41 AM, HBE4 said:

 

Funny. I never think to do that. I'd love to check out the newly amped up Mariner but like many others, anything less than a 7 day is not worth  it.

 

But a B2B2B on a short cruise solves that.....other than the same crappy ports.

another thing about B2B on the short 3/4 night cruises is the ports are the same on both cruises. We don't cruise often enough that we would be happy going to the same place twice in a week. Not even if the port was Coco 

[island lady]

3 hours ago, ShillyShally said:

True, that makes sense!  Did you have passports?  I would think that would have helped but even if not thank goodness she was joining you on board and you didn't completely miss the chance to see her!  But that's a good point - at most schedule possible sightseeing but don't make plans with someone else in a port!

 

Yes, we both had book passports and also carry the passport cards (which I find more convenient to carry when visiting ports).  Luckily she figured out something happened and boarded without waiting for us, meeting us on the ship.  

[ShillyShally]

24 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Yes, we both had book passports and also carry the passport cards (which I find more convenient to carry when visiting ports).  Luckily she figured out something happened and boarded without waiting for us, meeting us on the ship.  

That is weird, especially since they would have had to clear the other passengers who had ended their cruise but I wonder if it's that - they hadn't updated you as getting off the ship so therefore they couldn't authorize it.  Glad she figured out it was better to get on board!

[island lady]

5 minutes ago, ShillyShally said:

That is weird, especially since they would have had to clear the other passengers who had ended their cruise but I wonder if it's that - they hadn't updated you as getting off the ship so therefore they couldn't authorize it.  Glad she figured out it was better to get on board!

 

They told us to wait in the dining room for customs agent, "would only be 10-15 minutes".  Ended up being over an hour, since they could not find a passenger that was showing as not having left the ship.  They need to clear all non B2B passengers before they process the B2B passengers.  Even the corporate RCI guy had to follow the same set up.  It was a  poorly run process for sure that day.   

Edited March 29, 2019 by island lady

[ShillyShally]

2 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

They told us to wait in the dining room for customs agent, "would only be 10-15 minutes".  Ended up being over an hour, since they could not find a passenger that was showing as not having left the ship.  They need to clear all non B2B passengers before they process the B2B passengers.  Even the corporate RCI guy had to follow the same set up.  It was a  poorly run process for sure that day.   

I expect it helped future B2Bers on that route that there was the corporate RCI guy on board as well affected!

[island lady]

5 minutes ago, ShillyShally said:

I expect it helped future B2Bers on that route that there was the corporate RCI guy on board as well affected!

 

We actually all just joked about it later.  Chocked it up as "Poop happens"...at least we were able to stay on board and enjoy another wonderful cruise up the inland water way.  My sister's first time in Alaska also.  🙂 

Edited March 29, 2019 by island lady

[twangster]

I lucked out on a B2B on Carnival doing a 4/3 out of Long Beach, CA.  High winds on our return for the 1st leg meant we couldn't get back to Long Beach so we diverted to San Diego. 

 

Carnival bussed all passengers up to Long Beach them bussed all new passengers back down to the ship.  That took about 6 hours.  I was the only B2B guest.  I was directed to meet at guest services at 10am for my escort to CBP.  When I got there they said CBP had cleared me using my passport number, handed me my new card, took my picture with a B2B banner and I never left the ship.  Then I had the whole ship to myself for 6 hours.  

 

That was weird.  Six hours of no one but me and crew walking around, sun tanning, etc.  It was a small ship but sure felt large when I was the only guest on it.  Home Alone moments.  

[ShillyShally]

2 hours ago, twangster said:

I lucked out on a B2B on Carnival doing a 4/3 out of Long Beach, CA.  High winds on our return for the 1st leg meant we couldn't get back to Long Beach so we diverted to San Diego. 

 

Carnival bussed all passengers up to Long Beach them bussed all new passengers back down to the ship.  That took about 6 hours.  I was the only B2B guest.  I was directed to meet at guest services at 10am for my escort to CBP.  When I got there they said CBP had cleared me using my passport number, handed me my new card, took my picture with a B2B banner and I never left the ship.  Then I had the whole ship to myself for 6 hours.  

 

That was weird.  Six hours of no one but me and crew walking around, sun tanning, etc.  It was a small ship but sure felt large when I was the only guest on it.  Home Alone moments.  

I would probably resent the rest of the passengers from coming aboard after that long with no one else - what a neat experience!

[ShillyShally]

2 hours ago, island lady said:

 

We actually all just joked about it later.  Chocked it up as "Poop happens"...at least we were able to stay on board and enjoy another wonderful cruise up the inland water way.  My sister's first time in Alaska also.  🙂 

Yeah I would have definitely made the most of it since no matter what, you're still on vacation unlike the poor passengers, of whom I am usually one, who only get to do one leg 🙂

[John&LaLa]

3 hours ago, island lady said:

 

We actually all just joked about it later.  Chocked it up as "Poop happens"...at least we were able to stay on board and enjoy another wonderful cruise up the inland water way.  My sister's first time in Alaska also.  🙂 

 

Poop happens is the next Anthem thread about Tommy. 💩

Edited March 29, 2019 by John&LaLa

[ShillyShally]

9 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Poop happens is the next Anthem thread about Tommy. 💩

Bite your tongue!