B2B OR B2B - change ships

[ish drakes]

I'd switch ships. Yes, it would be a PITA to have to pack and un pack but to me 1/2 the experience(if not more) is the ship. So to be able to stay on two different ships would be awesome! Good luck on your "difficult" decission! :D

 

Thanks. That's what I'm thinking :). Just need help booking it now. Want to ensure we get the best price.

[ValerieJo]

I just remembered....here is another thing to think about. I am not aware if Royal still does this, but I would ask about it and maybe you can talk them into it. When we were booked a year or so ago on two different ships leaving a day apart this was offered to us.

 

They used to pay for your hotel and transfers if you cruised on two of their ships a day apart!!

 

Check it out and see if it's still something that is available...might make the decision easier. :)

 

They NO LONGER do this. Found out the hard way. They pay for nothing.

 

We booked our Side 2 Side for March 2014 on our Adventure in March of 2013 cruise.

 

We were told by the Loyalty Ambassador that Royal would book and pay for the hotel for our Side 2 Side. About 2 weeks after we got home from our 2013 trip (mid April 2013) I called Customer Service to have them book our hotel for March the 2014 trip.

 

They told me effective April 1 2013 they no longer offer this service. Too bad for me that I waited 2 weeks to call. After me telling them I was offered this service just a few weeks earlier on our sailing, I finally was able to at least get some OBC after many phone calls to customer service and Crown and Anchor.

[ish drakes]

Obviously you can't go wrong with either decision! If you are looking to relax more, I would stay on one ship. That way you don't have to be forced into feeling like you have to see all the shows the first week. If its late and you're tired you can skip it knowing that you can catch it the next week!

 

On the other hand being able to experience 2 different ships in one vacation sounds great to me!

 

Definitely another thing to consider. All these different variables, just want to make sure we make the right choice.

[ish drakes]

They NO LONGER do this. Found out the hard way. They pay for nothing.

 

We booked our Side 2 Side for March 2014 on our Adventure in March of 2013 cruise.

 

We were told by the Loyalty Ambassador that Royal would book and pay for the hotel for our Side 2 Side. About 2 weeks after we got home from our 2013 trip (mid April 2013) I called Customer Service to have them book our hotel for March the 2014 trip.

 

They told me effective April 1 2013 they no longer offer this service. Too bad for me that I waited 2 weeks to call. After me telling them I was offered this service just a few weeks earlier on our sailing, I finally was able to at least get some OBC after many phone calls to customer service and Crown and Anchor.

 

Aww man :(. Oh well, back to the original plan. At least you were able to get something back.

Edited April 3, 2014 by ish drakes

[Dick and Jane]

We have done this all sorts of ways and on all different ships! We did the back-to-back on the Jewel in February and March. We did change staterooms between the two cruises, but it was an easy move. I love the relaxation of going to all of the different ports and having the ship basically to ourselves between the two cruises. We've done a side-by-side combination on the Oasis and the Allure several times. Royal Caribbean considered it a back to back, and they paid for the hotel stay at the Hilton between the two cruises. Unfortunately, I do not believe they offer this anymore. It would not hurt to ask! I did the side-by-side because I wanted the different shows and restaurant experiences. We only cruise with carry-on bags, so it was nice to reset our clothing at the hotel's facilities.

 

If you do the side-by-side, you might want to consider staying at the Sheraton convention center hotel. We walked there from the cruise ship. It was about a mile. There is a great view of the cruise terminal from the fourth floor infinity pool. We walked from the hotel to old San Juan and back. About 4 miles. There are plenty of transportation choices available if you're not interested in the hike.

 

Which would you rank more important: different shows and dining venues, or different ports? I believe that answer will tell you which way to go.

 

 

 

 

Jane (from the duo Dick and Jane)

Chicago, Illinois

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

I have never done a b2b, but I think either would be amazing. I would personally rather switch ships to experience more of the royal Caribbean fleet in one vacation. I have been on both the Jewel and the Explorer (Adventure's sister) and both are great!!

[ryano]

What do you want to do?

 

I can tell you from experience that a B2B on the same ship is phenomenal.

.

 

I can only imagine! I bet there is something to be said about the end of the first cruise morning when everyone is gloom and doom, wearing a big ol smile thinking we are about to do this again! :D

 

Either trip would be amazing but I truly would like to experience a true B2B (14 nights total) one day where I even stay in the same cabin. Not possible now but in 15 years, I will be retired! Ill be in the my late 50s and I WILL do this! :)

[cruiselvr04]

Either would be great. Have done one back to back and will do another in May. I think I would go with 2 ships for variety. We don't have a choice as we are going out of Galveston. As for repeating menus and entertainment we choose something different for dinner or repeat it if we really liked it and did not try to do all the shows the first week saving some we knew would repeat for the second week. It is very relaxing that way, even leaving time for a game of mini golf just for two at 10 pm or a soak in a hot tub without missing out on anything. And repeating ports is no big deal either. We will go to Cozumel twice and have totally different things planned. Have a great time!

