Back-to-back cruise question

[Ektrax]

Just booked my first BTB cruises. Does Princess know via their system that I will be remaining on the ship for second cruise or do I need to check in again when we disembark for customs during the turn around in FLL. Do they issue 2 cruise cards or is the same card good for both cruises? Thanks!!

[cherylandtk]

The computer knows :) ..you will get a letter a day or so before the first cruise ends with instructions on how to process things on turnaround day. You will get a new cruise card and you do not have to go through the same checkout or check in as most passengers.

[Floridiana]

Your turn-around port is in the USA? You will have to leave the ship and what cherylandtk says.

[towhee]

We have done B2Bs in Alaska.

 

Yes, they knew that we were doing a B2B. When the disembarcation planning sheet comes out early on the first cruise there is an option for continuing on the ship.

 

Yes, you will get two cruise cards. We got ours the night before along with a "continuing passenger" card.

 

At your turn-around point you have the option of staying on the ship or going into town or on a tour. If you stay on the ship they will ask you to meet in one of the public rooms at a designated time, then they will escort you off the ship and then back on again (it took us about 30 minutes to complete this in Alaska and Seattle (we've done this twice)). The off/on routine is so that the computer can be reset and all of the officials know that everyone is accounted for. If you go into town or on a tour the "continuing passenger" card should get you back on the ship without having to go through customs, etc. I would bring my documentation along just in case, though.

 

If you are changing cabins, then someone from housekeeping will contact you about packing and moving. Usually they will just take your drawers and swap them in your new cabin. Hanging clothes will be moved using a rolling rack (the kind that hotels have). I'm not sure how they handle items on shelves and assume you are responsible for clearing your safe. If you don't change cabins your room steward will bring fresh linens and straighten up as usual.

 

Hope this helps.

[paul929207]

Since your turnaround port is Fort Lauderdale, you will have to get off the ship and go thru immigration. As long as you have the same cabin for both legs, you will not have to pack anything. You will not go thru customs. If you change cabins everything will go directly to your new cabin.

[cactusrose]

As of October Princess has changed the procedure in that they will not issue a new cruise card if you are in the same cabin. We did 6 B2B cruises on the Golden and had the same card for all six. Yes, they had different booking numbers.

[AE_Collector]

Finally, the elimination of a small amount of waste (Cruise cards)!

 

Now if we can find a way to stop a portion of the steady stream of paper being left for us every day! Then we can get to work at trying to convince them to stop printing the thousands of pictures taken every day.....

 

Terry

[azgrandmax3]

We just completed our first B2B. We did need to pack all except hanging clothes. We were changing cabins. Valuables were locked into a locked suitcase. So glad we locked since all our items went to the wrong cabin. We had been notified of an upgrade 2 days before. Made special effort to place new cabin info on suitcases and hanger. We found our items in the wrong cabin with open door. Notified steward. Who notified someone. We decided to remove our items out if unlocked cabin. Yes, things happen. We did not mind toting items back to correct cabin. If this B2B happens again and our cabin is changed we will move items ourselves. Going off ship and back on was smoothly completed in LA. back in time for lunch in Main dining room.

[SadieN]

Just off the Golden a 10 days ago. 2 3day cruises. Two different cabins.

 

Received a new card for the second leg. Packed everything into my suitcase and put the new tag on it. Had a few hanging things but nothing wrinkles so just easier to put it in one place.

 

****

One word of warning...

First cruise traveled with DH, second cruise with Mom and Sis. I used different credit cards on both legs.

 

My charges from the first cruise were rolled over to my second cruise folio. That is, my charges weren't closed out at the end of the cruise as I had read they would be.

[jrzebird]

Since your turnaround port is Fort Lauderdale, you will have to get off the ship and go thru immigration. As long as you have the same cabin for both legs, you will not have to pack anything. You will not go thru customs. If you change cabins everything will go directly to your new cabin.

