Conflicting information on B2B??

So I have been reading a lot about B2B as I am doing my first in less then a month, and I have read things that seem to not to apply to all...

Of course I want to experience how great its going to be but I have some questions based on what I have read..

Do you get to keep your original room key? I collect mine...

Do you get to take another embarkation photo? ( not a huge deal)

I read that they take a group photo of all B2B?

Some people say they have a gift in their room when doing B2B and others say they have nothing. I don't expect anything but how come the mixed information?

I'm looking forward mostly to not having to get off of the ship and having it to myself for a little while!!!!

See inline below in regards to my BTB on Dream.

So I have been reading a lot about B2B as I am doing my first in less then a month, and I have read things that seem to not to apply to all...

 

Of course I want to experience how great its going to be but I have some questions based on what I have read..

 

Do you get to keep your original room key? I collect mine...

YES.

Do you get to take another embarkation photo? ( not a huge deal)

No. We did not go back out into the madness. Escorted through documents check and right back on ship. Never even saw the outer room where people wait to board.

I read that they take a group photo of all B2B?

We had no group photo. Might vary from ship to ship. Don't know.

Some people say they have a gift in their room when doing B2B and others say they have nothing. I don't expect anything but how come the mixed information?

I think this might be upto the Cruise Director. We had a bottle of champagne/strawberries - It said complements of Jamie, our Cruise Director.

I'm looking forward mostly to not having to get off of the ship and having it to myself for a little while!!!!

I've never been on a back to back but have friends who have. You may need to temporarily give up your S&S card, as they give you a new one for the 2nd leg, but if you want your old one and they don't offer it back, you can ask for it no problem.

Most B2B'ers do not get a second Embarkation photo... if you really wanted one, you could perhaps ask the cruise staff to let you go that far off the ship once they start taking the photos... it's a while after you are through with all your paperwork and get back on the ship. Maybe once you see people embarking you could ask.

As for the group B2B photo it sounds like a hit or miss thing- probably depends on the CD and the ship.

The gift is something that you should get- it's usually small, like the chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of champagne. If it wasn't there fore other back to backs, I'd suspect that maybe the 2 legs of their cruise were not booked at the same time, so somehow were not linked properly. your first clue might be if they give you the B2B paperwork on the first leg without you prompting. A lot of people end up having to go to Guest Service to ask what to do on a B2B because they never got the paperwork and their steward knew nothing about it.

Hope this helps- as I said, it's based on info from a fellow cruiser, not personal experience... although some day I hope to enjoy a B2B! Hope you have a great time!

My replies based only on personal experience, so your result(s) may be different.

. . . Do you get to keep your original room key? I collect mine...

 

Yes, you can keep your initial key card. If a crew team member gathers those to 'ding you out' of the A-Pass machine, just ask for yours back after that is done.

 

Do you get to take another embarkation photo? ( not a huge deal)

 

I never had that opportunity on CCL, because we re-entered that ship in a way (and at a time) that didn't allowing passing by the photographers.

 

I read that they take a group photo of all B2B?

 

I've seen a few of those posted on Cruise Critic, and think it's a neat idea. I would imagine it's a celebration that is totally left up to the onboard team to determine if they want to do it or not.

 

Some people say they have a gift in their room when doing B2B and others say they have nothing. I don't expect anything but how come the mixed information?

Because it's Carnival.

On most of mine I had a treat (usually choc strawberries), and/or the bottle of champagne that's given during the week to onstage participants. Unless mixed with some orange juice, its a bit yucky.

I'm looking forward mostly to not having to get off of the ship and having it to myself for a little while!!!!

Have a great cruise x 2!!! :)

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So I have been reading a lot about B2B as I am doing my first in less then a month, and I have read things that seem to not to apply to all...

 

Of course I want to experience how great its going to be but I have some questions based on what I have read..

 

Do you get to keep your original room key? I collect mine...YES

 

Do you get to take another embarkation photo? ( not a huge deal).NO, you are back aboard the ship when they start taking embarkation photos.

 

I read that they take a group photo of all B2B? They did on the Dream in August.

 

Some people say they have a gift in their room when doing B2B and others say they have nothing. I don't expect anything but how come the mixed information? Not sure why there is mixed information, but I'm guessing that peoples individual experiences/memories are one reason.

 

I'm looking forward mostly to not having to get off of the ship and having it to myself for a little while!!!!

See above.

The reason for the mixed responses is that each ship/port does it differently. We did a B2B in Long Beach this year. As we were waiting to be boarded for the first leg, we sat with a couple who were starting the third leg of a B2B2B. The first was in Miami, then the second went thru the Panama Canal, and the third was in Long Beach. They said that in Miami they barely left the ship. Went to guest services and got their new cards, made a quick pass through customs at the gangway, then right back to their rooms. However, in Long Beach, they were sitting with us in the Captain's Lounge (where priority folks check in and wait for early boarding) after having just gone through the check in process again, just like we did. When they called the priorities to board, this couple boarded with us.

At the end of our cruise, we were instructed to come to Guest Services at around 10:30 am. There were 5 other couples doing a B2B as well. We were then asked to wait til all the other passengers had left the ship. Around noon, we were escorted off the ship and through customs. Then we were taken to the Captain's Lounge where we had to go through the check in procedure again (while all the other priority folks sat there with us). When all of us were finished with our check in, we were escorted back to the front door of the main terminal. As soon as we hit the door, they opened up the floodgates of priority folks. We just barely made it to security ahead of the throngs, and we were passed by numerous folks scurrying to the gangway of the ship.

We did not have a B2B gift waiting for us - tho as Platinums, we get the strawberries anyway. :) And there was no group photo taken. As the debarkation ran really late, they were trying to rush us out, through check in, and back on as quickly as possible.

So each experience will be different (tho I have heard that Long Beach may be the only place where you have to go back outside and go through the check in procedure with everyone else). Your best bet is to focus on the experiences of those who have done it on the same ship and from the same port that you are on.

Bob

When I did my B2B on Fantasy, there was just me and one other couple. No group photo.

No "gift" and zero acknowledgement at all (other than the smiling crew members who saw you were still on the ship).

Now, must bear in mind that both legs were impacted by Hurricane Sandy. The people on the ship may have had other things on their minds other than sending a bottle of cheap sparkling wine to the cabin. However, a friend was joining me for Leg 2 and my DD & her new husband were sailing for their honeymoon. Would've been nice to be able to give it to them one night at dinner. Seems like I'm the only cruiser ever who received nothing at all. At least it felt that way. Every single B2B thread I'd read said they received a gift. Oh well! I was much more upset about missing HMC.

I skip the embarkation photos anyway. I'm sure you could get another but you'd have to go all the way through the embarkation process. You "can" get off the ship and go sightseeing if you want, so could get one when you re-board.

This is how it was for us.

You can keep the card from the first cruise.

You will get a new one before you leave the ship for the second cruise.

We did have to leave the ship after everyone else to turn in our customs forms. Then walked back on and had the ship to ourselves for an hour.

We did receive a gift. Wine and something else like chocolate covered strawberries. It was delivered the second day of the second cruise.