questions about B2B cruises...

Just booked a 14-night east/west carib cruise, which is in fact two 7-nt cruises back to back.

Will we need to disembark from the ship when it returns to Fort Lauderdale after the first week? And if so, is it a simpler/quicker process to get back onboard afterwards?

Secondly, are we allowed to bring on additional bottles of wine for the second week when we get back to Fort Lauderdale? Would be handy to grab a bottle and bring it onboard for the second half of the trip.

Thanks so much!

Jen

Just booked a 14-night east/west carib cruise, which is in fact two 7-nt cruises back to back.

 

Will we need to disembark from the ship when it returns to Fort Lauderdale after the first week? And if so, is it a simpler/quicker process to get back onboard afterwards?

 

Secondly, are we allowed to bring on additional bottles of wine for the second week when we get back to Fort Lauderdale? Would be handy to grab a bottle and bring it onboard for the second half of the trip.

 

Thanks so much!

Jen

You will need to disembark, but you will be given an in transit card, so you don't have to go through the same process. You will have to go through security, and you will have to be on board before muster.

Yes, you can bring more wine on board. :)

AC

Sometimes, US CBP will come aboard and check everyone in a common room. In November we walked off down into the terminal and then walked right back on while a CBP agent checked our id as we passed him.

Also, others have reported bringing 4 bottles on at the start of a B2B, showing both boarding passes and not being charged. If it's more convenient for you.

If you do get the normal Pier 2 in FLL, it's not a bad trip to Total Wine, but it might be more convenient just to bring more at the outset.

Also, if Sunday is your turnaround day, Total doesn't open until 11am.

Also, if you wait until the above procedure is done, you can leave ship and pier and come back in anytime by showing In Transit card you are given. If you decide to walk off ship with disembarking passengers and pass through normal US CBP, you are free to head for wine, but when you return, the procedure is supposed to be that you have to wait until they start general boarding before you can re-board.

So, just keep all in mind if the plan is to take off for more wine on turnover day.

Turnaround day, you have two choices:

A) Report at the designated time and venue on the ship with your passport, cruise card and maybe the customs form completed with $0. Go through immigration with the group led by a staff member. Then return to and re-exit the ship. This process normally starts around 10 or 10:30 and takes up to 1 hour.

B) Leave the ship anytime between the start of embarkation and last call, around 9:30. Carry your passports, cruise cards (old and new if you received new ones), maybe the Customs form if requested, and the intransit cards. You may then re-board anytime after general boarding has begun, around noon. You will have to go through security.

Detailed and clear instructions will be delivered to your cabin during the cruise.

the advice above is excellent….we always find the turnaround day to be one of our favorites….and always look forward to it.

a few day before the end of the first portion of the cruise you will receive a envelope with your in- transit cards, a meeting location and your new cards for the second portion..all is explained in the letter that is attached….

As Steelers said, docked at pier 2 sure makes for an easier walk to shopping.

on our cruise last month (san francisco), the meeting time for in transit passengers was 1030…since we wanted to buy wine and re up supplies and get an In N Out burger, we verified with the passengers service desk that we could disembark earlier than that…and did so…like others have said you can't embark until general boarding has begun, but its painless and quick…have a safe cruise.

You can leave the ship at any time you wish as soon as it's cleared but some stores might not be open until 9 AM or so. Walgreens is always open as is Publix for wine & soda. Also if you finish your shopping to early you'll just end up waiting for general boarding when you return to the ship. It's best to have a leisurely breakfast & leave the ship 8 to 9 AM at the tale end of others going through customs/immigration. The line will be shorter at that point.

Don't forget your passport or other ID to reenter the port area.

Sometimes when large numbers of people are doing a B2B it can get aggravating waiting in the lounge for the stragglers to show up since they all have to go together as a group and some people are usually late.

 

Also, if Sunday is your turnaround day, Total doesn't open until 11am.

 

A small correction - Total Wine opens at noon on Sundays. Due to Fort Lauderdale's antiquated 'blue' laws, wine and liquor cannot be sold anywhere (liquor stores, grocery stores, drug stores, etc.) before noon on Sundays.

This may be a new b2b question:

I am doing the 1st leg with my husband. My sister-in-law is joining me for the second leg. Same ship. I will have an in transit card and am platinum. She is gold. Can I reboard with her in the platinum/elite/suite line for embarkation or will she have to get in the general boarding line?

Are you in the same cabin? My aunt was platinum and I was gold, and we boarded together.

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We will be sharing a cabin but it is not the same one my husband and I will be in the previous week.

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This may be a new b2b question:

I am doing the 1st leg with my husband. My sister-in-law is joining me for the second leg. Same ship. I will have an in transit card and am platinum. She is gold. Can I reboard with her in the platinum/elite/suite line for embarkation or will she have to get in the general boarding line?

You will already have your new cruise card (delivered to your stateroom with the in transit card) so you are not checking in again. Your sister-in-law is the only person checking in for the second cruise.

