Disembarkation If Ship Returns to Original Embarkation Port Before End of Cruise?

I'm booked on a 20-day voyage out of Fort Lauderdale. The ship returns to Fort Lauderdale after 10 days but then returns to the Caribbean for an additional 10 days until the cruise ends. It's booked as 1 cruise rather than a B2B. We will have no change of cabin or travelers involved. Will we be required to pack up and disembark and then re-embark at the midpoint in Fort Lauderdale?

no, you don't have to pack up, but you will have to go thru US Customs and Immigration. Instructions will be sent to you a few days before the end of the first 10 days.

I'm booked on a 20-day voyage out of Fort Lauderdale. The ship returns to Fort Lauderdale after 10 days but then returns to the Caribbean for an additional 10 days until the cruise ends. It's booked as 1 cruise rather than a B2B. We will have no change of cabin or travelers involved. Will we be required to pack up and disembark and then re-embark at the midpoint in Fort Lauderdale?

You will need to disembark, but not to pack up. You will receive explicit instructions on where to go and at what time. You will then go through immigration as a group and be escorted back on to the ship as a group. If you desire to stay off for a while, you will be given intransit cards.

It really depends on the captain and the port authorities. I have done a B2B a few times and the first time we were told to report to one of the lounges where we would meet with customs and we did not have to leave the ship. The second time we had to get off but we were allowed back on once customs cleared the ship. We were the first to be boarded. The third time we again were allowed to stay on board but had to report to the pursers desk for clearance. Never did we have to back up and move as we were booked in the same cabin.

You will be given instructions a few days prior to the end of the cruise.

be sure to follow the instructions left in your room - exactly as to time and place to meet

if one person/couple is not there at that time - it will delay the whole process:(

signed

not Paul...;p

no, you don't have to pack up, but you will have to go thru US Customs and Immigration. Instructions will be sent to you a few days before the end of the first 10 days.

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Everything already posted. To emphasize be sure to fully read and follow the instructions exactly for turn around day.

You will have two choices:

a) Exit the ship anytime after disembarkation has begun up to the final call around 9:30/10:00am. Take you passport, cruise card(s) and intransit card with you. Return to the ship anytime after embarkation has begun, around 11:30am. With the intransit card you will get right on the ship. You will have to go through immigration on exit and security when you return.

b) Stay on the ship and report NO LATER THAN THE TIME INDICATED to the location indicated in the directions, usually the theater. Bring your passport and cruise card(s) with you. If you stay on the ship you must report, NO EXCEPTIONS. A staff member will guide you through immigration and back on the ship.

You do not have to go to a second muster drill.

Your cabin steward will prepare your cabin just like any other day. Nothing is removed. We normally advise the cabin steward to schedule our cabin last to provide more time to get cabins ready for the new passengers. Just a courtesy.

I'm booked on a 20-day voyage out of Fort Lauderdale. The ship returns to Fort Lauderdale after 10 days but then returns to the Caribbean for an additional 10 days until the cruise ends. It's booked as 1 cruise rather than a B2B. We will have no change of cabin or travelers involved. Will we be required to pack up and disembark and then re-embark at the midpoint in Fort Lauderdale?

No you don't have to pack up.

In Fort Lauderdale you will receive yellow in transit cards in your cabin. When you arrive in port you have two choices. You can leave the ship with the disembarking passengers with the in transit card and your passport. Go through immigration showing both. This is if you want to do some touring around FLL. The in transit card is also used to get back onto the ship without having to wait for a boarding group number.

The other alternative is to go the the theater at the specified time and be escorted as a group to immigration and right back onto the ship.

Everything already posted. To emphasize be sure to fully read and follow the instructions exactly for turn around day.

You will have two choices:

a) Exit the ship anytime after disembarkation has begun up to the final call around 9:30/10:00am. Take you passport, cruise card(s) and intransit card with you. Return to the ship anytime after embarkation has begun, around 11:30am. With the intransit card you will get right on the ship. You will have to go through immigration on exit and security when you return.

b) Stay on the ship and report NO LATER THAN THE TIME INDICATED to the location indicated in the directions, usually the theater. Bring your passport and cruise card(s) with you. If you stay on the ship you must report, NO EXCEPTIONS. A staff member will guide you through immigration and back on the ship.

 

You do not have to go to a second muster drill.

 

Your cabin steward will prepare your cabin just like any other day. Nothing is removed. We normally advise the cabin steward to schedule our cabin last to provide more time to get cabins ready for the new passengers. Just a courtesy.

The time I did a B2B cruise I told my room steward to not even service my room at all that morning. I don't need service twice a day anyway, especially on ship turn days.

In Fort Lauderdale you will receive yellow in transit cards in your cabin. When you arrive in port you have two choices. You can leave the ship with the disembarking passengers with the in transit card and your passport. Go through immigration showing both. This is if you want to do some touring around FLL. The in transit card is also used to get back onto the ship without having to wait for a boarding group number.

