B2B getting off the ship

[pjs9876]

On a B2B can I take things (and alcohol) off the ship and put them in my car parked at the port then reboard the ship? Would I first go through customs and then join the line to get back on the ship? Can I do it after I get the second week ID? Hmm, bet the answer to that part is no. How much time am I looking at if I do the whole checkout then checkin?

Also I love to keep my room card. They just make it invalid and I can keep it right?

[Cruisin'Lady]

hmm...don't know if I read it somewhere or if its an assumption...but I thought on a b2b you keep the same room and they treat it like a 14 day cruise? I could be wrong but I think you keep the same keycard.

[JimVrhovac]

Yes you will have to go through customs.

We did a transition from Ft Lauderdale to Vancouver and wanted to take a statue off in San Diego and ship it home and we had to go through customs with it.

You Cusatoms decoration is for 30 days not each cruise....

Ruth & Jim

[LynnObie]

hmm...don't know if I read it somewhere or if its an assumption...but I thought on a b2b you keep the same room and they treat it like a 14 day cruise? I could be wrong but I think you keep the same keycard.

Our 1st experience with a HAL B2B was last year when we made a 14-day cruise out of B2B 7-day Oosterdam sailings out of San Diego. We were able to keep our same cabin but *did* get new key cards which, as I recall, showed the respective sail date.

We know folks who have done B2B's and had to change cabins between the 2.... just depends on availability when you book and/or possible changes that can be arranged prior to sailing.

We did not get off the ship in San Diego between the 2 sailings so can't address the customs issue. I recall being told at the front desk that, should we get off, it would be treated just like any other port visit except for using the original key card getting off & the new one getting back on.

I would also add that our B2B experience on Celebrity's Summit out of San Juan, PR, this year was totally different. B2B passengers were made to get off the ship, go through customs, then reboard even though we had no interest in getting off. We were told that the procedures vary by cruise line and even by port.

[Krazy Kruizers]

You didn't mention which port you are sailing from and doing the back-to-back cruises.

We book far enough in advance that we have the same cabin. If we have booked them as separate cruises -- 2 different booking numbers -- then we do get new ID cards. But if we have booked it as one cruise with only 1 booking number -- no new ID card.

On a couple of our back-to-back cruises out of Ft Lauderdale -- the letter we got the last evening of the first segment indicated that when it was time for us to go through immigration we were not to take any back packs -- just a purse and a wallet. BUT - if we wanted to leave the terminal -- we would have to fill out the customs declaration form as well. There was no mention about taking anything out of the terminal.

[m steve]

they just took us to a holding area after we punched out of first leg and then reboarded. Regarding liquor, you get it on the last day of first leg and can use it in your cabin on the second 10 days. DF allowance is only good once every 30 days but if you drink it on board it doesn't count. They are quite liberal on letting you go over your quota. I wouldn't want the hassle of taking a few boxes across to parking lot and then waiting to reboard.

[LynnObie]

From the variety of experiences shared here & on other threads I've seen, guess it "just depends".... on port, cruise line, how you booked, etc. I suggest you speak to your agent who can probably fill you in for your particular circumstances & make suggestions.... failing that, you can always find out once onboard. :confused:

[sail7seas]

You will get to keep your key cards. You will scan off the ship with the old card when you leave the ship to clear Immigration (depending upon which port you b-to-b at) and will scan back on with your new card IF you have two booking numbers. We always opt for b-to-b vs. making it one cruise so we have an old and then a new key card.

Like KK, we always book the same cabin for both segments. We never have to move.

I can't address your taking liquor off the ship. I strongly suspect you will be stopped, have to make a customs declaration and pay any duty if over the limit but I do not know that for fact. Keep in mind you can only use your duty free exemption once every 30 days. So, be careful about using it the first week of your cruise.

[m steve]

I see some B2B cruises specially priced so they are less than 2 individual cruises. Do they discount the second cruise if you book them separately? I just booked one as a 24 day cruise and there were very few cabins available where I wanted to stay for both legs. I didn't want to switch at the end of the first leg.

[Krazy Kruizers]

When we have booked back-to-back cruises separately -- 2 different bookings -- no - we did not get any savings on the second cruise.

I like the idea that HAL now offered some of those back-to-back cruises that we used to do as one single cruise -- and with some savings.

You are right -- you have to book these cruises early in order to get a cabin where you want it.

[sail7seas]

I see some B2B cruises specially priced so they are less than 2 individual cruises. Do they discount the second cruise if you book them separately? I just booked one as a 24 day cruise and there were very few cabins available where I wanted to stay for both legs. I didn't want to switch at the end of the first leg.

We have gotten discounts on back-to-backs using discount code "ZC". Hope that helps you. Not everyone knows about that.

