B2B

[cellfree]

Currently, how is MSC handling cruisers on back-to-back cruises?

[Two Wheels Only]

You test again during the first week.

 

They announce when the testing is scheduled and the B2B people go then.  

[morpheusofthesea]

We were escorted by our butler to the Tribeca Restaurant at 9 am on a Thursday morning, the restaurant was closed for breakfast. Escorted back to our cabin and told to wait for a phone call within 10 minutes if positive. No phone call means negative and no need to wait any longer.

   On day of disembarkation.....

At 10:30 there were 14 B2B in the YC in the TSL, when we were escorted to the elevators and taken down to deck 6 and used our new key cards to get off. When we got to the deck 6 gangway there were another approximately 100 other B2Bers lined up and being held back waiting for us to be rushed in front of them to get off first (even before those in wheelchairs). Next we all waited in a long line in the terminal with a couple of butlers in front and 2 butlers behind the 14th YCer to keep the other B2Bers from rushing and butting ahead of us. This was a longer than expected wait. Then we were escorted down to the luggage claim area (empty) and went through facial recognition with about 6 working machines followed by another long wait to get clearance to reboard the ship as we all stood again in one long line. By 11:10 we were allowed to board, no security check, only ship key card scan and back on the ship

Edited July 7, 2022 by morpheusofthesea

[cellfree]

Good to know, ty, have Divina booked for seven nights in September and adding another four. 

[Hlitner]

We have done many back to backs including 2 with MSC in Miami.  For folks who simply want to stay on the ship the procedure can be a royal pain and much of the process is governed by CBP and out of control of the cruise line.  Bottom line is that CBP requires that any ship must be "zeroed out" which means that every passenger (including infants) must be off the ship.  At that point the CBP folks go through their internal process and ultimately clear the ship...after which passengers can reboard.  The problem is that you never know exactly how long this will all take.

 

Another option is that back to back folks are free to leave the port and return at their leisure (they are given a "transit card" and reboard.  Some folks may go off on an excursion and others simply do their own thing.  The last time we had a back to back was on the Divina and we had a fantastic time doing a food tour in Little Havana.  Although I know south Florida (at one time we lived west of Ft Lauderdale) we thought going to Little Havana (a Cuban centric neighborhood in Miami) might be fun.  Our tour was wonderful.  We met up with a small group of 10 and had a fantastic guide who really knew the area.  We got to sample various Cubano food and it was a delightful few hours.  After our tour we spent a little time exploring Little Havana on our own and than grabbed an Uber back to the Divina.  Bottom line was that instead of waiting to get off the ship, waiting in the terminal to get back on the ship, and all that stuff we were in town having lots of fun.    

 

When we returned to the port it was a zoo as thousands of folks were going through the normal embarkation process.  We simply identified ourselves as being in "transit" and were quickly moved through security and than free to board the ship.

 

Hank

[mscdivina2016]

On 7/6/2022 at 8:02 PM, cellfree said:

Currently, how is MSC handling cruisers on back-to-back cruises?

Do you have 1 booking number or 2?

 

MSC sells some b2b cruises as a single sailing.

Some cruises embark and disembark passengers in many ports during a 2 week period of time.

 

Also depends on where you are sailing from.

[cellfree]

 

2 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

Do you have 1 booking number or 2?

 

MSC sells some b2b cruises as a single sailing.

Some cruises embark and disembark passengers in many ports during a 2 week period of time.

 

Also depends on where you are sailing from.

We will have two separate Booking Numbers, Divina, Port Canaveral. I am hoping it would be as simple as the Carnival B2B procedure - all meet in one place and get updated “cards” and walk off and on again and enjoy another cruise!

[mscdivina2016]

1 hour ago, cellfree said:

 

We will have two separate Booking Numbers, Divina, Port Canaveral. I am hoping it would be as simple as the Carnival B2B procedure - all meet in one place and get updated “cards” and walk off and on again and enjoy another cruise!

We did PC in January. We were walked out with our butler into the terminal and waited 5 minutes and he walked us back on along with 2 other couples.

Has 2 separate booking numbers and 1st time a Butler actually left the ship with us.

[cellfree]

18 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

We did PC in January. We were walked out with our butler into the terminal and waited 5 minutes and he walked us back on along with 2 other couples.

Has 2 separate booking numbers and 1st time a Butler actually left the ship with us.

We won’t have a Butler but I suspect the routine is similar with a crew member, good to know, thank you for information. 

[sfaaa]

Very helpful B2B info. Thank you for posting. One question: Is the ship Covid test free to B2B passengers?

[phissy]

When we did our B2B in November, we had to have antigen test done day before start of new cruise.

MSC paid and performed the test for all B2B guests in sport court. 
We were given meeting place and time for next morning.

[frank808]

On 7/6/2022 at 3:22 PM, morpheusofthesea said:

We were escorted by our butler to the Tribeca Restaurant at 9 am on a Thursday morning, the restaurant was closed for breakfast. Escorted back to our cabin and told to wait for a phone call within 10 minutes if positive. No phone call means negative and no need to wait any longer.

   On day of disembarkation.....

At 10:30 there were 14 B2B in the YC in the TSL, when we were escorted to the elevators and taken down to deck 6 and used our new key cards to get off. When we got to the deck 6 gangway there were another approximately 100 other B2Bers lined up and being held back waiting for us to be rushed in front of them to get off first (even before those in wheelchairs). Next we all waited in a long line in the terminal with a couple of butlers in front and 2 butlers behind the 14th YCer to keep the other B2Bers from rushing and butting ahead of us. This was a longer than expected wait. Then we were escorted down to the luggage claim area (empty) and went through facial recognition with about 6 working machines followed by another long wait to get clearance to reboard the ship as we all stood again in one long line. By 11:10 we were allowed to board, no security check, only ship key card scan and back on the ship

The B2B on June 25 , 2022 had about 8 guests from the YC and around 200 non YC waiting in the atrium. Had 2 butlers escort us through and back onboard. We sailed the same week of June 18. It was more crowded the second week of June 25. On that first week, we were some of the only guests in TSL in the evenings after 11pm.

[frank808]

13 hours ago, sfaaa said:

Very helpful B2B info. Thank you for posting. One question: Is the ship Covid test free to B2B passengers?

Yes there was no charge for the B2B covid test administered by MSC.

[morpheusofthesea]

15 hours ago, sfaaa said:

Very helpful B2B info. Thank you for posting. One question: Is the ship Covid test free to B2B passengers?

Free