Back to Back in unusual situations

[vicocala]

My DW and I are scheduled to do a seven day cruise starting December 16th. As she is a school teacher that is the earliest she can travel. However I would like to do a seven day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean on the ninth.

 

How would that work? Would I have to totally leave the ship or could I go by the pursers desk and get re-established while waiting for my wife or would I have to disembark and try to find her amongst the mobs arriving or departing.

 

Could she get her card alone and meet me on the ship?:confused:

[sail7seas]

A number of issues........

 

For the week you sail alone, you would be charged a single supplement and would not necessarily be able to book the same cabin you will be in week 2 with your DW, depending upon which category you and she are booked in.

 

You may have to move cabins but your stewads (one from one cabin and the one in the new cabin) will assist. The drawers on HAL ships are interchangeable so you would not have to empty them. Hanging clothes could be left on hangers and steward will bring a rolling cart for you to hang and transfer them.

 

You will have to leave the ship for it to zero down. In all U.S. ports, all guests who are supposed to be going ashore must do so before anyone can board. You will have to clear Immigration and then wait until all who have left before you can reboard. You could arrange a spot to meet your DW either outside or inside the terminal. If you both have cell phones, that should be easy enough. If not, you could call or e-mail her after you have seen the terminal/grounds and tell her where to meet. She CAN check in without you. It is entirely possible for her to arrive, check in, board, go to your cabin and you can meet up on the ship. You do not have to be with her for check in.

 

Hope this helps with some of your questions. :)

[Linda&Vern]

In addition to what Sail replied ... I suggest you get your TA or HAL Rep involved. I would not suggest you book the Dec. 9th cruise without consulting a travel expert ... they can offer you booking and cabin suggestions, like: Do you want the same cabin both cruises or do you just want to cruise in another cabin and move when your wife joins you, etc.

[rocsailor]

A number of issues........

 

For the week you sail alone, you would be charged a single supplement and would not necessarily be able to book the same cabin you will be in week 2 with your DW, depending upon which category you and she are booked in.

 

You may have to move cabins but your stewads (one from one cabin and the one in the new cabin) will assist. The drawers on HAL ships are interchangeable so you would not have to empty them. Hanging clothes could be left on hangers and steward will bring a rolling cart for you to hang and transfer them.

 

You will have to leave the ship for it to zero down. In all U.S. ports, all guests who are supposed to be going ashore must do so before anyone can board. You will have to clear Immigration and then wait until all who have left before you can reboard. You could arrange a spot to meet your DW either outside or inside the terminal. If you both have cell phones, that should be easy enough. If not, you could call or e-mail her after you have seen the terminal/grounds and tell her where to meet. She CAN check in without you. It is entirely possible for her to arrive, check in, board, go to your cabin and you can meet up on the ship. You do not have to be with her for check in.

 

Hope this helps with some of your questions. :)

Just a side question! You stated all those who are supposed to go ashore must do so to zero out, Do We who are doing a collectors cruise and turning around need to get off? Hal says no but I have read on other CC blogs that We have to do it:( Thanks for any help you are the best:)

[vicocala]

Thanks, yes it would be differing cabins. We have a balcony booked while if I go alone I will get an inside.

 

So to understand, I have to get off and go thru everything again? How late can I stay on the ship before I get ran off, it sounds like I will be at the back of the line and waiting for a while.

 

I was planning on going by the pursers in any event to move the luggage. Or maybe I will just take the Ruby Princess if I have to start over from scratch. I haven't taken a Princess cruise yet anyway.

[Essiesmom]

When you return to FLL, you wait until all others have debarked the ship. The Front Office will have sent you a letter the day before telling you where to meet in the morning. that letter might have your new cruise card in it, or you might get it from them the next morning. They will escort you off, go through immigration (not customs) and you can get right back on the ship. Or you could stay off and meet your wife. Before you do all of this, your steward will have helped you move to your new cabin. Of course, on the first leg, you will need to tell your steward you are staying on but need to move cabins. But sailing Princess sounds good, too. Many people do consecutive cruises on different ships. EM

[vicocala]

Thanks EM, that is sort of what I read elsewhere. If I can do that and my DW can check in by herself, that might ease the transition.

