b2b cruise questions

[Princess Mummy]

We are lucky enough to be on b2b cruises on IOS, leaving March 7-15 and then March 15-21. What policy does RCCL have with regards to luggage from one cruise to the next? Does RCCL have a 'holding' room for our luggage so that we can debark off cruise 1 and embark on cruise 2 without lugging it around?( We are in different rooms, because we booked the cruises separately.) RCCL say that because we are doing b2b, I can't check in online for cruise 2. Anyone know why? Also, if I were to buy liquor on cruise 1(eg specialty rum from Bacardi factory), and give it to RCCL to hold,do I get it last night of cruise 1 or 2? If 1, how would I be able to bring it back onboard for 2, if RCCL makes me take my luggage off since no alcohol is allowed to be brought onboard...? Lots of questions, but almost any answer will be good because there are only 3 more sleeps before we fly out!! Thank you to anyone who can help!!

[amybeth4]

We are lucky enough to be on b2b cruises on IOS, leaving March 7-15 and then March 15-21. What policy does RCCL have with regards to luggage from one cruise to the next? Does RCCL have a 'holding' room for our luggage so that we can debark off cruise 1 and embark on cruise 2 without lugging it around?( We are in different rooms, because we booked the cruises separately.) RCCL say that because we are doing b2b, I can't check in online for cruise 2. Anyone know why? Also, if I were to buy liquor on cruise 1(eg specialty rum from Bacardi factory), and give it to RCCL to hold,do I get it last night of cruise 1 or 2? If 1, how would I be able to bring it back onboard for 2, if RCCL makes me take my luggage off since no alcohol is allowed to be brought onboard...? Lots of questions, but almost any answer will be good because there are only 3 more sleeps before we fly out!! Thank you to anyone who can help!!

 

I just B2B'd last week on the Majesty with two separate rooms. They had me leave my cabin by 8am and my luggage was moved to my new room for me. It was already in my new cabin when I walked past it at 10. I don't care what ship you're on, they're not going to make you drag your luggage off the ship. at all.

 

I was able to check in for both cruises online and print out two separate set sail passes, so I don't know why they said that you couldn't.

 

Because the Majesty did it's immigration thing in Key West, I didn't even have to get off the ship at ALL. My guess is that's different for every ship, depending on the port. RCCL told me over the phone that I'd be escorted off the ship, taken through immigration and brought right back onboard, all within minutes.

 

I didn't buy alcohol onboard because I wasn't checking my luggage for my flight home, but I'm pretty sure I read that when they confiscate it on criuse one, you won't get it back until the last night of cruise two.

 

:)

[cruisenfever]

We are lucky enough to be on b2b cruises on IOS, leaving March 7-15 and then March 15-21. What policy does RCCL have with regards to luggage from one cruise to the next? Does RCCL have a 'holding' room for our luggage so that we can debark off cruise 1 and embark on cruise 2 without lugging it around?( We are in different rooms, because we booked the cruises separately.) RCCL say that because we are doing b2b, I can't check in online for cruise 2. Anyone know why? Also, if I were to buy liquor on cruise 1(eg specialty rum from Bacardi factory), and give it to RCCL to hold,do I get it last night of cruise 1 or 2? If 1, how would I be able to bring it back onboard for 2, if RCCL makes me take my luggage off since no alcohol is allowed to be brought onboard...? Lots of questions, but almost any answer will be good because there are only 3 more sleeps before we fly out!! Thank you to anyone who can help!!

Consecutive cruising just got better

 

If you are a consecutive cruiser, you're in for a nice surprise with all the great benefits we're offering. Enjoy the convenience of having your SeaPass account information automatically transferred, your dining preferences noted and set for your next voyage. Review the Sneak Peek Compass containing information about cruise entertainment lineups so you may begin to plan your time with us. Enjoy other exclusive benefits like priority tender tickets*, dining courtesy calls and special events. We want you to have a seamless cruise vacation experience.

