Back to back room change

[Tinkrbell]

On a back to back cruise when you have to change cabins how does it work? We will have to change cabins in Barcelona. Do we do it or does the cruise staff move your things?

[MeHeartCruising]

Generally, the cabin steward will move your belongings.  Discuss the details with them, obviously.  Sometimes they will offer to move the clothing you have on hangers without you needing to take them off the hangers.  Sometimes they will ask you to re-pack everything.  I prefer to re-pack everything into my luggage and then just let them move the luggage.  But it's your call on that, usually.  I like it in the luggage and I put a new luggage tag on it with the new cabin number on it.  Just so it's less likely to get lost.  

[twangster]

Talk to your cabin attendant.  I also make a point of visiting the new cabin area when that cabin attendant is working and introducing myself.  

 

Most of my B2B have required packing everything but hanging clothes.  Once in a while you may hear a story of having to move everything yourself.  On one cruise the cabin attendants moved my stuff while another consecutive cruiser reported that he had to move all his own stuff so it's not entirely a ship thing, but can come down to the cabin attendants. 

 

One time the cabin I was moving into was empty during the first cruise so I made arrangements to move my own stuff early on turn around day.  I'm an early riser so I was unpacked in my new cabin before breakfast.  

[Tree_skier]

On Harmony I packed everything back into the suitcase except the hanging stuff.  They moved the hanging stuff the way it was.  this was what our cabin steward told us to do.  

[firefly333]

31 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

On Harmony I packed everything back into the suitcase except the hanging stuff.  They moved the hanging stuff the way it was.  this was what our cabin steward told us to do.  

My last one on harmony told me to pack all my stuff. No mention of not packing hanging stuff. Maybe they saw you had more stuff on hangers? 

[nelblu]

I'm on Utopia (PC) back top back and wondering how they handle Customs.  Is it done on board or do you get off and then back on again.

[handbellplayer]

We were on a B2B on Mariner (PC also).  They had us all wait in a lounge until all of the other passengers had cleared the ship.  We were escorted to the terminal where we were cleared through Customs/Immigration and then escorted immediately back on the ship.  Very quick and easy.

[cruisegirl1]

Towards the end of the cruise, you will receive printed detailed instructions of how to handle the back to back.  On the last day, you will meet with other back-to-back or in a predetermined time and location.   Sometimes we’ve been given our new keys then, and sometimes we’ve been given our new keys after clearing customs. Seems it is handled differently on different ships. There will also be instructions. Should you want to leave the ship during the day.  
 

You will need to repack everything in your drawers, vanity bathroom, etc. In most cases you can leave your hanging clothes in the closet. The room attendant can move your suitcases and the hanging clothes for you. 

As others have suggested, we speak to the new cabin attendant so that he/she can often get our room serviced first. Last back-to-back cruise, we simply walked our suitcases over to the new room and put them in the closet. And because we had some time before we had to be at the back-to-back meet up, we simply moved our hanging clothes as well.  It  took no more than five minutes. 
 

 

Your  process may be contrary, but in every back-to-back, I’ve done, I’ve had to physically walk off the ship walk through customs. We are held a little while (can be five minutes, or up to an hour,) and then we are brought right back on the ship.  We are right back onto the ship before anyone is allowed to board.  
 

it’s a very easy process, just follow the letter and follow the crowd and everything will work out smoothly. Most of our back-to-back have been in a US coastal port, and we have stayed on board. Our upcoming back to backs are in European port and I suspect we will get off the ship. 
 

Enjoy 

Edited March 20 by cruisegirl1

[Tree_skier]

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

My last one on harmony told me to pack all my stuff. No mention of not packing hanging stuff. Maybe they saw you had more stuff on hangers? 

It was our first back to back so I don't have any other experience.  I think he said I should pack all my stuff up and he would move it.  I asked if he meant the hanging stuff and he said "no leave that hanging I will move it". So his first comment was a little ambiguous.  

[sandebeach]

3 hours ago, cruisegirl1 said:

Towards the end of the cruise, you will receive printed detailed instructions of how to handle the back to back.  On the last day, you will meet with other back-to-back or in a predetermined time and location.   Sometimes we’ve been given our new keys then, and sometimes we’ve been given our new keys after clearing customs. Seems it is handled differently on different ships. There will also be instructions. Should you want to leave the ship during the day.  
 

You will need to repack everything in your drawers, vanity bathroom, etc. In most cases you can leave your hanging clothes in the closet. The room attendant can move your suitcases and the hanging clothes for you. 

As others have suggested, we speak to the new cabin attendant so that he/she can often get our room serviced first. Last back-to-back cruise, we simply walked our suitcases over to the new room and put them in the closet. And because we had some time before we had to be at the back-to-back meet up, we simply moved our hanging clothes as well.  It  took no more than five minutes. 
 

 

Your  process may be contrary, but in every back-to-back, I’ve done, I’ve had to physically walk off the ship walk through customs. We are held a little while (can be five minutes, or up to an hour,) and then we are brought right back on the ship.  We are right back onto the ship before anyone is allowed to board.  
 

it’s a very easy process, just follow the letter and follow the crowd and everything will work out smoothly. Most of our back-to-back have been in a US coastal port, and we have stayed on board. Our upcoming back to backs are in European port and I suspect we will get off the ship. 
 

Enjoy 

We did a back-to-back last year in Rome (Citivecchia). It was great! We were on Odyssey and went to the Sports Complex. The staff looked at our passports and gave us new cards and said OK, you are all done. I was so shocked, I am so use to US B2Bs where you have to get off the ship and clear Customs. 

