B2B Procedures

My DH and I are considering doing our first Back to Back cruise but were wondering about the procedure of packing/leaving the ship, etc. Do you have to go thru customs again, do you have to pack and leave your cabin? Answers to these questions, will make it easier to move forward with booking a back to back cruise. Any other comments, suggestions, etc would be greatly appreciated.

Debbie

Procedures are different in the US vs. at an international port . Where will you be sailing ?

You can do a search of this board and find dozens of reports to read to guide you as we'll. just put B2B or back to back in the search box.

No need to pack if staying in the same cabin. If moving to a different cabin, your room steward will assist you in moving your things.

Yes, you will go through customs, but it is a very simple process. (Not knowing what sailings you are referring to, I cannot speak for an international sailing.)

You will receive a letter in your stateroom with all the specifics for your "turnaround".

My DH and I are considering doing our first Back to Back cruise but were wondering about the procedure of packing/leaving the ship, etc. Do you have to go thru customs again, do you have to pack and leave your cabin? Answers to these questions, will make it easier to move forward with booking a back to back cruise. Any other comments, suggestions, etc would be greatly appreciated.

 

Debbie

Hi Debbie, have done a few B2B's and one thing I always try to do is book the same stateroom for both cruises. It may be different in different countries but we have always been escorted off the ship, as a group of B2B'ers, and then escorted back onto the ship again, receiving our new passes as we do. I do not remember going through customs again before embarking as we do not go anywhere except stay in the port area.

I thoroughly recommend B2B's - the longer the cruise the better. But beware, they do start to become habit forming.

Our January B2B was great! Instructions and new seapass cards were delivered to the stateroom a couple of days before the end of the cruise. Those of us on the B2B met in the MDR late morning. Once the ship was cleared we walked off the ship, showed our passports to the customs folks, then walked back on. Declaration forms for our first cruise weren't gathered. We just gave both to customs after the second cruise. Easy. It was kind of fun walking back on past the line of Celebrity staff leaving the ship. They were smiling, clapping their hands and even gave a few high-fives. Pretty entertaining! Make sure you visit Guest Services to give them credit card information for the second cruise.

Our B to B was on Connie, Ft. Lauderdale. We had to move cabins but the attendants helped, we just re-packed. The last morning of cruise 1 all the b to b's met in a lounge around 9 or so. We waited until the ship was cleared, zero count I believe they called it. They escorted us off. While waiting to go through customs again we were issued our new sea passes, we went through a special customs area and back on the ship. It took about an hour.

Our upcoming B to B on Sillie we were able to retain the same cabin, which will be nice :)

Thanks everyone for the responses. We are looking to sail out of Ft. Lauderdale or Miami to the Caribbean. Your answers have really helped seal the deal as far as booking a back to back. We were envisioning a much bigger ordeal. Keeping the same cabin seems the way to go!!

Debbie

My DH and I are considering doing our first Back to Back cruise but were wondering about the procedure of packing/leaving the ship, etc. Do you have to go thru customs again, do you have to pack and leave your cabin? Answers to these questions, will make it easier to move forward with booking a back to back cruise. Any other comments, suggestions, etc would be greatly appreciated.

 

Debbie

If you have the same cabin on both cruises you do not need to pack anything. If you have to change cabins you'll have to pack some or most of your items and your cabin steward (current or future) will help you move them on the turnaround day - ask them for help and what you should do a few days before the turnaround day. If for some reason they don't seem helpful then ask customer relations and/or the Asst. Chief Housekeeper you can contact through customer relations desk.

Whether or not you have to go through customs depends on the country you are sailing from. At USA ports everyone must clear customs at some point but you do not have to remove your belongings from the ship and the procedure and timing will be different depending on whether you want to stay on board or get off the ship to tour or run errands at the port. In some countries, such as the European ports we're familiar with, none of the passengers go through customs on closed loop cruises so there are no special procedures for b2b passengers.

