B2B / Back to Back Questions

[Baseballkurt]

Okay after a watermelon margarita, my wife thought about doing a b2b on our upcoming cruise in 2011. I have some questions.

 

A> Do you have to be in the same room?

B> Do you have to leave the ship?

C> Do you get any bonus for doing a B2B?

D> What other positives are there?

E> Is there any negative things?

 

Thanks so much for your help!

[cruisenfever]

A> Do you have to be in the same room?

It's best to book early to be able to keep the same cabin then you don't have to pack up and move on turnaround day.

 

B> Do you have to leave the ship?

If you don't want to you don't have to. There is a meeting the day before the end of your first cruise highlighting all the necessary information for turnaround day. It's fun to have a couple of hours alone on a ship.:p It all depends on the port if you have to leave the ship or not. In San Juan we did not.

 

C> Do you get any bonus for doing a B2B?

No, they are handled as two separate bookings each with their own booking numbers. At the end of the first cruise your account is closed and a new account is started.But all information is transferred from one cruise to the next including your photo.

 

D> What other positives are there?

The best part is on turnaround day, knowing that you don't have to get off the ship......you can enjoy your breakfast and then walk around and watch all the frustrated people waiting to get off. Of course, you'll be doing that the following week.:D

Another thing is that if you book a cruise with alternating itineraries like we just did on Serenade, you can visit different ports on each cruise.

E> Is there any negative things?

We've done numerous b2b's and have enjoyed each one more than the last.

[debshomespun]

A> Do you have to be in the same room?

It makes it easier, but we've had to change rooms, and it was ok, the room stewards will help.

B> Do you have to leave the ship?

You will have to meet at a specific time to pick up your new seapass card. Then, in a group, you will walk off the ship, walk through immigration, and get back on the ship (where they will do a new photo for your card)

C> Do you get any bonus for doing a B2B?

No, other than the fact you don't have to leave the ship at the end of the 1st cruise. :D

D> What other positives are there?

Just knowing you have another full cruise to enjoy before you have to get off the ship!

Also, the ship MAY have a private luncheon in the MDR for the B2B guests to enjoy so you don't have to hassle with the Windjammer and crowds. Sometimes the price can be much more inexpensive on a 4 or 5 day combination than a 7 day regular cruise.

E> Is there any negative things?

Not much going on for the B2B people on the turnaround day. On our last B2B on the Navigator, I thought the turnaround day was more of a wasted day. I would have rather did a longer cruise and spent it at sea.

 

 

 

We have enjoyed our B2B's that we have done. We are doing a B2B in Feb/11, but on 2 ships. We are going on the Liberty 8 night Eastern, then when we get off in Miami, going directly up to Fort Lauderdale, and boarding the Allure for a 7 night Western. :D

[cruisenfever]

A> Do you have to be in the same room?

It makes it easier, but we've had to change rooms, and it was ok, the room stewards will help.

B> Do you have to leave the ship?

You will have to meet at a specific time to pick up your new seapass card. Then, in a group, you will walk off the ship, walk through immigration, and get back on the ship (where they will do a new photo for your card)

C> Do you get any bonus for doing a B2B?

No, other than the fact you don't have to leave the ship at the end of the 1st cruise. :D

D> What other positives are there?

Just knowing you have another full cruise to enjoy before you have to get off the ship!

Also, the ship MAY have a private luncheon in the MDR for the B2B guests to enjoy so you don't have to hassle with the Windjammer and crowds. Sometimes the price can be much more inexpensive on a 4 or 5 day combination than a 7 day regular cruise.

E> Is there any negative things?

Not much going on for the B2B people on the turnaround day. On our last B2B on the Navigator, I thought the turnaround day was more of a wasted day. I would have rather did a longer cruise and spent it at sea.

