Back to back cruise how does it work

[cartfan]

We are doing a back to back cruise on Royal Caribbean in December. This is our first time doing a back to back. We have the same ship and same cabin for both sailings. Wondering how the transfer from one week to the next works. Do we have to get off ship to clear customs?  Then recheck in or do we do the check in for both sailings  the first week?  

 

Thanks so much for any tips and suggestions for back to back cruising. 

Edited October 14, 2019 by cartfan

[CruiserBruce]

It's going to depend on some information you don't provide...what port?

 

If you need to clear anything, it will be Immigration,  not Customs.

 

You will receive written directions on exactly what you need to do. Depending on the port, you may need to leave the ship briefly,  and possibly get a new ship's card. You won't have to check in again. The whole process might take an hour.

[lifes-a-beach]

Don't forget to let your room steward know you're staying. He/she might be a little surprised when your stuff is still there on debarkation day between the first and second legs.

[LHT28]

If turnaround day is in the USA  then yes you will need to get off the ship for  a short time

Different cruise line do it differently  but  I was ask on the  RCL forum

 

[bonsai3s]

5 hours ago, cartfan said:

We are doing a back to back cruise on Royal Caribbean in December. This is our first time doing a back to back. We have the same ship and same cabin for both sailings. Wondering how the transfer from one week to the next works. Do we have to get off ship to clear customs?  Then recheck in or do we do the check in for both sailings  the first week?  

 

Thanks so much for any tips and suggestions for back to back cruising. 

 

First...a congratulations is in order...for doing a B2B........we can only wish we had done it sooner.

You will discover that it's soooooooooo nice to know you are staying on another week!  What ship? Embarkation/Disembarkation port?

 

Some random thoughts:  Depending on the ship and number of B2B passengers, you may have a meeting a day or two before disembarkation.  Since you are not moving cabins...it will be very easy...you don't have to do much. (note: we usually tell our cabin steward not to bother cleaning our cabin on turnaround day...he/she has enough to do.)  We've gotten our new seapass cards the day before, we've had them delivered in our cabins, or we get them from Guest Services. 

 

We usually disembark the ship on turnaround day for some shore excursion.  When we get off, we'll have our old and new seapass cards, along with an "In-transit" card. We "tap out" with our old seapass card as we disembark, then with our new seapass card and "in-transit" card when we return...we bypass all the check-in lines (you still have to go through the security line of course.)

 

If you plan on staying onboard...depending on your port...you will be with other B2B passengers, they will clear the ship, walk you through immigration, then be the first ones back onboard to enjoy the ship.  You will have access to your cabin.  Just let them know you are B2B passengers.  Depending on the ship, they may have a nice lunch for all B2B passengers...could be in the MDR or perhaps in a specialty restaurant. Happy Sailing(s)! ☺️😎

[cartfan]

Thanks so much for the info. We are going out of San Juan and on freedom of the seas. 

[davekathy]

8 minutes ago, cartfan said:

Thanks so much for the info. We are going out of San Juan and on freedom of the seas. 

A day or two prior to your TAD you will receive a detailed letter outlining where to meet, what time to meet and what to bring on your TAD. We did a B2B on the Freedom out of San Juan March 2019. We were escorted off the ship as a group and allowed to reboard immediately. This can be different from cruise to cruise. You have the option of returning or going ashore. If you decided to stay off the ship and do an excursion or whatever you will be given an in transit pass. This allows you to reboard the ship at your leisure. You still have to go through security. We have always been invited to a consecutive cruisers lunch in the MDR after the TAD procedures. Also you will have access to your cabin immediately after the TAD process is complete. The fire doors will be shut, but not locked. Just make sure to close them as you enter or leave. You will have to do the muster drill again on the second leg. Your account for the first leg will be closed. Nothing carries over. Make sure to spend any NROBC. It's use or lose. The whole B2B process is easy. We've done a lot of B2B cruises. 

[leen50]

BTW this is from the Royal FAQ section:

 

Yes. Guests are allowed to bring two additional 750 ml bottles of wine or champagne per stateroom, for each individual sailing. Additional bottles beyond two, will be stored by the ship and delivered, two bottles at a time, to the stateroom on the first day of each new voyage.

[leaveitallbehind]

15 hours ago, leen50 said:

BTW this is from the Royal FAQ section:

 

Yes. Guests are allowed to bring two additional 750 ml bottles of wine or champagne per stateroom, for each individual sailing. Additional bottles beyond two, will be stored by the ship and delivered, two bottles at a time, to the stateroom on the first day of each new voyage.

 

Correct as the cruise line (RCI in this case) sees a B2B as two separate itineraries. Therefore whatever policies are in place for one itinerary would hold for the next. While they have provisions for accommodating the passenger regarding assisting with the move to a different stateroom if required and with faster immigration processing, etc., they don't "book" it as a B2B but as two separate itineraries with the same passengers that happen to be consecutive.

 

BTW as indicated by davekathy (who are experienced B2B'rs) each itinerary is a separate stateroom account which will be closed for the first itinerary and opened as a new account for the second.

Edited October 15, 2019 by leaveitallbehind