MSC Back to Back

[Brendaflamingo]

Hello All

My fiancé and I are thinking of getting married on the Divina. We want to plan a cruise wedding with lots of people coming with us and we also want to stay a week longer.

What is MSC procedure for back to back cruising?  I love the Yacht Club and maybe having the same cabin both cruises if available.

 Do they make you pack your bags and go through customs like everyone else with your bags or what is it you have to do?

If I have to pack my bags then it wont matter which cabin I have. If I don't have to pack I may need to book my same cabin. ;)

thanks for the information

 

[Até]

Upcoming Divina sailings are 10 and 11 night alternating.  MSC sells them as 21 night combos, the price really isn't any better, you just ensure the same cabin.  I've booked B2B both ways, but the Voyagers perks and points are better as two separate cruises.  You always have to physically get off the ship in Miami between legs, your bags can stay.  If keeping the same cabin you can leave all your stuff, including valuables, and just get off the ship with your passport for customs then right back on. 

If changing cabins non-YC you fully pack your suitcases and the cabin steward will move them to the next cabin.  I take my valuables with me through customs.  If changing cabins in YC the butler will move most things from drawers and closet, you just pack your toiletries, etc in a suitcase.  Again I would take valuables with me through customs. 

Edited October 18, 2018 by Até

[shukapaw]

My experience is that it is better to book as two separate cruises with the same YC cabin. This way, you can take advantage of a price drop on either or both if available.  

As stated above, you will have to exit the ship and re-board which is a US Customs requirement, not an MSC policy. MSC does their best to minimize the inconvenience of this. You'll be escorted off and right back on.

~Brian

[Mingus]

Are you allowed to skip the muster drill on the 2nd leg of a B2B?

[eby]

47 minutes ago, Mingus said:

Are you allowed to skip the muster drill on the 2nd leg of a B2B?

  Yes

[Até]

1 hour ago, Mingus said:

Are you allowed to skip the muster drill on the 2nd leg of a B2B?

On Seaside early this year booked as separate cruises we were told to go to both.  It may depend on how you book.  Or who you ask.

[John&LaLa]

I got an email last month that said B2B would get a free drink pkg. 🍷🍺🥃

[ready2cruzagain]

43 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

I got an email last month that said B2B would get a free drink pkg. 🍷🍺🥃

Don't we already get a free drink package?  Or are you being funny lol.

[Brendaflamingo]

Hi Everyone

Thanks for the information it was perfect. Now I can really decide what I want to do.

I called MSC but they were not to sure on what they were saying , you know when they hem and haw.

I decided to ask the experts.

Thanks

Brenda

[John&LaLa]

27 minutes ago, ready2cruzagain said:

Don't we already get a free drink package?  Or are you being funny lol.

just sharing.  all i know about msc is that they matched our Royal Caribbean status to Black and want us to cruise.  They send me emails all the time. 

 

so every MSC sailing includes a free drink pkg?

[ready2cruzagain]

7 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

just sharing.  all i know about msc is that they matched our Royal Caribbean status to Black and want us to cruise.  They send me emails all the time. 

 

so every MSC sailing includes a free drink pkg?

Not every ship in MSC line but I am pretty sure the Seaside, Divina and Meriviglia while in the US do.  If I am wrong I am sure some one will correct me very soon LOL. The offer is suppose to expire Nov. 30th, I sure hope not, I like it.

Edited October 18, 2018 by ready2cruzagain

[riclop]

Try to get the same room , it's  much easier you will be escorted off the ship and back on after they get a 0 count on the ship.

[Hlitner]

We have an upcoming back to back on the Divina so this topic is of personal interest.  Regarding Back to Backs, the turn around day (when in a USA port) involves a specific procedure imposed by the US Authorities (CBP).  All cruise ships must go through a "zero out" process which means that every single passenger (including children) must disembark the ship and be cleared, before any passengers can begin boarding for the 2nd cruise.  There are always two options.  One can simply go ashore and spend their day exploring whatever they please in southern FL.  Upon their return they will then be able to reboard the ship and will generally have some kind of transit pass that will allow them to bypass the usual boarding process.   However, if a passenger decides they simply want to spend the turn around day on the ship there is a different procedure.  The MSC staff will inform the passengers of a specific meeting time an place (often around 9:30 or 10) on that turn around morning.  They will then be escorted off the ship and held in a holding area within the port terminal until such time as the ship has been zeroed out and cleared by CBP.  Once the ship is permitted to begin boarding those folks in the holding area are generally the first to be allowed back onto the ship.  We have done this a few times on various cruise lines and the time in the holding area generally is between 1/2 hour and an hour.  But it can take longer if there are issues that delay a ship being cleared.  

 

This procedure is a pain in the behind but is not MSC's fault.  It is how its done for every cruise ship (on every line) when they have a turn around day in a US Port.

 

Hank

[sidari]

Hank ... Thanks for the info it should help a lot of people and I guess ok for those in the same cabin for the second week of the cruise, more awkward for anyone changing cabins I would think.

[champagne123]

10 hours ago, ready2cruzagain said:

Not every ship in MSC line but I am pretty sure the Seaside, Divina and Meriviglia while in the US do.  If I am wrong I am sure some one will correct me very soon LOL. The offer is suppose to expire Nov. 30th, I sure hope not, I like it.