The details for things like getting a seapass for the second leg of your cruise vary from cruise to cruise but you'll get instructions on everything on board before your turnaround day. Just make sure the guest relations desk is aware that you're a b2b customer.

Thanks everyone for the responses. We are looking to sail out of Ft. Lauderdale or Miami to the Caribbean. Your answers have really helped seal the deal as far as booking a back to back. We were envisioning a much bigger ordeal. Keeping the same cabin seems the way to go!!

 

Debbie

At Ft. Lauderdale: If you want to get off the ship for the day you can expect to be able to disembark anytime while the general disembarkation is in process and pass through customs at that time. If you do so you probably will not be allowed back on board until after the general embarkation has started but will likely be given an "in transit" pass to bypass the new passenger check in lines. If you want to stay on board all day you'll need to meet at a designated spot in the morning and will be escorted off the ship, through customs, and back on the ship just after the last disembarking passengers have left.

We tend to do B2B cruises since we fly to every cruise port, and a B2B seems like a more efficient use of the air fare.

While procedures on the turnaround day vary widely when the passengers who will be disembarking receive their luggage tag packet the B2B passengers will receive a succinct letter of instructions regarding the turnaround day procedure. If you have any questions regarding that letter then just contact guest relations.

Our B to B was on Connie, Ft. Lauderdale. We had to move cabins but the attendants helped, we just re-packed. The last morning of cruise 1 all the b to b's met in a lounge around 9 or so. We waited until the ship was cleared, zero count I believe they called it. They escorted us off. While waiting to go through customs again we were issued our new sea passes, we went through a special customs area and back on the ship. It took about an hour.

Our upcoming B to B on Sillie we were able to retain the same cabin, which will be nice :)

We are doing a B2B on the Connie next december (so 2015) and wondered what are the meal choices for turnaround day? Do they have a set place you can go? Are any of the pools open? Can we go back to our stateroom or are we locked out until the rooms are available again?

My husband and I are doing a b2b in January out of Miami. I just want to be warm for one whole month. Maybe we'll see you then.

We are doing a B2B out of Miami for the whole month of February. I also was wondering what we can do once we clear customs and get back on board. Can we go back to the cabin, can we eat somewhere other than the buffet for lunch. Unfortunately we couldn't get the same cabin, but got the same cabin location on the other side of the ship, on the same floor. I don't think they will allow us in the cabin since they usually have the areas locked until ready to open the doors for everyone. Will we be like displaced people that day?

On our last b2b, a few years ago, we had full access to the cabins but I don't recall them locking the hallway doors then. Perhaps that is new? Our stateroom attendants had the room cleaned early and our friends who had to move down the hall found all there things had been moved for them, and their new room ready, when they got back on board after the short group run through customs.

On our b2b there was no special meal so the lunch options were the same as for embarking passengers. I've read that on some cruises they occasionally have a lunch in the MDR or something else special but this isn't consistent nor a perk they commit to so you won't know if they do anything special until the last minute.

We are doing a B2B on the Connie next december (so 2015) and wondered what are the meal choices for turnaround day? Do they have a set place you can go? Are any of the pools open? Can we go back to our stateroom or are we locked out until the rooms are available again?

I can only speak for procedures in San Juan, & last year although we had the same room both sailings, we could not go back to our room until they were opened for the 2nd sailing. The pools remained open, & they had a sit down lunch in the MDR for B2Brs. We met in a designated room, were escorted off the ship, went throughout customs, & back on the ship with new cards in 45 minutes.

Loved it so much, we're doing the same in 2015!

The lunch procedure for B2B passengers varies from cruise to cruise

We have been on cruises where they provided lunch for us in a specialty restaurant, or gave us lunch tickets to use in Cafe Al Bacio at any time we wanted, or had a special lunch in the main dining room, or no special lunch was offered at all.

When the lunch is in the main dining room you typically sit down and order from a menu, but on one cruise they had it set up as a very limited buffet at the entrance to the dining room.