 

*where available

 

They fail to say anything about disembarking the ship on turnaround day or about customs and immigration. :(

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To see your b2b reservation...........here is what you can do........

1. Go to the RCI Home Page and click on Before you Board (DO NOT click on your name or sign in)
   
2. Click on Countdown to Cruise (Again DO NOT click on your name or sign in)
   
3. Now click on Retrieve your Reservation (located on the left hand side of the page under Get Access to Countdown to Cruise) and now you can enter in all the information it asks for.
   
4. It will bring up your first cruise and at the bottom it will show your second booking number for your second cruise.
   

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

You will only need one SeaPass printed because all of your information from the first cruise will be automatically carried over to the next cruise.

 

You should let your cabin attendant know that you are doing a consecutive cruise and that you will be changing cabins after the first week. You may want to find your cabin attendant for the second week as well. Your cabin attendant from the first week will provide you with a cart where you can just hang up your clothes. All smaller items can be packed and they will move your things to your new cabin on the morning at the end of the first cruise. It's a painless move and should not take long.

 

As far as liquor goes.........this has been discussed here recently and since there is a new system in place for consecutive cruisers..............I don't know what happens to liquor purchased on the first cruise.

[snausman]

I just B2B'd last week on the Majesty with two separate rooms. They had me leave my cabin by 8am and my luggage was moved to my new room for me. It was already in my new cabin when I walked past it at 10. I don't care what ship you're on, they're not going to make you drag your luggage off the ship. at all.

 

I was able to check in for both cruises online and print out two separate set sail passes, so I don't know why they said that you couldn't.

 

Because the Majesty did it's immigration thing in Key West, I didn't even have to get off the ship at ALL. My guess is that's different for every ship, depending on the port. RCCL told me over the phone that I'd be escorted off the ship, taken through immigration and brought right back onboard, all within minutes.

 

I didn't buy alcohol onboard because I wasn't checking my luggage for my flight home, but I'm pretty sure I read that when they confiscate it on criuse one, you won't get it back until the last night of cruise two. I did a b2b on Majesty in Jan. and bought alcohol on the last night of the first cruise. They just handed me the bottle. Never checked if I was doing a b2b or anything, but then again I didn't say I was either. This bottle was a present so it never was open.

 

:)

 

 

This is what happen to me.

 

Laura

[bigbillfromchicago]

I just B2B'd last week on the Majesty with two separate rooms. They had me leave my cabin by 8am and my luggage was moved to my new room for me. It was already in my new cabin when I walked past it at 10. I don't care what ship you're on, they're not going to make you drag your luggage off the ship. at all.

 

I was able to check in for both cruises online and print out two separate set sail passes, so I don't know why they said that you couldn't.

 

Because the Majesty did it's immigration thing in Key West, I didn't even have to get off the ship at ALL. My guess is that's different for every ship, depending on the port. RCCL told me over the phone that I'd be escorted off the ship, taken through immigration and brought right back onboard, all within minutes.

 

I didn't buy alcohol onboard because I wasn't checking my luggage for my flight home, but I'm pretty sure I read that when they confiscate it on criuse one, you won't get it back until the last night of cruise two.

 

:)

 

We have been on two back to backs in the past year and I can confirm Amybeth's experience, except that we did have to march on and off the ship to go through customs, without any luggage. It only took a few minutes.

[dancing dragon]

Whether you depart the ship and are escorted right back on, or are allowed to stay on board, is determined by the LOCAL U S Customs office, (Fort Lauderdale made us get off, Key west lets you stay on), not the Cruise Lines.

 

Only need to sign one Set Sail Pass, because the information is transferred to the new cruise (if they are linked). I was given my new card as soon as we were at customs.

 

If you are changing rooms, you must be packed by 0800 and the room attendant will transfer all your luggage to the new room and it will be waiting when you get back on.

 

Since they have no way to mark the Liquor bought on board that it is a consecutive cruise (and your account had to be cleared from on cruise to another) chances are the liquor will be delivered on the last night as with everyone else.

