B2B Question

[Gitmo]

We are booked on a back to back cruise.   The first cruise ends and the second part begins in Miami.  Does anyone know the U.S. Customs procedure for B2B passengers?   

[Gitmo]

If it matters we are on the Insignia.

[Mura]

I don't think it matters about the ship but it does matter about the port.  We've only done two B2Bs in all our years with Oceania.  Normally we go through customs on the ship (as far as I recall).  Sometimes you are required to leave the ship, at least for a while, others not.  Sometimes these days the customs people come on board, check your passports and it's done very quickly.

 

I've never gone through customs in Miami so our experience in Costa Rica (2004) and Rome (2017) are most likely irrelevant.

 

Just be prepared.  Others will have more practical info for you, I'm sure.

 

Mura

[kitty9]

We did a b2b on Riviera this past March.  We were required to meet in Red Ginger at 8:30, with our room card and passport. A roll call was taken and once all disembarking passengers left, we were called in groups of 20 and led down to the terminal where we lined up and showed our passport to the officers.  We were then able to go right back on the ship or go off into Miami to do whatever until we were required to be back on board.  

[Rob the Cruiser]

You have the pleasure of walking around the ship with a huge smile on your face because you decided to do a B2B!

 

Another great benefit is that Oceania serves a special lunch for those remaining aboard. 

[cbb]

and if you're so inclined, please tell your room attendant that you won't need her/his services on that turn around day. 

 

Your cabin would be one less cabin they would have to care for on a very long and work intensive day for them. 

 

Tell him/her you can make your bed and you have plenty of towels--they will so appreciate it.

[palakika]

We have had both an extra tour added for on-going cruisers (Tahiti)  and the special luncheon in GDR.    Both very nice!  Our next cruise is a b2b with Miami as the turn around port.. We'll see what happens there.  As we are in the same cabin, won't need to move or get cleaning.

[Gitmo]

19 hours ago, kitty9 said:

We did a b2b on Riviera this past March.  We were required to meet in Red Ginger at 8:30, with our room card and passport. A roll call was taken and once all disembarking passengers left, we were called in groups of 20 and led down to the terminal where we lined up and showed our passport to the officers.  We were then able to go right back on the ship or go off into Miami to do whatever until we were required to be back on board.  

Thank you, Kitty9 !

[grmmybtty]

What happens may depend on the ship’s itinerary. Our first B2B passing through Miami came from the Caribbean on the way north to NYC. We had stopped at Port Canaveral the day before and went through Customs and Immigration onboard. We not have to pass through Customs again in Miami. Our next B2B went to Cuba and we did have to walk off the ship through Customs and Immigration in Miami with the 4 other people doing the next segment.

[Mura]

5 hours ago, cbb said:

and if you're so inclined, please tell your room attendant that you won't need her/his services on that turn around day. 

 

Your cabin would be one less cabin they would have to care for on a very long and work intensive day for them. 

 

Tell him/her you can make your bed and you have plenty of towels--they will so appreciate it.

I remembered your mentioning this on your 2016 reports so we tried it on our B2B last May (Monaco-Rome-Barcelona) but our room attendant refused our offer.  Perhaps because we were in a suite?  I thought she'd appreciate the offer, but nope.  It didn't seem worth our insisting because she sounded so definite!

[cbb]

Mura-

I'm surprised that she didn't take you up on your offer.  Our attendant always declines our offer as well, but we insist that we are serious and that we want to do this for him/her so in that spirit the attendant accepts.  Perhaps it is because you're in a suite.

[Mura]

OR perhaps we should have been more forceful!  She seemed so determined that we didn't pursue the issue.  There were a number of other people continuing on the cruise, which I know both from the Roll Calls and the number of people having lunch in the GDR.  But perhaps as far as she was concerned, one more room -- even if a suite -- wouldn't matter that much in terms of time spent.

 

Anyway, if we ever cruise again (I won't go into the reasons why that might be the case) I'll be more forceful.  Then again, we haven't done too many B2Bs!

 

Mura