[serendipity1499]

I can only answer your question about taking off your liquor to store in your car..

Anytime you take anything such as liquor or a box of gifts off the ship in a U.S. PORT to either give to someone, mail or even store in your car, you must clear Customs first...

We learned this in Alaska when we wanted to mail goods purchased in Alaska home..The Customs Inspector explained that even though we purchased these things in the United States we took them back to our ship which is registered in a foreign country..Therefore, all HAL ships, which are not registered in the United States are considered Foreign Countries..

HAL would not let us disembark with our package until we filled out a Customs form & were cleared by the Customs Inspector at the port..Fortunately the nice young Inspector was still in the port & cleared us to go to the U.S. Post office..

Are you sure you want to store liquor in your car? Do you really believe it's safe?

Betty

[Granny&Pap]

Loved the 14 days; even tho some of the passengers on the first week were not the most desirable.:mad::confused:

Anyway, we had one booking number and kept the same cabin and attendants for the entire time. GREAT!

The transition at the beginning of the second week was VERY well organized. I think we were off the ship for about 20 minutes and then back on. We didn't try to get back to our cabins as the main doors to the hall way was closed. There was plenty to do and EAT!!
The 'repeaters' were taken to the Vista Lounge and then we all departed together. Those who chose to not reboard right away were permitted to do as they wish. We all gathered together in an area in the terminal until we were told to go back to ship; in group. Used the same card the entire time. If you were a gambler in the casino and used your room key to accumulate points, those points were wiped clean at the end of the first week and then applied again to the second week. This was our first B2B and would not hesitate to do another. Everything was so organized and it's nice to see the same faces (crew)...you really get to know them. The entertainment was not entirely a repeat of the first week; so you were entertained every night.
Menue had some slight changes. The rest of the daily programs were about the same. There was never was any chance to be bored. Don't know what we expected on a B2B; BUT would have liked to stay another week.:)

[hotzej]

We just returned from a B2B on Westerdam. In Ft. Lauderdale you are taken off the ship, have to show your transit pass (the ship will give you this), your passport and room key. Then you can get back on the ship or continue off the ship to go our and visit in Ft. Lauderdale. We did not try to take any alcohol off, but I remember being told we could not take anything off on the B2B. It was well organized, we gathered at a specific time in the Queens Lounge, they marched us off as a group, then we went and visited friends for the day. We we returned there was a special entrance for us so we missed all the lines our front. Took all of a few minutes to reboard. We were able to keep our same room, but some were not...if not the staff helps move you. If you are in the same type of room, they just change out the drawers and take all the hanging clothes right from the closet.... you do not need to pack anything except your toiletries. They will move all for you to the new room, they give you a new room key ...we kept the same room and the same room key which had the two weeks already listed on the key....hope this helps your questions

[Himself]

I did b2b last June out of Vancouver on the Volendam. I went and did some shopping in Vancouver for things like vitamens and asprin and since I got off the ship I had to go throught American Customs at Vancouver. I had to run the things through the scanner.
I am not sure on the room key. I thought they made good for two weeks when I boarded.

[sail7seas]

Every back-to-backs we have done, we always got a new key card for the second segment. BUT we always get two confirmation numbers when we book. I never accept only one number for both cruises. Perhaps for the cruises they sell as b-to-b, they only provide one card for the whole cruise.

We are doing Eurodam b-to-b next month so will see if they still give us two cards.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Our recent Zuiderdam cruises.

We had book the 2 cruises at 2 different times -- thus we had 2 different booking numbers.

We had only 1 ID card for both cruises -- the dates were listed on them - Oct 24th - Nov 13th.

That is the first time we have ever gotten an ID card for both cruises when we had 2 different booking numbers.

[GmaPajama]

Hummm - I'm curious now, Sail and KK. With a b2b booked as two separate cruises, does Amex Plat come across with two sets of benefits? What about the CCL credit? I ask because I have a "collector" cruise coming up that could have been booked as either one 20 day cruise - or as two 10 dayers b2b. I booked as the 20 day, and would not risk losing my room to change that - but this might be nice to know for future bookings.

[sail7seas]

Hmmm, good question, Donna.

That has not been consistent through the years. We (like KK) have done a great many b-to-b's and the only answer I can give you is sometimes we got the credit for both segments and sometimes not. I think it is one of those unilateral decisions HAL reserves the right to make. We all know that all terms are always in favor of the cruise line. ;)

But, Yes, we did sometimes get OBC Platinum credit for both segments.

[GmaPajama]

Thanks, Sail. I didn't realize that might even be a possibility. Guess I'll check with our TA next time I book. We sure do love those OBCs - even though we often have trouble using them all up. That's the curse of being non, and light, drinkers. :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have never been able to get the AMEX Plat shipboard credit for both cruises -- not even this last set which was booked 4 months apart.

