What do you do on B2B in Ft.L?

[m steve]

the ship? Is there one on board or do you get tangled with the masses debarking?

[mamadot]

We have done B2B's and have never had to leave the ship. Just took our cruise cards and passports to a lounge to meet with immigration. We enjoy that time before new pax appear. It is fascinating to watch all the new supplies brought aboard....especially flowers!

[mamadot]

Great time to do laundry!

[sail7seas]

We have done B2B's and have never had to leave the ship. Just took our cruise cards and passports to a lounge to meet with immigration. We enjoy that time before new pax appear. It is fascinating to watch all the new supplies brought aboard....especially flowers!

 

 

In FLL, you go into the terminal building. Wait until all the disembarking guests have left. After they have called the last of the colors and numbers, take your passport, go into the terminal, show your passport, turn around and reboard the ship. Takes five minutes or less. If you do not wait until all disembarking guests have left, they might make you wait until they do before permitting you to reboard.

 

In FLL, this is done in the terminal. In St. Thomas, for example, Immigration is done aboard the ship. Same for Bar Harbor....it is aboard the ship.

 

You bring both your ID cards with you. You scan off the ship with your old card and back on with your new card. Keep your old one for a souvenir if you wish.

 

We have done this procedure a GREAT MANY times in FLL and never, ever had a problem.

[sail7seas]

After 10 days we get back there and most of the passengers will be debarking. What is the best thing to do on board so you are not run over by all the bags, old and those on wheels? Do they keep the pool open and is the dining room open for the continuing passengers. I know we have to do the Lifeboat drill again.

 

 

I forget if I already mentioned it but you should not have to do a second lift boat drill. That has changed. We only did the drill on our first leg of Maasdam back-to-backs two weeks ago. Received a special letter stating we did not have to do it again.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have done B2B's and have never had to leave the ship. Just took our cruise cards and passports to a lounge to meet with immigration. We enjoy that time before new pax appear. It is fascinating to watch all the new supplies brought aboard....especially flowers!

 

You haven't sailed on HAL the last 3 or 4 years - Ft Lauderdale.

[Krazy Kruizers]

the ship? Is there one on board or do you get tangled with the masses debarking?

 

It is not done on the ship in Ft Lauderdale -- in the terminal.

Here is what I posted in an earlier thread:

The evening before you arrive in Ft Lauderdale those who will be intransit passngers will receive a letter and new ID cards for the next morning. You will be given a time and place to meet to go off the ship for immigration. Most times the meeting time is around 9:30 AM. Someone will excort you off the ship. Be sure to take your passports with you. Also you will need to scan your old ID card to exit the ship and use your new ID card to get back on the ship. We have sat in the crew section of the terminal anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours before we were allowed back on the ship. No one can get back on the ship until all passengers have been cleared.

[Spender Nui]

If you just want something to do off the ship you might consider grabbing a cab to the Hyatt Pier 88 and taking the water taxi for a few pleasant hours.

[usha]

I forget if I already mentioned it but you should not have to do a second lift boat drill. That has changed. We only did the drill on our first leg of Maasdam back-to-backs two weeks ago. Received a special letter stating we did not have to do it again.

Oooooooooh! Another cool thing about b2b!

Thanks, s7s.:D

[sail7seas]

If you just want something to do off the ship you might consider grabbing a cab to the Hyatt Pier 88 and taking the water taxi for a few pleasant hours.

 

 

Small correction and don't want to be picky but want people to know where they're going..... :D

 

The hotel is Hyatt Pier 66 and the address is:

 

2301 S.E. 17th Street Causeway

Fort Lauderdale

 

 

You are correct it is a stop on the water taxi. Go to the rear of Grille 66 to the Marina area.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

The only time we were excused from the lifeboat drill recently was in March when our 7 day cruise came first.

On our 19 day cruise followed by the 7 day cruise we had to attend both life boat drills -- April/May.

[Spender Nui]

Small correction and don't want to be picky but want people to know where they're going..... :D

 

The hotel is Hyatt Pier 66 and the address is:

 

2301 S.E. 17th Street Causeway

Fort Lauderdale

 

 

You are correct it is a stop on the water taxi. Go to the rear of Grille 66 to the Marina area.

