Back-to-back cruises - MIAMI

[bluesea777]

We are planning to go on a cruise next year summer ... we find that 7 days ones are too short for our liking so we're deciding on a 10+ days cruise, and we might consider doing a couple of back-to-back cruises - total 14 days. Thinking about going on either RCI's Freedom or Liberty of the Seas.

 

I have a few questions about when ship returns to Miami the first time and I hope there is someone out there who has been on back to back cruises that can help!!

 

1) Can we stay in our cabin all day? (we'll certainly leave the cabin while it is being cleaned) Can we leave our stuff in there?

 

2) Can we stay on ship all day?

 

3) Can we get off ship for a bit and then rejoin the ship without having to re-check in? How easy is it to get back on ship?

 

4) Do we have to get off in order to re-check in for the 2nd cruise? (go thru Immigration and Customs - we are British passport holders)

 

5) is there a laundromat near where the ship docks in Miami? (so we can launder our clothes from the first cruise for the 2nd one!!)

 

Thanks!

[Chorts]

We did a b2B in May on Carnival Valor. We had to get off the ship and go through customs then were allowed to return immediately. Someone from the purser's office walked us all through it as a group. We had the same cabin so changing cabins was not a problem either. Not sure how other ships might do it but this was our experience.

 

You'll love the B2B experience. I know we sure did. We did the western Caribbean first then the eastern Caribbean so we had totally different ports. We even changed dining rooms just to experience different wait staff. Made it seem like a different cruise altogether. Well, actually it was :D . the only thing that remained the same was the fact that we had the same cabin and same cabin stewards. Go for it...you'll love it!

[abitaturbodog]

I just read on another thread about a couple who did B2B cruises on different cruise lines! The first week was on RCCL and the second week was on Carnival, both out of Miami.

 

I think it would be fun to do this!

[chasetf]

We have done B2Bs... comments are embedded.

We are planning to go on a cruise next year summer ... we find that 7 days ones are too short for our liking so we're deciding on a 10+ days cruise, and we might consider doing a couple of back-to-back cruises - total 14 days. Thinking about going on either RCI's Freedom or Liberty of the Seas. I have a few questions about when ship returns to Miami the first time and I hope there is someone out there who has been on back to back cruises that can help!!

 

1) Can we stay in our cabin all day? (we'll certainly leave the cabin while it is being cleaned) Can we leave our stuff in there?

If you have the same cabin you will not have to pack. If changing cabins then you should have some help from the crew moving. We did a B2B where we did have to change cabins. We packed the drawers into our suitcases and the crew came with a trolley to move our hanging clothes and take the suitcases. Worked out really well.

2) Can we stay on ship all day?

We were able to except when the escorted us off for immigration (without our bags). You will go through customs when disembarking after the second leg..

3) Can we get off ship for a bit and then rejoin the ship without having to re-check in? How easy is it to get back on ship?

Yes you can. You will get a new cruise card for the second leg that will have to be activated (with a new picture) just like when you boarded.

4) Do we have to get off in order to re-check in for the 2nd cruise? (go thru Immigration and Customs - we are British passport holders)

No. Your new cards for the second leg should be delivered to your stateroom the day before arriving at the end of the first leg. What you have to do for Immigration might be consistent with what we Americans had to do. They escorted us off the ship as a group after all the first leg passengers had departed. We went through immigration then reboarded the ship. After that you will be just another passenger who has checked in for the second cruise.

5) is there a laundromat near where the ship docks in Miami? (so we can launder our clothes from the first cruise for the 2nd one!!)

You mention RCI... you might check to see if they have onboard laundromats. We do mostly Princess and they do have coin operated washers and dryers for the passengers. We usually do laundry that day too because you do not have to wait for machines.

Thanks!

[wrp96]

Royal Caribbean does not have self-serve laundromats onboard so that isn't an option.

