Back-to-Back Not

[cactusrose]

Sorry, but yes that is the way it works. If you book it as one cruise you get one credit. If you book it as two you get two credits. I just booked a b2b and I see my TA has bookd it as one cruise. Guess I will call her in the morn & see if it can be changed. This will be my 19th and (hoefully) my 20th cruises, so I will start getting the little Elite OBC. Plus I can get 2 FCC obc and 2 shareholder obc.

 

Paul,

I think you mean the Captains Circle loyalty credit but that doesn't start until your 21st cruise. I know because I just completed a B2B that was my 20th and 21st cruise and didn't get it until the 21st. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.:(

 

Sometimes booking a B2B as one cruise is much less expensive even when you include all the OBC from FCCs and Stockholders so check the prices carefully before you decide to book them as two.

[caribill]

The number of credits you get depends on home you book it. If you book one 14 day cruise you get one credit, but if you book two 7 day cruuises, you get two. I usually book it so I get more cruises. Not only do you get more cruises which may get you the Elite OBC sooner, but you can use more FCC's and possibly get more OBC. Finally, as a shareholder, I get two of those OBC too.

 

Booked as one 14 day cruise, stockholder OBC is $250.

Booked as two 7 day cruises, stockholder OBC is 2*$100 = $200.

 

When there was a fuel surcharge, there was a limit to the number of days it was charged (10 days?). So booked as one 14 day cruise, the fuel surcharge would be for 10 days. Booked as two 7 day cruises, it would be for 14 days.

 

For the above two examples, booking as a single 14 day cruise would be better than booking as two seven day cruises.

 

OBC from using FCCs:

Booked as an outside for one 14 day cruise, OBC = $100

Booked as an outside for two 7 day cruises, OBC = 2 * $50 = $100

 

In this example, a tie.

[cityguy300]

Wait a minute..... So if you book it as a 14 day cruise, it only counts as 1 cruise credit rather than 2?! Bummer....I wish I had known that when I was booking the Western/Eastern on the Emerald June 2010 a few weeks ago. I feel rather silly going to my TA and asking if she'll rebook it as two 7 day rather than the 14 day for the credits and possibly lose the room I booked already. Well, it's good to know for the future.

 

I was on the San Juan B2B on CB this past March and didn't give any thought to the lack of double credits until I realized that we were being issued separate cards, had to go through the checkout / check-in on turnaround day, etc. Then I was hopeful that we would get double credits, as I got some wrong info here that the separate voyage numbers meant separate credits, but it was not to be. :( At least it was slightly cheaper than booking the two 7-days separately (perhaps for you, too?), and as others have mentioned you'll still get 14 sea days to your credit.

 

What I don't understand is if it matters so much to the OP why they didn't book them as two cruises to start with. If you go to Princess.com, it's easy to find these as separate cruises or one cruise. Plus, a good TA would have caught that and advised the OP.

 

Actually the OP didn't complain about the credits situation -- that just sprung out of the discussion here. ;) The OP was asking about the inconveniences on turnaround day despite booking a single 14-day.

 

To me the worst part of doing a B2B was the complete, utter repetition of the menus & entertainment. I realize it's inevitable since 95% of the passengers are only there for one week or the other, but compared to my previous (and first) Princess cruise which was a proper 12-day cruise it sure suffered in comparison!

[Stevesan]

I booked the San Juan 14 dayer Feb 2008 as a single cruise because there was a 5% (WOW) discount over booking them separately.

That, however, was before solos received double credits. Since Princess perks add up to real $, I wouldn't do that again.

 

 

Sidebar: I recall someone mentioning that the itinerarys remain the same? That isn't quite correct.

The only repeat, other than home port San Juan, was St Thomas.

 

I really enjoyed the cruise until week two when 700 insurance sales men boarded. They all dined together.

The DR noise level was loud enough to damage hearing! :eek: It was only conversation, but it was loud, incessant and every blessed one of them talked at the same time.

It quickly became Horizon Court time. :p

 

A good reason to book the San Juan cruise, besides a great dive/snorkel itinerary, is that Business/First Class air to SJU is actually affordable.

I guess the airlines had to do something to alleviate the suffering. That airport is one horrible bedlam.

[DrivesLikeMario]

ROFL! I was talking about myself. My bad. :)

 

No problem! ;)

[m steve]

the credits and cruise count. Saving several $100 by booking a double is better than 2 separate cruises and there's a chance you might have to have 2 different cabins. Either way, you'll get your DF liquor delivered on the last day of first leg to enjoy on second and what you consume in cabin isn't charged against your allowance, as if customs cares.

[paul929207]

the credits and cruise count. Saving several $100 by booking a double is better than 2 separate cruises and there's a chance you might have to have 2 different cabins. Either way, you'll get your DF liquor delivered on the last day of first leg to enjoy on second and what you consume in cabin isn't charged against your allowance, as if customs cares.

It depends on the amount of the discount. My wife and I just booked a b2b for 2011. The first leg is 16 days andth second is 28 days. By booking two cruises, we get two FCC OBC each, plus a Shareholder OBC on each cruise. That cmes to $550 OBC per cruise. If we booked it as one 44 night cruise, we would ge the $550 once. So that is an extra $550. In addition, it counts as two credits towards the Elite OBC rather than just 1.

[cruiseryyc]

I have done several back to backs; I have done two repositioning trips through the Panama Canal (which worked out to be three separate cruise legs). The "turn around" days are not a problem. Yes you have to go through Immigration and/or Customs; yes you have to get a new cruise card - boy those are real problems that most people would love to have to deal with. I consider myself extremely fortunate that I've been able to experience this turn around day on more than one occasion, it isn't an issue to get worked up about.