 

In any event, thanks for the help folks! :)

[E-500]

Just a side question! You stated all those who are supposed to go ashore must do so to zero out, Do We who are doing a collectors cruise and turning around need to get off? Hal says no but I have read on other CC blogs that We have to do it:( Thanks for any help you are the best:)

 

In FLL you have to leave the ship for a short time, you are allowed back on before the new passengers start boarding. The process stated by others on this thread is correct.

[rocsailor]

In FLL you have to leave the ship for a short time, you are allowed back on before the new passengers start boarding. The process stated by others on this thread is correct.

But We are not in Fll. We will be San Diago? and returing to FLL:)

[fleckle]

.......How would that work? Would I have to totally leave the ship or could I go by the pursers desk and get re-established while waiting for my wife or would I have to disembark and try to find her amongst the mobs arriving or departing.

 

Could she get her card alone and meet me on the ship?:confused:

It should work very well.

This is something commonly done by friends and family members who like to cruise together but have different schedules that only partially overlap, so they cruise some segments together and others separately.

 

While you are on the first cruise you will be given instructions about the procedure to follow on the turnaround day.

 

You do not need to take any of your belongings off the ship, but you yourself may need to get off briefly.

The turnaround procedure can vary somewhat depending on the port and the cruise itinerary and how they handle immigration procedures for that particular cruise that day.

 

Sometimes you can just punch out with your old card and punch back in with the new one.

They typically give you a transit pass for the turnaround day so if you leave the ship, you can re-board later without needing to wait in line with the newly arriving passengers who are checking in for the first time.

 

Whether or not you need to switch cabins depends on whether or not you have booked the same cabin for both segments.

If you switch cabins, you can simply transfer your belongings from one cabin to the other without needing to pack up everything.

 

Your wife can certainly meet you on the ship (or on the pier, or in the cruise terminal, or in town, or wherever she likes).

She should print a copy of her boarding pass to bring with her. They will give her a room key card when she checks in, regardless of whether or not you are with her at the time.

 

To the cruise line and port security, it is no different than when two friends who are sharing a cabin arrive and check in separately.

 

 

P.S. If you leave and return, you do not need to "go thru everything again" although you do need to pass through security again each time you leave and re-board. Unlike security at an airport, you don't even need to take your shoes off. You just put your packages on the conveyor for the x-ray machine and you walk through the metal detector.

 

[vicocala]

When she is ready to check in, do I need to leave her the credit card I used to establish our on board credit or will the boarding pass be sufficiant. Thanks to everyone for your assistance.

[Krazy Kruizers]

When she is ready to check in, do I need to leave her the credit card I used to establish our on board credit or will the boarding pass be sufficiant. Thanks to everyone for your assistance.

 

 

Since you will already have registered your credit card online when you fill out the Signature boarding pass, she does not need to have the card in her hand when she checks in.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Just a side question! You stated all those who are supposed to go ashore must do so to zero out, Do We who are doing a collectors cruise and turning around need to get off? Hal says no but I have read on other CC blogs that We have to do it:( Thanks for any help you are the best:)

 

We have done quite a few back-to-back cruises (many are now called Collectors Cruises) and we have always had to get off the ship and go through immigration. You will get a letter the evening before that will tell you where to meet and at what time. Someone from the front office will excort you off the ship. You will be given an Intransit Card to get back onto the ship. And you will need to take your passport with you.

Once you go through immigration you will go to the waiting area and sit until the ship gets down to "zero" count. Sometimes we have waited only 15 minutes -- a couple of times 1 1/2 hours.

We have done this in Ft Lauderdale, Tampa, San Diego and Seattle.

[sail7seas]

Just a side question! You stated all those who are supposed to go ashore must do so to zero out, Do We who are doing a collectors cruise and turning around need to get off? Hal says no but I have read on other CC blogs that We have to do it:( Thanks for any help you are the best:)

 

 

On all our Collector's cruises, ALL guests must leave the ship, zero down and then we can reboard when all who are going ashore have done so. No one can reboard (including those on Collector's until all have left who are supposed to. It is unusual for us to be ashore more than about 30-40 minutes.)