[Plant]

We do mostly Princess and they do have coin operated washers and dryers for the passengers. We usually do laundry that day too because you do not have to wait for machines.

 

 

I've heard that the laundries are not open while in port :confused: . Have they always been open on your B2B's?

 

Thanks,

[gumballz]

I just read on another thread about a couple who did B2B cruises on different cruise lines! The first week was on RCCL and the second week was on Carnival, both out of Miami.

 

I think it would be fun to do this!

 

We did a B2B on two different lines this past January......the first being Celebrity and the second was Carnival. It was great, except for one thing. No taxi drivers wanted to take us from one terminal to the other in Miami. We contacted a police officer and told him of our dilemma and he ended up having to MAKE a taxi driver take us. It was a mess, but we eventually got it taken care of. Had we not had so much luggage, we would have just walked. :rolleyes:

 

I thought I'd mention this for anyone considering a B2B on different lines. This could be an issue for you as well, so keep that in mind. Other than that, it was GREAT and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! :)

[hammybee]

RCL's Freedom does not have a self-serve laundry. I suspect the taxi to and from a laundry, in Miami, plus costs will be as much as using the ship's laundry. It will also save you the concern about locating a return taxi.

 

Here is a copy of a post that contains laundry charges:

 

SHIPBOARD LAUNDRY SERVICE

* All prices are in US. Dollars and are subject to change without notice.

 

MEN WOMEN

Shirt/T-Shirt: $2.50 Blouse: $3.50

Shirt (dress): $3.00 Dress (wash): $5.00

Underwear: $1.20 Skirt: $3.50

Jeans: $3.00 Nightgown: $3.00

Pajamas: $4.00 Swimsuit: $2.00

Handkerchif: $0.75 Slip: $2.50

Shorts: $2.50 Housecoat: $3.50

Bathrobe: $3.50 Hosiery: $3.50

Pants (wash): $3.50 Slacks: $3.50

Sweatshirt: $3.00

Socks: $1.00

PRESS ONLY - 50% of cleaning prices SHIPBOARD DRY CLEANING SERVICES * All prices are in US. Dollars and are subject to change without notice.

 

MEN WOMAN

Suit: $7.00 Evening Gown: $8.00

Pants: $4.25 Dress $7.00

Jacket: $4.50 Silk Blouse: $5:00

Sweater: $4.00 Silk Dress: $8.00

Coat: $7.00 Skirt $4.50

Tie: $2.00 Suit: $7.50

Shirt: $3.50 Blouse: $4.00

Shorts: $3.00 Scarf: $2.50

Vest $2.50

Silk Pajamas: $4.50

PRESS ONLY - 50% of cleaning prices.

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[RSGS315]

We did a B2B on two different lines this past January......the first being Celebrity and the second was Carnival. It was great, except for one thing. No taxi drivers wanted to take us from one terminal to the other in Miami. We contacted a police officer and told him of our dilemma and he ended up having to MAKE a taxi driver take us. It was a mess, but we eventually got it taken care of. Had we not had so much luggage, we would have just walked. :rolleyes:

 

I thought I'd mention this for anyone considering a B2B on different lines. This could be an issue for you as well, so keep that in mind. Other than that, it was GREAT and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! :)

 

We did a B2B on 2 different cruise lines a few years ago.

We had no problem finding a taxi to take us to the other pier, as my husband was holding a $20.00 bill in his hand waving a cab. The driver was more than happy to take us to the other pier.

Ginnie

[LHP]

We did a B2B on two different lines this past January......the first being Celebrity and the second was Carnival. It was great, except for one thing. No taxi drivers wanted to take us from one terminal to the other in Miami. We contacted a police officer and told him of our dilemma and he ended up having to MAKE a taxi driver take us. It was a mess, but we eventually got it taken care of. Had we not had so much luggage, we would have just walked. :rolleyes:

 

I thought I'd mention this for anyone considering a B2B on different lines. This could be an issue for you as well, so keep that in mind. Other than that, it was GREAT and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! :)

 

Thanks for that tip.....I would have never thought about that!!

