Questions about our first back to back cruise?

[swilden79]

My Wife, Kids, and I are taking our first back to back cruise on the Breeze starting August 16. My question is about on-board account, does it transfer over to the next cruise ( since we are not changing ships) or do do we pay off our first one and start a new one on the next cruise? Guess I have two questions. How does it work when the first leg is done? Do we have to go through the whole check in process again or is there a different area we will be sent to?

Thank you in advance for all the help.

[retiredgram]

My Wife, Kids, and I are taking our first back to back cruise on the Breeze starting August 16. My question is about on-board account, does it transfer over to the next cruise ( since we are not changing ships) or do do we pay off our first one and start a new one on the next cruise? Guess I have two questions. How does it work when the first leg is done? Do we have to go through the whole check in process again or is there a different area we will be sent to?

Thank you in advance for all the help.

 

Each cruise is considered separate and your account is closed. Any credit that is left must be used or cashed out. As you have posted, pay off first and start a new account for second B2B.

 

You will be notified in advance of departure rules. We have met at a designated area and were escorted off, handed in declaration and given new cards. Then escorted back on and were able to go about whatever.

This might vary according to ship or port. It works seamlessly.

 

You might want to stop by guest services to make sure they have you as B2B.

[Beth]

the only thing you will have to do is pack your stuff, unless you are staying in the same room, you will be escorted off the ship at a certain time, guest services will give you a letter of instructions, you will be taken off with the rest of the b2b and then will be bought back on the ship and issued new room keys - then enjoy before the new arrivals - we did a b2b and were lucky enough to keep the same room and it was great - really enjoy the cruise - don't try to do everything the first week and that way the second week you can still have fun - lucky you

[retiredgram]

the only thing you will have to do is pack your stuff, unless you are staying in the same room, you will be escorted off the ship at a certain time, guest services will give you a letter of instructions, you will be taken off with the rest of the b2b and then will be bought back on the ship and issued new room keys - then enjoy before the new arrivals - we did a b2b and were lucky enough to keep the same room and it was great - really enjoy the cruise - don't try to do everything the first week and that way the second week you can still have fun - lucky you

 

^^ This is what we do. Beth is right about not trying to cram everything into one week. Relax and enjoy.:D

[bills blasters]

You will have to set up another account. On the last night of the first cruise, settle up your account. Then as soon as you get checked in for the next cruise, you can give them your credit card or whatever you are using and set it up for the second cruise. You will get a letter asking you to report to a place on the morning of the 2nd cruise. For us it has always been the lobby bar. They will take all the people doing a b2b off the ship as soon as everyone else is off. You will go through customs as a group and then come right back on the ship. Only takes about 15 minutes. You have to fill out a customs form for the first leg, so you take that form and your passports with you.

While we were waiting in the bar, they collected all of our sign and sail cards. In a bit they brought the new cards for the 2nd cruise. They also gave us our old ones back.

Please be on time. We waited one time for 30 minutes for one couple to show up. Everyone doing a back to back has to go as a group.

Once you get back on the ship, you will have a short break before they start letting people on. You can go to your room or do whatever. We found it was a good day to do laundry 1st thing in the morning. No one else is using the machines since they are all getting off the ship.

Just make sure that your room steward knows you are doing a b2b. He should have all the info, but I have heard that sometimes he doesn't know. Also, it doesn't hurt to mention it to the customer service staff if you are down there for any reason. They can check and make sure that they know you are doing a b2b.

You will love it. We are so spoiled now that the thought of only doing one cruise seems like it is not enough.

Claudia

[Seago2]

Welcome to the wonderful world of B2B! We leave on the 18th. Yes you have to cash everything out at the end, no it does not carry over to the next cruise. If you are using cash for your onboard account and they give you a check back for any remaining funds you can not use that for the next cruise, unfortunately. They will leave a piece of paper at your door the last night of the first cruise HOPEFULLY that will explain where to go. You'll gather with the other B2B people and get walked off the ship and back on. Unfortunately I'm once again changing cabins and booking numbers so it's going to be a chaotic hour or two for me.

[swilden79]

Thank you everyone for answering the questions and giving out great advise. We are more of a stay lay on the beach and enjoy the scenery then a excursion family. Only time we do excursions is if my 3 year old picks something out. My 11 month old loves sand and the water so he is easy. Great advise though on not burning yourself out on the first cruise and for the be on time my father always says" If you are early you are on time, if you are on time you are late and if you are late well should have never showed up in the first place."

