How do back-to-back cruises work

I will be doing a back-2-back on the Celebration 1/22 and 1/27. How does the process work in terms of having to get off the ship in between cruises and having to get a new cruise card.

From what I have read from many, you are required to leave the ship, clear customs and then are allowed to return. For some it has been painless, there have been a couple of reviews where they quite did not know what they were doing and had B2B folks sitting in a room for three hours...

On the last night of your first cruise, you will find a letter in your room detailing the entire process. It will list a time to meet with someone from the pursers desk in lobby area.You will have to wait until the last person from the first cruise is off the ship. They will escort you and anyone else doing B2B down to the customs area. Customs agents barely looked at our forms :D

Carnival Staff stayed with our group ( I think about 15 people did B2B) the entire time. Before we even left the ship the staff person pulled the new S&S cards and had them waiting for everyone after we cleared customs.I actually cant remember if we took a second picture, I know the entire process from meeting staff and getting back on the ship took less than 30 mins. We were back on the ship around 11ish and had the ship to ourselves for about 1-2 hours.

Your process will probably end up a little different because there might not be many other than your party doing a B2B. Its really great to compare the two cruises and not feel sad when the first cruise ends, you can skip a show on the first cruise and pick it up on the second. If you like your dining staff they will normally let you keep them for the second cruise. On our cruise everyone recieved a bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries in our cabin on the second cruise. I didnt have the same cabin for both cruises so on the last day of the first cruise my room steward moved all my stuff to the new cabin for me.

Thanks for the seemingly painless process between cruises...my DW and I have done these b-2-b er's with RCI, and sounds very similar...this time, I'm cruising solo in the same cabin both times, and unfortunately, will not have her to direct me from one place to another

We did a b2b on the Elation in Oct out of POrt Canaveral--it was a mess.

You can read about it in my review.

Took us 2 1/2 hours :(

Yes I wrote a letter of complaint and yes I heard back. Got a little compensation.

OctoberDestiny described it pretty well... although it appears that exactly what happens and when depends on the ship, the port, and the purser's staff who manage the process. I covered this a bit in my review (see below). Our B2B was pretty simple and we kept well clear of all the debarkation chaos until the appointed time to meet in the designated lounge. The worst part is the long walk, since we were in Miami, from the ship to the immigration officers and back. And the photographers were not quite ready for us when we got back on the ship. (We were the last off and the first on, ahead of the VIPs and wedding parties). We got strawberries but no champagne, but they probably knew we don't like that stuff much anyway if they studied our bar tab from the first week... a case of Red Stripe would have been nice!

We are looking at doing a B2B next summer - 8 day Liberty E. Caribbean followed by a 6 day Liberty W. Caribbean. I asked our PVP how it worked with debarkation and re-barkation and they were not quite sure but asked a supervisor. Apparently, the pursurs desk does take care of the details. However, it looks like one detail they shared may not have been correct and that was that we didn't have to actually get off the ship after the 1st cruise! Oh well, I wouldn't mind waiting a couple hours to start the second leg of the trip!

Just did 2-weeks on the Liberty doing back to back cruises. We received a letter in the cabin with instructions to meet in the lobby at 1000 am. After the last passenger walked off the ship we were escorted by a Carnival employee. They took us off the ship to a customs officer who checked our passports. Then we turned around and were handed our new Sail & Sign cards. The group of 12 walked back on the ship to the Pursers Desk. There we filled out the credit card information. The process took about 15 minutes.

BTW.....the last passenger walked off the ship at 1020 am and the new passengers started walking on at 1140am. I found this quite amazing!

They took us off the ship to a customs officer who checked our passports. Then we turned around and were handed our new Sail & Sign cards.

We have done B2B's but not on Carnival..... But as a correction.... you go through immigration, not customs. ;) You do not have your luggage. You go through customs at the end of your second leg.

We went to the same officers that all passengers first visited when they exited the ship. I watched the last few passengers clear with them. Then we went directly to the SAME officers and they checked our passports. Not sure what there uniform patches or badges indicated. These officers did not take any forms from us for purchases.

On the last night of your first cruise, you will find a letter in your room detailing the entire process. It will list a time to meet with someone from the pursers desk in lobby area.You will have to wait until the last person from the first cruise is off the ship. They will escort you and anyone else doing B2B down to the customs area. Customs agents barely looked at our forms :D

 

Carnival Staff stayed with our group ( I think about 15 people did B2B) the entire time. Before we even left the ship the staff person pulled the new S&S cards and had them waiting for everyone after we cleared customs.I actually cant remember if we took a second picture, I know the entire process from meeting staff and getting back on the ship took less than 30 mins. We were back on the ship around 11ish and had the ship to ourselves for about 1-2 hours.

 

Your process will probably end up a little different because there might not be many other than your party doing a B2B. Its really great to compare the two cruises and not feel sad when the first cruise ends, you can skip a show on the first cruise and pick it up on the second. If you like your dining staff they will normally let you keep them for the second cruise. On our cruise everyone recieved a bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries in our cabin on the second cruise. I didnt have the same cabin for both cruises so on the last day of the first cruise my room steward moved all my stuff to the new cabin for me.

Which ship and port was this at?

