B2B Sea Princess Australia and New Zealand

[Jonibme]

Ok you long term cruisers - Please help me?

 

I need to learn about the back to back experience. We have been cruising regularly for 15 years but we have never done a back to back trip. We are very excited to have just booked a B2B Down Under for 21 days total in 2020!!

 

I was careful to book the same cabin for both cruises and I was wondering if we will have to settle our account and start fresh for the second cruise and will we have to go through  the whole Embarkation again to get new key cards, photos etc?

 

Tell me about "turn around day" all you long cruise lovers!

 

Thanks from Alaska!

[GUT2407]

For my only cruise that they counted as a back to back I didn’t have to do anything, I did get off, but there had been no instruction that I must get off, same card, same account.

[Aus Traveller]

GUT2407 might have been on two segments of a longer cruise. Assuming you have booked two separate cruises as B2B, then you will have to disembark at the end of the first cruise. You do NOT pack up your belongings - they stay in your cabin the same as they do on a port day.

 

Just before the end of the first cruise, you will receive a letter outlining the procedure for you to follow. At the end of cruise #1, the ship has to be "cleared" of all passengers. This is usually completed by 10.30. You can disembark any time prior to that, but you must go ashore so the ship can be cleared. You will be given a new cruise card, either in the envelope with the letter at the end of cruise #1, or when you check in for the second cruise (it varies). When you go ashore, you can go sightseeing for the day, but must be back by the time specified in the letter you will receive. This is probably an hour before departure. If you haven't already been given a new cruise card, you will be given then when you come into the terminal to check in for the second cruise.

 

As this is a separate cruise, your on-board account would normally be settled at the end of the first cruise. You can bring your allocated bottle of wine each on the second cruise as well as the first. As your second cruise is within 30 days of your original embarkation, you do not have to attend the second muster drill, but if you stay in your cabin you will hear it anyway over the PA system throughout the ship. Sometimes it is simpler to go to the drill. On one occasion I sat outside on the promenade deck, but the audio of the muster drill boomed overhead.

[GUT2407]

That is the big secret st do whatever they instruct you to do.

[Jonibme]

Yes of course I know the thing to do is just do as they tell you but it is nice to know what to expect in advance so you can use your time optimally. No matter how it turns out we will have fun because it is February and we will be in the warm sunshine instead of the dark and icy!

 

Thanks for the comments. I thin kI have a much better idea what to expect now!

 

 

[Aus Traveller]

50 minutes ago, Jonibme said:

Yes of course I know the thing to do is just do as they tell you but it is nice to know what to expect in advance so you can use your time optimally. No matter how it turns out we will have fun because it is February and we will be in the warm sunshine instead of the dark and icy!

 

Thanks for the comments. I thin kI have a much better idea what to expect now!

I agree with you. I also like to know ahead what to expect so I can make my plans.

[getting older slowly]

Hi Jonibme

 

We are also doing our first B2B in November 2019....  to make a 26 nighter......

 

I think the best thing will be knowing they when everybody else is ending their cruise..... and disembarking

 

You will be starting the next leg on your cruise..... and you are all ready unpacked.....

 

So have a relaxing turn around day... and enjoy

 

Cheers Don

[skynight]

Three comments:

Contact your T.A. and have Princess mark your cabin "No Upgrade" for both voyages. This will provide better assurance that you remain in the same cabin.

You will receive instructions in your cabin. Fully read and follow them.

You can almost certainly disembark the ship at the turn around port to tour if that is what you want to do. 

[Jonibme]

Thank you all for the feedback -

 

I have to admit that through our past cruises, when packing on the last day, I always wish it didn't have to end "so soon" no matter how long the cruise is! I am already very excited to NOT be in the lounge waiting for my "color to be called" to disembark and join the "bag drag parade" on day 14! It doesn't take much to tickle this cruiser! 

 

I called our assigned Princess Travel Planner for this reservation (first time for that - I normally just book it online for myself) and she assured me that we would not be moved without a verbal approval from one of us.  The only way we would do that is if it was a nice upgrade.

 

It is our 11th Princess cruise but our first one on a smaller, older ship. I have been reading very nixed reviews about the Sea Princess but we always have a good time no matter the ship. We believe it is all what you make of it!

 

Smooth sailing fellow Cruisers and thanks again!

[nini]

Jonibme- What B2B are you doing? Ship and dates? We are also looking into this.

Thanks!

[Jonibme]

Sea Princess sailing out of Brisbane Feb 2-16 New Zealand and Feb 16-23 Australia... We are very excited except for the airfare and schedules from LAX... We are coming from our home in rural Alaska so we figured we want to see everything we can because we probably won't make it Down Under again! I logged in to do a price check on the Princess site last night and found  all balcony cabins sold out on the first cruise. I'm thankful I was able to select the same cabin for both sailings when I booked a couple months ago!

[ggprincess2004]

You do noy have to do much.  You may or may not get a new cruise card for the second leg. If you do it will be delivered to you the last night, and you will also receive instructions about what you need to do if you are planning on staying on the ship rather than exploring Brisbane for the day. 

