Back to back cruise questions

[mips]

Hi,

We are thinking of doing a back to back cruise in march on the Miracle and was curious to the day spent back in Fort Lauderdale.

Will they throw us off and make us wait in line to get back on again?

If not Will there be an easy way of getting off and on again if we wanted to?

If we stay on board will we be able to do laundry that day?

We would hope to book the same cabin for both weeks so would it be best to order a pile of room service for breakfast and lunch and hang out on the balcony for the morning to avoid the crowds leaving?

 

Thanks in advance for any tips you can give us.

[firefly333]

I dont think they offer lunch room service.

 

You will get a letter where to meet and they will escort you on and off the ship. After that if you want to get off and get on, its up to you. I enjoy sitting on Lido deck when no one else is on the ship. Only chance you will get is a B2B.

[CruisingMouse]

Hi,

We are thinking of doing a back to back cruise in march on the Miracle and was curious to the day spent back in Fort Lauderdale.

Will they throw us off and make us wait in line to get back on again?

If not Will there be an easy way of getting off and on again if we wanted to?

If we stay on board will we be able to do laundry that day?

We would hope to book the same cabin for both weeks so would it be best to order a pile of room service for breakfast and lunch and hang out on the balcony for the morning to avoid the crowds leaving?

 

Thanks in advance for any tips you can give us.

 

 

You cannot order any room service the day of disembarment.

[revkev]

We were on the Dream 2 years ago for a B2B - and in 3 weeks we will do our second on the Liberty. ;)

 

All ships are a little different, but the basics are the same. Here are my answer to your questions:

 

 

Will they throw us off and make us wait in line to get back on again?

No, you will meet somewhere around 9:30 to 10:00 with the others. They will usher you off, through customs and right back on - takes about 5 to 10 minutes. We received our new sail and sign before customs.

If not Will there be an easy way of getting off and on again if we wanted to?

Not really an "easy" way. But you can get off the ship and come back on. We did not do this, but I understand it is possible.

If we stay on board will we be able to do laundry that day?

Yes you can, but it is very busy as the room stewards are working hard to get the other rooms ready. You can go back to you room after clearing customs. But this is the best time, because no one is on the ship so you have it all to yourselves for about and hour to an hour and a half.

We would hope to book the same cabin for both weeks so would it be best to order a pile of room service for breakfast and lunch and hang out on the balcony for the morning to avoid the crowds leaving?

Sure, but you can go up to the Lido deck and get what you want and take it back to your room. ABSOLUTELY make sure you have the same room. That way you don't have to pack up and move (your room steward will help, if you would like).

 

Here's a good tip, if you want to have booze the second week. The last night of each cruise is when they have their big sales. Buy some then. You can take it back you your room. You'll have it for that night and the entire second week.

 

I hope you are able to do this, it is really great.

 

Kevin from MPLS

[spunkie4]

I have never done a b2b on Carnival; however, have done several on Princess. I can't imagine the routine being much different. I will speak for our experience on Princess.

 

On the day/evening before turn-around day, you will receive a packet with instructions of where to meet and a new sail and sign card. You will meet and be taken off the ship and return as a group. This takes very little time. You will sign out with your old card and back on with the new card.

 

Once back on-board, it will be just like any other embarkation day except you will enjoy several hours of quite before the new passengers arrive. You can also book an excursion.

 

Princess does not offer room service on the last morning. Carnival did offer this on our last cruise (December). Lido deck will be open.

 

It's much nicer if you have the same room, but changing rooms is very easy. When this has been our case, we just touch base with the new room steward the day prior and arrange to move our belongings as soon as the new room is vacant. We place them in the closet and do not unpack until the room has been cleaned.

 

As for laundry, I would do that on the last day. You will start your new cruise with clean clothes and your turn-around day can be relaxing. Several years ago we were able to do laundry on turn-around day in Ft. Lauderdale. I do know this is not the same for every port.

 

You will enjoy the b2b.

 

Shirley

[firefly333]

Ive heard you can use the self service laundry on turn around day. Im not sure why the above poster said this will interfere with the cabin steward. I know okgirl said her sister did it that day, np.

 

If you mean the free platinum laundry or sending out for it, then no.

[mountainbreeze]

I posted this on another thread the other day

 

This is how our turn-around day went when we did our B2B on the Destiny last May:

 

We booked the same cabin for both cruises and we did get to leave our things in our room.

 

For the turnaround instructions, we received a letter in our cabin the night before we docked back in Miami. Here is what our letter said:

 

 

May 7, 2011

Stateroom 6186

Dear Mr & Mrs ------,

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for choosing the CARNIVAL DESTINY for your vacation. Our guests are very important to us and we appreciate your patronage. We do hope you enjoyed your stay with us so far and we hope Carnival Cruise Lines has lived up to its reputation for providing a quality cruise vacation that exceeds the expectations of our guests.

 

As you are sailing with us again next cruise, we would like to provide you with some information that you will need for your arrival into Miami.

 

All guests sailing back-to-back are required to disembark the vessel in order to be processed through US Customs and Border Protection. Please have your passport and customs declaration completed, ready for inspection.

 

If you have plans to enjoy your day in Miami you are welcome to leave the ship anytime between 7:30am and 9:30am. Upon your return to the terminal, please proceed to the "VIP Lounge" for our priority VIP check in, anytime between 11:15am and 3:00pm.

