b2b's in 2021

[grannyp]

Anyone tried booking b2b's recently for 2021?

Edited May 23, 2021 by grannyp

[Bwana Tom]

Sure would like to get any firm update info on whether B2B cruises are permitted. I know the CDC has made some vague comments on longer cruises than 7 night cyuses, but I haven't seen anything concrete on the subject. I am waiting to be assured the rug isn't going to be pulled out from under me before booking again. Once I get that I intend to book a 4 cruise B2B2B2B booking.

 

[ready2cruzagain]

51 minutes ago, grannyp said:

Anyone tried booking b2b's recently for 2021?

We are booked on The Enchanted on a b2b. Nov. 30th and Dec. 10th. 

[mina]

B2bs are allowed as of mid November and have always  been.  Issue is for earlier than that.  CDC is indicating that they are going to rollback the seven day cruise only restriction that is in place prior to November.  I tried three time with different princess reps to book a b2b Alaska in September.  No go.  However I read on here and other social media  that many people were successful in doing so by both calling direct to princess or through their agent.  I would appreciate anyone that has booked a b2b prior to November to post here and indicate if this was done by calling princess direct, through a personal cruise consultant, or through a travel agency and what the dates of the cruises are.  Thank you.

[cr8tiv1]

I called Princess this past week (considering that I could not get logged in....but that's a different thread...sigh).  I have a short cruise in October 2021.  I asked if I could book a b2b that began on 10/27.  She said that was not possible at this time.  That's as close to November opening as possible (returns in November).  No go.  

[FritzG]

In March we were able to book a b2b California Coastal/Hawaii out of LA that sails Nov. 1st.  It took several phone calls between our ta and Princess, but it was allowed.  We were worried that if they stopped b2b's they would cancel the entire cruise, and we only booked the Calif. Coastal leg because we wanted a longer cruise.  They wouldn't let us book a b2b for a California Coastal & Hawaii from San Francisco on Oct. 31st.

Edited May 23, 2021 by FritzG

[PescadoAmarillo]

I have B2B cruises currently booked (but not yet deposited) for August 2021 with no issues. We are not planning to take both…we just need a few more days to settle on one cruise over the other. 

[mina]

1 minute ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

I have B2B cruises currently booked (but not yet deposited) for August 2021 with no issues. We are not planning to take both…we just need a few more days to settle on one cruise over the other. 

Can you clarify how you booked these.  Through an agent, online booking, or by calling princess directly? Calling Princess directly is not allowing me this despite three huca and one escalation to a supervisor.

[PescadoAmarillo]

27 minutes ago, mina said:

Can you clarify how you booked these.  Through an agent, online booking, or by calling princess directly? Calling Princess directly is not allowing me this despite three huca and one escalation to a supervisor.

Online booking. 

[mina]

2 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

Online booking. 

Thank you.  I was able to book online as well, but when I called to link them and make the deposit, they said no.

[rabin1]

I have a B2B booked in December. I use a PCP as I do like TA

Kathy

[mina]

19 minutes ago, rabin1 said:

I have a B2B booked in December. I use a PCP as I do like TA

Kathy

The issue is not any b2bs past mid November. The cdc limited cruises to 7 days or less up until mid November.  News is now reporting that the cdc is rescinding that limitation. The question now is whether princess is letting people book  a b2b before November.  Some say they have done it, others, like me, are being told by princess that  it’s not allowed.

[rabin1]

7 minutes ago, mina said:

The issue is not any b2bs past mid November. The cdc limited cruises to 7 days or less up until mid November.  News is now reporting that the cdc is rescinding that limitation. The question now is whether princess is letting people book  a b2b before November.  Some say they have done it, others, like me, are being told by princess that  it’s not allowed.

Oops sorry

Kathy

[mina]

30 minutes ago, rabin1 said:

Oops sorry

Kathy

Don’t be sorry, I was just clarifying for others.   Sorry if I sounded snippy.   😀

[FritzG]

I'm going to call my TA tomorrow to be sure that nothing on our November 1st b2b has changed.

 

[Bwana Tom]

37 minutes ago, FritzG said:

I'm going to call my TA tomorrow to be sure that nothing on our November 1st b2b has changed.

 

Please let us know what you find out. I think a lot of people will be interested in what you learn.

Thanks,

Tom

[BrandiGreg]

B2B2B in September via online booking.

