Back 2 back question

[CRUISEWITHH]

When doing a back 2 back, are you allowed to just stay on the ship on embarkation day? If you do disembark, is there a special line to come back on the ship so that you do not have to wait with the new cruisers.

[LHT28]

Depends on the port for turnaround day

If a US port you Must get off for a short time but usually are free to go back onboard after the ship has been cleared out

 

You usually get a new key card so you can board without going the check in again

Each cruise line will do things differently but you will get a letter usually the day before or earlier explaining everything

[cb at sea]

Generally, you get off the ship, get a new card for the next leg of the trip, and get right back on....you don't have to get in line with new passengers checking in.

[drewlin]

On a similar vein, if doing a back2back from a US port and aa a non US citizen, do we have to clear immigration when disembarking after the 1st leg and then do immigration before embarking again? We're thinking of doing a Carnival back2back.

[sail7seas]

We have done a great many b-to-b's with turnaround day in FLL.

 

We sail with HAL and below is the procedure we always follow but it is similar on all ships when turnaround day is in a U.S. port. Each cruise line may have some variable but this is the basic procedure.

 

If you have the same cabin, you leave all your personal property in place in your cabin.

The last night of your first segment, you will receive a letter telling you the requirement for Immigration clearance, when and how to go and dining hours for 'turnaround day'.

 

You will have to exit the ship, go into the terminal with your passport and clear Immigration. You will not be permitted back aboard until the ship has 'zeroed down' meaning all who are meant to be leaving have done so.

This pertains to turnaround days in U.S. ports.

 

You can choose to either go as a group following the instructions as to where to meet or you can go on your own. We always go on our own. There has been some negative conversation that you must go with the whole crowd but that is not true. In a very large number of b-to-b, we have always gone on our own and security at the gangway, CBP Officials in the Terminal, Shore Operations people in the terminal and Security when we reboard all have told us it is fine and never have we had a problem.

 

We always wait until they call the last of the disembarkation colors/numbers and go then as that usually should mean a short wait ashore. Our average wait has been in the range of 30-45 minutes but it can vary. If there is a selfish idiot who takes their sweet time about leaving despite repeated calls to disembark, no one can board until they leave.

 

You can reboard by just clearing through security but no need to go to the check in lines or get a 'number'.

 

You should bring the 'in transit card' that will be enclosed with the letter you receive and your ship's ID, as always.

 

They will carry your shipboard account forward for the next segment. We have never had to settle our account after first cruise but we always look it over to be sure there are no obvious errors.

 

B-to-b's are fabulous. We've done a great many and always enjoyed each and every one.

[kitty9]

If you're talking about a US based cruise, you have two choices. One, be escorted off the ship by a ship's officer, go through Immigration and Customs and return directly to the ship, or two, leave the ship on your own before 9 am, go through Customs and Immigration, and then leave the terminal and return later, at least 90 minutes before the ship departs.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I see that you are taking the 15 day round trip Hawaiian cruise out of LA followed by the 5 day coastal cruise.

Yes -- you will have to get off the ship and go through immigration.

You will not be able to get back onto the ship until it is down to "zero" count. The chances of there being a large number of people staying on the ship for the 5 day coastal cruise is slim.

If you have never been to LA before you might consider a ship's excursion.

[sail7seas]

If you're talking about a US based cruise, you have two choices. One, be escorted off the ship by a ship's officer, go through Immigration and Customs and return directly to the ship, or two, leave the ship on your own before 9 am, go through Customs and Immigration, and then leave the terminal and return later, at least 90 minutes before the ship departs.

 

 

We never leave the ship on turnaround day before 9 A.M. and we always go on our own. We pay attention to the colors/numbers that are leaving and are always sure to be off the ship and clearing Immigration before the end of disembarkation. We never would hold up other people because we did not promptly do what was expected of us.

 

Embarkation cannot begin until all have been cleared from the previous cruise.

 

Sometimes we wait ashore until they allow us to reboard and sometimes we go off to do something on our own in FLL.

 

 

 

[dsrdsrdsr]

Other ports, particularly non-US ones, are less fussy. I've just been on a cruise ending in Tenerife (Canaries) with Fred. Olsen - they had already started embarkation of the new passengers before I disembarked, and the back-to-back people could stay put.

[CRUISEWITHH]

I see that you are taking the 15 day round trip Hawaiian cruise out of LA followed by the 5 day coastal cruise.

Yes -- you will have to get off the ship and go through immigration.

You will not be able to get back onto the ship until it is down to "zero" count. The chances of there being a large number of people staying on the ship for the 5 day coastal cruise is slim.

If you have never been to LA before you might consider a ship's excursion.

 

The back 2 back that we are on is not the same time as the Hawaiian cruise.

The back 2 back is a 5 day Caribbean FLL TO FLL

Then a 9 day Caribbean FLL to FLL

 

So we will be at the FLL terminal. Is there any place there or close by to purchase wine, etc.

[Bonnie J.]

When we have done B2Bs we have been given a letter telling us where and when to meet- usually in the atrium. They wait until all the 'old' passengers are off the ship. We all go together out to immigration. Then we all turn around and get right back on the ship. As we get back we are given a new cabin key/sign'n sail card. For those who want to go ashore, they may, but cannot get back on the ship until all the new passengers are getting on. They can't just get back on board.

If you have to change cabins don't take anything out of the drawers. Just switch them with the drawers in your new cabin. Your steward will bring a hotel thing you just hang your clothes on and put the drawers on and he'll take them to your new cabin.

On every cruise I get three coffee mugs. In one I put toothbrushes, tooth paste, dental stuff. Then husband's razor, small shaving cream, combs, nail file in 2nd mug. The 3rd is for misc. stuff. I just move then to the new cabin. Moving to a new cabin is easy.

Edited February 21, 2014 by Bonnie J.