Fort Lauderdale B2B

[zjc]

Hi Guys

 

 

 

 

 

I did B2B on the Oasis last year and decided to get off my self in Ft.Lauderdale but it turned into a nightmare.

 

 

 

 

 

Doing the same cruise again this year but considering doing a cruise line tour on the changeover day instead of staying on the ship or attempting to get myself off the ship and roam around.

 

 

 

 

 

On the RC Pre Cruise Planner some of the tours are listed as returning consecutive cruises back to the ship, I'm just wondering if anyone knows how these work?

 

 

 

 

 

Do we have to go to the airport with the rest then back to the ship? Also, is it likely we will end up back at the ship and not told to get off at FLL Airport?

 

 

 

 

 

Any experience with these type of tours would be good to hear about so I can make the right decision,

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks

 

 

ZJC

 

 

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[Aussie Jeep]

Hi there, i have booked a B2B, why was it a nightmare in FLL?

[dz9yvr]

Why was it a nightmare? We have done several B2B on Oasis/Allure and never had a problem heading out on our own. The only limitation is that if you get off the ship you will need to wait until they start boarding for the second cruise. Enjoy the day. Go fishing.

[cruisenfever]

Hi Guys

On the RC Pre Cruise Planner some of the tours are listed as returning consecutive cruises back to the ship, I'm just wondering if anyone knows how these work?

 

Do we have to go to the airport with the rest then back to the ship? Also, is it likely we will end up back at the ship and not told to get off at FLL Airport?

 

 

Thanks

 

 

ZJC

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The shore excursions offered on turnaround day are for those folks that have a late afternoon flight (after 3PM). They will be dropped off at either MIA or FLL depending on the excursion they select.

 

Since we only do consecutive cruise, our experience has been that RCI does not offer excursions to it's consecutive cruises.

 

If you want to disembark the ship early (9AM) and explore the port yourself, you will be given an "intransit card". You can then disembark with other pax, do what you want and then upon returning to the terminal, show your "intransit card" and you will be allowed to immediately board the ship.

[zjc]

The shore excursions offered on turnaround day are for those folks that have a late afternoon flight (after 3PM). They will be dropped off at either MIA or FLL depending on the excursion they select.

 

Since we only do consecutive cruise, our experience has been that RCI does not offer excursions to it's consecutive cruises.

 

If you want to disembark the ship early (9AM) and explore the port yourself, you will be given an "intransit card". You can then disembark with other pax, do what you want and then upon returning to the terminal, show your "intransit card" and you will be allowed to immediately board the ship.

 

 

The excursions so state they are avaliable for consecutive cruises and it states they will be transferred back to the ship I just wanted to understand the process behind this

 

 

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[cruisenfever]

The excursions so state they are avaliable for consecutive cruises and it states they will be transferred back to the ship I just wanted to understand the process behind this

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Have never experienced this type of excursion before so I suggest that you will have to talk with the ShoreEx desk once on board.

 

Edit to add: Just checked out your sailing date and I saw where it says consecutive cruisers will be returned to the ship. What a nice feature and it must be something new.

 

Just checked out our b2b2b upcoming on Allure and they offer the same excursions. Thanks so much for this great information.

Edited January 7, 2015 by cruisenfever

[zjc]

Why was it a nightmare? We have done several B2B on Oasis/Allure and never had a problem heading out on our own. The only limitation is that if you get off the ship you will need to wait until they start boarding for the second cruise. Enjoy the day. Go fishing.

 

Aussie Jeep Hi there, i have booked a B2B, why was it a nightmare in FLL?

 

What happened during the B2B was as follows;

 

We met at the B2B meeting where they told us if we wished to disembark in FLL we could do and we just needed an in transit card (which is a square piece of card with the ship on the front) and our new sea pass cards which could be collected from reception on the turnaround day. They then said when we wish to leave the ship it has to be before 11am and simply head down into the terminal showing the in transit card were we would be guided out.

 

We were told we didn’t need any forms for US Customs and Border Protection just some ID for which I took my passport.

 

The next morning we collected our cards and went to disembark only to be told we needed to wait in the lounges to be called. After explaining numerous times we were B2B and just wanted to get off to go into FLL they told us its not possible and we had to wait to be called.

 

We joined a queue which stretched all way around the deck into the theatre and down to the bottom level which took 2 hours to clear.

 

Finally 2 hours later we left the ship only to be stuck in another queue for US Customs. Now when I asked on the ship they said I didn't need to clear Customs no forms were required simply let someone know we were B2B and we would be pointed in the right direction.

 

No one had a clue and everyone told us we needed to clear customs. Another hour and a half later we got to the front of the customs queue, went to the officer who asked for our forms and ESTA confirmations. Didn't have either as the ship said we didn't need them. They also said we didn't need passports just some form of ID. The officer sent us straight back were we had to fill out a us landing form and customs card.

 

Back again to the desk were they finally let us out into FLL 4 hours after we started the process. Headed for lunch and a walk around the area and then headed back.

 

Told when re boarding show new sea pass and in transit card and we could then clear X Ray and get back on ship easy peasy they said....

 

We went back in to board showed the card only to be told they had never seen such card before and wanted to see my cruise documents and set sail pass. After showing my seapass dated for the new cruise they will still demanding my cruise documents which of course I had left on the ship because I was told I didn't need them.

 

After a few calls and a passenger manifest being brought down they decided we could in fact reboard the ship.

 

When we re-boarded the ship I made the feedback aware to the guest services team who passed it onto their manager who came to see me on the ship to apologise. He couldn’t really explain the reasons why what had happened did but assured me they would be used again.

 

On the turnaround day whilst queuing to get off we spoke to 4 other couples who said they had the same problem the week before being mis-informed that they would be able to walk off without the need for custom’s forms etc when in reality you need them regardless.

 

A lot of people ask me… Why are you doing the cruise again? Simple! I love the Oasis and I cannot justify the flight from the UK for just a week so it has to be done. This time however I’m looking to do a RCI excursion on the day so it will be a little more organised as you’ll be taken off in groups etc.

 

I know a lot of people on here have no problems at all so I’m not sure if when I was their I caught them on a bad day or their was some sort of issue with staffing but either way it wasn’t the best experience and I really don’t want a repeat.

[zjc]

Have never experienced this type of excursion before so I suggest that you will have to talk with the ShoreEx desk once on board.

 

Edit to add: Just checked out your sailing date and I saw where it says consecutive cruisers will be returned to the ship. What a nice feature and it must be something new.

 

Just checked out our b2b2b upcoming on Allure and they offer the same excursions. Thanks so much for this great information.

 

Hey!

 

Yeah I won't book anything till I'm on-board I just wanted to check to see if anyone else had done one and how it went.

 

It must be a new thing as they didn't offer it when I did the Oasis B2B in March/April 2014.

 

It just seems like a good idea and a more organised way than me just wondering around Fort Lauderdale at least with an excursion I can see something with a guide.

 

No worries I only noticed it myself in passing when I was looking at an excursion on the day I fly home as I don't fly well 8PM and RCI don't offer Day Rooms in MIA Anymore!

[zjc]

Anyone else had any recent experiences of Back to Back tours offered by Royal?