You helped yourself and then took your food over to a table to sit down and eat. They did bring around beverages, but we remarked at the time that we would have been better off just going to the buffet.

As mentioned, the procedures can differ somewhat from cruise to cruise and port to port, even at ports in the same country.

You will receive instructions in advance a day or two before the turnaround, including a transit pass for use in port that day to come and go freely without needing to wait in line with the new passengers who are embarking for the first time.

If you just follow instructions and go with the flow it should not be a problem at all, regardless of whether you choose to remain on the ship or go off on your own in port that day to take a tour or do something else.

In summary, I guess what I am trying to say is that the turnaround day procedure is really no big deal and no cause for concern, whichever way they do it.

On our last b2b, a few years ago, we had full access to the cabins but I don't recall them locking the hallway doors then. Perhaps that is new?

 

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The Constellation TA last April was the first non-B2B we've done in some time. Next month we have the Century TP followed by the next South Pacific cruise, and in 2015 have one set of B2B2Bs followed by a B2B later in the year.

We've rarely had "full access" to the staterooms on turn-around days. Generally we've found that elevators to "stateroom only" floors are programed to not stop and also fire doors are closed if you try to use the stairs. Any more we try to find an activity or attraction to visit on the turnaround day.

We've rarely had "full access" to the staterooms on turn-around days. Generally we've found that elevators to "stateroom only" floors are programed to not stop and also fire doors are closed if you try to use the stairs. Any more we try to find an activity or attraction to visit on the turnaround day.

It is interesting how every cruise is different when it comes to access to one's cabin during turnaround. In April of this year, on the Connie, my stateroom attendant said "No Problem" when I asked him if I could come back to the room to change into my swimsuit after the b2b gathering. He told me that if the fire door was closed, to just slide it open. When I came back to change, it was open.

After booking our cruise a couple of months ago and were paid in full we saw that our same cabin for the cruise just prior had opened up so we grabbed that too. We were already inside the final payment window so we are paid in full on that one too. They are separate booking numbers and separate transactions. Do we need to have Celebrity combine the bookings now or just wait until we board number one?

After booking our cruise a couple of months ago and were paid in full we saw that our same cabin for the cruise just prior had opened up so we grabbed that too. We were already inside the final payment window so we are paid in full on that one too. They are separate booking numbers and separate transactions. Do we need to have Celebrity combine the bookings now or just wait until we board number one?

I don't think Celebrity does anything to "combine" them in any event. I think they always remain separate booking numbers. Just let guest relations desk know you are sailing b2b after you are on board. You'll also note this on the disembarkation questionnaire you'll be asked to complete shortly after your first cruise begins.

After booking our cruise a couple of months ago and were paid in full we saw that our same cabin for the cruise just prior had opened up so we grabbed that too. We were already inside the final payment window so we are paid in full on that one too. They are separate booking numbers and separate transactions. Do we need to have Celebrity combine the bookings now or just wait until we board number one?

It makes no difference if you are in different cabins for each leg of the B2B or are in the same cabin for both legs -- from an accounting standpoint Celebrity deals with each leg as a separate cruise. You will receive a final bill for the first one, and then at the end of the second leg another bill for that second leg. Items such as internet minutes and so forth do not "carry over" from the first leg to the second.

Thanks for your response. So Celebrity will know we are Back to Back just from the passenger manifests?

Thanks for your response. So Celebrity will know we are Back to Back just from the passenger manifests?

When the disembarkation questionnaires are distributed there is a box to check which indicates that you are a B2B passenger.

Thanks for your response. So Celebrity will know we are Back to Back just from the passenger manifests?

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That is what they use to determine the order of the luggage tags to issue for disembarkation and it is where you indicate that you will be staying over for the next cruise.

When you do that, you will be issued a turnaround day packet instead of disembarkation luggage tags.

As others have stated, there is nothing to "combine" as each segment remains a separate cruise with a different reservation number.

Thanks, again, for all your responses.