How Does a Back to Back Work?

[orville99]

13 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

We're rolling the dice on both halves of our July B2B plus we have RoyalUp bids in for both halves...

,,,but I'm a gambler. 🤞

 

Joking aside, we expect to have to move obviously and aren't too concerned about it. I fully understand why many would want to stay in the same cabin though.

We are in the same boat (pun thoroughly intended) - we are doing a B3B in July and have RoyalUp bids in on all three legs.😵

[ace2542]

On 6/14/2022 at 12:40 AM, alohayall said:

Typically, when the first cruise is over, you meet in a designated area (or wait in your cabin, whichever they tell you). As a group, all B2B cruisers exit the ship, go through Customs and then check in for the new cruise before arriving passengers are processed. You return to the ship and enjoy the empty space (like pool area) before the masses board.

 

Definitely easier to keep the same cabin, but your room steward will be very helpful if you do have to move. (All this while turning over all their assigned cabins.  What sports these hard workers are.)

 

(Testing rules are only as certain as what they announce for your cruise.  Most cruise lines have tested B2B cruisers onboard before the end of the cruise, before the next leg.)

Are you not checked in for the entire duration of the stay if you can get the same cabin that is?

[mets123]

No. You are just checked in for one cruise at a time even if you're in the same vabin. RCL  has to get the passenger count down to zero each cruise to prove the ship is empty.

 

[firefly333]

3 hours ago, ace2542 said:

So you weren't tested for 3 of the 4 legs?

I pretested 2 days before I boarded may 4th, bit not after that. More than one couple did the same 4 legs. I needed 38 pts plus sept to hit 340 pts and admit that's why I booked these legs. .. not for the ship. A couple days after I boarded word was here on cc and the diamond ambassador got a email and announced no more testing for b2bs unless you werent vaccinated. The young kids still went with their parents. Once you board no more testing unless you ask and have symptoms. I dont think anyone of us ever felt sick. It was a relief.

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, ace2542 said:

Are you not checked in for the entire duration of the stay if you can get the same cabin that is?

I was walked off 3 different routes. The lady said the cdc determined the routes. Wasnt the smoothest. Computers wouldnt load the manifest the first turn around. Supposedly Galveston has face recognition and when I get off .. no passport needed, but needed last 2 times to walk to customs to show my passport. Maybe by now they got grandeur turn around smoother. First one we couldnt reboard until almost 11 am because of the computer glitch. 

 

We went to the check in counter after we went to customs and checked in like before except they asked us if our health changed. B2b you can no longer do health questionnaire its blocked. They ask you if anything changed verbally when they check you in. We got our cards and a in transit card then. 

[OCSC Mike]

2 hours ago, orville99 said:

We are in the same boat (pun thoroughly intended) - we are doing a B3B in July and have RoyalUp bids in on all three legs.😵

 

🤞 for both of us then!

[brillohead]

5 hours ago, KATHYMAC68 said:

So I will have to get off the ship and go through the whole check in process?

someone had mentioned that they met in a lounge and someone came to give them their new cards and check passports. That doesn’t happen?

I've done B2Bs in California, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale since the restart.  

In each case, we met at a lounge (typically the one above the theater, or even the theater itself) around 9am.  In some cases they just had us sit down and they came around to us, in some cases we had to wait in line as we entered.  They gave us the envelope with our new room cards, and we waited around until the rest of the passengers were off the ship.  Some ships needed to retake pics of our passports and vaccination cards and some didn't -- Royal's IT department is as efficient as always.

When the time came, we all lined up and got off the ship, using our old card to "bing" off.  (Some ships "confiscate" your card at this point and you have to go to Guest Services to retrieve it later -- absolutely stupid procedure and one I hope they do away with fleetwide.) Depending on the port, we had to show our passport/docs to a CBP agent, or utilize the facial recognition portal.  Then we would wait around for a few minutes (5-30, depending on the cruise) before being escorted back to the ship, at which point you "bing" on with your new card. 

You don't have to go through the typical check-in process of waiting in line with everyone else -- you never even go to that part of the terminal.  And you're the first ones onto the ship for the next leg.  

Do make sure that you complete the online check-in process for each leg of your cruise, though -- that will help on turn-around, because they'll have to enter all that information, contact info, emergency contact person, credit card info, all of that, if you didn't do it in advance.

[c-leg5]

3 hours ago, firefly333 said:

The lady said the cdc determined the routes.

Are you sure it wasn’t CBP?

[Rogueperson]

On 6/13/2022 at 7:13 PM, KATHYMAC68 said:

I have a cruise booked on Adventure in Oct to Canada/New England.

I just saw a 5 night to Bermuda on the same ship right before my CNE.

Do I need another PCR test for the second cruise?

If yes, how do I get that done?

Do I have to take all my luggage off the ship and go through check in again if it’s a different room booked?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

I'm doing the same thing on Adventure in September.  Bermuda first, then Canada/New England!  Also my first B2B

[KATHYMAC68]

8 hours ago, brillohead said:

I've done B2Bs in California, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale since the restart.  

In each case, we met at a lounge (typically the one above the theater, or even the theater itself) around 9am.  In some cases they just had us sit down and they came around to us, in some cases we had to wait in line as we entered.  They gave us the envelope with our new room cards, and we waited around until the rest of the passengers were off the ship.  Some ships needed to retake pics of our passports and vaccination cards and some didn't -- Royal's IT department is as efficient as always.

When the time came, we all lined up and got off the ship, using our old card to "bing" off.  (Some ships "confiscate" your card at this point and you have to go to Guest Services to retrieve it later -- absolutely stupid procedure and one I hope they do away with fleetwide.) Depending on the port, we had to show our passport/docs to a CBP agent, or utilize the facial recognition portal.  Then we would wait around for a few minutes (5-30, depending on the cruise) before being escorted back to the ship, at which point you "bing" on with your new card. 