[ish drakes]

We have done this all sorts of ways and on all different ships! We did the back-to-back on the Jewel in February and March. We did change staterooms between the two cruises, but it was an easy move. I love the relaxation of going to all of the different ports and having the ship basically to ourselves between the two cruises. We've done a side-by-side combination on the Oasis and the Allure several times. Royal Caribbean considered it a back to back, and they paid for the hotel stay at the Hilton between the two cruises. Unfortunately, I do not believe they offer this anymore. It would not hurt to ask! I did the side-by-side because I wanted the different shows and restaurant experiences. We only cruise with carry-on bags, so it was nice to reset our clothing at the hotel's facilities.

 

If you do the side-by-side, you might want to consider staying at the Sheraton convention center hotel. We walked there from the cruise ship. It was about a mile. There is a great view of the cruise terminal from the fourth floor infinity pool. We walked from the hotel to old San Juan and back. About 4 miles. There are plenty of transportation choices available if you're not interested in the hike.

 

Which would you rank more important: different shows and dining venues, or different ports? I believe that answer will tell you which way to go.

 

 

 

 

Jane (from the duo Dick and Jane)

Chicago, Illinois

 

 

Thanks, I am thinking I want to do the 2 ships, get a different experience for different class of ships and see new places.

 

 

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[ish drakes]

I have never done a b2b, but I think either would be amazing. I would personally rather switch ships to experience more of the royal Caribbean fleet in one vacation. I have been on both the Jewel and the Explorer (Adventure's sister) and both are great!!

 

 

Thanks, sounds that is the way we are going to go. Just have to find the best way to book it.

 

 

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[ish drakes]

I can only imagine! I bet there is something to be said about the end of the first cruise morning when everyone is gloom and doom, wearing a big ol smile thinking we are about to do this again! :D

 

Either trip would be amazing but I truly would like to experience a true B2B (14 nights total) one day where I even stay in the same cabin. Not possible now but in 15 years, I will be retired! Ill be in the my late 50s and I WILL do this! :)

 

 

Yea, there's just something about that, that is most tempting. One day, I'll do that as well. For now I'll experience the side to side. We are new to cruising and experiencing 2 ships over 2 weeks is just too hard to pass up.

 

 

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[PattyG12]

The beauty of the back to back is that you can stay on the ship and wave at everyone leaving ... I'd go on the Adventure and do something different in Dominica. Barbados could be a "sea day" for you.

[ish drakes]

Either would be great. Have done one back to back and will do another in May. I think I would go with 2 ships for variety. We don't have a choice as we are going out of Galveston. As for repeating menus and entertainment we choose something different for dinner or repeat it if we really liked it and did not try to do all the shows the first week saving some we knew would repeat for the second week. It is very relaxing that way, even leaving time for a game of mini golf just for two at 10 pm or a soak in a hot tub without missing out on anything. And repeating ports is no big deal either. We will go to Cozumel twice and have totally different things planned. Have a great time!

 

 

Thanks. Someone else mentioned that, the ability to truly relax because you have another week to catch what you didn't catch the first time :). Tempting very tempting, but also tempting is experiencing 8-9 new ports in 2 weeks on 2 different boats. Toss up to say the least

 

 

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[ish drakes]

The beauty of the back to back is that you can stay on the ship and wave at everyone leaving ... I'd go on the Adventure and do something different in Dominica. Barbados could be a "sea day" for you.

 

 

Sea day or a chance to run home and get some new clothes? Lol

 

 

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[Desertbelle]

As amazing as a B2B is and how cool it is watching all those folks packing up and leaving the ship knowing you are staying for another go round, it would be just as awesome to pack up and leave a ship knowing you are going to get on another one the next day!! It's just a few hours of hassle to get a whole other cruise on a completely different ship.

 

The other thing to think about in having a day off the ship is doing laundry. If you stay in a hotel with a laundry room you could throw in a load or two and start the next cruise all clean and ready to go!!

 

Too bad about them not doing the hotel and transfers between cruises anymore. Maybe you could talk them into at least transfers....would save a few bucks on taxis.

[ryano]

As amazing as a B2B is and how cool it is watching all those folks packing up and leaving the ship knowing you are staying for another go round, it would be just as awesome to pack up and leave a ship knowing you are going to get on another one the next day!! It's just a few hours of hassle to get a whole other cruise on a completely different ship.

 

The other thing to think about in having a day off the ship is doing laundry. If you stay in a hotel with a laundry room you could throw in a load or two and start the next cruise all clean and ready to go!!

 

.

 

Excellent points! There really is no losing situation here! Its a win win either way!

[ish drakes]

Excellent points! There really is no losing situation here! Its a win win either way!

 

Yup :)

[mattwright]

Doing the two different ships would definitely get my vote. Yeah, you've got some extra hassle with the added disembarking/embarking process, but that downtime in San Juan should certainly lower your stress levels in between, like a giant vacation "RESET" button. And especially if you're new to Royal Caribbean, getting an immediate comparison between Radiance and Voyager class ships would be an excellent place to start.