 

 

 

You're not being picky.

 

Of course it's pier 66, named by Phillips 66 Petroleum Company of Bartlesville, Oklahoma who originally built it ... many of their executives were rewarded with time off there ... and of course the crown revolves 66 times per hour.

 

Mental lapse on my part. Thanks for the correction.

[sail7seas]

Er....ahhhh..... The rooftop is no longer open to guests. They closed the bar and it is now used only for private functions. Pity as it offered incredible views and was a great place from which to watch the ships sailaway.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

That is a shame -- I read not to long ago that the rooftop bar was to be open only for guests of the hotel.

 

Guess that isn't true either.

[sail7seas]

We spent 8 days there in June. My information is current and accurate. We have enjoyed a huge number of stays in that hotel through the years.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

We spent 8 days there in June. My information is current and accurate. We have enjoyed a huge number of stays in that hotel through the years.

 

 

I believe you.

We had been reading about the Hyatt online a few months ago and that is the information they had then.

Haben't checked it recently.

[Bobed1927]

Innlady1, I would never accept a back to back booking which involved changing cabins. One of the little pleasures of a btb booking is not having to unpack for the second segment and being totally free of chores on the second embarcation day.

[m steve]

Someone says you get off the ship and go thru immigration, another says you just stay on the ship. I'm confused. I don't have 2 different reservations, just one for 20 days in the same cabin. They know that we are continuing to cruise. What's the need for US dimmigration to recheck our passports?(pun)

[sail7seas]

HAL does not decide any of that. Those decisions are made by CBP - Immigration. They 'run the show' and HAL (and all cruise lines) do as they are told if they want to get along.

 

You will get a letter the last night of your first segment detailing what you are to do the next day.

 

In our experience of many b-to-b's in FLL, in recent years, we have to get off the ship, go into the terminal, show our passports, turn around and return to the ship.

 

You will do as the letter you receive tells you to do.

It will tell you dining hours, will contain your new ID and will give Immigration instructions IF you are required to clear Immigration (which you probably will do.) You are entering the U.S. from a foreign port - ASSUMING your last port before returning to FLL is not a U.S. port.

 

[sail7seas]

Innlady1, I would never accept a back to back booking which involved changing cabins. One of the little pleasures of a btb booking is not having to unpack for the second segment and being totally free of chores on the second embarcation day.

 

 

I agree. When we book b-to-b's, we pick dates where we can have the same cabin. We change dates until we are able to get availability of a cabin we want and the same one for both segments.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Someone says you get off the ship and go thru immigration, another says you just stay on the ship. I'm confused. I don't have 2 different reservations, just one for 20 days in the same cabin. They know that we are continuing to cruise. What's the need for US dimmigration to recheck our passports?(pun)

 

We have done quite a few back-to-back cruises on various various cruise lines since 1989!! And we have always had to go through immigration in Ft Lauderdale -- that is their ruling.

It is not a big deal!!

Go with the flow!!

This was going on even before 9/11!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

We book so far in advance that we do not have to worry about switching cruises just so that we are in the same cabin on back-to-back cruises.

[sail7seas]

We have done quite a few back-to-back cruises on various various cruise lines since 1989!! And we have always had to go through immigration in Ft Lauderdale -- that is their ruling.

 

It is not a big deal!!

 

Go with the flow!!

 

This was going on even before 9/11!!

 

If you are coming from a U.S. port, you do not do Immigration in FLL. They can require it but we have never seen them do so.

 

If you have come to FLL from Key West, for example, there will be no Immigration requirement - - - - probably.

[sail7seas]

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[Nonie]

:) We are on the Feb. 22 20 day S. Caribbean Nordam cruise and will be in FLL on the turnaround on March 4. We have planned to take a shore excursion from the ship to see FLL sights and have a cruise on the intercoastal waterway. As we have only been to FLL to board and disembark we thought this would be a good way to see some of the sights as none of us are able to drive. If you look at the Shore X listings for FLL you will see these tours which are both associated and unassociated with transfers to the various airports. You can also take a trip to the Everglades.;)