Needing some b2b cruise feedback

[HunterBarb]

On 9/20/2021 at 10:56 AM, Cruise a holic said:

But I wonder if they would honor that if you leave the cruise terminal.  I would follow exactly what I am told by the ships people before I would consider spending a day on shore then coming back on board.  We are also doing a b/2/b in January.

I have done 2  B2Bs so far since restart, and both of them, if you really WANT to go ashore, you will be given your new SeaPass card  AND  an "In Transit" card, which is used to Re Board ship, during "REGULAR" boarding hours - I never left the ship except for the Customs deal, ,went right back aboard, but witnessed this in action as of 10/1/21 at  Galveston, on INDY ~

[davekathy]

On 10/8/2021 at 3:58 PM, HunterBarb said:

Ooooh YEAH - you CAN - actually on my recent B2B on INDY - I carried in *3 bottles* @ 750 ML - in my tote bag, and NOBODY Looked at them nor said ONE word!  I figured they would Take one - but nopers !  Dont know if was merely an oversight or because I was a "consecutive cruiser"  (what they call we B2B'ers !)  

On INDY at Galveston we met up in Star Lounge for registation and verification, then walked off the ship and thru Customs, all we did was show our ID - then sat a bit more while Star Lounge was Sanitized, then went BACK there, sat another few, and at 11:30 were informed our Lunch was ready in MDR and we were free to GO ~ LOVED it - 

Upcoming SIDE to Side next month - Oasis from Miami then Allure from Ft Lauderdale - THAT raises a few questions ~~/

You shorted yourself one bottle. 😂🍾

[davekathy]

5 minutes ago, HunterBarb said:

I have done 2  B2Bs so far since restart, and both of them, if you really WANT to go ashore, you will be given your new SeaPass card  AND  an "In Transit" card, which is used to Re Board ship, during "REGULAR" boarding hours - I never left the ship except for the Customs deal, ,went right back aboard, but witnessed this in action as of 10/1/21 at  Galveston, on INDY ~

Same as before. Glad to hear it's still being allowed. 

[HunterBarb]

1 minute ago, davekathy said:

You shorted yourself one bottle. 😂🍾

Ohh - well let's call that " LIMITING my Drinking" - I WAS  Solo, after all ! & only 9 nights -  LOL !  in 3 weeks I will make UP for that - Side to Side   Oasis/Miami to Allure/FLL !  10 nights total ~ Plus I made PRIME - and~ well - I WILL drink in Casino ~ 😉  

[njkruzer]

Btw in Australia we were REQUIRED to disembark by 9 am and could not reboard for at least 2 hours. Had an intransit card but still had to readmitted by Australian border forces.   They have strict rules.

[csnarpy]

18 minutes ago, HunterBarb said:

I have done 2  B2Bs so far since restart, and both of them, if you really WANT to go ashore, you will be given your new SeaPass card  AND  an "In Transit" card, which is used to Re Board ship, during "REGULAR" boarding hours - I never left the ship except for the Customs deal, ,went right back aboard, but witnessed this in action as of 10/1/21 at  Galveston, on INDY ~

Customs deal?

[SummerBeee]

@HunterBarb have a some S2S booked for early next year. I look forward to you posting your experience soon.

Mine is Jewel to Oasis to Odyssey and back to Jewel. Crazy but took advantage of some deals with L&S from Empress.

[joanne59]

All this info is extremely helpful-we just booked our first B2B and may have gone a little overboard 🤪 as we are in the same cabin for 41 consecutive days YIKES!! Taking an extended European vacation as retirees, has always been a dream of ours. Looking forward to spring of 2022 😎

[njkruzer]

36 minutes ago, joanne59 said:

All this info is extremely helpful-we just booked our first B2B and may have gone a little overboard 🤪 as we are in the same cabin for 41 consecutive days YIKES!! Taking an extended European vacation as retirees, has always been a dream of ours. Looking forward to spring of 2022 😎

Enjoy!  Did 34 nts on the Radiance in 2020 circumnavigating Australia before covid and our next 13 nts were cancelled and we had to go home,

[joanne59]

1 hour ago, njkruzer said:

Enjoy!  Did 34 nts on the Radiance in 2020 circumnavigating Australia before covid and our next 13 nts were cancelled and we had to go home,

Australia is next on our list, and was meant to be my retirement gift. However, as we all know, unfortunately 2020 didn’t allow for that. Sorry to hear your cruise was cut short. 

[njkruzer]

2 minutes ago, joanne59 said:

Australia is next on our list, and was meant to be my retirement gift. However, as we all know, unfortunately 2020 didn’t allow for that. Sorry to hear your cruise was cut short. 

Will just have to go again! 

[HunterBarb]

7 hours ago, csnarpy said:

Customs deal?

Having to Deal WITH  - Customs - basically you get in line with other "consecutive cruisers" and show your Gov't issued ID to the customs people, and then you either sit & wait a bit or immediately get back on the ship - 'scuse the ShortSpeak!  LOL

[HunterBarb]

6 hours ago, SummerBeee said:

@HunterBarb have a some S2S booked for early next year. I look forward to you posting your experience soon.

Mine is Jewel to Oasis to Odyssey and back to Jewel. Crazy but took advantage of some deals with L&S from Empress.

Wowser - you ARE going Large !  I would love to, but already have my preferred sailing time card rather Full !  I really want to sail on Odyssey, and met up with Chris Wong in the casino again !  Odyssey looks amazing !  Hopefully yours will be all same day swapping, and same PORT - mine got complicated, but didn't want to Miss it ! ha ha - 

[SheSailsFL]

On 6/13/2021 at 6:51 PM, Ozark_Kid said:

Wow. The more I am reading the more I ask myself why I never thought about this before.  Also sounding like more than I expected are doing back to back.  I am learning a lot of good stuff.  I didn’t even think of needing a new sea pass.  This certainly sounds like something I may get addicted to doing.  Sounds like RC goes out of the way to make it as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

You’ll definitely be addicted after your first B2B!  Lots of great pointers here..one thing I liked was that I could order a case of water for my cabin, which would have been too much for one cruise, and have enough for the next leg.  
if you don’t see the same cabin online on the sailings you want, just call and Royal will help you find a cabin that is available for both sailings. 
we can’t always see the cabins that they can.

Oh and on the day before turnaround day, you will be scheduled for a covid test for leg 2.  They’ll tell you where and when.  

[Cruise a holic]

On 9/20/2021 at 11:53 PM, brillohead said:

You can assume whatever you want, but there have been plenty of people who have posted this here. 

Royal does not and cannot "hold you hostage" on a ship just because you're doing a B2B sailing, for crying out loud.  🙄

There is no logical or even illogical reason to think that just because you test on Friday on the ship you can't leave the ship and get back on again on Saturday.  If they were doing at-the-pier testing of all new cruisers, that would be one thing, but that's not the issue at all and it boggles the mind why anyone would create strange scenarios in their heads about something that is quite straightforward.  

 

I surely wouldn't think that Royal would hold me hostage.  They just must follow the science so we can all feel safe and the "rules" change.  Thanks for your feedback.

[brillohead]

Just now, Cruise a holic said:

I surely wouldn't think that Royal would hold me hostage.  They just must follow the science so we can all feel safe and the "rules" change.  Thanks for your feedback.

Again, how would it be following the science?

Everyone arriving at the pier has been out and about in public for up to two full days since their COVID test, including flying in an enclosed metal tube with potentially hundreds of unvaccinated people.  

How is their test from a day or two beforehand any different than an on-board test for a consecutive cruiser?  Explain the science to me, please, because I just am not understanding it.