 

 

When she is ready to check in, do I need to leave her the credit card I used to establish our on board credit or will the boarding pass be sufficiant. Thanks to everyone for your assistance.

 

This is not a simple as implied, IMO

 

When you check in for your first cruise, you will have registered your credit card either on line or at the time of check in. Fine. All set for You.

 

However, when you move to the new cabin, you will be fine as they have established your charges will be put onto that credit card but not your wife. You will have to authorized her charges be applied to your credit card for the New cabin. You will either have to go to the office or meet your wife and join her for check in OR she can register a different credit card when she checks in. If you and she both have a credit card for the same account, all she needs to do is show her card and sign the authorization. She will have to have the credit card to be entered at the time she checks in. Pre-register on line if you have both of your cabin numbers before you arrive at the terminal. Chances are you know the cabin number for the two of you.

 

YOU will get a new key card for your second segment seeing as you change cabins. Had you stayed in the same cabin the first week as you will be in the second segment, you would use the same card but you are moving, thus you need a new card.

 

When you leave the ship to clear Immigration and await the 'zero down', scan off with your old card. When you reboard, scan back on the ship using your new card.

 

[sail7seas]

For people doing Collectors, there is no need to go back through check in when you reboard for your second segment after going ashore to clear Immigration and await the 'zero down'.

 

You will be given an 'in transit' pass you can show and avoid the check in lines.

You will be required to rescan through security and will then be able to reboard without going through the photo line etc

 

[sail7seas]

Since you will already have registered your credit card online when you fill out the Signature boarding pass, she does not need to have the card in her hand when she checks in.

 

 

Seeing it will be a different cabin for the second segment, I'm not sure they won't have to present the card again for wife to be entered onto the authorization for charging. When husband checks in for his cruise, how can he put her name on the authorization when he is sailling single and she is not there?

 

The worst that will happen is they will have to go to front office and add his authorization for her to charge. Easy.... no big deal.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

OP did not mention that he is on a Collectors Cruise.

He said that he is doing a back-to-back cruise which means he will be filling out 2 different boarding passes just for himself and one for his wife.

So the credit card information will be filled out on all 3 forms.

It has been years since I have had to show my credit card when we check in. Thus she does not need the credit card.

If she wants to she can fill out her boarding pass information and use a credit card of her own. Then once she is on the ship they can go to the front office and change her credit card information to her husband's. Or Vice Versa -- he can change his credit card to hers.

[kazu]

On all our Collector's cruises, ALL guests must leave the ship, zero down and then we can reboard when all who are going ashore have done so. No one can reboard (including those on Collector's until all have left who are supposed to. It is unusual for us to be ashore more than about 30-40 minutes.)

 

 

Makes me glad our first Collectors' cruise will be in Europe Sail - we will not have to zero down:D we'll probably get off anyways, but it is not necessary:)

[sail7seas]

OP did not mention that he is on a Collectors Cruise.

 

He said that he is doing a back-to-back cruise which means he will be filling out 2 different boarding passes just for himself and one for his wife.

 

So the credit card information will be filled out on all 3 forms.

 

It has been years since I have had to show my credit card when we check in. Thus she does not need the credit card.

 

If she wants to she can fill out her boarding pass information and use a credit card of her own. Then once she is on the ship they can go to the front office and change her credit card information to her husband's. Or Vice Versa -- he can change his credit card to hers.

 

 

We always opt to say 'cash' on the pre-registration and present the credit card when we check in.

 

Our personal choice to do it that way. :)

 

As I mentioned, easy for OP and his wife to go to Front Office after DW has boarded for the second segment..... post #16. Seems we agree. :)

 

 

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Makes me glad our first Collectors' cruise will be in Europe Sail - we will not have to zero down:D we'll probably get off anyways, but it is not necessary:)

 

Right the rules are different in Europe.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We always opt to say 'cash' on the pre-registration and present the credit card when we check in.

 

Our personal choice to do it that way. :)

 

As I mentioned, easy for OP and his wife to go to Front Office after DW has boarded for the second segment..... post #16. Seems we agree. :)

 

 

 

 

I just register me credit card -- never have had a problem with that.

[sail7seas]

Lots of people do that. That's fine. :)

 

We choose to not.