[kitty9]

There are no self service laundries anywhere near the terminal in Miami. You will have problems in many ways trying to do your laundry off the ship. First you have to find one and may I add, you have to find one in a SAFE area (there are many areas in Miami that are very unsafe). You have to find a way to get to and from the laundry area and getting taxis from a laundry back to the ship could be impossible---laundries aren't in taxi areas.

 

RCCI and Celebrity don't have laundries on their ships. BUT, you can send your things out to be laundered, and it's relatively inexpensive. When you consider the hassle of trying to find a laundry in port, the time and hassle of getting there and back, the ship's laundry service would probably the best idea.

[gumballz]

We did a B2B on 2 different cruise lines a few years ago.

We had no problem finding a taxi to take us to the other pier, as my husband was holding a $20.00 bill in his hand waving a cab. The driver was more than happy to take us to the other pier.

Ginnie

 

We ended up handing over a $20 bill for our taxi ride from the Celebrity terminal to the Carnival terminal as well.....only ours was the 'required fare' (yes, we tipped as well). lol Oh well, we got there......that's what matters. :)

[sail7seas]

We did a B2B on two different lines this past January......the first being Celebrity and the second was Carnival. It was great, except for one thing. No taxi drivers wanted to take us from one terminal to the other in Miami. We contacted a police officer and told him of our dilemma and he ended up having to MAKE a taxi driver take us. It was a mess, but we eventually got it taken care of. Had we not had so much luggage, we would have just walked. :rolleyes:

 

I thought I'd mention this for anyone considering a B2B on different lines. This could be an issue for you as well, so keep that in mind. Other than that, it was GREAT and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! :)

 

 

The trick is to load the luggage, both of you get in the taxi and THEN tell the driver where you are going..... and assure him you will tip generously and then do so!

[gumballz]

The trick is to load the luggage, both of you get in the taxi and THEN tell the driver where you are going..... and assure him you will tip generously and then do so!

 

One taxi driver was loading up our luggage into his car and as he put in the second to last piece he asked "airport?" and I said "No, the Carnival terminal" and he took our luggage out and left it on the street. He said that they weren't 'allowed' to take us there. That's why I ended up getting a police officer involved. The other drivers all asked me before they lifted a piece of luggage. It was a little frustrating.....as you can imagine. lol

 

Maybe if my DH had been with us, they might have been able to. ;)

[lillulu]

Not sure if the cruise line you are taking does this...but I know one's I have taken offer a one time deal thing...you get as many clothes as you can into the bag they supply and they charge one rate for the bag...you might be able to get something like that...check and see if the ship you are going on does this...sure customer service might know this...or a fellow cruiser who has been on the ship you will be traveling on...

 

Just a thought... :)

[bluesea777]

Thank you all for your replies.

 

We have decided and booked to go on NCL Pearl's Southern & Western back-to-back.

 

I found out that NCL Pearl has laundramats on ship and they are free! Also RCI's Freedom cost $3000 more than Pearl for a balcony cabin for 14 days. Liberty is fully booked!!

[pris993]

I just read on another thread about a couple who did B2B cruises on different cruise lines! The first week was on RCCL and the second week was on Carnival, both out of Miami.

 

I think it would be fun to do this!

 

A couple of years ago, we had a 10 day cruise cut to 7 days because the ship needed to go to dry dock. Cruise line gave us a refund and 50% off on a future cruise. So we booked another 7 day, on a different ship and did two 7 day cruises, with a day in Ft. Lauderdale between the two cruises. I would recommend taking 2 different ships, or 2 different lines. This way you have different entertainment and a fresh cruise experience on the two 7 day trips. Packing and unpacking twice is really no big deal when you are there already, i.e., do not have to fly or drive to the ship. Enjoy!!