Needing some b2b cruise feedback

[StanleyandGus]

This thread has me very excited about our first b2b! We have to fly, since Regina is decidedly landlocked, so why not!

[csnarpy]

Bumping this post as my Family (and I) will be sailing a B2B in December. 
 

1. I gather you can get off the ship and come back later. Is there a priority access area to get back on?

 

2. We will be in FLA, has anyone ever taken laundry off to be done in between sailings?

[njkruzer]

3 hours ago, csnarpy said:

Bumping this post as my Family (and I) will be sailing a B2B in December. 
 

1. I gather you can get off the ship and come back later. Is there a priority access area to get back on?

 

2. We will be in FLA, has anyone ever taken laundry off to be done in between sailings?

1. Yes you can get off and since you are in transit there will be a place to go.

 

2.  No. We have the ship do laundry.  Which port in FLA?  Not sure I would want to spend my time hanging out at laundromat. 

[Cruise a holic]

5 hours ago, csnarpy said:

Bumping this post as my Family (and I) will be sailing a B2B in December. 
 

1. I gather you can get off the ship and come back later. Is there a priority access area to get back on?

 

2. We will be in FLA, has anyone ever taken laundry off to be done in between sailings?

The cost of a cab to go to a laundromat, plus the hassel disembarking and re-boarding isn't worth it.  The ship has laundry and dry cleaning services available.  Maybe it will cost- but well worth it on a vacation.  You might need a covid test to get back on the ship! 

 

Edited September 20, 2021 by Cruise a holic

[csnarpy]

2 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

The cost of a cab to go to a laundromat, plus the hassel disembarking and re-boarding isn't worth it.  The ship has laundry and dry cleaning services available.  Maybe it will cost- but well worth it on a vacation.  You might need a covid test to get back on the ship! 

 

Ugh, I always forget about that. Great reminder. So, staying on the boat it is. 
 

now, I wonder if I can store additional bottles of wine to be used for the second leg. 😉

[davekathy]

39 minutes ago, csnarpy said:

Ugh, I always forget about that. Great reminder. So, staying on the boat it is. 
 

now, I wonder if I can store additional bottles of wine to be used for the second leg. 😉

Yes. You can carry on 4 750 ML bottles of wine. Some have posted RC will take and mark 2 of the 4 bottles and will return those at the end of the first leg so you can have them for the second leg. Our experiences were different. I always carried the 4 bottles in a backpack and was never stopped.  I always had a copy of the second leg  Setsail pass with me in case I needed to prove we were doing a B2B and why the additional bottles of wine. Again, no one asked. 

[njkruzer]

Currently Royal is doing Covid tests on board for b2b cruisers attests are required. 

[Cruise a holic]

15 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

Currently Royal is doing Covid tests on board for b2b cruisers attests are required. 

But I wonder if they would honor that if you leave the cruise terminal.  I would follow exactly what I am told by the ships people before I would consider spending a day on shore then coming back on board.  We are also doing a b/2/b in January.

[njkruzer]

9 minutes ago, Cruise a holic said:

But I wonder if they would honor that if you leave the cruise terminal.  I would follow exactly what I am told by the ships people before I would consider spending a day on shore then coming back on board.  We are also doing a b/2/b in January.

No idea.  Things likely to change between now and January.   We're also on a b2b December-January.  As we are driving to Florida planning on doing our test from our motel during the drive.  Will get the binax tests to take with us.  But things might change between now and then.

[brillohead]

6 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

But I wonder if they would honor that if you leave the cruise terminal.  I would follow exactly what I am told by the ships people before I would consider spending a day on shore then coming back on board.  We are also doing a b/2/b in January.

When you are doing a B2B, you can ask for an "in transit" card and that allows you to bypass the check-in process when returning to the ship. You still have to get any bags scanned through X-ray just like getting off in any port, but you don't have to wait in the other lines with the new cruisers.

