Round-trip Northbound/Southbound Combined Cruises on HAL?

[cruiseguy2]

Hello there,

 

Been awhile since I've been on the forums, took a Celebrity cruise to Alaska in 2005 and LOVED IT! You all were of great help with planning it and choosing a line, so I come back for additional help.

 

Looking to take another Alaskan cruise come June/July '09 and the rates on a few seem VERY GOOD (probably due to the state of the economy).

 

Last cruise was round-trip from Seattle, only visiting as far up as the Hubbard Glacier and Juneau. There wasn't enough time (7 days) to enjoy everything there was to! So, I was cruising (:rolleyes:) around the web and found a Holland America cruise that is on sale for June 2009 that leaves from Vancover, British Columbia and ending in Seward, Alaska. Immediately after arriving, the ship goes southbound on a reverse iternary during the next week.

 

My question is, how does a normal booking go with doing round-trip, side-by-side cruises? Do I have to disembark/embark again at Seward for the return trip? Is this normally done by people.

 

For those that are wondering, it is on the Ryndam leaving from Vancover on June 19th and leaving Seward back on June 26th (2009).

 

Thanks in advance!!! (I also posted this in the Alaska section/board)

[janmcn]

No, on a back to back cruise you just keep on 'normal'...everyone else bids farewell and you are gloating!

We did the Vancouver to Seward trip this last May (Veendam) and opted to stay over a couple of days (glad we did) and then took a different ship back (Volendam). It allowed us a few days on our own to explore the Seward area. We loved doing it that way.

 

Enjoy the trip...you're in for a treat to have two weeks.

Jan

[cruisinjudy]

We did the B2B on Ryndam and reallly enjoyed going up that far. All other Alaska trips have only been to the glacier. As was said above you don't need to get off at the turn around point but you may if you wish. Next time we will get off and take another ship home on another day as Jan did.

[NancyIL]

I would definitely get off the ship and enjoy the day in Seward.

[Williebill]

Either way, you'll enjoy this cruise!!!

[RJBC]

Hi, We have done this a number of times, but not on the Alaska cruises. We had the same cabin and didn't have to pack or remove anything. We were asked to go to a special meeting place for disembarcation and were taken off the ship and on again by the cruise staff. Had our pictures taken for the new card and all was good. Make sure that your on board account is set up. If you book back to back, you should also get a discount on your second cruise. Check with your TA or HAL Have a great cruise.

[tomc]

I've done B2B's Boston-Montreal-Boston and did not have to leave the ship at all in Montreal. Nor did I need a new photo taken. I did, however, gloat on the back deck as everyone else had to leave the ship.

 

Oh, did I gloat.

 

Gloat, gloat, gloat.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have done quite a few back-to-back cruises in the Caribbean, Canada/New England, Mexico/Sea of Cortez and of course Alaska.

It is an early morning in Seward. Many people will be getting on the train and buses going to Anchorage, land tours, ect. staring around 6:30 AM. Breakfast is early for everyone -- even the intransit passengers!!

When you get on the ship in Vancouver you will go through immigration there. All the ports after that are American -- thus no on has to go through immigration any more -- not even in Seward.

We waited until the majority of the people were off the ship to take the free shuttle into town to roam around for a few hours. There is always something to see and do there - each time we do something something different there.

[cruiseguy2]

Thanks for all the help! Takes my worries off now that it is usually a breeze! Decided to switch over to the Princess line (Diamond Princess) as it makes sense schedule-wise. Nevertheless, we will certainly get off the ship on the turn to check out Anchorage!

[sail7seas]

We love back-to-backs and three future ones booked. We've done many in the past and always make sure we have the same cabin for both segments and don't have to move cabins.

 

New HAL policy is that for 7 days back-to-backs, you do not have to attend a second life boat drill at the beginning of the second cruise. :)

 

[Pam in CA]

New HAL policy is that for 7 days back-to-backs, you do not have to attend a second life boat drill at the beginning of the second cruise. :)

Not true. I was on the 28-day Prinsendam cruise in October which was also sold as two 14-day cruises (we bought it as 28 days and was called "Spirit of Discovery") and we were told we HAD to go the muster the 2nd time even though we'd booked the 28-day cruise. When I said I thought it didn't make sense since I've never had to do two musters on one cruise (bought as one cruise, not B2B), I was told in no uncertain terms that it was Maritime law and required. It still doesn't make sense to me to take one 28-day cruise and have to go to muster twice but that's what I was told by several people and was in the printed documents received for those continuing on for the second 14 days.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We also had to attend the lifeboat drill on the second segment of our Westerdam cruises.

[tomc]

I did not have to attend boat drill on the second segment of my b2b (double 7-days) cruise. The length may make a difference.

[CoconutFish]

I am glad that HAL is making passengers do the Muster Drill for each segment of a back to back cruise.

On a few Panama repo cruises in the past we have done the Muster drill 3 times in 21 days (days 1, 8, 15). At that time HAL was actually lowering a lifeboat and demonstrating what would happen and what passengers would need to do.

This is about safety, yours and mine. Practice is a good thing, whether you are a first time cruiser or a Platinum Mariner. Practise makes you comfortable with the deck layout, where your lifeboat station is, how to get your lifejacket on properly, what to expect.

Everytime we cruise we see passengers come late, with no lifejacket or a lifejacket on insideout, or not secured even half-properly; who spend the time talking instead of listening. These are the passengers who in a real emergency will not have a clue what to do, thereby endangering not only themselves but many other fellow-passengers.

So, please take a responsible attitude to the Muster Drill, if not for your own benefit, but for your fellow passengers. Even if you so not "have" to attend, it is a smart idea.

Thanks.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I agree.

On a few of our longer cruises we have also had a 2nd and 3rd lifeboat drill.

That's way HAL always did it until a few months ago.