 

A couple of years ago we did a 4-night cruise on Majesty out of Miami. After disembarking, we rented a car, drove up to Port Canaveral, and boarded Monarch later that same day for a 3-night cruise. It was quite a surreal experience to be onboard two near-identical ships in the same day, but in different ports a couple hundred miles apart. :D

 

We enjoyed that experience so much that we're doing something similar later this month. After a 5-night cruise on Liberty out of Fort Lauderdale, we're renting a car and driving up to Port Canaveral again. This time, we're staying overnight and then boarding Enchantment the next morning for a 3-night cruise. We're absolutely looking forward to all the variety we'll experience on those two ships!

Edited April 3, 2014 by mattwright

[ish drakes]

As amazing as a B2B is and how cool it is watching all those folks packing up and leaving the ship knowing you are staying for another go round, it would be just as awesome to pack up and leave a ship knowing you are going to get on another one the next day!! It's just a few hours of hassle to get a whole other cruise on a completely different ship.

 

The other thing to think about in having a day off the ship is doing laundry. If you stay in a hotel with a laundry room you could throw in a load or two and start the next cruise all clean and ready to go!!

 

Too bad about them not doing the hotel and transfers between cruises anymore. Maybe you could talk them into at least transfers....would save a few bucks on taxis.

 

Yes, all good points and I will ask about the transfers and hotel accommodation, worst they could say is no right?

 

Anyone know of any specials on offer?

[hellsop]

Yes staying on the same ship would offer different ports. Another reason why changing ships is attractive is the Adventure offers new ports which we have not visited either. They only share one port in common, "St. Thomas".

 

Another 'wrench' in the b2b on the same ship is that we have already been to Dominica and live in Barbados so those would be 2 ports that we really wouldn't explore, so kind of a waste to me, when we would have new original ports that we haven't experienced if we were to change ships.

 

Those are the best ports to take advantage of the "port day specials" for spas and things, then... *grin*

[Hoopster95]

Thanks, I am thinking I want to do the 2 ships, get a different experience for different class of ships and see new places.

 

For sure do 2 ships!! Couple of my favorite trips ever was a TA then a Med with one full day&night in Barcelona...awesome at night! I also did Freedom/Majesty with a night at Miami Beach... again awesome evening and experience! Man, did I ever feel like the king of the world heading back to the cruise pier the next day after a great night :D

 

Have you ever been to San Juan? Superb city, and especially Old Town. Great eateries, tons to see and do, beautiful forts/site seeing, great restaurants. This is a great city to spend an entire day in to explore... and how exciting is it to get off a Radiance class ship to then immediately explore a Voyager Class! :D:D

 

I've stayed at the Hotel Plaza De Armas (Howard Johnson) right in the middle of Old Town, 10min $15 cab ride from the pier. It's 5 min walk pretty much to every tourist attraction in Old Town. Very basic inexpensive no frills hotel, was perfect for overnight sleeping. This was perfect for me. Whatever you choose have an awesome cruise (s) ;)

[lady_cruiser]

.............

 

Like you I agree, that any cruise is fabulous and I am thinking this is a really good opportunity for us to experience to different ships, "killing 2 birds with 1 stone" so to speak.

 

Then by all means change ships.

[donovan52]

This is exactly what we're going to be doing in December. Week 1 on the Jewel and week 2 on the Adventure. Last time we did a b2b on the Adventure and it is one of our favourite ships. We really wanted to try a Radiance class ship though, and the Jewel has a really nice itinerary with 2 stops we haven't tried. We absolutely love the promenade though so we are hoping this will be the best of both worlds. Plus, I cannot think of a place I would rather spend an extra night in between cruises than San Juan - just thinking about it makes me happy!

 

We had an amazing time on our b2b last time though, and it really was wonderful not packing up after the first week. Whichever decision you make, I'm sure you'll have a great time!

[ish drakes]

For sure do 2 ships!! Couple of my favorite trips ever was a TA then a Med with one full day&night in Barcelona...awesome at night! I also did Freedom/Majesty with a night at Miami Beach... again awesome evening and experience! Man, did I ever feel like the king of the world heading back to the cruise pier the next day after a great night :D

 

Have you ever been to San Juan? Superb city, and especially Old Town. Great eateries, tons to see and do, beautiful forts/site seeing, great restaurants. This is a great city to spend an entire day in to explore... and how exciting is it to get off a Radiance class ship to then immediately explore a Voyager Class! :D:D

 

I've stayed at the Hotel Plaza De Armas (Howard Johnson) right in the middle of Old Town, 10min $15 cab ride from the pier. It's 5 min walk pretty much to every tourist attraction in Old Town. Very basic inexpensive no frills hotel, was perfect for overnight sleeping. This was perfect for me. Whatever you choose have an awesome cruise (s) ;)

 

Thanks, I will check that hotel out. Looking for something that won't cost too much as we will only be there for 1 night. Once it is clean and close to the pier that is paramount.

[ish drakes]

Then by all means change ships.

 

Thinking that is what we will you do.