 

The other alternative is to go the the theater at the specified time and be escorted as a group to immigration and right back onto the ship.

Don't know why they come back or what they do but the OP said that there were not going to be any disembarking passengers. At least that's what I interpret as "no change of cabin or travelers involved." But perhaps I've misinterpreted it.

Tom

I have experienced everything as in post 11 above

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Don't know why they come back or what they do but the OP said that there were not going to be any disembarking passengers. At least that's what I interpret as "no change of cabin or travelers involved." But perhaps I've misinterpreted it.

 

Tom

The OP is saying the OP's cabin and people will not have any change. The OP is not referring to the rest of the passengers on the ship.

You only go through immigration. You won’t go through customs until the end of the cruise. At last that was the case on our one B2B sailing out of Seattle.

 

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If we really want to get technical, I should have said "US Customs and Border Protection"......one and the same person, right?

if one person/couple is not there at that time - it will delay the whole process

IMO this is the most important statement. On one B2B we decided to get right back on as it was pouring out. We had to sit in the dining room for an extra 20-30 minutes waiting for a couple that apparently had decided that the meeting time didn't apply to them. :mad:

If we really want to get technical, I should have said "US Customs and Border Protection"......one and the same person, right?

Actually no. Different officials handle immigration than handle customs. Definitely not one and the same person.

Don't know why they come back or what they do but the OP said that there were not going to be any disembarking passengers. At least that's what I interpret as "no change of cabin or travelers involved." But perhaps I've misinterpreted it.

 

Tom

The OP is doing a longer cruise, that is made up of 2 shorter cruises. As such about 80 to 90% of the ship will be disembarking, and new passengers boarding.

The OP is saying the OP's cabin and people will not have any change. The OP is not referring to the rest of the passengers on the ship.

The OP is doing a longer cruise, that is made up of 2 shorter cruises. As such about 80 to 90% of the ship will be disembarking, and new passengers boarding.

Ah, okay, got it. Thanks for the clarification.

Tom

be sure to follow the instructions left in your room - exactly as to time and place to meet if one person/couple is not there at that time - it will delay the whole process:(

That is VERY important. 300+ of us were walked into an empty port terminal being told as soon as we got off the ship and to the terminal we would walk right back on board, 5 minutes tops. Once couple was missing, took 45 minutes to find them. The terminal was hot, no chairs, no water, could not use the restroom because any minute we were leaving for the ship and everyone had to be accounted for.

We were OK, late forties at the time, but this was incredibly bad for the elderly, mobility challenged and otherwise compromised pax. Seeing women in their 80's sitting and laying on the concrete terminal floor because they simply could not stand anymore. They were literally dropping like flies. Felt bad too for the couple, new to cruising. They just "didn't know" and for the second leg of the cruise they were singled out as "that couple" by some.

Oh and yes Princess didn't really apologize, it was the fault of the missing pax but gave us each a drink ticket. Whoo Hoo. My comment card asked that they never allow something like this to happen again. Don't have a procedure in place that makes it even possible for it to happen. Next year we were in the theater for B2B clearance.

I strongly recommend disembarking independently and then getting back on after boarding begins. Sitting in the lounge or the theater waiting for the stragglers to show up was like being in grade school assembly, only worse. There's plenty to see and do in Fort Lauderdale, especially if the weather is nice. In the worst case, go to the nearby Starbucks and take advantage of the free and fast internet.

I strongly recommend disembarking independently and then getting back on after boarding begins....

This was not an option for us at the time. Everyone on the B2B had to gather and once cleared you go out to FLL with an "intransit" card but everyone had to be cleared together first. We actually had the cards but decided to re-board and have lunch & drink instead of FLL.

I also agree the theater is no Bueno. At least you have a seat and it's cool but not allowed to get up and at the mercy of the folks arriving late. There really should be a better way.

Once you are cleared, what did you DO on the ship, if you didn't get off? Not much going on that first day, everyone unpacking.

One back to back, in Fort Lauderdale, we needed to change cabins. We did not get off the ship, but waited until all the cabins were clear and then I moved all of our stuff from one cabin to the other. Instead of packing everything into the luggage, I did about 10 trips. I carried a load of stuff from the old closet to the new closet. I took everything from one dresser and put it in the new dresser. … Relatively painless, since everything already had a place.

After I moved all our stuff, I hung out at the pool, with brief trips to the buffet. The crew was deep cleaning the carpets in most of the indoor public areas, and I was trying to keep out of their way (and the noise of their machines). There were under 50 passengers on the ship for several hours.

Once you are cleared, what did you DO on the ship, if you didn't get off? Not much going on that first day, everyone unpacking.

Swim, sat by the pool and hogged 4 loungers. The bar was open and the buffet shortly thereafter. We have done both, get off and stay on board on a B2B. Either way it is kind of a "lost day". Yes you can make the best of it but as you noted not much going on and we have seen FLL numerous times. It's not a bad thing just not a sea day with activities or a bonified port stop.