How does Princess handle 14 day Alaska cruise?

[april47]

I am on the 8/15/12 14 day Island Princess cruise to Alaska. This was sold as one cruise with one booking number, etc. I know it is available as 2 seperate cruises but am wondering how Princess handles that day in Whittier for those who bought one cruise. Do we have to get off the ship? If we want to go off and come back what procedures differ? Do we do 2 musters? New tablemates? I've actually been on a B2B but it was sold as 2 seperate cruises to a different itinerary. :confused:

[bdjam]

Interesting question as Princess is selling Caribbean sailings the same way

[Coral]

I recently did this as 2 cruises but I doubt things change that much. I was on the Sapphire.

 

We did not have to get off the ship. If you wanted to stay on the ship, they just asked us to report at a certain time to the gangway where they had you use your card "to exit the system" and then right away take your picture for your new cruise card. On previous back to backs in Whittier, we were just told to go to the gangway at sometime after a certain time (after 11) and get the new cards activated. Either way, it is painless and took 2 minutes.

 

If you choose to get off, we were told to use the old card to get off and use the new card to get on and just tell them you are in transit. You can leave at any time.

 

You do not need to attend the second muster but can if you choose to.

 

You most likely will have different table mates but ironically, I knew 2 other groups of 2 who were doing a B2B and they were table mates for all 14 nights. We had a table for 2 and the Matrid'e sent us a letter asking to see him and when I did, he asked us if we wanted the same table for the next week. Each Matrid'e may handle this differently.

[dplusd]

I booked a 14 night Caribbean cruise on the Grand. I am pretty sure it is like two B2B 7-day cruises. I know there are four formal nights, instead of just three like a regular 14-night cruise (Grrrrr). I am sure we will have to get off the ship for a short time and reboard, just like on a B2B. I'll be interested in the responses of others, who may have first-hand experience.

[Coral]

I have actually done (3) B2Bs in Alaska. Only once did we have to "leave the ship" as there was a huge case of norovirus on the ship and Princess booked us on an excursion for the day. The other 2 times we did not have to leave the ship. There is no customs/immigration to go through here so it is so easy.

[caribill]

I booked a 14 night Caribbean cruise on the Grand. I am pretty sure it is like two B2B 7-day cruises. I know there are four formal nights, instead of just three like a regular 14-night cruise (Grrrrr). I am sure we will have to get off the ship for a short time and reboard, just like on a B2B. I'll be interested in the responses of others, who may have first-hand experience.

 

If your turnsround day is at Port Everglades, you will need to exit the ship to go through US Immigration and then reboard with the new cruise card.

 

If you wish to tour that day, then you can exit before 10 AM when you wish going through immigration then. You can then reboard any time the ship has been cleared without waiting for new passengers to be able to board.

[ChiefBoats]

Two years ago we did a 14 day on the old Royal Princess out of Seattle. It works the same as a 7 day cruise. You will have the same table assigment if you are traditional diners. We had three formal nights. We just completed in March a 14 day through the Panama Canal on the Coral Princes. Three formal nights.

[Kamloops50]

I am on the 8/15/12 14 day Island Princess cruise to Alaska. This was sold as one cruise with one booking number, etc. I know it is available as 2 seperate cruises but am wondering how Princess handles that day in Whittier for those who bought one cruise. Do we have to get off the ship? If we want to go off and come back what procedures differ? Do we do 2 musters? New tablemates? I've actually been on a B2B but it was sold as 2 seperate cruises to a different itinerary. :confused:

 

We have done that cruise as a B2B .As one 14 day cruise you'll only have one sail-pass , not two. You might not to have attend the muster drill when you leave Whittier. When we did the B2B we didn't have to attend the muster drill when we left Whittier . We we went on HAL on a 14 day , we had to attend the muster drill when we left Seward.

[1025cruise]

I believe since the Concordia incident, you will need to attend both musters.

[Coral]

I believe since the Concordia incident, you will need to attend both musters.

 

No you do not. I did a B2B2B in May and only had to do 1 Muster.

[caribill]

We have done that cruise as a B2B .As one 14 day cruise you'll only have one sail-pass , not two.

 

If the 14 day cruise is also sold as two 7-day cruises, there will be a new cruise card for the second segment.

 

If it is only sold as a 14 day cruise, then there is only one cruise card.

[caribill]

Two years ago we did a 14 day on the old Royal Princess out of Seattle. It works the same as a 7 day cruise. You will have the same table assigment if you are traditional diners. We had three formal nights. We just completed in March a 14 day through the Panama Canal on the Coral Princes. Three formal nights.

 

If a 14 day cruise is also sold as two 7-day cruises, there will be two formal nights on each 7-day segment.

 

If it is only sold as a 14 day cruise (as your Canal trip was) there will only be three formal evenings.

[ttnc4me]

Does it matter if one is changing rooms though? We are about to do a B2B next month and I was told that we had to get off and do the whole process again to reenter because we will be having different cabins for the 2nd leg. Anyone know?

[caribill]

Does it matter if one is changing rooms though? We are about to do a B2B next month and I was told that we had to get off and do the whole process again to reenter because we will be having different cabins for the 2nd leg. Anyone know?

 

That is not how it is done.

 

It is the same as if you were in the same cabin.

o There will be a new cruise card

o In some turnaround ports you may need to go through immigration

o You will need to activate the new cruise card

o You can get off the ship to sightsee or take an excursion if you want

o You can reboard (once the ship is cleared, usually by 10:30) without waiting for new passengers to be able to board

 

The difference:

You will need to change cabins. Pack up what is in your drawers, on shelves, on the floor (shoes, for example) and in the bathroom. Your cabin steward will move your luggage and hanging clothes to your new cabin.

