Mechanics of Back-to-back trips?

[WestonOne]

We are on a trip in around a month and are looking at staying on for the following trip if the price falls enough.  We have never done this before, so how does it work?
 

• I assume they transfer your luggage to your new cabin (it won't be the same one)
• Somehow you need to get your cruise card updated, I guess.  If you have booked it beforehand I suppose they could cover both trips.  Do they?
• Would you need to re-register credit cards?

 

Or do you get off with all your luggage, hang around a few hours, then get back on, exactly as if the trips were weeks apart?

 

 

Edited May 25, 2023 by WestonOne

[carlanthony24]

Back to Back in Southampton is simple, arrange a time to move belongings to new cabin the stewards will do it all for you. New cruise cards you collect from reception. Credit cards I can't remember how it worked I think it automatically transferred over.

 

Once you have the new cruise cards you are free to leave the ship via the crew exit and when getting back on just use the crew entrance. 

[Scorpio41]

They transfer everything to the new cabin. You don’t need to pack everything. Draws swapped and clothes put on a hanging rail and moved. The cabin steward will advise.

Collect new cruise card from reception.

 

You can get off and explore Southampton or stay onboard and enjoy the ship.

[david63]

4 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

they transfer your luggage to your new cabin

Yes - if both cabins have drawers then they just swap them over and all hanging stuff goes on rails.

6 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

Somehow you need to get your cruise card updated, I guess.  If you have booked it beforehand I suppose they could cover both trips.  Do they?

You will have to go to reception and get a new card for the second cruise - especially if you are changing cabins

7 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

Would you need to re-register credit cards?

No - but you will get a final account for each cruise

8 minutes ago, WestonOne said:

o you get off with all your luggage, hang around a few hours, then get back on, exactly as if the trips were weeks apart?

No

[david63]

4 minutes ago, carlanthony24 said:

you are free to leave the ship via the crew exit and when getting back on just use the crew entrance. 

That may not be the case anymore. Last year we were not able to do that but there were still some Covid protocols in place which may have been lifted.

[Son of Anarchy]

Haven't done a back to back for a years, however the way it worked then was:

 

Stuff in cabin was moved by staff.  They simply put all the hanging stuff onto a mobile rail, and pull the drawers out with whatever is in them.  All gets placed in your new cabin in the order it was removed.  The only stuff you move yourself is the contents of the safe and anything you carry around with you during the day.

 

We had to go to reception on the final night of cruise one to collect new cruise cards for cruise two.

 

I don't recall having to re-register credit cards.

 

After docking in Southampton we able to get off via the crew gangway and do whatever we wanted to.  We went in to town.  At that time you could use the crew shuttle to go into town, I think I read somewhere that this has now changed and is no longer possible.  Getting back on board was again via the crew gangway, so no having to queue up with those just arriving.

 

We quite enjoyed the b2b experience, and would happily do it again if the itineries and prices were right.

[swanseaboy]

You should get 10% off both cruises if both are select fare on back to back. 

[david63]

13 minutes ago, swanseaboy said:

You should get 10% off both cruises if both are select fare on back to back. 

... and they are seven(?) nights or more

[Guest ccpm]

3 hours ago, Scorpio41 said:

They transfer everything to the new cabin. You don’t need to pack everything. Draws swapped and clothes put on a hanging rail and moved. The cabin steward will advise.

Collect new cruise card from reception.

 

You can get off and explore Southampton or stay onboard and enjoy the ship.

That had always been my experience until November/December 2022 on Iona. I did then have to pack everything into cases as if leaving. The cases were then left in cabin and the steward transferred. The only other thing I had to do was go to Reception and check about my cruise card

[michwat]

They will settle your first cruise account off to your registered credit/debit card and open a brand new account for your second cruise.

 

Michele

[Ackworth Sue]

We loved staying on board when we did our back to back. Ship was quiet and we had a lovely chilled day. Didn't need to go into Southampton, weather was good so we could use the empty pool and hot tub. We were lucky that we didn't have to move cabins. We were invited to the loyalty lunch which was nice too. 

[WestonOne]

We have committed!  We are now going on the back-to-back.

I did all the sums and even with the 10% discount on both trips and allowing for on-board credit and so on, it still worked out as around £500 just to pick the cabin location and dining option, so we decided that was not really justifiable.  So we are 'select' on the first and 'saver' on the second. 

The biggest disadvantage of such a late booking - it leaves in around 5 weeks - is that the majority of excursions are already sold out, but we got two of the last three places on the trip I particularly wanted to do.