Back to back cruise advice please

[Dons79]

We would like to do 2 Caribbean cruises 

7 day Eastern and 7 day western on the wonder 

 

and would like to experience one cruise with a balcony looming out to ocean and a balcony in the boardwalk area

 

which cruise is have the best port views? West or east?

[firefly333]

Try for the furthest aft boardwalk balcony for the best view of diving and of the aft. This is oasis, I will take a picture on allure as I booked the very end boardwalk balcony.,

 

Idk which is best port or starboard, someone here will have a opinion. 

 

[njkruzer]

Do you really want to and move on turn around day?  Not fun.  Prefer same cabin for both cruises.  Your choice.

[homedepot124]

I agree with the previous post.  Just keep the same cabin for both cruises and enjoy the back to back experience without the hassle of moving.  Not moving gives you a perfect excuse to book another cruise in the future doing whichever room location you don't do the first time. 

[Dons79]

On 1/16/2022 at 10:48 AM, firefly333 said:

Try for the furthest aft boardwalk balcony for the best view of diving and of the aft. This is oasis, I will take a picture on allure as I booked the very end boardwalk balcony.,

 

Idk which is best port or starboard, someone here will have a opinion. 

 

 

what a great view

 

Is it better to be on a higher or lower level?

 

[Bama2georgia]

We have done a B2B where we changed cabins and it was no big deal. We packed up the things that were in the drawers and left the hanging things in the closet. We left to meet with other B2B guest to get new S&S cards, ate lunch, and went to our new cabin where our things were waiting. Obviously, it is easier to stay in the same cabin, but it’s not a big deal if you decide to change cabins. 

[PigsCanFly]

We did a b2b on Symphony otS in November.  We ended up with rooms that were next door.  Because of the very low occupancy of each cruise (~ 50%), The move was extremely smooth.  Because there was no one in the room we were in the for the second half, our stateroom attendant assisted us in moving next door that morning.  Our cruise was Eastern and Western Caribbean.  We loved it.

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, Dons79 said:

 

what a great view

 

Is it better to be on a higher or lower level?

 

I think my TA put me the end of deck 9. He would know.

 

I did outside balcony and sat on hard bleachers to watch the dive show and promised myself to get a balcony where I could watch the dive show. No more hard bleachers. The aft view is a secondary plus. Booked the day the bookings opened. Later on I moved a booking from feb 2023 to b2b with the other but that cabin was taken, and prices went up so I compromised with one of the "29" city park cabins that are double wide. Twice as much balcony if they end in 29. 

[Surfguyxxx]

Stay in the same cabin.  I've done it both ways and it's a lot easier.  

 

[DandDM]

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but also don't want to start another...

 

On our last B2B (Symphony in Sept), we stayed on the ship and disembarked/boarded with the other B2B passengers.  While we were disembarking, a worker took our sea pass cards when they scanned us off the ship.

 

Is this usual?  I have a collection of all of our other cruise cards and was disappointed to lose that one; we have another B2B booked on Navigator next month and would like to keep the keys, if possible.

 

Thoughts?

 

Thanks

Edited January 17, 2022 by DandDM
typo

[njkruzer]

Just now, DandDM said:

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but also don't want to start another...

 

On our last B2B (Symphony in Sept), we stayed on the ship and disembarked/boarded with the other B2B passengers.  While we were disembarking, a worked took our sea pass cards when they scanned us off the ship.

 

Is this usual?  I have a collection of all of our other cruise cards and was disappointed to lose that one; we have another B2B booked on Navigator next month and would like to keep the keys, if possible.

 

Thoughts?

 

Thanks

Done on some ships but you can request it be returned.  Sometimes you have to go to guest services and Sometimes they'll give it right back. Be polite but be firm and you'll get it back.  We always do.

[taglovestocruise]

18 hours ago, Dons79 said:

 

what a great view

 

Is it better to be on a higher or lower level?

 

It is a great view, but it is missing the giant purple slide that blocks the view...

[DandDM]

4 hours ago, njkruzer said:

Done on some ships but you can request it be returned.  Sometimes you have to go to guest services and Sometimes they'll give it right back. Be polite but be firm and you'll get it back.  We always do.