 

Don't forget to empty the contents of your cabin safe.

 

You will still need to vacate your old cabin by 8 AM so it can be prepared for the next occupants.

[logan25]

Just got off 14-day Glacier Voyage on Island.

 

We booked guarantee and were assigned one room before departure and received a note a couple of days before Whittier that we would not have to change cabins. Luck of the draw on this one I believe, and hubby was ecstatic not having to pack up and change rooms.

[Putterdude]

I am on the 8/15/12 14 day Island Princess cruise to Alaska. This was sold as one cruise with one booking number, etc. I know it is available as 2 seperate cruises but am wondering how Princess handles that day in Whittier for those who bought one cruise. Do we have to get off the ship? If we want to go off and come back what procedures differ? Do we do 2 musters? New tablemates? I've actually been on a B2B but it was sold as 2 seperate cruises to a different itinerary. :confused:

 

As this is one cruise and you have already cleared US customs in Vancouver and given that Whittier is a US port there will be no need to leave the ship, you will have one cruise card for the entire voyage. You should not have attend the muster drill in Whittier. You may or may not have new tablemates it will depend whether or not your tablemates are leaving the ship, a high percentage will.

Our experience was as two separate cruises, we were given a new cruise card the evening before and we did have to punch out with the old card and punch in with the new card at the gangway after all disembarking pax had let the ship. Our onboard account folios where rolled into the new folios for the second leg.

Dining room menus for the southbound leg are identical to the northbound. You will have 2 formal nights northbound and 2 formal nights southbound.

[caribill]

As this is one cruise ...you will have one cruise card for the entire voyage.

 

It does not matter that it was booked as a single 14 day voyage.

 

It is really two 7-day voyages and there will be a new cruise card for the second segment of what is a B2B, not a single voyage.

[girlguide]

we booked as a 14 night Alaska cruise - it's also sold as 2 - 7 nighters (northbound & southbound)

 

we have one booking number & the same stateroom for both weeks

 

do we get 1 cruise credit or 2??

[caribill]

we booked as a 14 night Alaska cruise - it's also sold as 2 - 7 nighters (northbound & southbound)

 

we have one booking number & the same stateroom for both weeks

 

do we get 1 cruise credit or 2??

 

Supposedly one cruise credit.

 

Some people have posted that if you speak to the Captain's Circle rep after the first segment is completed, they have been successful in having it counted as two cruises.

[Phyljim]

Supposedly one cruise credit.

 

Some people have posted that if you speak to the Captain's Circle rep after the first segment is completed, they have been successful in having it counted as two cruises.

That is interesting! Would never have thought of that. Sometimes we book b2b as 2 cruises, then we get two cruise credits. But when due to price difference we book as only a single, we only expect one cruise credit.

[Northender]

Just about done with our b2b from Vancouver/Whittier/Vancouver cruise.:(

 

On turnaround day in Whittier we were instructed to go to Club Fusion - deck 7, aft and they took old card and issued new one. We were booked as 2 cruises. You get a few extra internet minutes that way:D Need them too on these cruises. Very slow some days.;)

 

Coral, I now agree with you on the Landfall Dinner. Different ships have their own little twists. Not as good here on the Sapphire as it was on the Ruby in April.:confused:

 

Well it has been a great cruise. Wonderful weather up and fog, fog, fog on the way back. I am so glad we did quite a few things from Vancouver.

[Coral]

 

Coral, I now agree with you on the Landfall Dinner. Different ships have their own little twists. Not as good here on the Sapphire as it was on the Ruby in April.:confused:

 

Well it has been a great cruise. Wonderful weather up and fog, fog, fog on the way back. I am so glad we did quite a few things from Vancouver.

 

I did my first Alaska cruise in July once and it was the absolute worst weather possible. Fog, sleet rain that hurt my eyes, wind, freezing, etc... I then decided to do b2bs so that if one week is bad, hopefully the next week is good! Sounds like your first week was great so that part was very good.

 

Landfall dinner - I have always hated that menu. I was with my mom and she ordered the steak the last night on one of the cruises and I was like "don't do that" and it wasn't as bad as I had had it on other ships. It wasn't great but I expected far worse! On the other 2 cruises, we ordered the speciality items from the 4 restaurants (fajatias and a pork chop). We did go to Sterlings on the first week and it was just "OK". Not as good as previously on that same ship. Our service was great. We were going to try to go back and try something else but my mom loved our wait staff in our dining room and didn't want to miss them. Plus, we had large groups on our sailings and a few of the nights, they booked Sterlings entirely for themselves and then we forgot to try to get in.

[White Cat]

We just completed a 14-day cruise on the Island Princess June 6-20 Vancouver to Vancouver.

 

This is what occurred for us:

 

1. We were issued two cruise cards and had to leave the ship in Whittier, have new picture taken and punch in on board with the new card.

2. We needed to ask the purser to carry forward our bill from the first 7-days; otherwise it would have been closed out and restarted after 7 days.

3. We received 1 cruise credit although talking to the Princess Circle host seems like a good idea re: getting 2 credits.

4. Our Platinum Internet minutes of 250 were wiped out after 7 days and replaced with a new 150-minute credit as if it were a new 7-day cruise.

5. Attending the 2nd muster drill was not required.

6. We were on anytime dining and had the same cabin for both cruises.