 

Last year I originally boarded in New York, sailed to Houston and stayed on for a 4 day to Mexico and back to Houston. I had the same cabin both legs. I DID have to fill out customs forms on the turn around and hand it to the agent when we were taken through immigration. They will give it to you with the turn around information and they will also check to be sure you have it with you and give you one if you haven't already done it. Lots of people seem to think they don't have to fill them out, but you do.

 

Maureen

[OCruisers]

The computer knows :) ..you will get a letter a day or so before the first cruise ends with instructions on how to process things on turnaround day. You will get a new cruise card and you do not have to go through the same checkout or check in as most passengers.

 

Yes, you'll have a letter in your cabin with COMPLETE instructions. Doing a B2B is easy!

Look forward to doing yours! :)

LuLu

[pablo222]

Finally, the elimination of a small amount of waste (Cruise cards)!

 

I had two cards for b2b on Ruby (different cabins).

 

Funnier -- I asked for a statement at the desk, and the

gent says "Whoops, I just printed you a new card by accident."

 

That was fine. It was however, a nuisance have to go to a bar to get a

new soda sticker. I thought they should have fixed that at the desk, too.

Edited November 30, 2014 by pablo222

[caribill]

Last year I originally boarded in New York, sailed to Houston and stayed on for a 4 day to Mexico and back to Houston. I had the same cabin both legs. I DID have to fill out customs forms on the turn around and hand it to the agent when we were taken through immigration. They will give it to you with the turn around information and they will also check to be sure you have it with you and give you one if you haven't already done it. Lots of people seem to think they don't have to fill them out, but you do.

 

 

Who said you had to fill out the customs form? Princess or customs?

 

You should not have had to as your time out of the country was not ending.

 

In fact, turning in a customs form on turaround day on a B2B means you legally cannot claim another customs exemption for 30 days (although the system probably would not catch this.)

[pablo222]

Who said you had to fill out the customs form? Princess or customs?

 

You should not have had to as your time out of the country was not ending.

 

I think this may depend on your plan for the turn-around-day.

 

When I did a b2b, I left the ship at about 08:00, with the walker-offers.

I went through customs and immigration just like the other folks,

and they did want the form.

 

I don't know for sure, but if you come off as a group, and clear

immigration, and then go back on the ship, perhaps you don't need

the form?

 

Princess sent two letters to the cabin regarding the turn-around, and

each include a customs form.

[OCruisers]

I had two cards for b2b on Ruby (different cabins).

 

Funnier -- I asked for a statement at the desk, and the

gent says "Whoops, I just printed you a new card by accident."

 

That was fine. It was however, a nuisance have to go to a bar to get a

new soda sticker. I thought they should have fixed that at the desk, too.

 

Sorry, not understanding your above post. :confused:

We've booked many B2B cruises on Princess and even have booked them as a 14 or 20 day cruises that could have been a B2B.

ALWAYS .... the beverage packages were sold by each sailing, not for the entire time. Also, we have always been given another new card for the next sailing even when we are in the same cabin.

LuLu

[paul929207]

Sorry, not understanding your above post. :confused:

We've booked many B2B cruises on Princess and even have booked them as a 14 or 20 day cruises that could have been a B2B.

ALWAYS .... the beverage packages were sold by each sailing, not for the entire time. Also, we have always been given another new card for the next sailing even when we are in the same cabin.

LuLu

Some have reported that they did not get a new card if they stayed in the same cabin for the second leg. The original card had the dates of the full cruise.

[SadieN]

Who said you had to fill out the customs form? Princess or customs?

 

You should not have had to as your time out of the country was not ending.

 

In fact, turning in a customs form on turaround day on a B2B means you legally cannot claim another customs exemption for 30 days (although the system probably would not catch this.)

 

 

Depends on the whims of Customs.

 

The customs exemption is cumulative. I haven't been charged customs for our $40 (first cruise) then my $20 (second cruise) declaration.

