1st Back to Back... Question or Two

[cruisinnorth]

Hi All,

 

We have just booked our first B2B cruises. We are sailing on the 10th of November for the first leg and the 17th of November for the second. We are sailing out of Port Everglades on the Royal. We fortunately have the same cabin for both legs. We are booked as two cruises.

 

From my research I have learned that we will receive a new card for the second leg and that we will be meeting with other B2B passengers who will be taken to customs and immigration as a group. Then we can re board using the new card. Question: when we are taken to as a group to customs, are we taken to the same customs station we would use if we were leaving the ship, OR, will we be taken somewhere else? In searching for this information I was a bit confused about this as some posts I read could be interpreted either way.

 

Thanks for your help,

 

Dave

[PescadoAmarillo]

Actually, you don't have to turn in a customs form until the end of your final cruise. You simply go through immigration. It's in the same area as you normally go through it, though sometimes an ICE agent actually comes closer to where you disembark the ship, and you walk by him/her showing your passport so that it's really a walk off/walk back on the ship. When there are a lot of in transit (B2B) passengers (like 400-500), there are more likely to be more ICE agents involved and they're more likely to stand at the counters where they normally do.

[paul929207]

Hi All,

 

We have just booked our first B2B cruises. We are sailing on the 10th of November for the first leg and the 17th of November for the second. We are sailing out of Port Everglades on the Royal. We fortunately have the same cabin for both legs. We are booked as two cruises.

 

From my research I have learned that we will receive a new card for the second leg and that we will be meeting with other B2B passengers who will be taken to customs and immigration as a group. Then we can re board using the new card. Question: when we are taken to as a group to customs, are we taken to the same customs station we would use if we were leaving the ship, OR, will we be taken somewhere else? In searching for this information I was a bit confused about this as some posts I read could be interpreted either way.

 

Thanks for your help,

 

Dave

There will be no customs for you at the turnaround port. You will go thru immigration like the new passengers will. You will need to take your documents (passport or BC & photo id).

[skynight]

You will receive written information from Princess. Just follow it and there will be no issues. You will be escorted by a Princess staff member out to immigration and then back onto the ship. There will be a group of you, since the Royal does the same route both weeks I would not anticipate too many b2b'ers. You will need your old cruise card, new cruise card, passport and Intransit card which is provided by Princess. Nothing else. You will not be able to re-board until all disembarking passengers are off the ship (zero passenger count). The Princess staff will seat you until that time. Could be quick, could be an hour. If you wish to leave the ship to go to the store, or tour around you can do so. Princess will provide instructions for that. You will still need to take your Intransit card, Passport and old and new cruise cards. If you do leave you can re-board anytime after general boarding has started up to the time of last boarding. Princess normally docks at Pier 2. Assuming the Royal is there you can easily walk off and go to the shops along 17th street. Follow the crew. From other piers you can not walk.

[dmwnc1959]

There will be a group of you, since the Royal does the same route both weeks I would not anticipate too many b2b'ers.

 

I'm actually surprised at the number of people on some of the Roll Calls who are doing B2B's and B2B2B's from Fort Lauderdale. One added benefit seems to be the 5-night cruise in which many have attached the first 7-night cruise to it. And there are quite a few in December doing B2B's on the 12/1 & 12/8, or the 12/8 and 12/15 sailings. It's appears that they are not so much doing it for the itinerary as they are for the ship.

[dorisis]

The B2B day at Lauderdale is kind of a wasted day. Not much going on on the ship so best bet is to get off and entertain yourself with a walk or some kind of tour.

[NavyVeteran]

The B2B day at Lauderdale is kind of a wasted day. Not much going on on the ship so best bet is to get off and entertain yourself with a walk or some kind of tour.

 

There's a lot to do on the ship if you want to. It's a very good day to do self-service laundry, since the laundry rooms are not going to be busy. It's also a good day to swim or sit in the hot tub.

 

On a recent B2B out of Galveston, I was in the hot tub while everyone else was attending the muster drill. Very nice and peaceful.