This may be a new b2b question:

I am doing the 1st leg with my husband. My sister-in-law is joining me for the second leg. Same ship. I will have an in transit card and am platinum. She is gold. Can I reboard with her in the platinum/elite/suite line for embarkation or will she have to get in the general boarding line?

You can go & sit with her and assist her in boarding. You'll be able to board as soon as general boarding is called since you have an in transit card but she'll have to wait till her group is called for check-in.

You can go & sit with her and assist her in boarding. You'll be able to board as soon as general boarding is called since you have an in transit card but she'll have to wait till her group is called for check-in.

I should defer to the expert, but I'm not sure this is correct. If you are in the same cabin, you should be able to board based on the highest status person in the cabin--in this case, that is you.

Since you are not checking in, it makes sense that she will have to check in with the general line. But honestly, I'd ask at the terminal about boarding. If you were both checking in and cruising together, she would be able to "piggyback" on your Platinum status. Worth asking anyhow.

I should defer to the expert' date=' but I'm not sure this is correct. If you are in the same cabin, you should be able to board based on the highest status person in the cabin--in this case, that is you.

 

Since you are not checking in, it makes sense that she will have to check in with the general line. But honestly, I'd ask at the terminal about boarding. If you were both checking in and cruising together, she would be able to "piggyback" on your Platinum status. Worth asking anyhow.[/quote']

 

If she had an in-transit card & had already been on the ship she would be able to board as soon as the general boarding is called for alone with her sister-in-law. The problem is that hew SIL hasn't checked in & is just waiting to be called so the piggyback on Platinum doesn't do her any good.

This may be a new b2b question:

I am doing the 1st leg with my husband. My sister-in-law is joining me for the second leg. Same ship. I will have an in transit card and am platinum. She is gold. Can I reboard with her in the platinum/elite/suite line for embarkation or will she have to get in the general boarding line?

If you disembark and meet your sister as she is starting the boarding process she can join you in the elite/platinum area since you will have a platinum card.

This may be a new b2b question:

I am doing the 1st leg with my husband. My sister-in-law is joining me for the second leg. Same ship. I will have an in transit card and am platinum. She is gold. Can I reboard with her in the platinum/elite/suite line for embarkation or will she have to get in the general boarding line?

Your options are shown in post no. 4.

If you wish to meet your sister in law in the terminal you can go to the seating area to meet her. Once general boarding has begun you are permitted to re-board at any time, just show your cruse card an intransit card. There is no waiting, no platinum or elite priority, just get in line and board. You might ask if your Sister in Law could board with you, maybe yes, maybe no. You do not have to go to the check in counter on the second leg.

For me, unless your SIL requires assistance, the easiest way would be to arrange to meet in some on ship location, such as the Piazza, Vines, or by the Lido Pool at a certain time.

Thank you for all the replies. :)

I know I don't have to check in again but I don't want my SIL to have to stand in line by herself. I will ask if she can jump to the platinum line if I'm with her. Worst case, they will say no.

Thanks again to all who replied.

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Thank you for all the replies. :)

I know I don't have to check in again but I don't want my SIL to have to stand in line by herself. I will ask if she can jump to the platinum line if I'm with her. Worst case, they will say no.

 

Thanks again to all who replied.

 

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Sometime it hardly makes any difference at all in the wait time.

My preference is to stay on the ship in the morning, go with the group to clear Immigration, eat lunch in the dining room, and then go off the ship to buy more wine. When we've stayed in the same cabin, we have told her cabin steward not to bother with doing our room on the turnaround morning. We figure he has enough to do.

My preference is to stay on the ship in the morning, go with the group to clear Immigration, eat lunch in the dining room, and then go off the ship to buy more wine. When we've stayed in the same cabin, we have told her cabin steward not to bother with doing our room on the turnaround morning. We figure he has enough to do.

I tried telling the steward to not do my room on one B2B. He was horrified and did it anyhow. So much for my good intentions.

I have come up with another inquiry about B2B 7-nt carib cruises.

Just wondering if the dining room menus and the theatre entertainment will be repeated on the second week, mirroring the first. Or is there a chance of having something new or different?

Thanks,

Jennifer

I have come up with another inquiry about B2B 7-nt carib cruises.

 

Just wondering if the dining room menus and the theatre entertainment will be repeated on the second week, mirroring the first. Or is there a chance of having something new or different?

 

Thanks,

Jennifer

The menu's might have a few changes but for the most part they'll be the same. The entertainment production shows will remain the same but they try to have different guest entertainers when possible especially when they flip from eastern Caribbean to western Caribbean on alternate weeks.

My preference is to stay on the ship in the morning, go with the group to clear Immigration, eat lunch in the dining room, and then go off the ship to buy more wine. When we've stayed in the same cabin, we have told her cabin steward not to bother with doing our room on the turnaround morning. We figure he has enough to do.

While the intent is good to avoid extra work by the steward, it really can't be avoided due to ship's housekeeping rules.