I'm doing my first b2b on the Inspiration 2/8 &2/12 and was woundering the same as OP (did a search before asking, I'm learning:) )

we did back to back cruises on Carnival's Imagination last summer. We were the last to exit the ship, but we didn't really exit. Carnival staff took us to customs reps meeting passengers exiting at main doors of ship. They looked at our passports, and we did an about face and went immediately to the purser's desk where they signed us in for the second cruise. We left our luggage at the desk, went on deck and had the ship to ourselves for the next hour as we sat by the pool watching workers swiftly prepare for the next wave of passengers. In an hour, we were in our new cabin. In short, it was a breeze.

Which ship and port was this at?

 

I'm doing my first b2b on the Inspiration 2/8 &2/12 and was woundering the same as OP (did a search before asking, I'm learning:) )

Liberty....Port Everglades.

Im seriously considering doing a B2B on Destiny in December.

:) We just did back to back cruises on the Inspiration Dec 18 and 23. We were staying in the same cabin each cruise. We received a letter in our cabin the night before to wait for "last call" to leave the ship. As we wanted to go to the Aquarium and have lunch on shore, we didn't want to get right back on the ship. So the pursers desk gave us VIP boarding letters to get on the ship. It went really smoothly! When we were ready to get back on the ship, we showed our VIP letter and were walked right by the long line ups to join the small group of "real" VIP cruisers (platinum etc.). We were processed almost right away and allowed to go back on the ship. Painless!! Enjoy your back to back cruises! It is such a great feeling coming into port after the first cruise knowing that you can right back on again!

rmpkingmom

I will be doing a back-2-back on the Celebration 1/22 and 1/27. How does the process work in terms of having to get off the ship in between cruises and having to get a new cruise card.

We just did back to back cruises on the Inspiration Dec 18 and 23. We were lucky to have the same cabin for both cruises. We received a letter in our cabin the last night of the first cruise, asking us to wait until "last call" to disembark. As we wanted to go to the Aquarium and have lunch on shore, we didn't want to get right back on the ship. So, the pursers desk gave us a VIP letter to show at the terminal when we wanted to get back on board. We were walked past the long line up to the VIP area with all the "real" VIP cruisers (Platinum etc), processed right away, and went back on board. Painless!! Enjoy your back to back cruises! It is such a great feeling when sailing into port, to know you can get right back on again!

rmpkingmom

We did a b2b on the Elation in Oct out of POrt Canaveral--it was a mess.

You can read about it in my review.

 

Took us 2 1/2 hours :(

 

Yes I wrote a letter of complaint and yes I heard back. Got a little compensation.

Where is your review?

Another perk of doing a back2back is buying liquor onboard. Any bottles that you buy on the first leg will be in your cabin the last day of your first cruise.

Or you can just wait for the last evening and buy what you need for the second cruise and carry it to your room.

I've noticed a few people had to change cabins and a few kept the same cabins. Would this be the difference between booking a gauranty catagory and booking a specific cabin? Also, you get a new S&S card, I guess this means they take the first cruises bill and put it on your cc and then you start from scratch, correct? We're going to be doing a b2b in a couple years, so it's time to start investigating the procedures. Thanks.

I've noticed a few people had to change cabins and a few kept the same cabins. Would this be the difference between booking a gauranty catagory and booking a specific cabin? Also, you get a new S&S card, I guess this means they take the first cruises bill and put it on your cc and then you start from scratch, correct? We're going to be doing a b2b in a couple years, so it's time to start investigating the procedures. Thanks.

In my case I initially booked the same cabin, then a better one came available on the first leg, but not the second...So I ended up moving for the second cruise. It would be much easier to keep the same cabin. That way you keep the same cabin steward, who should really know you after the first week.

Yes, each leg is treated as a different cruise so they issue new cards. I dont remember having to give them my CC info for the second cruise, so unless you want to use a different card or use cash I think they just use the card info from the first cruise.

here's an alcohol-related tip for b2b people: when you buy it at the ship's store the final night of the 1st cruise, they let you take it to your cabin. they don't track who's doing b2b so you can stock up for the second cruise.

naughty boards...

Great Info, Im thinking about doing a back to back next year.

How do the prices compare to home/local liquor stores?

Vodka for instance.

I have been known to purchase a BIG plastic jug of Vodka

on occasion for about $12 or so, I think.

Can't be sure of the price :confused: but keep in mind..........

I'm not under the alkafluence of inkahol that some thinkle peep I am.

It's just the drunker I sit here the longer I get.

How do the prices compare to home/local liquor stores?

Vodka for instance.

I have been known to purchase a BIG plastic jug of Vodka

on occasion for about $12 or so, I think.

Can't be sure of the price :confused: but keep in mind..........

 

I'm not under the alkafluence of inkahol that some thinkle peep I am.

It's just the drunker I sit here the longer I get.

Prices are much cheaper and remember that on the ship the bottles are 1 liter..at home they are normally 750ml.

How do the prices compare to home/local liquor stores?

Vodka for instance.

I have been known to purchase a BIG plastic jug of Vodka

on occasion for about $12 or so, I think.

Can't be sure of the price :confused: but keep in mind..........

I'm not under the alkafluence of inkahol that some thinkle peep I am.

It's just the drunker I sit here the longer I get.