Never did B2B need help for questions

[smalltimecruiser100]

Looking into b2b when cruising restarts. Never did it before. How does it work as far as Disembarking off of 1st leg  and Embarkation of 2nd leg if your in the same cabin.

 

ie...What about, keeping luggage in cabin, going through customs after 1st leg, .any priority of re-boarding if you have to, same with staying on late on first leg. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[smalltimecruiser100]

Forgot to mention renting a scooter and from cruises from Port Everglades

[twangster]

The typical B2B experience pre-pandemic would involve getting a letter in your cabin with instructions for consecutive cruisers.  That letter will come around the same time other cruisers are getting their luggage tags.  

 

The typical instructions are for all consecutives cruisers to meet at a specific area at a specific time such as 9:00am.  Once the count of regular departing guests is approaching zero they will usually escort all consecutive cruisers off the ship to meet CBP.  CBP will often require the ship to reach zero count (all guests off the ship) before they clear the ship for the next boarding to commence.  This sometimes results in a brief wait off the ship for CBP to give the go ahead.  At that point consecutive cruisers board first followed by the normal boarding process for the next cruise.

 

Sometimes CBP will come on the ship and clear consecutive cruises right on the ship at the meeting point.  This is at CBP's discretion.  

 

Either way you leave everything in your cabin except the documents you need for CBP such as your passport.  

 

You'll be given new SeaPass cards for the next cruise at some point during the consecutive cruiser meeting.  You old cards become useless.  The next cruise has a new onboard account, your account for the first cruise needs to be closed just like it is for everyone leaving after the first cruise.   

 

Most ships will let consecutive cruisers go back to their cabin earlier than the normal time when cabins are available but you'll need to open the doors that keep the new cruisers out of the cabins until they are ready.

 

Some ships offer consecutive cruisers a special lunch, some don't.  

[Hogbay]

Even if you have to change cabins just leave everything hanging and just pack the draws etc and the cabin crew will move you 🙂 Do not put your bags out the night before 😲

[firefly333]

Dont book a b2b until cdc or rcl confirm it's ok. The whole cdc protocol about cant cruise for longer than 7 days and having to get a covid test a few days prior to boarding make b2b questionable. Let's just get cruising under way first. I have a b2b early 2022, but it was booked lomg ago and lifted to 2022 before cdc came out with needing 3 covid tests, 1 a few days prior, 1 at boarding and 1 getting off. 

 

No one knows yet if they will be ok or when.

[davekathy]

(Pre Covid) Also after completing the TAD process you can get off or stay on the ship. You can go back to your cabin if you like. The fire doors will be shut but not locked. You are allowed to open the fire door but close it behind you going to and from your cabin.  

[smokeybandit]

B2B should be fine with new CDC rules since you have to get tested before disembarking anyway, which should count as your boarding test.

But yes, B2B probably still has some question marks as cruises get going again.

[grandgeezer]

This will probably change dramatically, if they allow B2Bs if/when this mess clears up. For one thing, there will be a massive deep clean after every cruise, will they even allow the cruisers to stay on the ship, or even get back on the ship early? There have been times, on the Allure, that there were over 200 of us, would they just be in the way?Also, for the people staying in the same cabin for the second leg, will they still be able to leave all their stuff in the cabin? Nobody knows.

 

[orville99]

The largest B2B crowd was at the end of our 7-night that turned into an 11-night Dorian cruise on Harmony because there were more than 100 Harmony B2B'rs along with ~600 displaced Mariner passengers. They also had to re-issue sea pass cards to everyone on the original Harmony cruise on day 8, and they ran out of cards to print new second leg ones for us. Because the port had been closed down for the hurricane, they ran out of cards portside as well. We spent about an hour and a half in the terminal waiting for new cards to be printed before we could re-board. The smallest B2B group where we got off the ship was a Mariner 4-night/3-night B2B, and there were only about 30 of us. We were off and back on  the ship in about 20 minutes. We had one Mariner B2B where there were only about 12 of us, and they cleared all of us onboard.

[njkruzer]

In Australia they require all b2b to disembark and not allowed to reboard for 2 hrs!  

