B2B with rooms changes?

[WA Bubbles]

We will be taking two B2B with rooms changes.  Could someone please explain what is involved on disembarkation day.  Do we put our luggage out the night before.  Can we stay on board or do we have to get off and what about our room cards?  Thank you.

[oakridger]

You don't put your luggage out.  You pack the bags and the stewards will move bags and your hanging items to your new cabin in the morning.  

 

They will give you a new room card usually the evening before.  If you leave the ship use the old card to exit and the new one to reboard.

 

What happens in port depends on which port you are docked.  In the USA? 

 

~Nancy

[WA Bubbles]

Thanks Nancy for the great info. We will actually be disembarking in Japan.

[RuthC]

36 minutes ago, WA Bubbles said:

Thanks Nancy for the great info. We will actually be disembarking in Japan.

Do you mean the turn-around is in Japan? 

If so, they have a zero count rule that is similar to the one in US. Everyone has to leave the ship, and no one goes back on until everyone is off. 
Then anyone who wants to reboard is allowed to. 

[Haljo1935]

Agree you don't put your luggage out the night before; stewards will move it for you morning of turnaround day.

I frequently do B2B w/cabin change, but have not done one in Japan. I have never had my new keys brought to me, I've always gone to Passenger Services early morning turnaround day and picked them up. They'llgive you all of them, so only 1 person in the cabin needs to get them. Since they're open 24x7, it's easy to get them before heading to breakfast around 7am.

As @oakridgersaid, you will use your old card to scan off the ship and the new one to scan on.

You'll get instructions for meeting up on turnaround morning with all the other passengers continuing on. Be sure to check in w/the crew there so they check you off the list - very important as they cannot begin the process of processing the "turnaround" passengers until all of them are accounted for. Once approved, they'll escort you off the ship as a group and back on. At that time, you're free to do as you please.

Safe travels - enjoy your cruise!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I have a thought Give your T.A. a call and ask if There is any way to not have to move /change cabins. 

[crystalspin]

22 hours ago, WA Bubbles said:

We will be taking two B2B with rooms changes. 

I'm sure you booked the change of rooms with reasons, but -- as someone who recently did a B2B in the SAME cabin, I can tell you how nice it was!

 

I'm guessing, though, that you have better-class cabins (maybe suites?) on the second legs. I do not know if it would be worth it to me, even though all the above is correct: the stewards do the moving, but you still have to pack up your toiletries, any loose items in the cabin, and folded clothes/things from drawers...

[OlsSalt]

We recently did this, and were given a printed sheet of instructions the day before. Not quite to the letter, but others have described it pretty close to what happens. 

 

Different formats: (1) do you intend to leave the ship that morning and not come back until later, or (2) do you intend to stay on the ship that day and go through the necessary in house clearance and immediately return to the ship? 

 

Personally, it is easier if you just leave the ship in the morning and come back later. But you need to let them know this upfront the day before.

 

Otherwise you are in a "hurry up and wait" setting to gather onboard at a designated spot, wait for everyone to get checked off the list, then walk off the ship to a waiting area, go through whatever document/immigration formalities are required in an area that may or may not have seating or even heating. Then get back in line to return to the ship to get checked back on board with your new room key card.

 

Your decision to stay on board is not a permanent choice for the entire day since once you get through the in-house clearance procedures, you are free later to leave the ship on your own with your new room key card. 

 

 At some point in either situation, you will be given a "transit" card  that allows you back on the ship and you will not need to go through the embarkation check in lines. 

 

We ended up in two cabins because we added an extension cruise months later after we booked the first leg, and our cabin was no longer available when we signed up for the second leg.  Moving our stuff that morning was the easiest part - just put all the loose ends in your suitcases and the stewards do move all  the hanging items as others have described.

