Back to back luggage question

[ltthib]

Sorry if this has been answered but a search for me was unsuccessful. We are doing a b2b on the Caribbean Princess next month with an excursion in Ft Lauderdale between cruises. We will be changing cabins. Will our luggage be moved for us or will we need to figure it out for ourselves?

Thanks for any info, long time Princess cruisers but first b2b ever. 
Thanks again. 

[Mike45LC]

When I had a BtoB with a cabin change, I packed up everything from the closet, rolled the suitcase to the new cabin and unloaded into the new closet.  I then went back to the first cabin and packed everything from the dressers.  ...  I did a careful move keeping everything in the same location, so that the new cabin was still set up the same way.  Several trips between the cabins, but with empty hallways.  

 

I didn't get off the ship (also in Ft. Lauderdale) at all, and I did not want or receive any help from the crew.

 

Being on an almost empty ship, except for a couple of dozen in-transit passengers, was a delight!

 

[Bgwest]

We've done exactly what @Mike45LC suggests. I always prefer to keep 100% control of our stuff. 

 

Alternatively, the crew will move everything for you from one cabin to another. They just ask that you do a bit of organizing of your stuff. I never heard of any issues with doing it this way but unless we are planning to be off the ship on turn around day, we will continue to do it ourselves. 

[cr8tiv1]

What time is your excursions?  If you are not there to supervise the move or not doing it yourself, it is best to pack up everything and have it ready in your room for the crew to move it to you new cabin.

 

Remember....you need to be out of your old cabin by 8 and won't be in your new cabin until after 12.  

 

The only time I did a b2b with a cabin change, I was able to move all of my things from one deck to the other before 10 AM (before I was required to do intransit walk through terminal).  It worked out really well that my new cabin was cleaned and ready for me to move in early.

[beg3yrs]

You're on an excursion so it's likely you won't be supervising your move. Regardless, the housekeeping supervisor, your old steward and new steward (they're not always different) will work with you to make this relatively painless.

 

We've always been able to leave our hanging stuff, stewards will take them on a hangar trolley along with your suitcases to the new cabin. Your hanging stuff will magically appear in the closet in your new cabin.

 

I've heard that for some cabins you can leave your stuff in drawers and the stewards will just move the drawers. Of course that's if you have compatible cabins. We've done cabin transfers multiple times and never had that convenience.

 

We found that packing up is actually quite simple. Realize you're not packing for travel so it's different. We simply start at one end of the cabin and just put stuff in suitcases by area. That way when you unpack a suitcase you don't have to reorganize things and you aren't moving things very far in the new cabin. For example, one suitcase starts with bathroom items and non-hanging closet items. If there's more room, move to the next closest area in the cabin.

 

Typically DW and I work from opposite ends of the cabin so we're not running into each other. Easy peasy and unpacking is just done in reverse.

[skynight]

Speak with your current and new cabin stewards in advance. Follow their advice. As long as you have time it is best to carry your valuables and place them into your new cabin's safe. Remember to keep your IDs and passports with you. You will require them to clear immigration when you exit the ship to board your excursion. Your cabin steward will probably ask you to keep all the items that you have hanging in the closet on hangers. These will be moved on hangers to your new cabin and be hung in the closet. Other items need to be packed into the suitcase. The staff will move them to the new cabin, or if you have time you can wheel them there yourself. Your excursion meeting time will probably be fairly early as Princess likes to clear the ship as quickly as possible. You probably will not have much time for a leisurely breakfast.  

[SCX22]

Cross you fingers that the cabin you will be occupying on the 2nd leg has no occupants on the 1st leg.  Pre-pandemic we did a B2B ex Barcelona.  The night before the change, we went to Guest Services to inquire about our move and was told that no one was in the mini-suite that we would be occupying on the 2nd leg.  Guest Services allowed us to move the night before.  Worse comes to worse, cross your fingers that the previous occupants vacate cabin early so the cabin steward can clean and setup your cabin for you sooner rather than later.

 

Are you planning on clearing immigration with the rest of the B2Bs as a group or with the disembarking passengers?  If clearing with the rest of the B2Bs, there's a slight chance that you will be able to supervise the move.  The meeting time for B2Bs clearing immigration as a group is between 9:30 and 10:00 am.  The new cabin steward might be able to refresh and ready your new cabin by 9:00.

 

Did you book your Fort Lauderdale excursion on your own?  I was under the impression that the debark excursions in Fort Lauderdale dropped off at the airport upon completion.

[ltthib]

It’s a Princess excursion. Some will be dropped at the airport afterwards. We will be returning to the pier. Was worried that we’d have to find somewhere to stash the luggage while on the excursion but it appears that won’t be the case. 