 

If you prefer to remain onboard during embarkation morning we kindly ask that you come to the Palladium Lounge located in deck 3 fwd at 9:40am to be presented to US Customs & Border Protection.

 

Please note that your Sail & Sign account and your cabin keys do not continue from one cruise to the next cruise - you would need to activate a new Sail & Sign account as soon as the new voyage is loaded in our system. Please stop by our Concierge desk or use our S&S kiosks, located in Lobby Deck 3 and Promenade Deck 5 forward. Your S7S account has a period of grace which will allow you to make purchases before your account gets activated.

 

Again, thank you for choosing Carnival. Should you require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact Guest Services located on Lobby deck 3 or by dialing extension 7777.

 

We do hope you have an enjoyable day in Miami.

Sincerely,

Guest Services

Carnival Destiny

 

 

This is how our turn-around day went for us:

We woke fairly early that morning, my husband ordered coffee from room service, which was delivered quickly.

 

 

We went to the Lido deck around 8:00am and went through the buffet line for breakfast.

 

Around 9:30am, we took our old S&S cards from the previous 5 days, our new boarding passes (we had printed them at home before the cruise), our passports, customs forms, I.D's, and our camera, and we went to the Palladium Lounge.

 

The lounge was fairly empty, there was another couple there who were also doing a B2B.

 

There was also a group of about 10 others who were family of some crew members.

 

We waited in the Lounge for about 10-15 minutes, and a few crew members came to get us. They escorted us off the ship, and into a huge area (I think this was a baggage area). The crew member (Officer) presented us to a customs agent who checked over our passports and our customs declarations.

 

After we were cleared, which only took a minute or two, the Officer handed us all our new S&S cards for the next cruise. Then we all walked back onboard and entered into the ships lobby. Our new S&S cards were swiped into the machine, and we were done.

 

We were back on board by 10:15 am and we had the ship to ourselves for a few hours.

We walked around and explored the ship and took some great pictures.

 

Around noon we went to the Lido deck and got lunch, by that time the new passengers were starting to make their way to the buffet too.

 

After we ate lunch, we decided to try to get back to our cabin, even though we knew passengers weren't allowed to go to their cabins yet. We used the stairs, and we had no problem getting to our cabin.

 

We spent a few hours in our cabin, making phone calls and relaxing.

We did go to the Muster Drill. We had asked our cabin steward the day before if we would have to go to the drill, and he told us we should go, so we did. It only lasts about 15 minutes, and it's painless.

 

Back in our cabin, we received a bottle of wine and a fruit basket from guest services, a gift for doing the B2B.

[Essiesmom]

I did one B2B out of Port Canaveral where it was stated that you could not use the laundry while in port. It will state in the Fun times. EM

[mips]

Thanks a bunch everyone, if we get to go I'll be sure to ask about laundry or do it the last sea day. Great tip on the duty free thanks!

[MSRussell]

I did that on the Sensation last month. I left the ship, went to the store, and showed my boarding pass (I print out everything..lol) Since I had left the ship, I didn't get my new card.

I went to a worker outside the line, told her I was a B2B, she escorted me around everyone and on the ship so I could get my card.

Melanie

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Have a great time....

[idlenote]

We did it on the Ecstasy last January, there were three of us, and once we got back on board there was just us three and a thousand crew for about thirty minutes. Pretty neat time and I got some great pictures of an (almost) empty ship.

[Laurie S.]

We just did a B2B over New Year's on Legend. You can order breakfast for room service; I also did it on the last day of our second leg.

 

We did not have to get off the ship, but rather had to report to the theater at 7:45 am so customs could look at our passports and take our custom form. Since that was New Year's Day, the hardest part was getting up that early! LOL It took all of five minutes in the lounge. I think we were the only B2B cruisers.

 

We then stopped at Guest Services to get our new S&S cards and went back to bed for a couple of hours. I imagine the laundry was open, but I don't do laundry when cruise. That's work. ;)

[najnelle]

What helpful information! Thanks so much! We would really like to do a b2b someday. We have a cruise booked in September, I sure wish we could add the following week to it. I'm trying to figure out how to make it happen! :)

[kicia]

Hi,

We are thinking of doing a back to back cruise in march on the Miracle and was curious to the day spent back in Fort Lauderdale.

Will they throw us off and make us wait in line to get back on again?

If not Will there be an easy way of getting off and on again if we wanted to?

If we stay on board will we be able to do laundry that day?

We would hope to book the same cabin for both weeks so would it be best to order a pile of room service for breakfast and lunch and hang out on the balcony for the morning to avoid the crowds leaving?

 

Thanks in advance for any tips you can give us.

 

Just wanted to add in that we are doing a B2B on the Miracle on March 9 and 17. Hope to see you there.

 

Linda

[Grampy]

We are on one right now on the Splendor. :) we get our new cards at 10:30.

 

Mike

[BillH44]

Is there any kind of discount available booking B2B?

[amyj23]

Thanks a bunch everyone, if we get to go I'll be sure to ask about laundry or do it the last sea day. Great tip on the duty free thanks!

 

We did our laundry as soon as everyone else disembarked. I don't know why you wouldn't be able to. It's the perfect time to do it as no one else will probably be in there. I imagine the last day at sea the laundry room would be very busy...

Someone above said there is no room service embarkation day. Absolutely not true. We have done room service for breakfast on disembarkation day on every cruise we've ever been on.

[amyj23]

Is there any kind of discount available booking B2B?

 

No discount for booking a B2B... :(