 

Enjoy B2B are an experience... glad I did it...

[amybeth4]

I do wish I had bought some liquor on my last night (people were allowed to take it to their cabins that night) and just put it in my suitcase...however, since my second cruise was only three days, I really didn't see myself drinking a whole bottle of vodka in that time, and I would've ended up forcing myself to do so, which my not have been a good thing. :)

[Desert Cruizers]

We have neve done a b2b but have thought about it, you'd be paying really for two cruises, do they offer any break in prices. It would be nice if the 2nd cruise would be going to a differant destination.

[cruisenfever]

We have neve done a b2b but have thought about it, you'd be paying really for two cruises, do they offer any break in prices. It would be nice if the 2nd cruise would be going to a differant destination.

No break in price...........they are handled as separate bookings and must be linked together by the b2b desk.....or is it the consecutive cruise desk!

 

We are doing a consecutive cruise in April of 2010 on Serenade. Each cruise is 7 days and each cruise goes to different ports.

[amybeth4]

We have neve done a b2b but have thought about it, you'd be paying really for two cruises, do they offer any break in prices. It would be nice if the 2nd cruise would be going to a differant destination.

 

They may offer a price break. I didn't even think to ask for one. I booked the second one on one of their WOW sales so I don't think they would've done much for me. My itineraries were almost the same...it was a 4-nighter and a 3-nighter so the 2nd one was minus a port) but there are ships that do Eastern Carib one week and Western the next, back and forth, which is perfect for a 2-week B2Ber, which I hope to get to do someday!

[Princess Mummy]

Consecutive cruising just got better

 

If you are a consecutive cruiser, you're in for a nice surprise with all the great benefits we're offering. Enjoy the convenience of having your SeaPass account information automatically transferred, your dining preferences noted and set for your next voyage. Review the Sneak Peek Compass containing information about cruise entertainment lineups so you may begin to plan your time with us. Enjoy other exclusive benefits like priority tender tickets*, dining courtesy calls and special events. We want you to have a seamless cruise vacation experience.

 

*where available

 

They fail to say anything about disembarking the ship on turnaround day or about customs and immigration. :(

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To see your b2b reservation...........here is what you can do........

1. Go to the RCI Home Page and click on Before you Board (DO NOT click on your name or sign in)
   
2. Click on Countdown to Cruise (Again DO NOT click on your name or sign in)
   
3. Now click on Retrieve your Reservation (located on the left hand side of the page under Get Access to Countdown to Cruise) and now you can enter in all the information it asks for.
   
4. It will bring up your first cruise and at the bottom it will show your second booking number for your second cruise.
   

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

You will only need one SeaPass printed because all of your information from the first cruise will be automatically carried over to the next cruise.

 

You should let your cabin attendant know that you are doing a consecutive cruise and that you will be changing cabins after the first week. You may want to find your cabin attendant for the second week as well. Your cabin attendant from the first week will provide you with a cart where you can just hang up your clothes. All smaller items can be packed and they will move your things to your new cabin on the morning at the end of the first cruise. It's a painless move and should not take long.

 

As far as liquor goes.........this has been discussed here recently and since there is a new system in place for consecutive cruisers..............I don't know what happens to liquor purchased on the first cruise.

 

 

Thanks to you and everyone else for all your help and information. What a wealth of knowledge is out there!! This is certainly making the trip that much more enjoyable. I did go on RCCL's website, following the prompts and sure enough, there was C 2. It's wonderful to know we don't have to take all our luggage off just to bring it onboard again.

 

As for the liquor, we are sailing eastern Caribbean first leg, western next, so we won't be going to the same ports...which is why I would be buying the rum first leg. I understand that a particular specialty rum is only available at the Bacardi Factory, so I will have to buy it then. We don't want RCCL to think we're sneaking it on, and then lose it, so we may declare it before we go on C2 for them to hold until we get off.