[QuilterGirl]

We had a B2B with room change on the Royal earlier this month - our first time in this situation.  We had checked twice in advance with GS about the procedure and our room change seemed to be a surprise to them both times.  We also informed our steward, who said his supervisor would take care of it.  On departure day, we were all packed, had breakfast, and were in our old room at 8:20, ready to move.... time passed.... we mentioned this move to our steward again.  He was surprised to see us still there.  The steward contacted his supervisor again; the supe eventually came (at 9:30), but without a trolley.  He went back to somewhere to get one.  We took one trip to the new room with the supervisor, with suitcases, then the supervisor came back to get the hanging items.

 

We figure there must have been some scurrying around to get the new room prepped after the supervisor was notified, and that's what caused the delay... maybe.  All in all, hope it goes more smoothly for you!

 

Suggestions:  Bring a large (but easily foldable) tote bag or two to use for moving shoes and other bulky items.  And it's a great time to use the self-serve laundromat!  (You can peek in other classes of cabins and check them out while going back and forth.)

[wcflats]

Going on Caribbean princess November 5.   Any other quilter folks on this trip?

[Reina del Mar]

It’s worth finding the steward of your second cabin during the first week and explaining you will be moving to his section. He might be prepared to ‘do’ your new cabin as one of the first cleans to allow you to settle in.

 

We have only had to change cabins once..packed everything in cases ready for first steward to move…he didn’t do it quickly enough for us and cabin door left open to anyone walking the hallway.  We decided to take the suitcases ourselves as there was no sign of steward. New steward was cross with first steward for not sorting our bags straight away.

 

We have done a Princess excursion between back to backs to see alligators..Flamingo Park rings a bell..bit underwhelming but something to do and an expensive way of using our OBC. They dropped us back to Port Everglades and we just used our ‘In transit’ cards to walk straight onboard.

[skynight]

10 hours ago, wcflats said:

Going on Caribbean princess November 5.   Any other quilter folks on this trip?

You are on the wrong thread. Here is your roll call. 

 

[leaneff]

On 9/28/2023 at 3:26 PM, skynight said:

Speak with your current and new cabin stewards in advance. Follow their advice. As long as you have time it is best to carry your valuables and place them into your new cabin's safe. Remember to keep your IDs and passports with you. You will require them to clear immigration when you exit the ship to board your excursion. Your cabin steward will probably ask you to keep all the items that you have hanging in the closet on hangers. These will be moved on hangers to your new cabin and be hung in the closet. Other items need to be packed into the suitcase. The staff will move them to the new cabin, or if you have time you can wheel them there yourself. Your excursion meeting time will probably be fairly early as Princess likes to clear the ship as quickly as possible. You probably will not have much time for a leisurely breakfast.  

On our last B2B, the cabin we were moving in was not available to move our things into the safe before our 9am excursion.  The couple who were to vacate the room had not left, and the room steward was unable to do anything about it.  Clearly, they were breaking the rules about when the rooms are to be vacated.  We found our new room steward, explained the situation to her, and told her we had items that MUST be left in a safe for the day.  She assured us she would move all our items on the cart and the luggage we had packed while we were out, and was able to find us an empty cabin to use the safe for that day.  I had asked about using the ship safe for the day, but the process was quite long and involved, and seemed extremely difficult, having to itemize each and every item you are putting into the ship safe.  This was the Sapphire.  Do not leave any valuables to be moved for you, and if you can not get into the new room to use that safe, talk to the steward, explain the situation and ask for assistance!

 

[UT-Volsfan]

When we have done it, we have received instructions for the move on board about same time luggage tags are distributed to departing guests.

We were told the cabin steward supervisor would come by between 0800 and 0830 with a carry and move us to our new room. Anything on hangers would be moved that way and hung in your new closet. Remaining loose items we were asked to place in our bags (packing cubes are handy to keep items sorted) and moved on the cart. Our move was completed very quickly and we left the ship to explore the port while folks were still departing.

 

They should also set your new cabins to respond to your medallions.

 

You will also receive an In Transit Passenger card.  This allows you to reboard the ship at any time (no waiting to reboard with the new passengers).

[c-boy]

13 hours ago, leaneff said:

On our last B2B, the cabin we were moving in was not available to move our things into the safe before our 9am excursion.  The couple who were to vacate the room had not left, and the room steward was unable to do anything about it.  Clearly, they were breaking the rules about when the rooms are to be vacated.  We found our new room steward, explained the situation to her, and told her we had items that MUST be left in a safe for the day.  She assured us she would move all our items on the cart and the luggage we had packed while we were out, and was able to find us an empty cabin to use the safe for that day.  I had asked about using the ship safe for the day, but the process was quite long and involved, and seemed extremely difficult, having to itemize each and every item you are putting into the ship safe.  This was the Sapphire.  Do not leave any valuables to be moved for you, and if you can not get into the new room to use that safe, talk to the steward, explain the situation and ask for assistance!

 

I/we have filled out a content/declaration form, it is comprehensive and time consuming. I assume there's a reason for this, in any case we were glad to leave valuables in their care instead of the room safe.