Back to Back Cruises Disembarkation Day

Hi All

Doing Back to Back and wondering what happens on disembarkation day between the cruises. Are any words of advice for meals, staying out of the way while people disembark etc. All comments welcome.

We are about to do our first btob.. AND atm we are also changing cabins :mad:

They have , of course, offered to move us, so I'm planning to get off early , get back late and miss the chaos...

Where does your first back to back cruise end. I ask because that can be a factor on procedures for in transit passengers.

Keith

Have done several B2Bs and we just do our normal thing after saying goodbye to friends we've met. No problem!

Life goes on fairly normally on disembarkation/embarkation day, Coco88. You won't have to worry about staying out of the way, because luggage is offloaded onto the pier very, very early, and an elevator is assigned just for this use. If you decide to go ashore in the morning, the procedure will probably be the same as usual; those disembarking will be off the ship by about 10am, but you can come and go as you wish. As Keith mentioned, some ports have immigration policies that might affect you, so please let us know where this turnaround occurs. And you won't be in the way of the new passengers, either; they tend to trickle in, on these small ships, and usually go to their suites (if ready) or to the Terrace Café or Panorama.

The Terrace Café will be open for breakfast and lunch, as usual, and I seem to remember that Afternoon Tea is served. You can certainly sit outside on the deck (although the pool itself might be drained, so no swimming). Normal afternoon activities, like Trivia, won't be scheduled because the staff has other assignments on embarkation day.

All in all, you'll find that your turnaround day onboard will be pretty serene.

The changing of cabins is very organized and goes rapidly.

There are often tours available for intransit guests if you wish, pool grill, restaurant are open as there are often many travel agents visiting. If you are waiting for friends to arrive, the pool or panorama are great places in case thir suites are not ready.

If u don't have the free laundry, embarkation day is a very good time to get your laundry done - no queueing for machines or dryers:D

Cheers

Jennifer

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful answers. We are doing Puerto Rico, Peurto Rico coming up March 22nd for 14 days. Anyone enjoy that cruise before? Thanks for the great suggestions

CoCo88

We board march 29!

see you there!

Coco88, we did Puerto Rico-Puerto Rico as back-to-back cruises on Silversea (and enjoyed it). On your turnaround day in PR, all passengers, including those staying on, will have to go through an immigration check. It doesn't involve luggage, only presenting your passport. It's done on the ship (in the theater) or in the terminal on the pier. The entire process probably takes 2-3 hours and a little bit of standing on line.

Technically, all passengers have to go through this process before anyone can leave the ship or terminal. Some people inevitably show up late, holding up the rest of the passengers waiting to disembark. I believe you'll have to go through the same procedure again when you disembark in PR at the end of your cruise, so if you're flying back that day, an afternoon flight is safest.

We've been through this twice. Once, the official took pity and allowed passengers to leave the terminal after about two-thirds were processed. The other time they played it by the book and held everyone on the ship until each and every passenger was processed (around 11am); I'll never forget one extremely agitated woman who had a morning flight to Miami.. where she was supposed to board another ship by 1pm! Needless to say, she missed her flight.

So, regarding turnaround day, assume that you won't be able to leave the ship before 10-11am. But you can certainly enjoy your morning onboard, before or after you go through immigration. It's a delightful feeling, knowing that you don't have to leave that day!

I purposely asked about which port the back to back involves since when you return to a USA port (Puerto Rico is) the procedure is different then say being in transit in a port outside the USA.

You will likely be taken to a room that morning and then all taken off the ship together where you will go through customs and immigration. You can then either stay off the ship in visit the town as you would do on any port day or you will wait off the ship until the ship is cleared and you are told you can go back onto the ship.

If this was most other ports outside the USA you would not have to go through customs and immigration and you would not even have to leave the cruise ship and if you did you could come and go as you please.

Keith

Not to resurrect an old thread, but then again not wanting to start a completely new one, but we're wondering about the change over process next year. We'll be on our first ever back to back having booked Voyages 2413 and 2414 on the Wind. Our midpoint will be an overnight in Venice, actually for us the attraction of this combination. We've booked the same cabin for both segments so moving cabins in Venice is not an issue. We're not in the category we'd typically book but because we just booked a couple of weeks ago we couldn't get the same category much less the same cabin for both segments above the veranda suite level. While our PCC assured us it wouldn't be hard to change cabins Mrs. K was not encouraged by her reassurances so we're compromising a bit and staying put. Anyhow, we assume we'll just have a pleasant breakfast that morning, say good bye to new friends, and eventually get off the ship and tour Venice. Can we expect or will we have to go through some other customs or immigration process?

You picked the BEST port for B2B. As in any other port, you are pre-cleared as an in-transit guest. No hassle while people come and go. You can walk wherever you are going or go over the little bridge in front of the terminal and catch the vaparetto! You can also preorder a water taxi but that is a little chaotic on change-over days.

You picked the BEST port for B2B. As in any other port, you are pre-cleared as an in-transit guest. No hassle while people come and go. You can walk wherever you are going or go over the little bridge in front of the terminal and catch the vaparetto! You can also preorder a water taxi but that is a little chaotic on change-over days.

Thanks. Yes, we're pretty excited about the overnight in Venice which in essence gets us two full days there. We actually were booked on another cruise on another line when we tripped across this B2B. I honestly don't know why we missed it or discounted it in the first place while we were researching cruises though I know the itinerary for Voyage 2413 changed and lengthened from it's initial announcement. It's all good now and we'll be back on the Wind that we enjoyed so much last year.