 

 

 

We have enjoyed our B2B's that we have done. We are doing a B2B in Feb/11, but on 2 ships. We are going on the Liberty 8 night Eastern, then when we get off in Miami, going directly up to Fort Lauderdale, and boarding the Allure for a 7 night Western. :D

Depending on the port, you do not have to disembark the ship on turnaround day. With the new consecutive cruisers policy, all necessary information is transferred over to the next cruise including credit card info and photo.

 

You may want to have a look at this Consecutive Cruisers

[*Sparkle*]

thanks for the info link!

[BILL-WI]

A> Do you have to be in the same room?

It's best to book early to be able to keep the same cabin then you don't have to pack up and move on turnaround day.

 

B> Do you have to leave the ship?

If you don't want to you don't have to. There is a meeting the day before the end of your first cruise highlighting all the necessary information for turnaround day. It's fun to have a couple of hours alone on a ship.:p It all depends on the port if you have to leave the ship or not. In San Juan we did not.

C> Do you get any bonus for doing a B2B?

No, they are handled as two separate bookings each with their own booking numbers. At the end of the first cruise your account is closed and a new account is started.But all information is transferred from one cruise to the next including your photo.

 

D> What other positives are there?

The best part is on turnaround day, knowing that you don't have to get off the ship......you can enjoy your breakfast and then walk around and watch all the frustrated people waiting to get off. Of course, you'll be doing that the following week.:D

Another thing is that if you book a cruise with alternating itineraries like we just did on Serenade, you can visit different ports on each cruise.

E> Is there any negative things?

We've done numerous b2b's and have enjoyed each one more than the last.

 

We did the same B2B out of San Juan in January and we DID have to leave the ship. We had to walk off and sit a waiting area for 20 minutes and then we got back on! We are doing it again next January, so we will see if it has changed...or if Patti was getting her SPECIAL treatment!!!

 

BILL

[rubrrick]

I don't think of the turnaround day as a wasted day at all. No matter where the port is for the B2B, we use that day to explore the city. We have done B2B's out of Los Angeles, San Diego, Ft. Lauderdale, Southampton and Hariwich, U.K., as well as Rio, and Valparaiso, Chile.

 

As someone mentioned, it is becoming popular to have a luncheon for the B2B crowd that wants to stay aboard.

 

We love B2B's!!!:);)

 

Rick

[kc320]

Getting off or not can vary from ship to ship...and even the same ship week to week...I did a b2b on the Majesty in April...there was a couple on our roll call that was doing 2 weeks on the Majesty prior to joining our group...they "filled" us in on what the procedure would be on our turn around day..meet at guest relations..get off ..go thru customs, get our picture taken & get back on...turns out we did NOT have to get off..we were given our new seapass cards & told that anytime between 11-3 we needed to slip back out & have our pictures taken for our new seapass cards...

Maybe because it was a shorter cruise but we did receive goodies in our cabin every day..champagne..choc. covered strawberries..a fruit basket..over and above what we had received the sailing before & we were diamond members them...

[AlanAllyn]

We've done two b2b's out of Fort Lauderdale on the Jewel and the Independence. One time we had to get off for a few minutes (after everybody else) and go through immigrations. The other time, immigrations came on board and we didn't get off. We had access to our cabin (would only do it if I didn't have to move) all day. They gave us a luncheon in the main diningroom and tickets for the ice shows on the Indy.

 

The main disadvantage is the most of the menus and much of the entertainment repeats.

 

We are planning to do it again in 2011 on the Allure.

[cruisenfever]

We did the same B2B out of San Juan in January and we DID have to leave the ship. We had to walk off and sit a waiting area for 20 minutes and then we got back on! We are doing it again next January, so we will see if it has changed...or if Patti was getting her SPECIAL treatment!!!

 

BILL

Bill, we did a consecutive cruise on Serenade beginning 4/10. On 4/17 which was our turnaround day, we did not have to get off the ship.