You don't have to go through the typical check-in process of waiting in line with everyone else -- you never even go to that part of the terminal.  And you're the first ones onto the ship for the next leg.  

Do make sure that you complete the online check-in process for each leg of your cruise, though -- that will help on turn-around, because they'll have to enter all that information, contact info, emergency contact person, credit card info, all of that, if you didn't do it in advance.

Excellent information! Thank you so much!

[KATHYMAC68]

2 hours ago, Rogueperson said:

 

I'm doing the same thing on Adventure in September.  Bermuda first, then Canada/New England!  Also my first B2B

I hope you will post a review while you’re there. I’m doing the same, Bermuda then Canada/New England.

Any excursions booked yet?

 

[D4]

15 hours ago, KATHYMAC68 said:

So I will have to get off the ship and go through the whole check in process?

someone had mentioned that they met in a lounge and someone came to give them their new cards and check passports. That doesn’t happen?

On every B2B we've done on Royal and other cruise lines, all the B2B people are told to meet in a specific room at a specific time.  After everyone else has left the ship, they bring the B2B people off the ship, guide you through Customs, and  right back on the ship before the new passengers start boarding.

 

I've read that sometimes the Customs people board the ship and go to the B2B meeting room, but we haven't experienced that.

 

Pre-Covid, you could go back to your cabin before other passengers could access them, but they're often doing special cleaning in the hallways now and you may not be able to access your cabin until everyone can.

 

Be sure to go to Guest Services early in your first cruise to make sure you're on their B2B list.

 

B2Bs are the best!

[Rogueperson]

3 hours ago, KATHYMAC68 said:

I hope you will post a review while you’re there. I’m doing the same, Bermuda then Canada/New England.

Any excursions booked yet?

 

I’ll do a live thread.  I enjoy those.

 

I do not have excursions planned exactly yet but i have a plan to visit Salem while in Boston, check out the with museum as well as hit a DDD restaurant and in town.  In Portland, i supposedly meeting up a friend but we haven’t finalized anything yet.  Other ports are wide open.

[mets123]

There's a great dad spot in Boston about 3 blocks from the pier. It has great lobster Mac and cheese. In Portland, another great ddd spot is Beckys Diner. Just a basic diner with great lobster dishes and seafood chowder.

[Rogueperson]

6 hours ago, mets123 said:

There's a great dad spot in Boston about 3 blocks from the pier. It has great lobster Mac and cheese. In Portland, another great ddd spot is Beckys Diner. Just a basic diner with great lobster dishes and seafood chowder.

 

Looking at the Lobster Shanty which is less than 1/2 mile away from the Salem Witch Museum.

[KATHYMAC68]

11 hours ago, Rogueperson said:

I’ll do a live thread.  I enjoy those.

 

I do not have excursions planned exactly yet but i have a plan to visit Salem while in Boston, check out the with museum as well as hit a DDD restaurant and in town.  In Portland, i supposedly meeting up a friend but we haven’t finalized anything yet.  Other ports are wide open.

We go to Boston twice a year. Love it up there! We will do the discover Cape Cod tour when we go on the cruise. 
You will love Salem. Delicious hot dogs at the Boston Hot Dog Co. it’s right in Salem on Washington St.

[rolloman]

I did find out something today which has not been discussed. In my case I am cruising solo for the first leg and then family joining for the second leg.  While going through the booking process (even though I found the same cabin available for both legs) Royal would not allow me to book due to their occupancy requirements. Therefore, I had to book a standard 2-person cabin for the solo portion and then book a triple cabin for leg number 2. Fortunately, I was able to find two cabins literally right next to each other which satisfied the requirement.  Hopefully the people leave early and with coordination with my room steward, I can move my stuff myself. 

[maggie416]

On our back to back we didn’t need to leave the ship. We assembled in one of the lounges and customs came there and checked our documents, we were issued a new sea pass card and off to went to an empty ship!

Marg

[rolloman]

33 minutes ago, maggie416 said:

On our back to back we didn’t need to leave the ship. We assembled in one of the lounges and customs came there and checked our documents, we were issued a new sea pass card and off to went to an empty ship!

Marg

Do you remember about what time you assembled? I assume the out of the cabin by 8:30 applies to everyone including B to B cruisers

 

[njkruzer]

16 minutes ago, rolloman said:

Do you remember about what time you assembled? I assume the out of the cabin by 8:30 applies to everyone including B to B cruisers

 

On our April TA Jewel it was closer to 9:30.  Of course breakfast was earlier. 

[brillohead]

42 minutes ago, rolloman said:

Do you remember about what time you assembled? I assume the out of the cabin by 8:30 applies to everyone including B to B cruisers

 

When I have the same room, I tell my stateroom attendant that I don't need my room serviced on Turn Around Day morning.  I just leave my Do Not Disturb magnet on the door.  No need to be out of the room until it's time to go to the official meeting.  

[brillohead]

1 hour ago, maggie416 said:

On our back to back we didn’t need to leave the ship. We assembled in one of the lounges and customs came there and checked our documents, we were issued a new sea pass card and off to went to an empty ship!

Marg

Was this out of Puerto Rico, or Europe?  

Because I never seem to hear of this for cruises from CONUS.

[njkruzer]

1 hour ago, brillohead said:

Was this out of Puerto Rico, or Europe?  

Because I never seem to hear of this for cruises from CONUS.

Not sure what CONUS stands for but once in San Juan and once in Cape Liberty. 

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, njkruzer said:

Not sure what CONUS stands for but once in San Juan and once in Cape Liberty. 

CONUS = Continental US. 

[njkruzer]

12 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

CONUS = Continental US. 

Thanks.  Makes sense just never saw it that way.