[neverbeenhere]

In the US, we usually just disembark the ship first thing in the morning for a day in port, we return prior to embarkation time. Sometimes when returning, we get cards in the terminal, sometimes the concierge has previously provided them and sometimes we need to go to the desk. 

[firefly333]

2 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

B2B should be fine with new CDC rules since you have to get tested before disembarking anyway, which should count as your boarding test.

But yes, B2B probably still has some question marks as cruises get going again.

What came up said 3 days to 24 hours before you board. I think just assuming it's wrong and can be ignored, ignore at your own peril.

 

The test as you debark isnt at least 24 hours prior to the boarding test.

 

I wouldn't book a b2b until I'm sure the cdc is going away.  Of course I think the cdc will over reach on purpose just for a sense of power. I know not everyone thinks as poorly as I do of the cdc. 

[Ourusualbeach]

2 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

B2B should be fine with new CDC rules since you have to get tested before disembarking anyway, which should count as your boarding test.

But yes, B2B probably still has some question marks as cruises get going again.

Doubtful.

 

Princess is not allowing B2B's to be booked.

[jcc1025]

Everything they say was our experience on our first b2b 1n 2019. Enjoy, I was a little unsure about it but people on the boards said we would love it and they were right. Much like the 7 day cruies it all seemed to come to an end too early and I hope we get to do another one one day. Best wishs to all the RCCL friends and wishing you all a happy new year. We are thinking about a cruise in August. This will be one of the longest periods we have spent without a cruise in 20 year. 

[twangster]

On another line I was the only B2B cruiser one time and when I met at the appointed time & place they told me CBP had already cleared me, handed my new card, took a photo with a B2B banner and off I went.  Cruising with a passport makes things easier in subtle ways as I doubt CBP would have pre-cleared me without a passport on file.  Global Entry on file may have helped them just clear me virtually as well.  Who knows.

 

On Oasis December 2019 in Miami soon after her amplification was complete there were more than 200 consecutive cruisers.  We streamed off in a line that snaked through the terminal, did the automated Passport kiosk thing and then they held us in the area where luggage is normally obtained by departing guests for what seemed like an eon (no chairs so folks were getting restless).  Eventually the clearance came over the radios of the crew and terminal workers and we streamed back on walking right past the new guests that were waiting on the other side of a glass wall.

 

FWIW Bayonne is emerging (or was) as a port where CBP reportedly came on the ship more often than other ports but even then it isn't a sure thing.  I imagine as they review the passenger manifest if one B2B cruiser raises a flag or doesn't have a passport or isn't American they may send the whole group off but that's a guess on my part.  It is what it is, just know that the cruise line will be instructed by CBP how it work for that particular cruise.  It's not up to Royal to decide.  

[Ashland]

4 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Doubtful.

 

Princess is not allowing B2B's to be booked.

RCI is I believe....I think this talk about no B2B's will change as we go further down the road into late 2022/2023...JMHO...but I'm considering booking a B2B for July 2022..Some have booked a B2B (British Isles) just recently with the July Arctic Circle...We'll see what happens when I try..I think i'll have no problem...fingers crossed.

Edited December 27, 2020 by Ashland

[Ourusualbeach]

6 minutes ago, Ashland said:

RCI is I believe....I think this talk about no B2B's will change as we go further down the road into late 2022/2023...JMHO...but I'm considering booking a B2B for July 2022..Some have booked a B2B (British Isles) just recently with the July Arctic Circle...We'll see what happens when I try..I think i'll have no problem...fingers crossed.

Yes Royal is allowing you to book them but I’d be very wary of booking ai4 or other travel arrangements as there is a good chance that you would be forced to cancel one leg.  I only mention what Princess is doing as I can’t see them putting this restriction in place without a very strong feeling that the CDC is going to dictate no B2B cruises. 

 

I don’t see any issues with 2022 bookings

[twangster]

15 minutes ago, Ashland said:

RCI is I believe....I think this talk about no B2B's will change as we go further down the road into late 2022/2023...JMHO...but I'm considering booking a B2B for July 2022..Some have booked a B2B (British Isles) just recently with the July Arctic Circle...We'll see what happens when I try..I think i'll have no problem...fingers crossed.

