B2B2B - two combined and one separate in app

[lstone19]

I've read here before (but can't find right now) that when you are booked on a B2B on separate reservations, the Princess app combines it into one cruise. Well, maybe.

 

We recently took a move over offer allowing a replacement up to 30 nights or two 15 night cruises. Decided to do four weeks next spring on Sun Princess - that's 1-1/3 of its 21-night rotation in the Med. Due to how it is marketed, that was done as two 14-night cruises B2B (Barcelona to Athens and then Athens to Rome). App combined them into one as expected. As this starts with its first cruise in the Med next spring, we decided to add its TA from Fort Lauderdale. But paying for this one. Initially it appeared separately in the app, then for about 1-1/2 days, they combined into one 42 night cruise, then went back to being separate. Hmmmm.

 

Factors that might play into this:

First, both the TA for next year and the original cruised we moved off of this year were booked as DF guarantees (choosing a cabin is not an option for the fare we are on). When the move over bookings were done, rather than still being a DF guarantee, we were given confirmed DE rooms. But different ones for the two segments due to how Princess divides up the ship for the multiple ways Med cruises can be booked, So likely two room moves - one every 14 nights (TA is supposed to be seeing if they can eliminate at least one of the moves). Second, this year's was booked with Princess Premier which carried over to the replacement cruises. The TA was booked Standard. Not sure if either of these is preventing the app from keeping them combined (particularly as I've heard of the app combining cruises on different ships).

 

Granted, this is 10 months away but I am wondering if when we board the TA, since the app is currently showing these as two separate cruises, will they know we stay on at Barcelona (but since the TA starts with eight sea days, plenty of time to deal with it on board).

 

Also wondering about medallions. Prior to booking the TA, I had already placed the medallion order for the Med part. After booking the TA, I received an email that the medallion order had been cancelled "at my request" (NOT) which is when I noticed that the TA had been combined with the other two only to be split again 1-1/2 days later. So I'm guessing I will eventually have to do two medallion orders (one for the TA and one for the rest) and do the one for the rest for port pickup since we'll be long gone by the time they would mail them.

 

A concern I have with all this is shore excursions - particularly at Barcelona where we will want to do something and the last thing I want is for them to tell us due to how it's booked we need to go check-in on shore (note the TA can be booked as 14 nights to Barcelona and 21 nights to Rome so for some people on the ship, Barcelona will be a normal port day - it is not a day where they are expecting almost everyone to turn over).

 

Anyway, as I said, plenty of time both ahead of all this and once on the TA to make sure everything is correct. But also open to any thoughts.

[SCX22]

6 minutes ago, lstone19 said:

Granted, this is 10 months away but I am wondering if when we board the TA, since the app is currently showing these as two separate cruises, will they know we stay on at Barcelona (but since the TA starts with eight sea days, plenty of time to deal with it on board).

Princess will know that you will be In Transit when in Barcelona.  People do B2Bs all the time.  It doesn't phase Princess one bit.

 

6 minutes ago, lstone19 said:

Also wondering about medallions. Prior to booking the TA, I had already placed the medallion order for the Med part. After booking the TA, I received an email that the medallion order had been cancelled "at my request" (NOT) which is when I noticed that the TA had been combined with the other two only to be split again 1-1/2 days later. So I'm guessing I will eventually have to do two medallion orders (one for the TA and one for the rest) and do the one for the rest for port pickup since we'll be long gone by the time they would mail them.

Theoretically, you will only be issued Medallions for the first segment.  That will be your Medallion for the entire 42 days on the Sun.  The question is whether the battery will last the entire 42 days.  In the battery dies, Guest Services can create a new Medallion for you, but the date engraved will be embarkation day of the first segment regardless of when you (if you) have it replaced.

 

9 minutes ago, lstone19 said:

A concern I have with all this is shore excursions - particularly at Barcelona where we will want to do something and the last thing I want is for them to tell us due to how it's booked we need to go check-in on shore (note the TA can be booked as 14 nights to Barcelona and 21 nights to Rome so for some people on the ship, Barcelona will be a normal port day - it is not a day where they are expecting almost everyone to turn over).

On the manifest, you will be listed as an In Transit passenger.  An In Transit card will be left in you cabin prior to arriving in Barcelona.  If any one at the terminal stops you once you arrive back from exploring Barcelona, you just flash your In Transit card and Medallion and you will be let through.  TBH, the only time where anyone's ever asked to see an In Transit card is for B2Bs that require a the ship to have a zero count before reboarding, in US ports.  

 

One thing to be mindful of are Princess shore excursions on turnaround day in Barcelona.  You'll have to pay attention if they are for disembarking passengers, meaning the excursion will end at the airport, OR for in transit passengers, meaning that the excursion will end back the cruise terminal.  While excursions for in transit guests are offered, sometimes they are cancelled due to lack of takers, and if there are few in transits to begin with, the likelihood of it being cancelled are high.  Just have plan B, just in case.

[lstone19]

2 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

Princess will know that you will be In Transit when in Barcelona.  People do B2Bs all the time.  It doesn't phase Princess one bit.

 

One thing to be mindful of are Princess shore excursions on turnaround day in Barcelona.  You'll have to pay attention if they are for disembarking passengers, meaning the excursion will end at the airport, OR for in transit passengers, meaning that the excursion will end back the cruise terminal.  While excursions for in transit guests are offered, sometimes they are cancelled due to lack of takers, and if there are few in transits to begin with, the likelihood of it being cancelled are high.  Just have plan B, just in case.

 

I'm aware that people do B2Bs all the time and had all three combined into one cruise in the app and stayed that way, I would not be concerned. It's that they combined for about 36 hours and the split again that has me concerned that something somewhere doesn't have it quite right.

 

Regarding what you say about the shore excursions is also a concern but obviously something to deal with when and if it happens. Our first choice Barcelona excursion is booked for our second time in Barcelona 21 days later.

[Torfamm]

I wouldn’t worry too much about how it shows in the app, but I have had a B2B in the past that somehow wasn’t noticed by Princess. I only found out by chance when they phoned about an upgrade bid being accepted the afternoon before we boarded. I asked if the same cabin would be available for both legs and the agent saw that it wasn’t noted that we had a B2B.
 

You can ask your TA confirm now that your reservations show as B2B in the system or wait and confirm onboard just to be certain. Odds are that it is all fine though.