Edited August 9, 2014 by swilden79

[Seago2]

My biggest panic is: what if my former cabin steward (or one of the guys in that section) thinks my packed bags are supposed to disembark. If I bring them outside the new cabin, what if that guy thinks the same thing. Argh.

[swilden79]

My biggest panic is: what if my former cabin steward (or one of the guys in that section) thinks my packed bags are supposed to disembark. If I bring them outside the new cabin, what if that guy thinks the same thing. Argh.[/QUOTT

 

That did not even cross my mind until now. Thanks for adding that one to the list for my wife.:D

[Seago2]

My biggest panic is: what if my former cabin steward (or one of the guys in that section) thinks my packed bags are supposed to disembark. If I bring them outside the new cabin, what if that guy thinks the same thing. Argh.[/QUOTT

 

That did not even cross my mind until now. Thanks for adding that one to the list for my wife.:D

 

Oh we had a nice little mix up last time, two booking numbers, two cabins. My son and me on the first cruise, my husband got on for the next and we moved up to a suite. We never got "The letter" despite going to guest services repeatedly over the course of the first cruise to remind/ask. So we're sitting there in the cabin, all packed up, and we hear our names called. We run down to guest services and there is the group of not-pleased other B2B'ers. The ship still hadn't connected the dots that we were B2B and thought we were just late leaving! So we march off, march back on, and go to see if our luggage is dockside in Boston or where we left it in front of our old cabin. Thankfully it was there. We grabbed a trolley and brought it up to the new suite, which obviously wasn't ready. So my son went off to film the empty ship and I guarded the luggage, still fearful that someone would just take it off. All turned out fine!

[freddymale]

if changing cabins, just pack bags and tell your room steward that your doing a back to back

I was told he or she will make sure your luggage is in your new room for you

some have even posted that they left their clothes on the hangers and they were moved too..I would never do that I would pack and unpack again

[swilden79]

Thank you also for the advise.

[mommom of 7]

One more thing to think about. If you are planning on doing wash or taking a shower in between which I always did they can & may turn off the water to the cabins. I got cought in the shower shampoo & soap & the water went off for about a hr. They laughed at me at GS when I told them. Also had wash in when the water was turned off & so I had to start over. I now do it in the afternoon after people are on board. This has happened on the Sensation & Paradise.

Char

[seashinesunshine]

One more thing to think about. If you are planning on doing wash or taking a shower in between which I always did they can & may turn off the water to the cabins. I got cought in the shower shampoo & soap & the water went off for about a hr. They laughed at me at GS when I told them. Also had wash in when the water was turned off & so I had to start over. I now do it in the afternoon after people are on board. This has happened on the Sensation & Paradise.

Char

 

Good to know. Thanks for the tip. I was actually planning to wash then, so I will wait for afternoon.

But how would the clean the rooms with no water?

[LambKnuckles]

Have a WONDERFUL B2B!!! I took my daughter on one for her 21st birthday! Same ship, different ports!! 14 days and we loved each one!!!

 

Yes, be sure to check in with Guest Services and be sure they know you're B2B! If you have the same Cabin Steward -- let him/her know. We changed cabins for the B2B, and they move everything for you! I put the next cruises luggage tags on the suitcases... Just in case...

 

If you like to drink, buy whatever you drink the evening before debark. They hand you your purchase at that time. You'll have it for the next leg.

 

Also -- if you think you'll want new clothes -- there is enough time to go back to your car and get another suitcase -- and leave the dirty clothes in the car. I didn't worry about that -- but with a wee one -- you might want to have new diapers or clothes. And if you take your own sodas or water, you can go back and get some you packed. But once you do this, you're stuck waiting for the normal embarkation -- and half the fun, is swimming or standing on the outside decks watching all the folks waiting to board!

 

Enjoy, relax, wander... Just have a BLAST!!!

[Seago2]

These are great tips! This should be a general B2B thread :)

[swilden79]

Have a WONDERFUL B2B!!! I took my daughter on one for her 21st birthday! Same ship, different ports!! 14 days and we loved each one!!!

 

Yes, be sure to check in with Guest Services and be sure they know you're B2B! If you have the same Cabin Steward -- let him/her know. We changed cabins for the B2B, and they move everything for you! I put the next cruises luggage tags on the suitcases... Just in case...