COVID tests are not related to leaving the ship and returning... the test is done up to two days before for people who are on board AND for new cruisers... and the new cruisers have likely traveled on airplanes and through airports in between when they had their test done and when they arrive at the terminal to board the ship.  Why one would think this would be an issue for a B2B cruiser is beyond me.  

 

[Cruise a holic]

40 minutes ago, brillohead said:

When you are doing a B2B, you can ask for an "in transit" card and that allows you to bypass the check-in process when returning to the ship. You still have to get any bags scanned through X-ray just like getting off in any port, but you don't have to wait in the other lines with the new cruisers.

COVID tests are not related to leaving the ship and returning... the test is done up to two days before for people who are on board AND for new cruisers... and the new cruisers have likely traveled on airplanes and through airports in between when they had their test done and when they arrive at the terminal to board the ship.  Why one would think this would be an issue for a B2B cruiser is beyond me.  

 

We are living in through unusual times.  New rules can happen. I assume you recently did a b/2/b

[rcixfan5]

B2B process can vary a lot by port, ship, and by time.

 

Here was the paperwork for Allure in Aug 2021.  After we checked in at the dining room before we left the ship the morning of the cruise the envelope had our new seapass and the transit card.   

 

 

[PigsCanFly]

We did a semi-S2S at FLL with a day between the 2 ships.  We left the port, checked in to a hotel overnight and did laundry.  Drove back to the port and boarded the the other ship.  Only with the extra day between would I consider doing laundry off ship.  The B2Bs we have done (pre-Covid) have required us to be escorted off the ship as a group and briefly visit the passport folks and return to the ship fairly smoothly.  Not sure how post Covid will run, but we will be doing one in November, one on HAL in December, another semi-S2S in January, A B2B in February and one more in March.  Did I mention we have missed cruising? You will love B2Bs. Most of ours are either the same stateroom or nextdoor.

[brillohead]

4 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

We are living in through unusual times.  New rules can happen. I assume you recently did a b/2/b

You can assume whatever you want, but there have been plenty of people who have posted this here. 

Royal does not and cannot "hold you hostage" on a ship just because you're doing a B2B sailing, for crying out loud.  🙄

There is no logical or even illogical reason to think that just because you test on Friday on the ship you can't leave the ship and get back on again on Saturday.  If they were doing at-the-pier testing of all new cruisers, that would be one thing, but that's not the issue at all and it boggles the mind why anyone would create strange scenarios in their heads about something that is quite straightforward.  

 

[ReneeFLL]

17 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

The cost of a cab to go to a laundromat, plus the hassel disembarking and re-boarding isn't worth it.  The ship has laundry and dry cleaning services available.  Maybe it will cost- but well worth it on a vacation.  You might need a covid test to get back on the ship! 

 

For a b2b they test you the day before the next leg. We just got off of one. You can leave the ship if you want and get back on. If you test positive then off you go. 
 

Edited September 21, 2021 by ReneeFLL

[Cruise a holic]

5 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

For a b2b they test you the day before the next leg. We just got off of one. You can leave the ship if you want and get back on. If you test positive then off you go. 
 

Thank you for your first hand feedback!  Royal just sent me a notice to pay the balance for my Jan b/2/b cruises- due in about a week!   

[Sunshine3601]

On 9/21/2021 at 6:05 AM, Cruise a holic said:

Thank you for your first hand feedback!  Royal just sent me a notice to pay the balance for my Jan b/2/b cruises- due in about a week!   

I thought the final pay date is now 30 days before sail date for cruises up thru Jan 30th?

[HunterBarb]

On 9/20/2021 at 8:23 AM, csnarpy said:

Ugh, I always forget about that. Great reminder. So, staying on the boat it is. 
 

now, I wonder if I can store additional bottles of wine to be used for the second leg. 😉

Ooooh YEAH - you CAN - actually on my recent B2B on INDY - I carried in *3 bottles* @ 750 ML - in my tote bag, and NOBODY Looked at them nor said ONE word!  I figured they would Take one - but nopers !  Dont know if was merely an oversight or because I was a "consecutive cruiser"  (what they call we B2B'ers !)  