I do a number of back-to-backs and have recently begun a practice that the stewardess/butler very much appreciate. I tell them on disembarkation day not to provide morning service in my suite. They are furiously busy preparing suites, etc., and they have welcome relief from attending to my suite for that one morning. I do not expect others to follow my practice, but I thought I would mention it. Please don't flame me! :)

Now a question: I have not been on SS for several months. On a recent cruise all passengers -- including those in transit -- have been required to attend the safety drill. Previously, one was excused if one had attended the drill on embarking. My most recent cruise (in the winter) thus involved attending four drills. Can recent passengers tell me whether SS continues to require guests in transit to attend a drill for each segment?

Now a question: I have not been on SS for several months. On a recent cruise all passengers -- including those in transit -- have been required to attend the safety drill. Previously, one was excused if one had attended the drill on embarking. My most recent cruise (in the winter) thus involved attending four drills. Can recent passengers tell me whether SS continues to require guests in transit to attend a drill for each segment?

Good question, certainly something I'm wondering about. Last year in Barcelona the Wind overnighted so we didn't rush to board and got on the ship around 2:00 PM. I think the safety drill/meeting was around 4:30-5:30 PM even though the ship was staying put that night. I didn't sense there were a lot of passengers transitioning to the next cruise but there could have been. I also don't recall if they had a "make-up" drill/meeting the next day though I'm sure they did something as we met one couple who didn't board the ship until the next day since we weren't schedule to leave until 4 PM. I'm wondering how they'll handle Venice as we arrive at 7 AM but don't leave until 11 PM the next day? I'd do it but it would be kind of a pain to have to head back to the ship the afternoon of the first day for the drill/meeting if there was the alternative to attend a second one the following day. My first real Italian meal was 30 years ago at a restaurant on the Grand Canal near the Rialto Bridge and I'd like to take my wife there for dinner our one full night in Venice. ????

I do a number of back-to-backs and have recently begun a practice that the stewardess/butler very much appreciate. I tell them on disembarkation day not to provide morning service in my suite. They are furiously busy preparing suites, etc., and they have welcome relief from attending to my suite for that one morning. I do not expect others to follow my practice, but I thought I would mention it. Please don't flame me! :)

 

What a nice thing to do. I'll remember it for next time.

I do a number of back-to-backs and have recently begun a practice that the stewardess/butler very much appreciate. I tell them on disembarkation day not to provide morning service in my suite. They are furiously busy preparing suites, etc., and they have welcome relief from attending to my suite for that one morning. I do not expect others to follow my practice, but I thought I would mention it. Please don't flame me! :)

Observer, I did the same thing on my recent Crystal B2B and the stewardess was most appreciative too. Kudos to u for "putting it out there" for everyone to consider. :)

Cheers

Jennifer

Observer, my Go Away bears are always hung up all day on turn-over days. The crew gets a break. They are really busy. Re: boat drills. The drills are held prior to sailing on the same day as sailing. You are expected to attend all drills, B2B included. Attendance is taken. You will receive notice of a make-up drill if you miss it. I am not crazy about the idea BUT it beats the anticipated chaos of a real emergency!

It is good to know that others give the suite crew a break on turnover day. I had feared I might be flamed, like people who say they tip, because I am setting expectations that others do not want to meet, that I am spoiling the crew, etc.

DuctTape: The drill you describe is the one I experienced on cruises post-Costa Concordia episode. I nearly always do b2bs, and have for years. Before the Costa incident, attendance at one drill sufficed for the entire cruise, no matter how many segments. After Costa, I (and other in transit passengers) received messages from the Captain saying we had to attend that day's drill. I don't know if this new requirement is SS-specific or is industry wide. I think someone mentioned that it was a new SOLAS requirement. On a three or four segment cruise, attending each drill gets a bit tedious. I am getting old, but I can remember the instructions.....:)

POSTSCRIPT: I have done a bit of Binging (Google is so 20th century) and find the following at

http://worldmaritimenews.com/archives/87817/imos-maritime-safety-committee-adopted-passenger-drill-amendments/

Passenger drill amendments adopted

The MSC adopted amendments SOLAS regulation III/19 to require musters of newly embarked passengers prior to or immediately upon departure, instead of “within 24 hours”, as stated in the current regulations. The amendments are expected to enter into force on 1 January 2015.

So it appears that SOLAS will continue to require drills only for newly embarked passengers.

Why then does SS require continuing passengers to attend drills?

Yes, we also do B2Bs for multiple reasons. I was just stating current policy. I believe it is probably just over-caution on their part, but well intentioned. Yes, I am no kid either but for the time being I will do as I am told! P.S. don't tell my spouse I said that!!!

Observer, my Go Away bears are always hung up all day on turn-over days. The crew gets a break. They are really busy. Re: boat drills. The drills are held prior to sailing on the same day as sailing. You are expected to attend all drills, B2B included. Attendance is taken. You will receive notice of a make-up drill if you miss it. I am not crazy about the idea BUT it beats the anticipated chaos of a real emergency!

Well we definitely had one drill upon boarding in Barcelona even though the Wind wasn't leaving until the afternoon of the next day. Since the drill was conducted around 5 PM and departure the next day was scheduled for 4 PM we were within the 24-hour window. Interestingly a fog bank rolled into the port and our departure was delayed until 4 AM but they didn't get us up and run us through another drill. :D

Randyk47, I would say that was bad planning on SS' part!

Randyk47, I would say that was bad planning on SS' part!

Admittedly it worked for me...... I might have been guilty of over sampling the wine selection that night. :o

Well we definitely had one drill upon boarding in Barcelona even though the Wind wasn't leaving until the afternoon of the next day. Since the drill was conducted around 5 PM and departure the next day was scheduled for 4 PM we were within the 24-hour window. Interestingly a fog bank rolled into the port and our departure was delayed until 4 AM but they didn't get us up and run us through another drill. :D

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