Also we have not been able to get the Carnival shipboard credit for both cruises.

[E-500]

We just returned from a B2B on Westerdam. In Ft. Lauderdale you are taken off the ship, have to show your transit pass (the ship will give you this), your passport and room key. Then you can get back on the ship or continue off the ship to go our and visit in Ft. Lauderdale. We did not try to take any alcohol off, but I remember being told we could not take anything off on the B2B. It was well organized, we gathered at a specific time in the Queens Lounge, they marched us off as a group, then we went and visited friends for the day. We we returned there was a special entrance for us so we missed all the lines our front. Took all of a few minutes to reboard. We were able to keep our same room, but some were not...if not the staff helps move you. If you are in the same type of room, they just change out the drawers and take all the hanging clothes right from the closet.... you do not need to pack anything except your toiletries. They will move all for you to the new room, they give you a new room key ...we kept the same room and the same room key which had the two weeks already listed on the key....hope this helps your questions

Hotzej,

At what time did you gather in the lounge and how long was the process until you reboarded the ship? Thank you in advance for your response.

[RuthC]

Hummm - I'm curious now, With a b2b booked as two separate cruises, ...two sets of benefits? What about the CCL credit?
Donna, I've had enough Collector's Voyages, and long cruises also sold as segments, to know how it works with the CCL credit.

When you compare the savings on a Collector's Voyage, vs. each cruise booked separately, to the CCL credit for one longer, vs. two shorter cruises, it's beneficial to take the Collector's Voyage with one credit. The savings on one cruise more than offset the lesser single credit.

[sail7seas]

That is the difference...... We haven't been on Collector's Voyages. Aren't they mostly 10 days or more per segment? DH isn't retired and that is too long for us to be away at one time. Our b-to-b's are consecutive cruises (7 days each).

[GmaPajama]

Donna, I've had enough Collector's Voyages, and long cruises also sold as segments, to know how it works with the CCL credit.

When you compare the savings on a Collector's Voyage, vs. each cruise booked separately, to the CCL credit for one longer, vs. two shorter cruises, it's beneficial to take the Collector's Voyage with one credit. The savings on one cruise more than offset the lesser single credit.
You're right, Ruth. I double checked what we would have paid for the two 10-day, and we saved a pretty penny by booking the one 20-day instead. Like you say, more than the CCL credit. I love it when we come out ahead.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Hotzej,

At what time did you gather in the lounge and how long was the process until you reboarded the ship? Thank you in advance for your response.

We have met at various places on our back-to-back cruises -- show lounge, Pinnacle Grill, Attrium, etc.

We usually meet about 9:30 and are escorted off the ship by someone from the front office -- about 10.

Sometimes we have been able to get right back on the ship (very rarely) -- while other times we have sat up to 1 1/2 hours in the terminal to get back on. Usually due to inspection of the ship or some people not getting off as soon as they should.

No one can get back on the ship until the passenger coun is down to ZERO.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have booked a couple Collector's Cruises -- only once have we gotten a decent discount -- and that is for our Noordam cruise in March. The other ones amounted to only a few dollars.

I have noticed that next year HAL is not offering any Collector's Cruises for the Noordam in either February or March.

[sail7seas]

When we book b-to-b's, we always get an additional discount for booking two segments.

[E-500]

We have met at various places on our back-to-back cruises -- show lounge, Pinnacle Grill, Attrium, etc.

We usually meet about 9:30 and are escorted off the ship by someone from the front office -- about 10.

Sometimes we have been able to get right back on the ship (very rarely) -- while other times we have sat up to 1 1/2 hours in the terminal to get back on. Usually due to inspection of the ship or some people not getting off as soon as they should.

No one can get back on the ship until the passenger coun is down to ZERO.

KK,
Thank you for the response.

[m steve]

On last years cruise there were 400 pp taking the second leg and about 200+ staying on for next cruise. Not necessarily the same ones. We reboarded, the steward had a big bucket of ice in the cabin and we enjoyed the booze delivered on the last day of the first leg. Then watched the new ones boarding.
Hope it works as well in Venice next year.

[Krazy Kruizers]

On last years cruise there were 400 pp taking the second leg and about 200+ staying on for next cruise. Not necessarily the same ones. We reboarded, the steward had a big bucket of ice in the cabin and we enjoyed the booze delivered on the last day of the first leg. Then watched the new ones boarding.
Hope it works as well in Venice next year.

A couple of years ago we tried that -- ordered only 1 bottle just to see what would happen.

The bottle was delivered the last full day of our SECOND cruise. So we gave it to a friend in Ft Lauderdale knowing that we could not fly home with it.