Why B2B? Financial benefit?

[lasekeye]

I see many posts about B2B cruises. Is there a discount with Carnival?  If not, why not just do a longer cruise?

[Doggielover68]

9 minutes ago, lasekeye said:

I see many posts about B2B cruises. Is there a discount with Carnival?  If not, why not just do a longer cruise?

No discount, but selecting a b2b cruise gives you a much wider variety of dates and itineraries. There aren't that many 14+ days on Carnival and the ones that exist cost more than a b2b cruise depending on the sailing. The longer cruises are usually not as port intensive either.

Edited May 13, 2019 by Doggielover68

[keywest1]

Also, folks who have to fly to port get two cruises for one airfare.

Edited May 13, 2019 by keywest1

[ShakyBeef]

Similar to what Keywest1 mentioned, we chose to make our next cruise a 10-Day BTB (5+5) because our extended family really wanted us to join them on this particular 5-Day cruise out of Pt. Canaveral.  It is not worth the trouble of driving all the way to Florida for us for only a 5-Day cruise.  Heck, it's hardly worth the trouble of cruising for only a 5-Day cruise.  So we extended it by adding the sailing immediately before it.

[coevan]

48 minutes ago, keywest1 said:

Also, folks who have to fly to port get two cruises for one airfare.

 

 

I guess the same would apply to a 14 day Journeys cruise, just don't return to the home port. 14 days cruises are usually limited to transcanal, transatlantic or transpacific 

[CHOPPERTESTER]

Because 7 day cruises are just too short. 2 to 3 days to decompress and you're half way done.

 

Different crowd on longer Carnival cruises.

[PhillyFan33579]

1 hour ago, lasekeye said:

I see many posts about B2B cruises. Is there a discount with Carnival?  If not, why not just do a longer cruise?

 

Another point to consider is the majority of Carnival’s longest cruises are only 7-8 days, with the exceptions of journey cruises and other less frequent speciality cruises. So if you want to to do a two week cruise that works for your schedule, doing back to back 7 day cruises is usually an option year round. 

[bakersdozen12]

Two 7 day cruises will count as two cruises towards your next milestone cruise (starts at 25); one 14 day cruise only counts as one. 

[Micahs Grandad]

For a longer cruise instead of b2b would rather do a side to side by doing a second week on a different ship. Why see the same shows two weeks in a row? 

[Doggielover68]

6 minutes ago, Micah's Grandad said:

For a longer cruise instead of b2b would rather do a side to side by doing a second week on a different ship. Why see the same shows two weeks in a row? 

Unless you're sailing on a different cruise line, the production shows are pretty much the same across the board. On our back to back cruises, we always have different comedians each week.

[Illbcruzn4life]

3 hours ago, Micah's Grandad said:

For a longer cruise instead of b2b would rather do a side to side by doing a second week on a different ship. Why see the same shows two weeks in a row? 

oh no they got to you too! 😪

[lasekeye]

5 hours ago, bakersdozen12 said:

Two 7 day cruises will count as two cruises towards your next milestone cruise (starts at 25); one 14 day cruise only counts as one. 

Oh, I was under the impression that cruise days are cruise days.  I’ve got 4 separate Carnival cruises completed and the accrued days to reflect my Gold Level. ( 2 X 7  &  2 X 10 ).

[mredandchis]

2 hours ago, lasekeye said:

Oh, I was under the impression that cruise days are cruise days.  I’ve got 4 separate Carnival cruises completed and the accrued days to reflect my Gold Level. ( 2 X 7  &  2 X 10 ).

No you are correct cruise days are cruise days to make the gold etc, but there is also a milestone program that simply counts cruises. "In appreciation for their loyalty, the guest will also be granted the opportunity to redeem a future non-refundable onboard credit equivalent to 25%, 50% or 75% of the cruise ticket price, corresponding to the milestone reached."   

 

to the OP,  I wanted a longer cruise and there were none available so i did a B2B.  an interesting fact is that it is considered 2 cruises , even by immigration, hence you have to get off the ship and show your passport/id to them and get back on, but customs considers it one cruise so you still have the same limits.

 

[Micahs Grandad]

7 hours ago, Doggielover68 said:

Unless you're sailing on a different cruise line, the production shows are pretty much the same across the board. On our back to back cruises, we always have different comedians each week.

Have to disagree on two counts.

 

Shows will be somewhat different on different ships. If say 3 shows on ship 1 might see same perhaps 1 time on ship 2.