 

We did the "hurry up and wait" second option and everything was in place by the time we re-entered the ship again. But we did have to wait in the secured area off the ship - in San Diego. Other times in FLL a few years ago, we waited for the in-house clearance confined in the show lounge. A little more comfortable. But in San Diego we had to actually get off the ship. 

[RD64]

On 7/1/2023 at 8:32 PM, WA Bubbles said:

We will be taking two B2B with rooms changes.  Could someone please explain what is involved on disembarkation day.  Do we put our luggage out the night before.  Can we stay on board or do we have to get off and what about our room cards?  Thank you.

Thank you for such a valid and informative question. I will be in the same position next month. Most of the posts / threads on CC seem to be complaints and people asking for a free cruise in terms of compensation for the slightest blip / change.

[WA Bubbles]

Just like RD64, all this information surely does help.  It gives us an idea of what to expect.  Probably each ship handles the change a little differently.  We do plan to go off the ship for the day, we adjust well to make thing as convenient as possible.  It is usually a very crazy day for the crew.

[CruiserBruce]

15 minutes ago, WA Bubbles said:

Just like RD64, all this information surely does help.  It gives us an idea of what to expect.  Probably each ship handles the change a little differently.  We do plan to go off the ship for the day, we adjust well to make thing as convenient as possible.  It is usually a very crazy day for the crew.

Differences are caused by port requirements more than anything else.

 

There are many threads here on the topic, with many experiences in many ports.

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, WA Bubbles said:

Just like RD64, all this information surely does help.  It gives us an idea of what to expect.  Probably each ship handles the change a little differently.  We do plan to go off the ship for the day, we adjust well to make thing as convenient as possible.  It is usually a very crazy day for the crew.

Ships may handle execution a bit differently, but the process is dictated my customs requirements and local authorities. 

It's really not a big deal, so long as ALL in transit passengers check in as required per the instructions they receive. 

I like turnaround day - it feels a little different and special. 🤭

Your willingness to be flexible will certainly help make it smoother and less stressful. 

Edited July 3, 2023 by Haljo1935
Typo

[Crew News]

My experience in changing rooms a number of times has been efficient because both your old and new Room Stewards are very anxious to make the change as early and quickly as possible. As a detail oriented cruiser, here is what all of my room changes have entailed:

 

Step by Step

• Instructions and in-transit cards/paper will be received the day before your cruise ends.  A meeting area will be designated for you to meet, usually 9:00 AM..  You may be required to leave the ship or wait in a holding area aboard ship.
• Talk with our Room Steward to develop a moving plan.
• Your Room Steward will let you know the day before what time that the occupants of your future room will be departing the ship (they will coordinate with your future Room Stewards).  With luck your future room will be vacated by passengers in the first group leaving the ship which will allow you to move and then have a relaxing breakfast.  If you are moving to a room of the same category, your Room Stewards will advise if you can just swap your filled drawers for the empty ones in your future room.
• Pack everything except hanging items.  Leave drawers filled if your Room Steward allows a drawer swap.  You will not have access to your moved items until your reboard the ship or are released from the ship holding area. Keep your passport and stateroom key with you.
• Both current and future Room Stewards, with a bell captain's trolley for handing clothes and packed room contents, will move your items. Maybe empty drawers for swap out.
• The loaded trolley contents will be delivered to your future stateroom (not yet cleaned or ready for use).  The door will be closed and you will not be given a stateroom key (There is an extremely remote chance that you will). 
• Return to your stateroom or have a relaxing breakfast in the Lido Market until you must be at your designated meeting place aboard ship.
• Sometime after all other passengers have departed the ship, all of the in-transit passengers will be escorted off the ship.  As a many-time in-transit passenger, this departure is always delayed as some passengers, for a myriad of reasons, fail to leave the ship when their luggage tags are called.
• You will be guided through the local in-transit procedures and then allowed back on the ship unless you choose to remain ashore.
• Your stateroom key will be in your new stateroom mail box.  The stateroom will not be ready for occupancy but you can access your items.  It must me noted that in my last two room changes, the new stateroom key did not work and I had to go to the Front Desk for a replacement.  Before all of the new passengers board, the Front Desk will have no waiting line.