 

Those that wanted to leave and explore OSJ had to get their new SeaPass Cards from GR before 8AM and then they were free to leave the ship. Those of us that stayed on board met in the theater at 10AM to receive our new SeaPass cards and then we had to wait until 11:30AM if we wanted to leave the ship.

 

There were about 60 of us that got this "special treatment"!!:D

[RayJacki]

Depending on the port, you do not have to disembark the ship on turnaround day. With the new consecutive cruisers policy, all necessary information is transferred over to the next cruise including credit card info and photo.

 

You may want to have a look at this Consecutive Cruisers

 

Patti & Jim-

 

Love (and sympathize with) the change in the location for your screen name. Go Cavs!! :(

BTW - the baby keeps getting prettier in every new picture.:)

[NordicPrince]

Okay after a watermelon margarita, my wife thought about doing a b2b on our upcoming cruise in 2011. I have some questions.

 

A> Do you have to be in the same room?

B> Do you have to leave the ship?

C> Do you get any bonus for doing a B2B?

D> What other positives are there?

E> Is there any negative things?

 

Thanks so much for your help!

 

a> You and your wife do not have to be in the same room. As a matter of fact it may make your cruise even more enjoyable if you have separate

cabins.

 

b> I can not answer this. How badly you plan to misbehave?

 

c> One of the bonus features is of course you save a round trip of traveling expenses to and from the port of embarkation. The other is that

you can continue to build on your tan the second week and not have to start over again.

 

d> For younger couples it means that Grandma or Aunt Martha will have to watch the kids for another week. For the older couples it means you will

not have to see your wife's sister for a little while longer (shucks)

 

e> RCI charges you twice.

 

B2B in January 2010 on Serenade - Greatest trip DW and I ever took

 

( Bill let us on his ship )

 

Have a great cruise.

[cruisenfever]

Patti & Jim-

 

Love (and sympathize with) the change in the location for your screen name. Go Cavs!! :(

 

BTW - the baby keeps getting prettier in every new picture.:)

Thanks Jacki, glad you enjoy "our" new slogan for the city.:D Remember, it's your slogan also.

 

And thanks also for the kind words about our princess.

[M&M Hayden]

We were on Radiance in March and there were folks doing a b2b and they were treated, by officers of the ship, to dinner in Portifinos. There were 8 couples I believe that were doing the b2b.

I've heard that on soem ships they waive the laundry fee for a bag of laundry. I think it all depends on the staff and the ship.

[cruisenfever]

We were on Radiance in March and there were folks doing a b2b and they were treated, by officers of the ship, to dinner in Portifinos. There were 8 couples I believe that were doing the b2b.

I've heard that on soem ships they waive the laundry fee for a bag of laundry. I think it all depends on the staff and the ship.

Are you sure that they were being treated to dinner because they were doing a b2b or were they offered a 2 for 1 deal like we were on Serenade?

 

They also could have been top cruisers for their cruise and were invited to a special dinner attended by officers. We had that honor on both of our Serenade cruises in April.

[LABCHICK]

I want to thank everyone for the information on the B2B. We are going on our 1st B2B in 2011 on the Serenade. Have had alot of questions which you all have answered. Our Dd, SIL and GS will we boarding for the second leg. We are planning on meeting them as they board the ship. Is this possible?

 

Judi :)

[cruisenfever]

I want to thank everyone for the information on the B2B. We are going on our 1st B2B in 2011 on the Serenade. Have had alot of questions which you all have answered. Our Dd, SIL and GS will we boarding for the second leg. We are planning on meeting them as they board the ship. Is this possible?

 

Judi :)

Yes, once you have your new SeaPass Cards you can disembark the ship and go into the terminal and watch for them. Since embarkation does not start until 11:30 or a little there after, just make sure you know what time they will be arriving in the terminal. We have cell phones with AT&T and were able to use them in SJ when calling home. Maybe they could give you a call when they have arrived in the terminal.

[Baseballkurt]

Thanks for all the great information! I think a b2b is a great way to "save money"....... :)