 

Typically last two comedians will stay on ship for first few days of next voyage to save on travel costs for comedians.

[Micahs Grandad]

4 hours ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

oh no they got to you too! 😪

Sorry do not understand.

[Doggielover68]

57 minutes ago, Micah's Grandad said:

Have to disagree on two counts.

 

Shows will be somewhat different on different ships. If say 3 shows on ship 1 might see same perhaps 1 time on ship 2.

 

Typically last two comedians will stay on ship for first few days of next voyage to save on travel costs for comedians.

I've been on 3 seven day back to back cruises so far and comedians have always been new right from the start of the cruise. Maybe it is different for shorter b2b cruises.

[naxer]

9 hours ago, Micah's Grandad said:

For a longer cruise instead of b2b would rather do a side to side by doing a second week on a different ship. Why see the same shows two weeks in a row? 

 

We don't see the same shows.  I've done B2B, side to side, and Journey Cruises.  On a B2B with the same itinerary, we find we actually get to see more shows, since we can't get them all in on one 7 day cruise.  Oddly, we found the Journey Cruise the most stretched for entertainment--the energy of the staff and cruisers seemed to flag a bit, and we didn't find the fly-on entertainment as good.  (But it was still a fabulous cruise!)  

[sparks1093]

It's also possible to mix up the itinerary on a B2B by taking a ship doing an Eastern Caribbean cruise on one leg and Western on the second. I have also met people that have done the first leg on one cruise line and the second leg on a different cruise line.

[Davey Wavey]

12 hours ago, keywest1 said:

Also, folks who have to fly to port get two cruises for one airfare.

To add to this, the whole travel thing of airfare, pre/post hotel stays, port transfers are non-trivial expenses. We do look only for B2B on the same ship that have different itineraries each week. Also, from the Journeys cruises we have been on, the people are very different on 14 day vs. 7 days. In my experience, the shorter the cruise the more generally lively the people.

[Anyislandwilldo]

Plus there is a wonderful feeling of watching the people get off the ship and knowing you get to stay on for another cruise.  But the then you face the music when it's your turn to get off.  We booked the an 8 day with a 14 day right behind.  You get to know the crew better and really get to know where everything is on the ship.

 

[Joebucks]

Because more vacation is always better.

 

I partially think of it like my one Orlando trip. Where I did 4 days doing the theme parks, then a 4 day cruise. Variety keeps it all fresh.

[Liverpoollovely]

13 hours ago, lasekeye said:

I see many posts about B2B cruises. Is there a discount with Carnival?  If not, why not just do a longer cruise?

I have completed many cruises B2B because of the cost of plane tickets I live in the UK 

[Micahs Grandad]

Instead of b2b we typically take longer cruises such as European ones. Better chance to get to know fellow cruisers and crew

[ProgRockCruiser]

2 hours ago, Davey Wavey said:

Also, from the Journeys cruises we have been on, the people are very different on 14 day vs. 7 days. In my experience, the shorter the cruise the more generally lively the people.

 

Amusingly, that is exactly the same reason many folks only do 6 day or longer cruises, and won't do a 3 or 4 day cruise...the passengers get a little too lively!

[cruise_mojo]

we just did our first B2B in march 4 day followed by a 5 day on elation out of  jax  we did Nassau freeport followed by Nassau and half moon cay 

 

stayed on the boat on Nassau both times since we've been there line 30 times anyway, but we did the shoreside deal in freeport for a drink and a couple souveniers, yea I know its trite but my wife wanted a new little purse thingy as her old one was getting worn - and half moon, a good cigar, best beach there and a few drinks! can't beat it! + she gets to ride her scooter onto the tender and off right to shore! 

 

we got to stay on board ship in between and didn't have to exit and reboard, there were only 6 of us B2B and the chief purser gave us anything we wanted to drink from the atrium bar between and we got the freebie pics too ( we got a bottle of moet & chandon champagne!!! ) woo woo! - when we got back to the room guest services in Miami had delivered a bottle of chateux de wal mart champagne too which we managed to choke down later in the cruise at dinner but it made up for not being able to get two more bottles on board in between 

 

( we'd brought our two on for the first cruise and had only drunk one bottle and bought one so we had saved one premium bottle )  we brought on board DECOY cab and merlot 

 

next year at Halloween we are doing Mariner of the Seas for 4 then a day in the hotel and 5 on Elation from cape C Carnival can wash our clothes right off the bat! 😈