Has anybody done the same cruise B2B ???

[MargoK]

On 5/21/2018 at 1:19 AM, Grey Nomad said:

We did a B2B NZ cruise on Emerald Princess last year. Cruise 1 was Sydney, Hobart, Fiordland, Dunedin, Akaroa, Picton, Gisborne, Tauranga and then Auckland .. 11 days. Coming back it was Auckland, Tauranga, Napier, Wellington, Akaroa, Dunedin, Fiordland, Hobart, Sydney .. 11 days. The BIG advantages wer that Fiordland first was Milford Sound from 7.30 am in morning and then down the coast to other Sounds. Coming back it was other Sounds and thenMilford Sound late afternoon. Both beautiful days but scenery was different with different lighting at different time of day. Going over bad sea fog stopped us going into Dunedin and Akaroa but we were not worried as we knew we were going on our way back. Of 3000 passengers on board 43 were staying on for B2B. We did not have to get off the ship in Auckland if we did not want to. Were given transit tickets to use that morning if we went ashore. Any other questions please ask.

 

We did likewise on the Majestic over Christmas and New Year - 40 passengers out of 4000 did this.   

First leg was Auckland to Sydney clockwise including Hobart and Sydney, and second was Sydney Sydney, going to Milford Sounds first.

 

There is something magical about Milford Sounds at dawn.   Our second leg was touch and go if we were going to get in to Milford and the fog horn was being sounded every two minutes (I think) all night and at dawn, but then the clouds opened and in we went.   Fantastic dizzley day with a little of water falls and the sound was amazing.

 

Do it again in a heart beat if we could!

 

[Grey Nomad]

No you do not have to do the safety drill twice. You will get a notice before you dock at the end of the first cruise giving you very clear instructions on what happens. Also before the end of your first cruise, preferably the afternoon before, you can go and buy your duty free alcohol eg gin and take it back to your cabin and drink it on your way back. Just buy your tonic in Auckland.

[The_Big_M]

Unless something has changed recently, it has always been a requirement to do the drill each separate cruise, even if you stay after one cruise to another. And hard to think why they would give that as an exemption - it would then lead to similar requests like I just sailed last month; was on this ship recently and so on. Plus you may also not even have the same emergency lounge, so I can't see why they would change the requirement that you have to do it each cruise.

[MicCanberra]

We have sometimes been excused from the muster when on a B2B but where do you go? all the lounges are full and busy and nothing is on as the staff are busy as well. If you stay in your cabin, you are constantly interrupted, the announcements are loud and continual and the TV doesn't even work while it is on. If you roam, again you need to keep explaining why you are not at the Muster. It is much easier to just do it.

[erewhon]

B2B can be fun. We did San Diego to Fort Lauderdale and return, with 2 transits of Panama canal with totally different weather conditions  on each transit and some different ports.

[windsor26]

Yes   we did the amazon cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Manous and then back again as it was cheaper to enjoy the second cruise than fly home from Manous

 

Excellent both times but slightly different probably the people you meet particularly your table guests

[MMDown Under]

On 4/2/2019 at 5:06 PM, getting older slowly said:

thank you Juniper Berries, we will enjoy....

 

Part the reason for doing it as we have only really done 10-13 night cruises and felt we would like longer

so thus the try out of 26 nights to see if we still want to stay on board after it...

 

Also the important other half doesn't want to fly, so there are not a lot of options...... but we will see

 

Cheers Don..... with a G&T  

I follow a blog of World Adventures, who has continuously cruised the Caribbean on the Zuiderdam on a mega voyage 2018-2019 this season, in lieu of a World Cruise, which he used to do.  He says he is loving this mega cruise, takes lots of photos, and isn't bored by the repetition.  He is currently on the last Caribbean cruise before heading to Europe on the same ship.

[MicCanberra]

5 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

I follow a blog of World Adventures, who has continuously cruised the Caribbean on the Zuiderdam on a mega voyage 2018-2019 this season, in lieu of a World Cruise, which he used to do.  He says he is loving this mega cruise, takes lots of photos, and isn't bored by the repetition.  He is currently on the last Caribbean cruise before heading to Europe on the same ship.

Wow, I suppose there would be plenty of variety with all the different passengers.

[MMDown Under]

3 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Wow, I suppose there would be plenty of variety with all the different passengers.

He has friends join the ship on individual cruises, e.g. a gentleman who had lost his wife, a pair of sisters, and a couple.  He catches up with friends in Curacao each time the ship visits that port.  Being a regular world cruiser, I was surprised how much he enjoyed the repetitive Caribbean cruises, still walking at every port and taking lots of photographs.  He is certainly living the good life.  

[MicCanberra]

3 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

He has friends join the ship on individual cruises, e.g. a gentleman who had lost his wife, a pair of sisters, and a couple.  He catches up with friends in Curacao each time the ship visits that port.  Being a regular world cruiser, I was surprised how much he enjoyed the repetitive Caribbean cruises, still walking at every port and taking lots of photographs.  He is certainly living the good life.  

That sounds great for him.

[Aus Traveller]

On 4/4/2019 at 11:06 PM, The_Big_M said:

Unless something has changed recently, it has always been a requirement to do the drill each separate cruise, even if you stay after one cruise to another. And hard to think why they would give that as an exemption - it would then lead to similar requests like I just sailed last month; was on this ship recently and so on. Plus you may also not even have the same emergency lounge, so I can't see why they would change the requirement that you have to do it each cruise.

On Princess, we have been told several times that if the second cruise of B2B is within one month, the passengers do not have to do the emergency drill. On the other hand, if the cruise is longer than a month, everyone has to do a second drill.

[getting older slowly]

One thing about

On ‎4‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 1:28 AM, MMDown Under said:

I follow a blog of World Adventures, who has continuously cruised the Caribbean on the Zuiderdam on a mega voyage 2018-2019 this season, in lieu of a World Cruise, which he used to do.  He says he is loving this mega cruise, takes lots of photos, and isn't bored by the repetition.  He is currently on the last Caribbean cruise before heading to Europe on the same ship.

What a great idea.....  one things with constance follow in of different passengers could tell the same story many times .... as well as see each port in a different light....

 

Cheers Don