B2B Cruises

[Ziggy7]

ok guys, as the revneal says "guys" as in the yankee non-gender specific reference, similar to "y'all."

Whats your best tips for back 2 back cruises! I need help fast !!!!
:p

[peaches from georgia]

Whats your best tips for back 2 back cruises! I need help fast !!!!
:p
Not sure what you mean by 'tips'. There is nothing extra you have to do to prepare and there is no need to take anything extra with you because you are staying on the ship another week.

You will have only about 2 hours or less between the time the first week pax all have left the ship and the new folks arrive around 11:30 and there will be other b2b pax staying on also. You will be given instructions about walking off the ship to show immigration your passport and walking right back on and will do it with the other b2b pax, or at least we did. It takes about 5 minutes or less. Other than that there really are no 'tips'.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

We have done 2 back-to-back cruises out of Ft Lauderdale since HAL's new early boarding policy began.

Those staying on for a second segment were the last to be called to go through immigration. The first time we went through immigration about 11 and we were told to also turn in our customs form at the same time. When we went to come back onto the ship, we were told that we would have to wait for when all passengers were cleared to board the ship. Having done this many times before in Ft Lauderdale, I told the woman - no way - all we have to do is show our cruise card, go out the door of the terminal where the crew goes, and get back on the ship at the crew entrance. After a few minutes of mixing words, she left to chase after another group of people doing something not to her liking. About 20 of us made a bee line for the crew door.

The second time we were called about 10:30, went through immigration, (didn't have to go to customs), showed our new cruise cards and got right back on the ship via the cruise entrance.

Neither time did we have much time to have the ship to ourselves before the new passengers got on.

It was great in early years when we would be called first around 8:30 - 9 and no one else got on the ship until around 1:30.

You will need to have your passport, old cruise card, new cruise card, and if required, customs form ready. You will get a letter the evening before explaining what all to do, when meal times are, and it will include your new cruise cards.

:)

[peaches from georgia]

You don't go through Customs until you are leaving the ship with goods purchased outside the U.S. That's what Customs is about- you are declaring what you bought and are bringing home. Over a certain amount of $$$ spent outside this country on merchandise you will pay a duty.

Since you are not bringing anything in to the U.S. on your b2b turnaround day, you only turn in a Customs Declaration on your last day when you are getting off the ship for good and taking all your purchases with you. All you do on turnaround day is visit with Immigration officers so they will know who has entered the country. Takes about 30 seconds.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

As I said, just that once EVERYONE was required by customs to report to them after going through immigration and turning in the form. We never had to do it before and we didn't have to do it on our next set of back-to-backs.

Why we were required to do it, I can't tell you. But we all followed orders and did as was requested of us. Maybe we had a couple of rooky custom officials who weren't used to passengers doing back-to-backs?

:)

[sail7seas]

We have done very many b-to-b's and the descriptions above are correct as to the new procedures since 9-11 and since HAL began earlier boarding.


We have NEVER completed a Custom Form until the end of all our cruise segments. How could we declare what we were bringing back into the country until we bring it back in. Seeing as we do not pack or have luggage when we clear Immigration on 'turnaround day', it is not possible to complete a Customs Form.

However, I AM ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT KK IS NOT MISTAKEN. When she says that once they were told to do it, I am sure she knows what she is talking about. As stupid as it is....as impossible as it is to do....would that be the first time you heard of sometime stupid coming from a Buracracy?

[sail7seas]

KK......


This is going to be funny, I am sure. So......please share with us how you managed to complete a Customs Form when you were not yet bringing your suitcases ashore, had not yet completed your travels outside the country and did not yet know what you would bringing back because some of it you may have not yet even bought??? Rather than get into stupdity conversations with someone who will never admit to being mistaken, do you just put down anything.....and then be forced to sign a form you know to be incomplete?

[peaches from georgia]

I NEVER said KK wasn't telling exactly what happened to them w/ customs on that one b2b. Obviously somebody in charge of Immg/Customs had no idea what they were doing because unless you are actually bringing merchandise into the country on turnaround day, which you are not, you have nothing to declare. I was simply explaining to Ziggy what Customs is, why it really cannot be done on turnaround day, and that your only must-do is to pass by the Immigration folks. She was asking what was done on a b2b and I was explaining to her how little there was except immigration and then enjoy yourself.

[Ziggy7]

Thanks Everyone!

and KK I want to hear more about how you made your mad dash threw the door! I might need that info hehehehehe :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

We all filled in "0" on the form - can't imagine what the officials thought when they got a bunch of forms with no declarations?? Since we were the last group to get called off the ship, there were about 40 of us and 20 of us stayed together. Several of us had done back-to-back cruises and thought this idea of turning in the customs forms (which had been placed in our packets along with our new cruise cards) was a dumb, if not, stupid idea. We had to walk into the room where the luggage was and walk over to the customs official at the door. He never even asked where our luggage was or why we weren't going out the door.

When we tried to re-enter the crew's room where they meet before getting onto the ship, we were all stopped by a nasty woman - oh yes - we all reported her when we got back on the ship. As I said, we had a few words with her and it wasn't until she was called into the luggage area because of another problem, that we just made a mad dash to the back door of the lounge area, showed the security guard our new cruise cards and walked over to the crew entrance and got back onto the ship.

Whatever happened to the other 20 - I don't know - they may have had to wait until they started calling numbers to get back onto the ship.

Hope to never have to go through that again. Also noticed that the woman with whom we had words wasn't there when we did back-to-backs in Feb/Mar - maybe they sent her to another cruise line. (On second thought, maybe she got promoted. :D )

:)

[Nonniroc]

Hi Ziggy7, I just got off the telephone with HAL regarding the immigration form, and my b2b. They advised me to make an extra copy of the completed form. Submit the original when you first board, and the copy on your second week. I do hope this is helpful. Have a great cruise. Nonniroc:p :p

[Ziggy7]

Hi Ziggy7, I just got off the telephone with HAL regarding the immigration form, and my b2b. They advised me to make an extra copy of the completed form. Submit the original when you first board, and the copy on your second week. I do hope this is helpful. Have a great cruise. Nonniroc:p :pThanks! GMTA = Great Minds Think Alike! I already made 2 copies just incase hehehehe and am bringing my track shoes incase I need to run for the crew entrance like KK did hehehehe!