 

If you like to drink, buy whatever you drink the evening before debark. They hand you your purchase at that time. You'll have it for the next leg.

 

Also -- if you think you'll want new clothes -- there is enough time to go back to your car and get another suitcase -- and leave the dirty clothes in the car. I didn't worry about that -- but with a wee one -- you might want to have new diapers or clothes. And if you take your own sodas or water, you can go back and get some you packed. But once you do this, you're stuck waiting for the normal embarkation -- and half the fun, is swimming or standing on the outside decks watching all the folks waiting to board!

 

Enjoy, relax, wander... Just have a BLAST!!!

 

 

Great idea! We have a group coming on our last leg of the cruise so I will just have them bring on a box of diapers. We were wondering about this one. Thanks again for all the help.

[Sparky2]

You will have to set up another account. On the last night of the first cruise, settle up your account. Then as soon as you get checked in for the next cruise, you can give them your credit card or whatever you are using and set it up for the second cruise. You will get a letter asking you to report to a place on the morning of the 2nd cruise. For us it has always been the lobby bar. They will take all the people doing a b2b off the ship as soon as everyone else is off. You will go through customs as a group and then come right back on the ship. Only takes about 15 minutes. You have to fill out a customs form for the first leg, so you take that form and your passports with you.

While we were waiting in the bar, they collected all of our sign and sail cards. In a bit they brought the new cards for the 2nd cruise. They also gave us our old ones back.

Please be on time. We waited one time for 30 minutes for one couple to show up. Everyone doing a back to back has to go as a group.

Once you get back on the ship, you will have a short break before they start letting people on. You can go to your room or do whatever. We found it was a good day to do laundry 1st thing in the morning. No one else is using the machines since they are all getting off the ship.

Just make sure that your room steward knows you are doing a b2b. He should have all the info, but I have heard that sometimes he doesn't know. Also, it doesn't hurt to mention it to the customer service staff if you are down there for any reason. They can check and make sure that they know you are doing a b2b.

You will love it. We are so spoiled now that the thought of only doing one cruise seems like it is not enough.Claudia

 

Hi, Claudia. We're doing our 4th B2B next January. We did the 1st one in 2008when we met you. January 2015 will be our 3rd in a row. 14 fantastic days!

[Mary Ellen1]

if changing cabins, just pack bags and tell your room steward that your doing a back to back

I was told he or she will make sure your luggage is in your new room for you

some have even posted that they left their clothes on the hangers and they were moved too..I would never do that I would pack and unpack again

 

re: hangers... We asked the room steward for extra hangers*, so we could hang everything on those (and not use the "built-in" hangers), and easily take them with us, on a trolley, when we moved to a new room.

 

We did a 3-leg B2B2B, and assumed they'd move the stuff for us, in between the first 2 legs. But we went back to the 1st cabin around 11 am (after we'd disembarked & re-embarked) and it was all still sitting there, so we found a trolley & just moved it ourselves.

 

(*I read this tip on here. :D )

[manmtnmike]

re: hangers... We asked the room steward for extra hangers*, so we could hang everything on those (and not use the "built-in" hangers), and easily take them with us, on a trolley, when we moved to a new room.

 

We did a 3-leg B2B2B, and assumed they'd move the stuff for us, in between the first 2 legs. But we went back to the 1st cabin around 11 am (after we'd disembarked & re-embarked) and it was all still sitting there, so we found a trolley & just moved it ourselves.

 

(*I read this tip on here. :D )

Good advice for different cabins...

Make sure Carnival has your reservations "linked", and did you say you were in same or different cabins?

 

If same, then just let your cabin stewards know 1st day of first cruise.

Also anything you purchased that is "held' for you on first cruise, is brought to your cabin the last night of first cruise...keep that in mind;)

[swilden79]

Good advice for different cabins...

Make sure Carnival has your reservations "linked", and did you say you were in same or different cabins?

 

If same, then just let your cabin stewards know 1st day of first cruise.

Also anything you purchased that is "held' for you on first cruise, is brought to your cabin the last night of first cruise...keep that in mind;)

 

I know exactly what you are talking about and that will be a huge plus!!!!:D

To answer your question we have different rooms.

[teacher2Z]

Just got back from our first b2b on different ships. We didn't enjoy the second one as much-same food, same movies, same activities on board. Our first was 8 days, the second 5 days with hotel rooms before and in between. Four different rooms in 16 days! One advantage is being able to compare two different ships, but I doubt we'll do it again.