[cherylandtk]

On 5/23/2021 at 3:33 PM, mina said:

The issue is not any b2bs past mid November. The cdc limited cruises to 7 days or less up until mid November.  News is now reporting that the cdc is rescinding that limitation. The question now is whether princess is letting people book  a b2b before November.  Some say they have done it, others, like me, are being told by princess that  it’s not allowed.

Mina, today on the webinar specifically about these 10 Alaska cruises, Chernesky and Marsha both said the answer was no.

[mellon1]

On 5/23/2021 at 2:57 PM, PescadoAmarillo said:

I have B2B cruises currently booked (but not yet deposited) for August 2021 with no issues. We are not planning to take both…we just need a few more days to settle on one cruise over the other. 

We hope you post all the details as you usually do so we all know what to expect.  Miss reading your blog!

[mina]

3 hours ago, cherylandtk said:

Mina, today on the webinar specifically about these 10 Alaska cruises, Chernesky and Marsha both said the answer was no.

Thhat is what I thought, but a lot of folks appear to be booking online or thru their ta’s, but it will probably get flagged.  Thank you!  

[RSS from SF]

In mid-February I booked a 2021 October-November B2B2B*, directly online.  I had extra goodwill FCCs from previous cancelled sailings, and the Princess online booking system applied some of the FCCs automatically to all 3 cruise deposits.  Once all 3 cruises were booked with deposits, I transferred them to my TA.

 

*4-5-4 nights; First 2 legs in October, 3rd leg November.

 

---

I mentioned to my TA that I was aware that the middle leg possibly could be cancelled.

 

TA's reply:  "I won’t say anything."

 

So far the B2B2B still is intact. 

 

If the middle leg is flagged and cancelled, I plan to keep both of the other legs.

---

 

Edited May 29, 2021 by RSS from SF

[Bwana Tom]

2 hours ago, RSS from SF said:

In mid-February I booked a 2021 October-November B2B2B*, directly online.  I had extra goodwill FCCs from previous cancelled sailings, and the Princess online booking system applied some of the FCCs automatically to all 3 cruise deposits.  Once all 3 cruises were booked with deposits, I transferred them to my TA.

 

*4-5-4 nights; First 2 legs in October, 3rd leg November.

 

---

I mentioned to my TA that I was aware that the middle leg possibly could be cancelled.

 

TA's reply:  "I won’t say anything."

 

So far the B2B2B still is intact. 

 

If the middle leg is flagged and cancelled, I plan to keep both of the other legs.

---

 

Day before yesterday I booked a 4 way B2B/B2B/B2B/B2B cruise out of FL for Nov. and Dec 2021. My TA assured me there would no problem with B2Bs. I know these fall into the mid November and later time category. So far everything seems to moving forward and I'm confident that will be the case. I did find that across the board all cruises, like flights and motels prices are higher than usual.

Tom

Tom

[BrandiGreg]

I called Princess this morning,  and our b2b2b out of LA in September is still ok. (no one cruise is over 7 days) They said they have received no instructions to cancel b2b's.  

[Astro Flyer]

1 hour ago, BrandiGreg said:

I called Princess this morning,  and our b2b2b out of LA in September is still ok. (no one cruise is over 7 days) They said they have received no instructions to cancel b2b's.  

Princess has been consistently inconsistent about booking multiple consecutive cruises & it’s frustrating with no definitive policy.

 

In January for our B2B from LA in October my TA was contacted by a Princess business development manager that due to CDC regulations we were required to cancel one of our 7-day cruises.

 

“If the days between any of the cruise start dates are 7-days or less, only ONE of the cruises can remain active”.

 

The last I read the CDC is still prohibiting such cruises until 11/1/21 but have read they’re considering dropping that requirement. At last week’s webinar their SVP of Sales said B2B cruises weren’t allowed but obviously some have been allowed to do it while others were forced to cancel.

 

 

Edited June 1, 2021 by Astro Flyer

[kamelia]

In reading the most recent (as of 26 May 2021) CDC COVID-19 Operations Manual

 

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/covid19-operations-manual-cso.html

 

if you scroll down to the section titled "Testing of Embarking and Disembarking Passengers for Restricted Voyages," the CDC addresses testing requirements for Back-to-Back Sailing, with a footnote to the definition "Back-to-back sailing refers to passengers who stay on board for two or more voyages."  Would the CDC provide testing requirements for back-to-back passengers if they were still prohibiting back-to-back voyages?