B2B Questions

[love4monsters]

Just booked a b2b for spring break of 2016 on the Magic.

 

Super excited. :D We prefer the smaller ships and friends are joining us for the 2nd part.

 

Do we have to exit the ship and get back on? We did book 2 different rooms due to cost mostly. We have always been in a balcony room after my husband spent 20 years in the Navy without windows! We booked an oceanview with a large portal for 4 nights and balcony for 3 nights. What will happen with the bags? The original room was not available for the 1st leg and our friends are booked next door for the 2nd leg.

 

I am iced in and have kids home for 4 out of the last 6 school days. Stir crazy!

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Angela

[Shmoo here]

Just booked a b2b for spring break of 2016 on the Magic.

 

Super excited. :D We prefer the smaller ships and friends are joining us for the 2nd part.

 

Do we have to exit the ship and get back on? We did book 2 different rooms due to cost mostly. We have always been in a balcony room after my husband spent 20 years in the Navy without windows! We booked an oceanview with a large portal for 4 nights and balcony for 3 nights. What will happen with the bags? The original room was not available for the 1st leg and our friends are booked next door for the 2nd leg.

 

I am iced in and have kids home for 4 out of the last 6 school days. Stir crazy!

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Angela

 

The only standards about a B2B are that you will have to debark the ship between cruises (if the turnaround day is a US port) and you will receive a letter in your room the last night telling you what your procedures are for the day.

 

Generally, you may be asked to be off the ship by XX time and re-check in inside the terminal. You will be off the ship anywhere from 15 minutes to a couple of hours (although the longer side is more the norm). You could be asked to meet in a specific spot onboard before debarking (usually done if there are a lot of B2Brs) and then the group will be escorted off the ship to check in.

 

When you check in for the second cruise, you will not be given a boarding number, but an in transit card. We were directed to the Concierge Lounge to wait. Then, when boarding was about to begin, we were the first group allowed back onboard (before Concierge & Platinum CC members).

 

You will need to pack your bags at the end of the first leg, but you leave them in the room (sometime outside) on the B2B day and the room hosts will see to getting them to your new room.

 

Be sure to bring necessary check in documents with you off the ship (as well as valuables).

[dexddd]

Just booked a b2b for spring break of 2016 on the Magic.

 

Super excited. :D We prefer the smaller ships and friends are joining us for the 2nd part.

 

Do we have to exit the ship and get back on? We did book 2 different rooms due to cost mostly. We have always been in a balcony room after my husband spent 20 years in the Navy without windows! We booked an oceanview with a large portal for 4 nights and balcony for 3 nights. What will happen with the bags? The original room was not available for the 1st leg and our friends are booked next door for the 2nd leg.

 

I am iced in and have kids home for 4 out of the last 6 school days. Stir crazy!

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Angela

 

We did one on the Dream. We had to be off by 9:15 and went out, through customs and went back up the escalators, to the lounge, and waited. We got back on around 11. We changed rooms and we just told our cabin steward and they moved the bags for us.

 

Note that all might not be up and running though - like the pool areas were still being washed down and didn't open until 11:30 or 11:45.

[moki'smommy]

We have done 4 sets of B2Bs, and the one thing I can say is that each one was different...and different from what friends had told us happened with them.

 

One consistency--you will get a letter in your cabin on the second to last day giving you all the details.

 

Since you are changing rooms, you will pack up your bags and LEAVE THEM in the old room on the last morning. Your stateroom host will have them delivered to your new room. Also, since you are changing rooms, you will not have access to your room till 1:30 (like everyone else).

 

MOST of the time, you will need to exit the ship. You are asked to be off by 9:00 or 9:15. Depending on how many cabins are doing B2B, you may be asked to be in a particular lounge at 9:00 and be escorted off as a group, you may be asked to meet a CM at Guest Services and be escorted off as a small group of one or two cabins, or you may just get off, go thru Customs, and go up the stairs/elevator to the boarding level of the terminal.

 

From there, as soon as they have "closed out" the first leg, a CM will come out and process you in for the second. We were usually allowed to board before they opened the terminal to incoming guests (about 10:15). Snacks are available in the Cove Cafe which is open to children until boarding starts. Exception--large number of B2B, they do "family" snacks in the Promenade Lounge and adult only in the Cove...although I never figured out why we needed snacks between breakfast and lunch. You have a short time with the ship to yourself for photos, etc. You can use the pools as soon as they are cleaned UNLESS they have changed this policy since they added lifeguards. Lunch starts about 11:30--you can be first in line if you want to.

 

Shmoo--we were never told to leave our bags outside our room on the last morning. We were always told to leave them inside the room for security.

