B2B Carnival Mardi Gras tips

[IntrepidFromDC]

This will be my first ever B2B cruise, and I'm hoping to get some lesser known tips from experienced B2B cruisers.  I already have the cruises "linked" at Carnival and was told by the rep that because I did so I won't have to get off the ship.  I've also heard between sailings, while everyone else is disembarking, is a good time to use the hot tub.  Any other tips?  TIA.

[robmill2]

When I did a b2b on mardi gras, on disembarkation day of the first leg, we met in the dining room. Once every passenger from the first sailing were disembarked, we were escorted off the ship thru customs and then escorted right back on.

[notscb]

7 minutes ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

while everyone else is disembarking, is a good time to use the hot tub. 

 

I don't think this is the pro tip. On debarkation morning, they've got most of the pool areas pretty locked down from my experience and memory- they even had a staff member shooing people away from the aft pool when we docked in December.

 

They'll leave you instructions, but usually they'll have you gather somewhere common (most lines use the theater for this) and wait until everyone is off the ship, at which point you'll be escorted off (in some cases), through customs and back onboard. Sometimes you'll get lucky and you'll be able to stay on, but it really depends on the decision customs makes.

 

edit: they want people off the ship, so they don't usually leave anything open they don't have to.

Edited January 15, 2023 by notscb
edit

[Jamman54]

21 minutes ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

This will be my first ever B2B cruise, and I'm hoping to get some lesser known tips from experienced B2B cruisers.  I already have the cruises "linked" at Carnival and was told by the rep that because I did so I won't have to get off the ship.  I've also heard between sailings, while everyone else is disembarking, is a good time to use the hot tub.  Any other tips?  TIA.

The cruises linked part is simply not true. All of our B2B cruises are linked. Linking just assures that the B2B information will be delivered to your cabin. On our Mardi Gras B2B we met in the midship restaurant and we were all led off the ship to customs,  and then right back on. We had the ship to ourselves for about an hour. All the bars and restaurants are closed until the new passengers are allowed on. You may or may not have the use of the pools and hot tubs. 😎

[Bandman]

We did a B2B on the MG last June, honestly, by the time they walk you off and send you through customs and get you back on the ship, boarding for the next cruise isn’t that far behind. When we got back on board we went straight to our muster station, then headed up to the buffet.  By the time we sat down with our food, new cruisers were already lining up for the buffet.

[WhiteOptima]

Since we had the same room we told our room steward to worry about the others first then do ours.  We went to breakfast then sat read on comfy chairs on lido until it was time to meet where we had champagne and breakfast items.  They took our picture, handed us our new cards, walked as a group off the ship then back on.  Depending on the timing of this they might be starting embarkation.  I went and enjoyed Serenity and hot tub by myself and DH went to sports bar as it was a Sunday.  We had friends who recently did on another cruise and did the same thing of hanging in the hot tubs.  All depends on effectively getting everyone else off because B2B’s I believe are last.

[TomCruise48]

Mardi Gras has so many food and entertainment options that you can't take them all in on a 7-day cruise.  That is a good reason for a B2B on an Excel class ship.  You are likely already aware of this since your signature shows that you cruised on this ship last year.

 

My tip is to have a 2-week plan for food and entertainment so that you dine everywhere you want and see all of the entertainment that you want.  On a B2B you have the chance to see a favorite show or eat in a favorite restaurant more than once.  If you are a big fan of comedy, you may want to concentrate heavily on comedy shows on the first leg hoping that there will be different comedians on the second leg.

 

As others have mentioned, whether or not you have to disembark between cruise is strictly up to CBP. We have taken several B2B's and have always had to disembark.  Once CBP met us at the top of the stairs in the terminal to look at our passports, and we immediately reboarded.  There were so many B2B's on our Mardi Gras cruise last year that it took a long time for everyone to clear customs.  The staff took us to the terminal before CBP was ready and we spent a lot of time standing in a line that did not move.

[Anyislandwilldo]

4 hours ago, WhiteOptima said:

Since we had the same room we told our room steward to worry about the others first then do ours.  We went to breakfast then sat read on comfy chairs on lido until it was time to meet where we had champagne and breakfast items.  They took our picture, handed us our new cards, walked as a group off the ship then back on.  Depending on the timing of this they might be starting embarkation.  I went and enjoyed Serenity and hot tub by myself and DH went to sports bar as it was a Sunday.  We had friends who recently did on another cruise and did the same thing of hanging in the hot tubs.  All depends on effectively getting everyone else off because B2B’s I believe are last.

We do the same.  Tell the steward to do ours last.  Also inform your steward that you will be doing a B2B so they don't pack up your stuff and ship it elsewhere.  If you  have assigned dining and like your table, ask the matire'd to assign you to the same table for the second leg of your cruise.

[TomCruise48]

47 minutes ago, Anyislandwilldo said:

We do the same.  Tell the steward to do ours last.  

We tell our stateroom steward not to clean our room at all on turnaround day since they are so busy.  If they know you are doing B2B in the same stateroom, they usually change the bed linens the day before so they don't need to do this on turnaround day.