Question About HAL B2B

[m8zenblue]

We are long time X cruisers and are considering HAL FOR NEXT CRUISE.

we noticed a lot of HAL cruises start in Fort Lauderdale, return to Fort Lauderdale and start agin for 2nd leg. 

How does it work with those type of cruises when it returns ?

Do you leave ship and re-embark ?

What is the procedure, Thanx. 

[Ipeeinthepools]

Same procedure as Celebrity.  You get off the ship, get cleared by Customs and get back on the ship.  However, there may be two differences.  First, it appears that HAL recognizes your entire journey when you check in initially.  If you stay in the same cabin, your room key will probably be good for the entire voyage.  The dates on your card should reflect the entire journey.  Second it appears that your onboard account may be connected through the entire voyage.  OBC appears to be good on either leg and you get one bill at the end. 

 

If you are talking about the combined voyages, one thing that irritates me is that HAL appears to have a more limited selection of cabins for those combined voyages.  For example for a cruise I just booked on the Rotterdam, I could only book a couple connecting cabins for the combined voyage even though there were plenty of cabins open for both legs.  HAL's representatives refused to budge and would only permit me to book those cabins.  If wanted other cabins, I would have to book the two legs independently at a slightly higher cost.  When I booked another cruise onboard, I didn't have this problem.  At least that was my experience.   

[FOPMan]

You do not need to repack your belongings. If you are changing staterooms, ship’s staff will help change the drawers between cabins.

 

You will be required to at least briefly get off the ship with your passport and boarding documents. In transit passengers will rendezvous at the theater or another location specified by the ship on turn-around day. Ship’s staff march all in transit passengers off the ship to the first floor of the passenger facility and scan all passports You are then free to reboard or stay ashore.

 

The process is pretty efficient unless there is a straggler. Everyone has to be together for the entirety of the process.

Edited April 13, 2023 by FOPMan

[saturn93]

I was just on a B2B in Fort Lauderdale on the Nieuw Statendam. While everyone else is exiting the ship, we were sent to the World Stage until everyone is off.  Then we go down to the terminal to go through customs, and then wait a few minutes until the ship is ready for re-entry.  Once ready, everyone can go back on board.

[CruiserBruce]

Common practice now is NOT to have to disembark, but not every time...just meet somewhere on board for Immigration clearance (not Customs). Takes 30 or so minutes.

 

You may also go ashore right away, for excursions, or to tour on your own.

[Ipeeinthepools]

36 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Common practice now is NOT to have to disembark, but not every time...just meet somewhere on board for Immigration clearance (not Customs). Takes 30 or so minutes.

 

You may also go ashore right away, for excursions, or to tour on your own.

 

This wasn't the case on the Rotterdam in February.  Everyone got off the ship, went through Immigration and when everyone was off the ship, then we re-boarded.  Clearance was done with facial recognition, so the act of going through Immigration only took 2 seconds but we were tied up for almost two hours until we could get everyone in the theatre, walk off the ship and then back on the ship.

[Quo Vadis?]

52 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Common practice now is NOT to have to disembark, but not every time...just meet somewhere on board for Immigration clearance (not Customs). Takes 30 or so minutes.

 

You may also go ashore right away, for excursions, or to tour on your own.

It depends on the port.  Port Everglades required us to disembark for facial recognition every time Nov-Jan.  We did 7 B2B on N Statendam.  The amazing experience was the number of loyal cruisers showing up in the theatre: up to 800 people having to go through this process.

[m8zenblue]

Thank you everyone who responded !

We were pretty sure it would be about the same as X.

On our last X cruise B2B in November, 2022, there were about 30 people and we all waited in the MDR, great breakfast and then we were all escorted through customs and back on ship, it took about 30 minutes !

[CruiserBruce]

14 minutes ago, m8zenblue said:

Thank you everyone who responded !

We were pretty sure it would be about the same as X.

On our last X cruise B2B in November, 2022, there were about 30 people and we all waited in the MDR, great breakfast and then we were all escorted through customs and back on ship, it took about 30 minutes !

Its the same or similar because Immigration agencies require certain activities in the US. These procedures are not usually required outside of the US.

[OlsSalt]

2 hours ago, FOPMan said:

You do not need to repack your belongings. If you are changing staterooms, ship’s staff will help change the drawers between cabins.

 

 

CHANGING CABINS ON A B2B: Your description was exactly what we also recently experienced.

 

However, we did pack up the drawers and cabin/bathroom loose ends in our suitcases, which we left in the old cabin but with our new cabin luggage tags. Crews moved everything hanging in the closets, and all was waiting for us after we got our new cruise card for that new cabin.