[pablo222]

Sorry, not understanding your above post. :confused:

We've booked many B2B cruises on Princess and even have booked them as a 14 or 20 day cruises that could have been a B2B.

ALWAYS .... the beverage packages were sold by each sailing, not for the entire time. Also, we have always been given another new card for the next sailing even when we are in the same cabin.

LuLu

 

I was replying to the comment about saving on cruise cards.

 

At the desk, the gent accidently printed me a new card mid-cruise.

This de-activated the old card.

 

I had to take the new card, the old card, and an account statement

to a bar to get a soda sticker on the new card.

 

I thought this was a bit of a nuisance, as the only reason it was

needed was because the gent at the purser's desk pushed the wrong button.

[sailor1362]

As of October Princess has changed the procedure in that they will not issue a new cruise card if you are in the same cabin. We did 6 B2B cruises on the Golden and had the same card for all six. Yes, they had different booking numbers.

Hello, with the new procedure, you can continue to use your internet credit, or you will loose all your unused minutes at the end of the first cruise as before? Thank you!

[paul929207]

Our unused internet minutes have always carried over on a B2B

[skf]

Then we can get to work at trying to convince them to stop printing the thousands of pictures taken every day.....

I don't think they throw out the photos, do they? I thought they just used a little bleach & re-used them.

 

Our unused internet minutes have always carried over on a B2B

We had a B2B on Royal, though it came as a surprise. The last 3 days were a separate cruise. Our unused internet did not carry over, but we got 150 minutes for the 3 days.

Steve

P.S...just joking about the photos!

B

[sailor1362]

thank you Paul & Steve, I got an reply from Princess through my TA: " technically everything gets terminated at the end of the cruise, however, when you are purchasing your internet package on board if you explain that you are doing the back to back crusies, they can possibly work with you so that it will carry over"

thank you very much!

[BJS]

thank you Paul & Steve, I got an reply from Princess through my TA: " technically everything gets terminated at the end of the cruise, however, when you are purchasing your internet package on board if you explain that you are doing the back to back crusies, they can possibly work with you so that it will carry over"

thank you very much!

You can't always rely on what you are told before you board or even with form letters handed out after on the ship. Frequently each Princess ship has "their" way of doing things.

 

In Nov on the Caribbean Princess b2b- same cruise card, internet minutes carried over, shipboard account balance carried over ( all of this despite being told in the letter for b2b passengers it would be the opposite) We did get a second Elite mini-bar and OBC which was very nice.

 

In Florida walked off as a group showed passports as we kept moving, directed to sit down while ship was cleared then directed to re-board.

I DID have to fill out customs forms on the turn around and hand it to the agent when we were taken through immigration.

No customs form but we were given an "in transit card" with instruction that if we were going ashore we needed that, cruise card, and passport to re-board. Then when we met in the dining room as a group to walk off they said we needed the "in transit card" which no one ever looked at.

 

The entire process was very easy but the letter we received was not very accurate.

Edited December 7, 2014 by BJS

[Bill B]

I did a BTB Alaska (Vancouver-Vancouver) and in the 14 days never got off the ship. Everything was fine until we got back to Van. and I tried to disembark. At the gangway, the card reader went into conniptions of 'beeping' and security held me up (along with everyone in line behind me). They tried the card several times... but apparently the computer was telling them I was not on board. Finally, one of the assistant cruise directors who knew me vouched that I was indeed who I am. Then they asked "Did you ever get off the ship?" When I replied "No, I've been on board since we left here two weeks ago." they went "Aaaaaaaa" and allowed be to disembark. For a couple of minutes, I had visions of being on board 'permanently' - like Tom Hanks at the airport in The Terminal. Ironically, while the computer did not think I was on board, it had absolutely no problem with all the charges to my folio.

Edited December 7, 2014 by Bill B

[skf]

the letter we received was not very accurate.

__________________

The letter was correct, but the US Immigration officers can be fickle. As I have mentioned before, I had to go back & fill out a customs form even though it is not needed for a B2B.

Steve