[cruisegirl1]

8 minutes ago, sandebeach said:

We did a back-to-back last year in Rome (Citivecchia). It was great! We were on Odyssey and went to the Sports Complex. The staff looked at our passports and gave us new cards and said OK, you are all done. I was so shocked, I am so use to US B2Bs where you have to get off the ship and clear Customs. 

 

That is encouraging info.  We have a B2B in Southhampton and one in  Barcelona later this year.  We've done dozens, but they have all been in the US and we were required to get off the ship. 

 

Thanks. M

[RobInMN]

1 hour ago, sandebeach said:

We did a back-to-back last year in Rome (Citivecchia). It was great! We were on Odyssey and went to the Sports Complex. The staff looked at our passports and gave us new cards and said OK, you are all done. I was so shocked, I am so use to US B2Bs where you have to get off the ship and clear Customs. 

Jewel out of Amsterdam was similar. You reported to the theater. Went in one side, they gave you your new Seapass card, step up to the security kiosk they brought up from the gangway, scanned you out of the first cruise, into the new cruise, and sent you on your way out the other side.

[Tinkrbell]

Thanks everyone for the great info. I’m hoping it will be easy and we will still be able to have a great day in Barcelona 

 

[Tree_skier]

2 hours ago, sandebeach said:

We did a back-to-back last year in Rome (Citivecchia). It was great! We were on Odyssey and went to the Sports Complex. The staff looked at our passports and gave us new cards and said OK, you are all done. I was so shocked, I am so use to US B2Bs where you have to get off the ship and clear Customs. 

We didn't have to get off the ship in Galveston when we did our first B2B on Harmony.  We met in the comedy club and around 10:00 once the ship was zero'd a CBP agent came on quickly looked at our passports and we were off on our own.  It was great!

[ChittyChittyBangBang]

9 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

We didn't have to get off the ship in Galveston when we did our first B2B on Harmony.  We met in the comedy club and around 10:00 once the ship was zero'd a CBP agent came on quickly looked at our passports and we were off on our own.  It was great!

Nice! I'd heard that Galveston TX has a slightly different process! 🙂

[Jetdriver787]

We did a B2B in Barcelona last November (same suite.) We were very impressed with the setup which was done in the MDR by simply organising a short walkway through one door and out of the other. In between, we were ushered past a few tables where we were scanned off one cruise and then presented with our new cards. These were then scanned on to the new cruise. All took less than 2 minutes  and never had to get off at all.

 

In contrast we did a B2B in Barbados the previous year which wasn’t quite so seamless. In fairness the Lady “organising” it was new, and unfamiliar with the procedure. She was helped by a few more experienced colleagues who stopped it from being a complete shambles, but it did involve getting off the ship and reboarding in any event.

[sddsddean]

My only point to add is, don't forget the two cruises are totally seperate as far as RCI are concerned, so on the last night of your first cruise, check your bill to make sure its correct...it does not carry over to the next cruise.

As said, in the US, you have to get off the ship to go through Homeland. In Europe you usually just stay on the ship, get your new card given to you (sometimes on the last night), so you can go and explore if you want. In Barcelona, you used to get a card so you could jump the security line to get back on board...don't know if they still do. Also in Barcelona, there is a duty free shop after security, so you could buy a bottle or two and take it on the ship, as they don't have the scanners set up on the ship...just saying!

 

Simon

[cruisegirl1]

12 minutes ago, sddsddean said:

My only point to add is, don't forget the two cruises are totally seperate as far as RCI are concerned, so on the last night of your first cruise, check your bill to make sure its correct...it does not carry over to the next cruise.

As said, in the US, you have to get off the ship to go through Homeland. In Europe you usually just stay on the ship, get your new card given to you (sometimes on the last night), so you can go and explore if you want. In Barcelona, you used to get a card so you could jump the security line to get back on board...don't know if they still do. Also in Barcelona, there is a duty free shop after security, so you could buy a bottle or two and take it on the ship, as they don't have the scanners set up on the ship...just saying!

 

Simon

Thanks for the  reminder of the duty free shop at Barcelona. It has been a while since we cruised from there. 
m

[shirazcruiser]

The one time we didn’t have the same cabin on a B2B, we took a bunch of CVS type plastic bags to repack non-clothing items for moving. When I packed up a particular cabin or bathroom drawer in a bag, I didn’t have to think about organizing them in the next cabin since each bag was already sorted for a single drawer. 

[bonsai3s]

On 3/20/2024 at 6:00 PM, Jetdriver787 said:

We did a B2B in Barcelona last November (same suite.) We were very impressed with the setup which was done in the MDR by simply organising a short walkway through one door and out of the other. In between, we were ushered past a few tables where we were scanned off one cruise and then presented with our new cards. These were then scanned on to the new cruise. All took less than 2 minutes  and never had to get off at all.

 

 

@Jetdriver787This is spot on...we had exactly the same efficient, well organized, and speedy process on TAD in Barcelona...last year on the Symphony.

 

@TinkrbellAgree...just talk to your cabin steward and your belongings will be moved to your new cabin. Don't forget to empty your safe.

Enjoy Barcelona and Happy sailing!

[c-leg5]

Whilst many repeatedly say how easy it is to transfer belongings, my transfer wasn’t so easy and I “lost” three hanging items. 
 

I prefer to do B2B in the same cabin.
 

IF I was unable to book this at sometime in the future I would either pack my hanging items, or at least group them in a hanging garment carrier with a cabin label on them.