Thanks!  Will know to hold my ground next time. When you mention going to GS for cards, is that on the first cruise, or on the next cruise after you’ve lost your cards?  Was thinking of getting copies early, just in case. 

[njkruzer]

7 minutes ago, DandDM said:

Thanks!  Will know to hold my ground next time. When you mention going to GS for cards, is that on the first cruise, or on the next cruise after you’ve lost your cards?  Was thinking of getting copies early, just in case. 

After they took your card after first cruise.  Usually if they try to take your card and you object they give in and return it you almost immediately after logging you off 1st cruise. 

[bonsai3s]

7 hours ago, DandDM said:

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but also don't want to start another...

 

On our last B2B (Symphony in Sept), we stayed on the ship and disembarked/boarded with the other B2B passengers.  While we were disembarking, a worker took our sea pass cards when they scanned us off the ship.

 

Is this usual?  I have a collection of all of our other cruise cards and was disappointed to lose that one; we have another B2B booked on Navigator next month and would like to keep the keys, if possible.

 

Thoughts?

 

Thanks

On the Navigator, they will tell you that they will take the seapass cards on turnaround day...they will also tell you that you can get them back at guest services, anytime during the second sailing. Happy sailing!

[Surfguyxxx]

On 1/18/2022 at 1:21 AM, bonsai3s said:

On the Navigator, they will tell you that they will take the seapass cards on turnaround day...they will also tell you that you can get them back at guest services, anytime during the second sailing. Happy sailing!

I've never had this happen to me before on my 5 B2B cruises.  I actually leave today on Freedom OTS and will let you know.  We're doing a 3 nighter and a 4 nighter.  Happy Sailings!!!

[Morecruisesplz]

On 1/16/2022 at 10:48 PM, Dons79 said:

 

what a great view

 

Is it better to be on a higher or lower level?

 

Deck 10 on Symphony. Minor obstructed view deal priced.

[DandDM]

I've got another B2B question...under the current COVID protocols, are we allowed to spend the day ashore?  We did this pre-covid, but thinking back about our experience in Sept, don't recall seeing that as an option.  Of course, since we were not planning to do that, maybe just overlooked it.

 

Thought it would be fun to tour the USS Ohio in San Pedro while in port.

 

Cheers,

[brillohead]

36 minutes ago, DandDM said:

I've got another B2B question...under the current COVID protocols, are we allowed to spend the day ashore?  We did this pre-covid, but thinking back about our experience in Sept, don't recall seeing that as an option.  Of course, since we were not planning to do that, maybe just overlooked it.

 

Thought it would be fun to tour the USS Ohio in San Pedro while in port.

 

Cheers,

I think you mean the USS Iowa.  You can walk there from the terminal. It looked like they were making people take a COVID test there in the parking lot to get on the Iowa -- I don't know if your test from Navigator the day before will work.  (I linked their website in the USS Iowa above, that might tell you.)

Yes, you can get off the ship in San Pedro, you just have to request an "in transit" card and get your new Seapass before leaving the ship.  You're not allowed to reboard until they start boarding the next cruise, though, so don't get off too early.

 

 

As for getting/keeping your old card, they didn't actually collect them from us on Navigator this week, even though they said they would.  Last month on Allure, they did collect them, and I went to Guest Services that same day and requested mine to be returned.  It took a minute for the GS rep to find it in the back, but he did return it to me.  

Their reasoning for taking them was silly, IMO.  They said that it was too much of a problem with people trying to ding back on board with their old card, so they confiscate the old card so you can only use the new card to come back on.  I know the general public is pretty stupid, but if you can't keep track of your old vs new card for 15 minutes, you have no business being out in public anyway!

[DandDM]

1 hour ago, brillohead said:

I think you mean the USS Iowa.  You can walk there from the terminal. It looked like they were making people take a COVID test there in the parking lot to get on the Iowa -- I don't know if your test from Navigator the day before will work.  (I linked their website in the USS Iowa above, that might tell you.)

Yes, you can get off the ship in San Pedro, you just have to request an "in transit" card and get your new Seapass before leaving the ship.  You're not allowed to reboard until they start boarding the next cruise, though, so don't get off too early.

 

Thanks!  This is great info (including the correct ship name).  Will do additional research on the Iowa requirements before we get there.

 

Cheers,