 

5 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Yes Royal is allowing you to book them but I’d be very wary of booking ai4 or other travel arrangements as there is a good chance that you would be forced to cancel one leg.  I only mention what Princess is doing as I can’t see them putting this restriction in place without a very strong feeling that the CDC is going to dictate no B2B cruises. 

 

I don’t see any issues with 2022 bookings

 

CDC got no play in Europe but we'll have to see what the rest of the world thinks.

 

I am booked B2B on the Arctic Circle and subsequent Iceland voyage hoping by the summer of 2022 it will be a go but I admit my optimism may be misplaced.  Ask me again in a years time.  

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

 

CDC got no play in Europe but we'll have to see what the rest of the world thinks.

 

I am booked B2B on the Arctic Circle and subsequent Iceland voyage hoping by the summer of 2022 it will be a go but I admit my optimism may be misplaced.  Ask me again in a years time.  

If we are into 2022 and bookings are impacted I’m thinking there isn’t even a cruise line as we know it left.  

[Sunshine3601]

Europe was not allowing any b2bs for any cruiselines  that started end of july.  Rcl sailings in Singapore currently  do not allow b2bs.

I have a b2b booked for august 2021 and have opportunity to book another b2b for end of september but I doubt they will be allowed so I'm not booking anymore b2bs till I know.

My advise to the OP is just be flexible, if booking a b2b with a sail date prior to 11.01.21 be prepared to have one leg cancelled, dont book any non refundable air or hotel, and have fun planning.

[Sunshine3601]

1 hour ago, Ashland said:

RCI is I believe....I think this talk about no B2B's will change as we go further down the road into late 2022/2023...JMHO...but I'm considering booking a B2B for July 2022..Some have booked a B2B (British Isles) just recently with the July Arctic Circle...We'll see what happens when I try..I think i'll have no problem...fingers crossed.

Yes, they will let you book a b2b as they have no idea whether they will permitted or not.  I suspect a july 2022 sailing should be fine for a b2b.  Its summer of 2021 that I am doubtful b2bs will be allowed.

Btw, your b2b with artic circle will be amazing!!   That is definitely on my bucket list.

[Ashland]

2 hours ago, twangster said:

 

 

CDC got no play in Europe but we'll have to see what the rest of the world thinks.

 

I am booked B2B on the Arctic Circle and subsequent Iceland voyage hoping by the summer of 2022 it will be a go but I admit my optimism may be misplaced.  Ask me again in a years time.  

I thought you were booked on a B2B per our rollcall for Arctic Circle July 26, 2022...I'm also seeing some booked for the July 14th British Isles is what I'm hoping to do.

Optimism is alive and well at this point with me too, but agree..it's a wait & see.

[twangster]

4 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

If we are into 2022 and bookings are impacted I’m thinking there isn’t even a cruise line as we know it left.  

 

Not in the current form.  Time will tell if the ship I'm booked will be in the fleet but I think there will be a fleet of some sort.  

[Coralc]

On 12/25/2020 at 8:58 PM, smalltimecruiser100 said:

Forgot to mention renting a scooter and from cruises from Port Everglades

 

2 companies that are frequently recommended, Special Needs at Sea or Scootaround

https://scootaround.com/en/cruise-scooter-rentals

 

https://www.specialneedsatsea.com/reserve-equipment/scooter-rentals/

 

https://scootanywhereusa.com/rent/cruise/

 

MAKE SURE YOU CHECK COMPANY REVIEWS BEFORE RENTING FROM ANY OF THEM. 

Edited December 27, 2020 by Coralc

[smalltimecruiser100]

Thanks for all the info. First of all I forgot to mention that my thought was for 2022 as I already have one cruise(11 nt) booked for Mar 2022. I also have a 12 nt booked in Nov 2021 which is just two weeks after CDC's 7 night policy expires. If that cruise cancelled is why I thought about the b2b(adding on to the other cruise either before or after)) so I'm down in FL anyways and the FCC(if Nov 2021 xcld) could be applicable. I'm already using one FCC for the Mar 2022 already booked.