 

When you leave the ship, you will need all your documents in order to check in and reboard. Total time off the ship is typically about an hour. NOTE--we did have one instance where we were not allowed early boarding. We had to wait in the terminal until they were ready for general boarding, and the B2B group got on as group 1 (along with Platinum, but after concierge). That involved a large group in Barcelona. We were NOT happy!

 

The changes in procedure have from US ports have been minor, and typically make your life easier. The changes in foreign ports have been HUGE and made life more of a pain.

[Shmoo here]

We have done 4 sets of B2Bs' date=' and the one thing I can say is that each one was different...and different from what friends had told us happened with them.

 

One consistency--you will get a letter in your cabin on the second to last day giving you all the details.

 

Since you are changing rooms, you will pack up your bags and LEAVE THEM in the old room on the last morning. Your stateroom host will have them delivered to your new room. Also, since you are changing rooms, you will not have access to your room till 1:30 (like everyone else).

 

MOST of the time, you will need to exit the ship. You are asked to be off by 9:00 or 9:15. Depending on how many cabins are doing B2B, you may be asked to be in a particular lounge at 9:00 and be escorted off as a group, you may be asked to meet a CM at Guest Services and be escorted off as a small group of one or two cabins, or you may just get off, go thru Customs, and go up the stairs/elevator to the boarding level of the terminal.

 

From there, as soon as they have "closed out" the first leg, a CM will come out and process you in for the second. We were usually allowed to board before they opened the terminal to incoming guests (about 10:15). Snacks are available in the Cove Cafe which is open to children until boarding starts. Exception--large number of B2B, they do "family" snacks in the Promenade Lounge and adult only in the Cove...although I never figured out why we needed snacks between breakfast and lunch. You have a short time with the ship to yourself for photos, etc. You can use the pools as soon as they are cleaned UNLESS they have changed this policy since they added lifeguards. Lunch starts about 11:30--you can be first in line if you want to.

 

Shmoo--we were never told to leave our bags outside our room on the last morning. We were always told to leave them inside the room for security.

 

When you leave the ship, you will need all your documents in order to check in and reboard. Total time off the ship is typically about an hour. NOTE--we did have one instance where we were not allowed early boarding. We had to wait in the terminal until they were ready for general boarding, and the B2B group got on as group 1 (along with Platinum, but after concierge). That involved a large group in Barcelona. We were NOT happy!

 

The changes in procedure have from US ports have been minor, and typically make your life easier. The changes in foreign ports have been HUGE and made life more of a pain.[/quote']

 

The B2B we just did, we were told to leave our bags outside the door that morning. However, the room host was there (maybe waiting?) and took them right away.

 

Quotes from the letter we got in our room:

 

"Due to US Customs regulations, you are required to disembark the ship no later than 9:00 am via the Deck 3 Midship gangway. Please remember to have your signed Customs Declaration form and proof of citizenship ready for inspection. After Customs, please proceed upstairs to the upper level of the terminal to be re-checked in for your next cruise and re-board the ship. Once the check in process is complete, you will receive your Key to the World Card and a green boarding card. You will be directed to have a seat and a Cast Member will get you when the Ship is ready for boarding. Please have your cruise documentation for the next cruise ready as this will expedite the embarkation process for you. Please be advised that clearance for re-boarding the ship is a lengthy process and will be no earlier than 11:00 am.

 

On debarking day your luggage can remain onboard. Please have all items packed and ready by 8:00 am Please remove any old luggage tags from your luggage and leave it in front of your stateroom and your stateroom host will move it to your new stateroom # XXXX. Every effort will be made to prepare your new room as a priority and we anticipate having your room ready by 12:00pm."

 

We were off the ship and back upstairs by 9:22 and didn't reboard until 11:02. Yes, I checked my watch.

Edited January 12, 2015 by Shmoo here

[moki'smommy]

Yup, each time is different....and this is different than any of our experiences.

[Little Doe]

On our bob we met in a lounge and all walked off together, stayed off the ship about 20 minutes, then went back on. There were 300 of us on that bxb. The only difference about the luggage is that people who were moving staterooms were asked to pack everything but the hang up clothes. They moved those on rolling clothing racks.

[Little Doe]

sorry computer changed bxb to bob!!! Hate spell check!

[NeilD]

On our bob we met in a lounge and all walked off together, stayed off the ship about 20 minutes, then went back on. There were 300 of us on that bxb. The only difference about the luggage is that people who were moving staterooms were asked to pack everything but the hang up clothes. They moved those on rolling clothing racks.

 

Great to know....Don't want to be cramming all the hang up clothes back into the garment bags. We'll grab a snack from the Concierge lounge and head out, knowing the room stewards will move us....Cool.

[love4monsters]

Thanks for the replies.

 

It sounds easy to switch rooms. I love sitting out on the balcony for breakfast but am interested to see a different category room. We may be able to cruise more often!

 

Angela