Safety suggestion...take 30 seconds and empty all you personal toiletries, meds, etc., from the bathroom before you leave the room on turnaround day. While mistakes hardly ever happen, sometimes a pantry boy who is charged with prepping the bathrooms errs and doesn't realize he is doing a b2b situation, and tosses everything. We just tuch them in a carry on, and take 30 seconds later in the day to put it all back in place.

My memory of turnaround day in Brisbane on the Sea Princess is that we coukd disembark at any time with those passengers ending their voyage and go out for the day, no issues. Then, when you return and reboard you cannot disembark again that day. No need to wait and meet your fellow b2b passengers who are staying on and not venturing out, but that group will be escorted through an immigration process and be able to get right back aboard.  Again, they then cannot disembark again that day, 

Hope that helps you plan.

[ggprincess2004]

1 hour ago, Jonibme said:

Sea Princess sailing out of Brisbane Feb 2-16 New Zealand and Feb 16-23 Australia... We are very excited except for the airfare and schedules from LAX... We are coming from our home in rural Alaska so we figured we want to see everything we can because we probably won't make it Down Under again! I logged in to do a price check on the Princess site last night and found  all balcony cabins sold out on the first cruise. I'm thankful I was able to select the same cabin for both sailings when I booked a couple months ago!

Because of the long flights, which we do not enjoy, we also thought it would be a one time thing. We fell in love, and are returning in 2020 and 2021. Bon voyage.

[ggprincess2004]

Oh, Jonibme, forgot one important thing, contact Princess or your travel agent, and make sure your bookings are linked. Just then touch base at the passenger services desk during the first leg to make sure they roll your account folio over to the next leg.

[Jonibme]

On 8/13/2019 at 10:48 AM, ggprincess2004 said:

You do noy have to do much.  You may or may not get a new cruise card for the second leg. If you do it will be delivered to you the last night, and you will also receive instructions about what you need to do if you are planning on staying on the ship rather than exploring Brisbane for the day. 

Safety suggestion...take 30 seconds and empty all you personal toiletries, meds, etc., from the bathroom before you leave the room on turnaround day. While mistakes hardly ever happen, sometimes a pantry boy who is charged with prepping the bathrooms errs and doesn't realize he is doing a b2b situation, and tosses everything. We just tuch them in a carry on, and take 30 seconds later in the day to put it all back in place.

My memory of turnaround day in Brisbane on the Sea Princess is that we coukd disembark at any time with those passengers ending their voyage and go out for the day, no issues. Then, when you return and reboard you cannot disembark again that day. No need to wait and meet your fellow b2b passengers who are staying on and not venturing out, but that group will be escorted through an immigration process and be able to get right back aboard.  Again, they then cannot disembark again that day, 

Hope that helps you plan.

Thank you! It sounds like we will have 3 sea days before we have that turn-around so an Uber into the city for a few odds and ends and to stretch our legs will probably be in order!

[Jonibme]

On 8/13/2019 at 10:53 AM, ggprincess2004 said:

Oh, Jonibme, forgot one important thing, contact Princess or your travel agent, and make sure your bookings are linked. Just then touch base at the passenger services desk during the first leg to make sure they roll your account folio over to the next leg.

I now have that note in my planner!  Thank you!

[Jonibme]

On 6/9/2019 at 12:17 AM, getting older slowly said:

Hi Jonibme

 

We are also doing our first B2B in November 2019....  to make a 26 nighter......

 

I think the best thing will be knowing they when everybody else is ending their cruise..... and disembarking

 

You will be starting the next leg on your cruise..... and you are all ready unpacked.....

 

So have a relaxing turn around day... and enjoy

 

Cheers Don

Don,

I couldn't have said it better! I am pretty excited about that special day. I always get a case of the "last day blues" when we pull out the suitcase and start packing... I will be celebrating a lazy morning on this "last day"!

 

Cheers to you too!

Joni

[Jonibme]

On 8/13/2019 at 7:38 AM, nini said:

Jonibme- What B2B are you doing? Ship and dates? We are also looking into this.

Thanks!

Sea Princess - 14 day New Zealand out of Brisbane and then 7 Day out of Brisbane where we will focus on the Great Barrier Reef trips......  We fly out of Frigid Anchorage Alaska in 36 days and 10 hours... not that I am counting! LOL!

[GUT2407]

1 hour ago, Jonibme said:

Sea Princess - 14 day New Zealand out of Brisbane and then 7 Day out of Brisbane where we will focus on the Great Barrier Reef trips......  We fly out of Frigid Anchorage Alaska in 36 days and 10 hours... not that I am counting! LOL!

Frigid?? You want to escape, this week we are expecting temps around 45°c, around 123°f. Careful what you wish for.

Edited December 18, 2019 by GUT2407

[Jonibme]

3 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

Frigid?? You want to escape, this week we are expecting temps around 45°c, around 123°f. Careful what you wish for.

