How do you find/plan a Back to Back Cruise?

[Been There, Planning That]

We're looking at some end of season cruises and I've been unable to determine whether the ship next repositions for a new season of cruising.

 

• Is there an easy way to explore this option?
  
• Does it vary from line to line?
  

Since so many on this board mention doing a back to back, I'd like to be able to explore this option.

 

Thank you in advance for explaining how this can be done.

[AZjohn]

We're looking at some end of season cruises and I've been unable to determine whether the ship next repositions for a new season of cruising.

 

• Is there an easy way to explore this option?
  
• Does it vary from line to line?
  

Since so many on this board mention doing a back to back, I'd like to be able to explore this option.

 

Thank you in advance for explaining how this can be done.

 

Hi NewBegnner,

There is a couple web sites that you can use to do some initial looking. But I can't mention them on Cruise Critic:(. But working with a TA is the best I found for making sure it's what I'm looking for and to get the best price.

Have fun,

John

[paul929207]

I am not sure there is a great way to search for possible b2b cruises. Whenever I am thinking about a one way cruise I look to see what the ship is doing before of after. For instance, we wanted to go to the Amazon. Princess has a 14 day cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Manaus, Brazil and the same cruise in reverse. We decided to take both.

[firefly333]

A lot of people do simple B2Bs, ships that alternate eastern and western for instance. That way you visit different ports the second week. Im doing one of these in Sept.

[Been There, Planning That]

John, thanks for the web site leads. I'll try googling some key words and see what comes up.

 

Yes, Paul, I'd figured out that the east west bit would be easy but we'd like to do Europe and then perhaps take the same ship back to Fort Lauderdale or such as it begins its winter cruising. Or two legs of a European cruise.

 

It's amazing that the various ship lines don't market this option and make it easy to search their sites. I thought I was missing some simple trick.

 

I appreciate all your suggestions.

 

Ruth

[paul929207]

In the Princess European cruises brochure, they do advertise some combination cruises.

 

Just look for the transatlantics, and look for the cruise before or after. Other than the Tahitian Princess, I don't think any of the Princess ships to b2b transatlantic.

[Krazy Kruizers]

You can do the same thing for HAL -- just look for their fall repositioning cruise back to Ft lauderdale -- then you will be able to get a date for the cruise before that for Europe.

[DanJ]

If you have a particular line you like, start with their website. Keep a pen and paper handy so you can jot down the ship and dates. On Princess, you'd go to their cruise search page and select Europe. Then select October or November since those are the months the Europe itineraries usually end. The box under the calendar will show the number of results as you select each item. Click on view and it will show you what's available.

 

In some cases, like the Grand in Nov 2009, it will show the 12 day European itinerary, the 21 day transatlantic itinerary, and the combination 33 day itinerary, because they all start within that month. Looking at the Ruby in Oct 2009, it only shows the 18 day transatlantic, so I go back and look at the Ruby in Sept, and it shows the 12 day Med cruises, as well as the 30 day Med and transatlantic together.

 

On the Royal Caribbean site, click on "cruise calendar", go to the bottom that where it says Transatlantic, and click on each month for a list of the ships repositioning. Click on the blue bar beside the ship name, and it brings up that itinerary. Then you can go back and search that ship for the itinerary prior. On Celebrity, just click on Transatlantic, then the month, and go from there.

[caber]

We are on Crown Princess at the end of October, Quebec to Fort Lauderdale, then we are staying on for a week round the Caribbean.

[Been There, Planning That]

Thanks so much. DanJ, are you perchance a retired teacher? You sure know how to clearly outline a task. In fact I will cut and paste your instructions lest I forget when I begin to seriously plan.

 

I'd been trying to search by ship -- what a simple suggestion Krazy Cruiser to work from the date of sailing of the repositioning.

 

This week I'm busy in the garden, rushing our limited season, but once plants sprout I'm going to get to work on this task.

 

THANKS one and all.

[sail7seas]

Call whichever cruise line(s) interest you most and work with their cruise consultant.....called different things by every line. On HAL, you can have a Personal Cruise Consultant or just a representative. You would speak with whoever is next in the phone pool next. You don't have to book with them but they will have the info you want.

 

Mention approxiate dates you wish to sail and ask where the ship is. Ask when it will reposition doing the Transatlantic and ask which cruise immediately preceeds the repo cruise.

 

Let the rep at the cruise line to the research. They have all the info easier for them to research than you.

 

 

We do many 'obvious' b-to-b's such as Boston to Montreal to Boston. We live in Boston so its great to have two weeks on board AND to not have to fly.