[dmwnc1959]

There's a lot to do on the ship if you want to. It's a very good day to do self-service laundry, since the laundry rooms are not going to be busy. It's also a good day to swim or sit in the hot tub.

 

EXACTLY what I was thinking. And there's no rush for you to stampede the first eatery you see, or you can sit in the atrium and watch all the newbies as they arrive aboard too. Relax and enjoy the ship! :D

[cruisinnorth]

There's a lot to do on the ship if you want to. It's a very good day to do self-service laundry, since the laundry rooms are not going to be busy. It's also a good day to swim or sit in the hot tub.

 

On a recent B2B out of Galveston, I was in the hot tub while everyone else was attending the muster drill. Very nice and peaceful.

 

Thanks everyone for all the advice and good information.

 

Are we allowed to skip the Muster Drill on the second leg of a B2B? That would be wonderful!

 

Dave

[paul929207]

Thanks everyone for all the advice and good information.

 

Are we allowed to skip the Muster Drill on the second leg of a B2B? That would be wonderful!

 

Dave

Yes, you can skip the muster drill. I heard the muster drill on the second and third leg of our South American cruise earlier this year was very quiet. About 80% of the passengers stayed onboard and nearly all skipped the drill.

[PescadoAmarillo]

There is some "dead time" on turnaround day. The buffet generally closes at 8:30am or 9:00am. The crew is crazy busy. The cruise staff and others are still busy with disembarkation. Some pools and hot tubs will be netted off. On some itineraries, the laundry rooms are closed (but not usually in Fort Lauderdale). The only bar open is the IC or Patisserie.

 

If the weather is good, we usually get off the ship for a few hours. Some elevators are off-limits except to boarding passengers, the buffet is a zoo. We just like being away from it for awhile, and there is so much to do in Fort Lauderdale, easily reached by walking, trolley or bus.

[skynight]

Thanks everyone for all the advice and good information.

 

Are we allowed to skip the Muster Drill on the second leg of a B2B?

 

Dave

 

As reported, yes. This will be stated in your instructions from Princess.

[sept10dsm]

There is some "dead time" on turnaround day. The buffet generally closes at 8:30am or 9:00am. The crew is crazy busy. The cruise staff and others are still busy with disembarkation. Some pools and hot tubs will be netted off. On some itineraries, the laundry rooms are closed (but not usually in Fort Lauderdale). The only bar open is the IC or Patisserie.

 

If the weather is good, we usually get off the ship for a few hours. Some elevators are off-limits except to boarding passengers, the buffet is a zoo. We just like being away from it for awhile, and there is so much to do in Fort Lauderdale, easily reached by walking, trolley or bus.

We are on a 14 day ak cruise and it is booked as such. I assume we can leave when we wish? We were told by Princess it was just like any other port day for us. And return at any time prior to sailing? Are there different areas for leaving and returning people that are ending and beginning the cruise from those booking the entire 14 days? Thanks for any help.

[paul929207]

We are on a 14 day ak cruise and it is booked as such. I assume we can leave when we wish? We were told by Princess it was just like any other port day for us. And return at any time prior to sailing? Are there different areas for leaving and returning people that are ending and beginning the cruise from those booking the entire 14 days? Thanks for any help.

Check the info Princess gives you toward the end of the first leg. In some ports, passengers go thru immigration as a group. Other than that, you can get off as soon as the ship is cleared and return at least 30 minutes before sailing

[sept10dsm]

Check the info Princess gives you toward the end of the first leg. In some ports, passengers go thru immigration as a group. Other than that, you can get off as soon as the ship is cleared and return at least 30 minutes before sailing

Thank you. Just wondering since the ship gets to Whittier around midnight, is the ship cleared very early? Odd time to get in

[paul929207]

Thank you. Just wondering since the ship gets to Whittier around midnight, is the ship cleared very early? Odd time to get in

No, they will not clear the ship real early. If people have early flights they will be gone early, the rest will go from 7am or so to 10am.