We have the Divina, Seaside and Meraviglia booked and all three, we have the Drinks on Us included.  We are not in the YC, where pretty much every alcoholic beverage is included.  I see that you will be on the Divina soon.  We will be on the Grandeur at that time, but I hope you give your opinion of MSC, as our first will be in January.  

[oreilln]

Anyone any idea of how this works in the Med?  We are doing a b2b with the change in Genoa.  And the move is from a regular balcony to yacht club so not sure how this will work?  Any advice appreciated.

[CruisingFox27]

We booked  a B2B in YC on Divina last year, when I booked I made sure we had the same cabin. The Butler will move your things as stated above but I felt it would be preferable to have the same cabin. I'd originally intended to book the 14 night cruise so knew the cabin was available, as it was significantly less expensive to book B2B we did it that way.

 

We were remaining on ship for the day on change over day, we had to assemble in Eaterly at 10am, once everyone had disembarked we were escorted through Immigration and back on board. Quite painless and took around an hour. Obviously it's dependent on those disembarking being prompt though.

 

We did have to attend the muster twice but we did receive double the perks as it's two separate cruises.

[Até]

15 minutes ago, oreilln said:

Anyone any idea of how this works in the Med?  We are doing a b2b with the change in Genoa.  And the move is from a regular balcony to yacht club so not sure how this will work?  Any advice appreciated.

I have not done this.  On Seaside we were delayed getting back on the ship because they couldn't locate a couple B2B passengers who thought they could just stay on the ship.  The explanation I heard was that is how it was done on their MSC Med B2B so they assumed they could just stay on in Miami.  I don't think you have to get off if you don't want to as usually some passengers are in transit anyway.  I would bet someone will come get your bags and bring them up for the second leg.  I met people who did this on Seaside, can't remember the details, but they did not put their suitcases out the final night and either a steward or a butler took their bags to YC while they went through Miami customs.

[hamrag]

53 minutes ago, oreilln said:

Anyone any idea of how this works in the Med?  We are doing a b2b with the change in Genoa.  And the move is from a regular balcony to yacht club so not sure how this will work?  Any advice appreciated.

We did this a couple of weeks ago in Genoa, although the cabin change was from YC to YC. We organised it with the YC butler, and they simply took our clothing on hangers from one cabin to the new one....and returned the empty hangers from there to the first cabin. All the other stuff we lobbed into our luggage, and again the butler moved all of it for us.

Because you are not in YC first cruise, I would find a way to get into YC (even if you have to knock the door on concierge deck) and ask the concierge how to get this done. For us it was painless, and all you have to do is present your 2nd cruise documentation to the YC concierge. You do not need to leave the ship, unless you choose to get off for a few hours!

[oreilln]

Many thanks to both of you for the feedback, sounds relatively painless.  Does seem like a good idea to involve YC concierge!

[Hlitner]

11 hours ago, sidari said:

Hank ... Thanks for the info it should help a lot of people and I guess ok for those in the same cabin for the second week of the cruise, more awkward for anyone changing cabins I would think.

We have done back to backs and even back to backs to backs in the same cabin and also in different cabins.  It is certainly more convenient to have the same cabin throughout, but when we have had to change cabins the cruise lines have made minimized the hassle.  I do not know how MSC would handle it, but on other ships they have specific procedures.  They normally will ask you to pack items, not on hangers, in your luggage.  On the changeover day a cabin steward will come with a cart where they can hang all your hanging items and also take your luggage.  We normally will head to our new cabin before we leave the ship and lock are valuables in the safe of the new cabin (of course this can only happen after the folks who have been using that cabin have disembarked).  

 

I would emphasize that doing back to backs in Europe is really easy because you do not have to deal with any hassles from authorities (like in the USA).  Some cruise lines such as HAL do not even think in terms of back to backs and simply call it "segments" of a longer cruise.  We have done cruises over 60 days in length that had 5 or 6 segments, but its essentially like one long cruise.  In fact HAL even issues a single cruise card to cover the entire journey.

 

Hank

[oreilln]

Thank you Hank!  We have never done a b2b before so very useful

[sidari]

Hank ... Cheers always worth knowing about, not quite sure why homeland security cannot go onto the ship to a designated place and see the people in person there, it would make more sense and make things much easier.

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, sidari said:

Hank ... Cheers always worth knowing about, not quite sure why homeland security cannot go onto the ship to a designated place and see the people in person there, it would make more sense and make things much easier.

It is just not they way those folks work.   They do get an advance copy of all the souls on board which enables them to do advance computer checks.   But their "Zero Out" process has been around for quite a few years.  Some other countries also have tough rules.  For example, if you are cruising in Europe and heading to a UK port it is not unusual to have the UK send several Immigration Agents to board the ship at a prior port and do a face to face with everyone on the ship (including crew) during a sea day.  This is really helpful because it saves lots of time once the ship reaches the UK port.  Other countries can even more more difficult then the USA....with Russia quickly coming to mind.  They require checks every time anyone leaves or returns to the ship.

 

Hank

[sidari]

Some other countries also have tough rules.  For example, if you are cruising in Europe and heading to a UK port it is not unusual to have the UK send several Immigration Agents to board the ship at a prior port and do a face to face with everyone on the ship (including crew) during a sea day. 

 

Hank ... Being from and having sailed from the UK we have also done this, the USA also do the same thing when ships do a TA back from Europe, we have done it twice in St Thomas so I cannot see why it cannot be carried out on board the ship in Miami. As you say they have  a list of people who will be staying and all they have to do is see them face to face as in St Thomas and cross them off their list.