Yeah - I have lived in parts of the US where that is typical summer... I am hoping for highs in the 80s F when we are there in February? Might be a bit wishful?

[Ombud]

On 6/8/2019 at 8:27 PM, Aus Traveller said:

GUT2407 might have been on two segments of a longer cruise. Assuming you have booked two separate cruises as B2B, then you will have to disembark at the end of the first cruise. You do NOT pack up your belongings - they stay in your cabin the same as they do on a port day.

 

Just before the end of the first cruise, you will receive a letter outlining the procedure for you to follow. At the end of cruise #1, the ship has to be "cleared" of all passengers. This is usually completed by 10.30. You can disembark any time prior to that, but you must go ashore so the ship can be cleared. You will be given a new cruise card, either in the envelope with the letter at the end of cruise #1, or when you check in for the second cruise (it varies). When you go ashore, you can go sightseeing for the day, but must be back by the time specified in the letter you will receive. This is probably an hour before departure. If you haven't already been given a new cruise card, you will be given then when you come into the terminal to check in for the second cruise.

 

As this is a separate cruise, your on-board account would normally be settled at the end of the first cruise. You can bring your allocated bottle of wine each on the second cruise as well as the first. As your second cruise is within 30 days of your original embarkation, you do not have to attend the second muster drill, but if you stay in your cabin you will hear it anyway over the PA system throughout the ship. Sometimes it is simpler to go to the drill. On one occasion I sat outside on the promenade deck, but the audio of the muster drill boomed overhead.

 

On 8/13/2019 at 11:53 AM, ggprincess2004 said:

Oh, Jonibme, forgot one important thing, contact Princess or your travel agent, and make sure your bookings are linked. Just then touch base at the passenger services desk during the first leg to make sure they roll your account folio over to the next leg.

3 questions:

 

(1) Can OBC be roll over? If I can go on the 1st leg I'll only have 150 OBC there but 700 OBC on the 2nd leg. I'd rather not pay up on change day only to wait for a reimbursement check on final disembarkation. 

 

(2) Also if I bring 3 bottles on with 1st embarkation can 1 be credited to 2nd leg?

 

(3) Finally if I can't get the same room, how do my belongings get to the 2nd room? 

[satxdiver]

We have done B2B out of US ports and out of the UK.  First the cruise card was given to us that covered both cruises - we had the same stateroom.  I have seen posted that on Medallion ships you keep the same Medallion even if you are changing rooms.   The onboard account went continuously over the full cruise and the OBC was carried over.  We boarded with 4+ bottles of wine and after showing our cruise card they allowed 4 to be carried on with no corking fee.  In the US ports we have had to leave the ship with our documents, go through immigration and then wait to be among the first to reboard.  We did not have to vacate our belongings simply leaving the cabin as it was.  On the UK trips we did not have to do anything and could either stay on the ship or leave and return. Last UK voyage was 14 day Baltic and 14 day western Norway (Land of the Midnight Sun) last June.  

[Ombud]

THANK YOU!! Makes it easy. I may eventually owe when the 2 are put together but definitely not on the 2nd one alone 

[Aus Traveller]

2 hours ago, Ombud said:

3 questions:

(1) Can OBC be roll over? If I can go on the 1st leg I'll only have 150 OBC there but 700 OBC on the 2nd leg. I'd rather not pay up on change day only to wait for a reimbursement check on final disembarkation. 

 

(2) Also if I bring 3 bottles on with 1st embarkation can 1 be credited to 2nd leg?

 

(3) Finally if I can't get the same room, how do my belongings get to the 2nd room? 

I don't know where your cruises are starting and ending. The original question on this thread related to cruises on the Sea Princess. If they are on an Australian-based cruise, you will have to disembark the ship on turn-around day, then re-board. Near the end of the first cruise, we have been given new cruise cards with a letter telling us the procedure to follow.

 

Re OBC and on-board account. I can see why you want your on-board account on the first cruise, carried over to the second cruise. Most of your OBC is probably not refundable, 😢 it depends where the OBC came from. I suggest you ask at the Passenger Services Desk to see if your account can be carried over to the second cruise. You may have to see a senior officer.

 

Re bottles of wine - Whether or not some of your wine can be regarded as belonging to your second cruise, will probably depend on the staff you see when you board on the first cruise. One thing I have learnt with Princess, "they are consistent with their inconsistency"😁.

 

Re moving room - I suggest you pack up your small items - bathroom stuff and personal small items - and put them into one of your suitcases. The staff will move the clothes you have on hangers and all other items (plus your suitcases) to your new room. I suggest you go to your new room just before the end of the first cruise and introduce yourself to your 'new' steward. If he/she knows you are already on board, he/she might prepare your room first, enabling you to put you things inside. Even if the room isn't ready, you can take the contents of your safe from your old room and put it safely in your new room before you go ashore.

[Ombud]

I'm actually considering 2. 1 ends in SF. The other starts in Hong Kong and goes to Sydney. (I seem to go to Australia every year now. Wish it was a 2 year eTA like NZ but at least it's easy)