 

Maybe more information than you requested but at least a complete picture.

Edited July 3, 2023 by Crew News

[pmjnh]

23 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

You'll get instructions for meeting up on turnaround morning with all the other passengers continuing on. Be sure to check in w/the crew there so they check you off the list - very important as they cannot begin the process of processing the "turnaround" passengers until all of them are accounted for. Once approved, they'll escort you off the ship as a group and back on. At that time, you're free to do as you please.

Safe travels - enjoy your cruise!

 

On this note....We are doing B2B (first  b2b for us) on the Noordam with turnaround day in Whittier. While in Whittier we want to take an excursion with a local boat touring company. This should not affect disembarking (I dont think) as the excursion  leaves at noonish but it does not return until 6:45 PM. Ship is scheduled to leave at 8PM. How will that affect the turnaround process that you mention above and our desire to take this excursion. Will this be a problem for us?

 

Thanks,

Joan

[BobbiSox]

Hope you have a better experience on your B2B than I had on Rottodam in October. We were seated in an auditorium for almost three hours and ten marched do the terminal  and forced to STAND over another hour while they searched for three stow-aways. We were not offered as much as a drink of water the entire time. AND NO EXPLATATION. When we saw them pass us in the terminal, escorted by security, we realized what had happened. The three were marched through the terminal, and we were allowed back on the ship. I will NEVER do a B2B again. 

[Horizon chaser 1957]

54 minutes ago, pmjnh said:

We are doing B2B (first  b2b for us) on the Noordam with turnaround day in Whittier. While in Whittier we want to take an excursion with a local boat touring company. This should not affect disembarking (I dont think) as the excursion  leaves at noonish but it does not return until 6:45 PM. Ship is scheduled to leave at 8PM. How will that affect the turnaround process that you mention above and our desire to take this excursion.

The excursion is an excellent idea. It accomplishes everything you need: being officially checked off the ship, and back on later. Most of all, you spend your time off the ship doing something fun, instead of spending it like BobbiSox did -

20 minutes ago, BobbiSox said:

Hope you have a better experience on your B2B than I had on Rottodam in October. We were seated in an auditorium for almost three hours and ten marched do the terminal  and forced to STAND over another hour while they searched for three stow-aways.

 

[albingirl]

1 hour ago, BobbiSox said:

Hope you have a better experience on your B2B than I had on Rottodam in October. We were seated in an auditorium for almost three hours and ten marched do the terminal  and forced to STAND over another hour while they searched for three stow-aways. We were not offered as much as a drink of water the entire time. AND NO EXPLATATION. When we saw them pass us in the terminal, escorted by security, we realized what had happened. The three were marched through the terminal, and we were allowed back on the ship. I will NEVER do a B2B again. 

It does seem that every time we do a btb, we end up waiting in the lounge area forever for people who decide to roll in way after they are supposed to. I cannot fathom why this always happens except that there are people who feel the guidelines do not apply to them. 

[Haljo1935]

2 hours ago, pmjnh said:

 

On this note....We are doing B2B (first  b2b for us) on the Noordam with turnaround day in Whittier. While in Whittier we want to take an excursion with a local boat touring company. This should not affect disembarking (I dont think) as the excursion  leaves at noonish but it does not return until 6:45 PM. Ship is scheduled to leave at 8PM. How will that affect the turnaround process that you mention above and our desire to take this excursion. Will this be a problem for us?

 

Thanks,

Joan

As @Horizon chaser 1957 said, your excursion is an excellent choice - you'll get off the ship and just return at end of day by All Aboard time; it will seem almost like just another port day for you.

I highly recommend getting your new cabin keys early morning before breakfast and remember to get your name marked off the list at the in transit meeting location.

Safe travels - enjoy your cruise!