 

Cheers

Pauline

[Desert Cruizers]

Thank you Patti, I didn't think they did, in as much as your really booking two cruises, but one can always hope. :). I was hoping we could book a cruise for 2010, but with the planned All Calif CC Group Cruise slated for April 2011 on the Mariner, felt it was best to hold off. I am now looking for one after that cruise.

[cruisenfever]

Thank you Patti, I didn't think they did, in as much as your really booking two cruises, but one can always hope. :). I was hoping we could book a cruise for 2010, but with the planned All Calif CC Group Cruise slated for April 2011 on the Mariner, felt it was best to hold off. I am now looking for one after that cruise.

Your welcome.

 

Now, it just may very well happen that when you book a consecutive cruise there may be price reductions for one or the other or even both...........so there would be your price breaks. Unfortunately it doesn't always happen.

[crusinanan]

Patti - Thanks for all this information.

We are thinking about doing a b2b in January 2010. Right now leaning towards Navigator, 2 different itineraries

I like the idea about earning double the points and If I figured it out right the price isnt thst much more than some of the others we are looking at

 

Penny

[Eliger]

Consecutive cruising just got better

 

...

 

 

 

To see your b2b reservation...........here is what you can do........

1. Go to the RCI Home Page and click on Before you Board (DO NOT click on your name or sign in)
   
2. Click on Countdown to Cruise (Again DO NOT click on your name or sign in)
   
3. Now click on Retrieve your Reservation (located on the left hand side of the page under Get Access to Countdown to Cruise) and now you can enter in all the information it asks for.
   
4. It will bring up your first cruise and at the bottom it will show your second booking number for your second cruise.
   

....

Thanks Patti. I followed your instructions and printed our 2 passes for our b2b on Brilliance. We won't have the problems with moving our luggage between cruises. We have the same cabin. :D

 

Gerry

[KG1924]

Patti-

I just wanted to thank you for all your wonderful posts! You always give such good advice and you seem like such an upbeat person! I hope to someday have 1/2 as much knowledge about cruising as you do. I only have a few under my belt so far!:o We're planning our next cruise for 10/2010 on the Oasis of the Seas. We'll be getting married w/ over 70 people in our group and then my fiance and I (he'll be my husband then!:eek:) will be staying for the 2nd week to see the western itinerary. I can't wait! Thanks for the info, as this will be our first (hopefully not our last) B2B.

[Desert Cruizers]

In as much as we only have 4 cruises total, two with Princess and two with RCL, last being our RT Hawaii 15 days, I hope soon we can move up a notch with another cruise. It may take two more with RCL to move out of the Gold Level.

[masterbaker]

Our BTB experience has been different each time. It seems like each ship has it's own procedure. ;) Since you are changing cabins, I suggest you find the steward of the cabin you will be moving to on the second cruise sometime during your first. Let that steward know you are already onboard and would like to know when would be a good time to move your luggage in between cruises. We had the same situation last year and our steward for the second part of the BTB had our new room cleaned and ready for us before we had to go off for customs. The steward for our first part of the BTB also knew we were staying onboard and let us keep our luggage stored in our closet until we could move it to our new cabin.

[cruisenfever]

Patti - Thanks for all this information.

We are thinking about doing a b2b in January 2010. Right now leaning towards Navigator, 2 different itineraries

I like the idea about earning double the points and If I figured it out right the price isnt thst much more than some of the others we are looking at

 

Penny

You are welcome...............we did a b2b (oops consecutive cruise) on Navigator and loved it. Have a great time.

 

Thanks Patti. I followed your instructions and printed our 2 passes for our b2b on Brilliance. We won't have the problems with moving our luggage between cruises. We have the same cabin. :D

 

Gerry

You are also welcome. Believe it or not, that is how RCI's IT people told me to get to my reservations when we do a b2b (dang it......I mean consecutive cruise).

