Leaving the ship after first week of B2B

[mactire]

I read somewhere that on a HAL B2B we will have to get off the ship when we get back to FLL after the first week and hang around for a while before we can get back on board. WHY???

We have only been on one B2B in the Caribbean with Thomson out of Barbados and we didn't have to leave the ship after the first week. Only those that were leaving the ship had to get off.

Any help would be appreciated.

Patrick

[sue1898]

This thread should answer your questions:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2100011&highlight=zero

[Alberta Quilter]

In the US, Immigration requires the ship to "zero down" before allowing newly embarking passengers and returning passengers to board.

 

If everyone does what they're told to do, it doesn't take long. You're escorted off the ship, hang around for a little while (half an hour to an hour), and then reboard. If someone delays leaving the ship, then everyone is held up.

 

There is more info on this on the "lingering onboard" thread, a little farther down on the boards.

[RuthC]

We have only been on one B2B in the Caribbean with Thomson out of Barbados and we didn't have to leave the ship after the first week. Only those that were leaving the ship had to get off.

Other countries have very different rules from the US. Obviously, Barbados is one of them.

I've taken many successive cruises over the years, and never have had to disembark the ship, but I have never continued on at an American turn-around port.

I understand that Japan has a similar rule to the US rule. I'll find out soon enough.

[Dave in NJ]

I did a HAL B2B a few years ago thru Tampa. Yes, we were required by U.S. Federal regulations to leave the ship; we were escorted to a separate waiting area in the terminal and after about 30 minutes we were notified we could reboard at that time if we wished to.

[PathfinderEss]

In the US, Immigration requires the ship to "zero down" before allowing newly embarking passengers and returning passengers to board.

 

If everyone does what they're told to do, it doesn't take long. You're escorted off the ship, hang around for a little while (half an hour to an hour), and then reboard. If someone delays leaving the ship, then everyone is held up.

 

There is more info on this on the "lingering onboard" thread, a little farther down on the boards.

 

That can vary, the last time we did a Hawaii cruise and then went down to Mexico on the second half, we did not have to get off in SD. Now when we go up to Vancouver, BC., we have to get off and go thru US immigration on our b2b Alaskan cruises.

Edited November 7, 2014 by PathfinderEss