Doing Our First B2B

[Raxter54]

We are scheduled for the Feb 12 2023 sailing of the Allure out of Galveston. We decide to do our first B2B, and have just booked the Ruby Princess for their Feb 19 sailing. I was wondering if we would be able to get a COVID test on the Allure for our Ruby cruise? Or should we buy a couple of the proctored test kits and do it ourselves? Not sure if one cruise line would be helping out guests going to another cruise line's ship or not....

[Biker19]

Just now, Raxter54 said:

Or should we buy a couple of the proctored test kits and do it ourselves?

This, RCI won't help you going to a different line outside RCG. And it's a S2S, B2B is the same ship.

[sowhat]

What is back to back cruise?, is when ships dock stern to stern to disembark  passengers  on opposite  sides ie port  or starboard
Also what is side to side cruise?, is it when two ships use the same pier adjacent  to each other



 

Edited August 2, 2022 by sowhat

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, sowhat said:

What is back to back cruise?, is when ships dock stern to stern to disembark  passengers  on opposite  sides ie port  or starboard
Also what is side to side cruise?, is it when two ships use the same pier adjacent  to each other

It has nothing to do with positioning of the ship, but the booking.

 

B2B is when you stay on for a second sailing on the same ship.

S2S is when you do a second sailing on a different ship 

[Raxter54]

25 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

This, RCI won't help you going to a different line outside RCG. And it's a S2S, B2B is the same ship.

Side to Side, eh? Didn't know that....

[sowhat]

25 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

It has nothing to do with positioning of the ship, but the booking.

 

B2B is when you stay on for a second sailing on the same ship.

S2S is when you do a second sailing on a different ship 

So why are they called this?, would it be better  to say finish  one cruise to start of an other
Where does the terminology  derive from?

[Ourusualbeach]

9 minutes ago, Raxter54 said:

Side to Side, eh? Didn't know that....

It's only people on here that refer to them as that.  Royal just calls them consecutive cruises whether they are on the same ship or not.

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, sowhat said:

So why are they called this?, would it be better  to say finish  one cruise to start of an other
Where does the terminology  derive from?

I assume made up by some CC poster a long time ago - just what posters here use as an acronym to describe those scenarios.

[orville99]

3 minutes ago, sowhat said:

So why are they called this?, would it be better  to say finish  one cruise to start of an other
Where does the terminology  derive from?


 

From both the people who do back to back cruises, and the on board cruise staff. RCL officially calls them "consecutive" cruises, but every crew member on board calls them Back-to-Back cruises..

[flamingos]

Getting back to the original point, we have no idea if testing will still be required in February.

[jcc1025]

Your best hope is that testing will not be required. We have done a b2b on Liberty out of Galveston and if you have to get a test during the turn over, unless you have a day in port it will be almost impossible unless the other cruise line accepts these at home test and I don't think any of them do. We loved our b2b but would never do one that require a ship or stateroom chage. Royal was great on ours and we look forward to more in the future. 

[ONECRUISER]

27 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

I assume made up by some CC poster a long time ago - just what posters here use as an acronym to describe those scenarios.

At least since 90's, been on CC myself since 1997 but think B2B name/reference is older

[brillohead]

Since your second cruise wouldn't be on a Royal ship, you would either need to pay for Royal to perform the test, or do one of the online proctored tests (if the other cruise line accepts them).  

Royal would only consider you a "consecutive cruiser" if you were either staying on the ship for another leg (B2B), or if you were going to another Royal ship within two days (S2S).  As far as each cruise line is concerned, you're just like any other passenger, taking two different cruises on two different ships on two different lines.