On INDY at Galveston we met up in Star Lounge for registation and verification, then walked off the ship and thru Customs, all we did was show our ID - then sat a bit more while Star Lounge was Sanitized, then went BACK there, sat another few, and at 11:30 were informed our Lunch was ready in MDR and we were free to GO ~ LOVED it - 

Upcoming SIDE to Side next month - Oasis from Miami then Allure from Ft Lauderdale - THAT raises a few questions ~~/

[Sunshine3601]

On 9/20/2021 at 12:46 AM, csnarpy said:

Bumping this post as my Family (and I) will be sailing a B2B in December. 
 

1. I gather you can get off the ship and come back later. Is there a priority access area to get back on?

 

2. We will be in FLA, has anyone ever taken laundry off to be done in between sailings?

yes, you can get off the ship after you go thru the b2b process of customs, etc   those details will be provided to you onboard.    Its a very simple process as long as you follow the instructions.          

You will get a new sea pass for the 2nd leg and after you have that card and completed the custom process for your 1st leg you can then go out to FLL.     

 

We have done several b2b and b2b2b cruises the last couple of years and I have gotten off the ship to do laundry by packing everything into a small carryon bag so I didn't have to deal with bringing luggage back on board when I return.       I forget exactly where the laundromat was but there used to be 2 or 3 choices that were not far from the port.     The last time I did, we dropped off the laundry then walked over to a liquor store to get 2 bottles of wine to take back onboard with us.   

 

I have also done the laundry on ship.    I will hand wash bathing suits and some items that are light weight and will dry quick (bras, etc.) and hang in bathroom cloth line (built in the shower area) or hang on chairs on balcony when ship is docked.     

Then I have used their laundry service where you cram as much as you can into a bag they provide you.  I think the standard cost is $35 but our room stewards have done it for $25 in the past as I give them a nice tip (diamond plus and above get 1 free laundry bag).   Don't give them the bag on change over day as they are very busy with changing over the cabins for new guests.    Usually takes a day to get your laundry back.   

 

[Biker19]

2 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I thought the final pay date is now 30 days before sail date for cruises up thru Jan 30th?

You quoted a post from before RCI moved the final payment dates for January cruises. 

[coaster]

This thread has really helped me out. Just added a b2b sailing on Serenade a few minutes ago. I will turn Diamond after the first 5 night sailing. Can they bump me to Diamond on board for the second 4 night sailing? I know it usually takes a few days normally.

[brillohead]

12 minutes ago, coaster said:

This thread has really helped me out. Just added a b2b sailing on Serenade a few minutes ago. I will turn Diamond after the first 5 night sailing. Can they bump me to Diamond on board for the second 4 night sailing? I know it usually takes a few days normally.

You can go to the Loyalty Ambassador on board and ask them to do it.  They have in the past, during the time before COVID.  Undetermined if they're still doing it with all these double-points folks.

[csnarpy]

They absolutely should as it’s 2 different sailings.

[davekathy]

3 hours ago, coaster said:

This thread has really helped me out. Just added a b2b sailing on Serenade a few minutes ago. I will turn Diamond after the first 5 night sailing. Can they bump me to Diamond on board for the second 4 night sailing? I know it usually takes a few days normally.

Our experiences, yes. But make sure you visit the LA early during your first leg so the LA has time to get the ball rolling in order for you to be recognized as diamond for the second leg. 

[brillohead]

11 hours ago, csnarpy said:

They absolutely should as it’s 2 different sailings.

But you technically don't make that status until the points get posted to your account, which usually takes about a week after the cruise ends.  

But most Loyalty Ambassadors have been doing it as a courtesy for B2B guests.