 

Patti-

I just wanted to thank you for all your wonderful posts! You always give such good advice and you seem like such an upbeat person! I hope to someday have 1/2 as much knowledge about cruising as you do. I only have a few under my belt so far!:o We're planning our next cruise for 10/2010 on the Oasis of the Seas. We'll be getting married w/ over 70 people in our group and then my fiance and I (he'll be my husband then!:eek:) will be staying for the 2nd week to see the western itinerary. I can't wait! Thanks for the info, as this will be our first (hopefully not our last) B2B.

You are also welcome and thank you for your kind words. Glad I could help everyone out.

 

How exciting to be getting married on a cruise with a cruise for a honeymoon. :D

 

I wish you so much happiness and hope that your wedding goes off without a hitch. What a wonderful way to start your lives together........on a cruise.

 

I can guarantee you that once you have done a consecutive cruise...........there will be more in your future.

[Princess Mummy]

Our BTB experience has been different each time. It seems like each ship has it's own procedure. ;) Since you are changing cabins, I suggest you find the steward of the cabin you will be moving to on the second cruise sometime during your first. Let that steward know you are already onboard and would like to know when would be a good time to move your luggage in between cruises. We had the same situation last year and our steward for the second part of the BTB had our new room cleaned and ready for us before we had to go off for customs. The steward for our first part of the BTB also knew we were staying onboard and let us keep our luggage stored in our closet until we could move it to our new cabin.

 

 

Thanks for the info. We'll be sure to follow up. We actually have 2 cabins to move, so we are going to be busy!!

 

Pauline

[Desert Cruizers]

I was looking at booking a cruise right after our Calif Group Cruise, on the Mariner, but unfortuantely was getting better prices and itnerary thru Princess, so the b2b wouldn't work there. I had looked over the TA's but Princess has better selections. We usually go between the two lines depending on what we find, overall we prefer RCL.

[TiredOl6]

We just booked consecutive cruises on Navigator in August 2010. Both are 7 night out of Civitavecchia with the first (August 1) going to the western med and the second (August 8) to the eastern med.

 

This is our first "B2B" and we are obviously excited. We have the same cabin and have already linked the two cruises as consecutive using information on this thread - THANKS!!

 

Here is my question: Are there any onboard benefits/perks (gifts, tours, events, services, etc.) that you get when you go on consecutive cruises? I cannot remember where, but I seem to remember some discussion of this on another thread.

 

Let me quickly add that 14 days with a great aft corner cabin on Navigator (first time on this ship class) is benefit enough; just curious.:)

 

Thanks Again!!!

[JWR890]

There still is not a clear answer on the alcohol question.

 

1) Was anyone able to buy liquor on the last night of the first cruise and taken it back to their cabin?

 

2) Has anyone gotten their alcohol back on the first cruise after it's been held?

 

A little direct, but just hoping for more insight.

[Merion_Mom]

We just booked consecutive cruises on Navigator in August 2010. Both are 7 night out of Civitavecchia with the first (August 1) going to the western med and the second (August 8) to the eastern med.

 

This is our first "B2B" and we are obviously excited. We have the same cabin and have already linked the two cruises as consecutive using information on this thread - THANKS!!

 

Here is my question: Are there any onboard benefits/perks (gifts, tours, events, services, etc.) that you get when you go on consecutive cruises? I cannot remember where, but I seem to remember some discussion of this on another thread.

 

Let me quickly add that 14 days with a great aft corner cabin on Navigator (first time on this ship class) is benefit enough; just curious.:)

 

Thanks Again!!!

Some people have posted that they got a special luncheon on turnaround day. I never have. What *I* have gotten is a few lovely hours of "this ship is all mine!" before the new passengers board.

 

Of course, there's that nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, as the first week's passengers leave, and you don't. ;) :D

[Merion_Mom]

There still is not a clear answer on the alcohol question.

 

1) Was anyone able to buy liquor on the last night of the first cruise and taken it back to their cabin?

 

2) Has anyone gotten their alcohol back on the first cruise after it's been held?

 

A little direct, but just hoping for more insight.

 

1. Once yes, other times, no.

 

2. eh?