Changing Cabins on Back-to-Back

[OneMoreTime]

We are doing a back-to-back cruise, 14 +7, and I am curious to know if it's worth the hassle to change cabins.   First leg of the cruise there's a great vista suite available on deck 5 but we'd have to move to to the same category cabin on deck 4 for the last leg of the cruise.

 

 

[kazu]

It’s not that much of a hassle.  You clean out your safety deposit box (keep it with you) and pack up your stuff in drawers and toiletries in your suitcase.  The stewards move your suitcases and the clothes hanging up on a rack.  They put your stuff hanging up in your new closet leaving you just to unpack your suitcase(s).

 

[Mandalay1903]

 

2 hours ago, OneMoreTime said:

We are doing a back-to-back cruise, 14 +7, and I am curious to know if it's worth the hassle to change cabins.   First leg of the cruise there's a great vista suite available on deck 5 but we'd have to move to to the same category cabin on deck 4 for the last leg of the cruise.

For me it might depend on how much time I'd want to spend in the turnaround port. Also, if you don't mind spending a little extra time packing up and managing your safety deposit box contents, it would be worth it for the better stateroom on the 14 day leg.

 

In my case this happened to me twice -- two different sailings. Since there was limited availability I booked two different staterooms in the same category for the 14+14 day legs. Over the following months I kept checking, and sure enough a stateroom opened up so I'd have 28 days in the same cabin in my preferred location.

 

My advice is to book that great vista suite, check back often, and I would not be surprised if something opened up so you wouldn't have to move.

[Haljo1935]

Absolutely agree on booking the cabin you want and moving the 2nd leg - it's really no big deal to move since Cabin Stewards move you. Just pick up your new key when you head to breakfast on Turnaround Day.

We've done several B2B both staying in same cabin and also changing cabins; I appreciate the extra cruise time and find it far outweighs the very small amount of inconvenience of changing cabins.

As other posters mentioned, keep checking to see if the cabin you want opens up and get moved if it does.

Safe travels  - enjoy your cruise!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It's easy to do. Put small things in a box. And if you speak to your 2nd set of room stewards they will try to have your second cabin ready early. 

[POA1]

Do they still move drawers between rooms or is that that a relic of the past?

[Haljo1935]

2 minutes ago, POA1 said:

Do they still move drawers between rooms or is that that a relic of the past?

I have never asked them to do that, but have read posts saying it is done. I pack my stuff, my sister does not. In the new cabin her stuff that was in drawers is in drawers, so maybe they are moving the drawers.

We're always at breakfast and/or doing the "kindergarten field trip" so we've never seen the actual move.

[PigsCanFly]

We have done several b2bs and a few involved room changes.  They have goeo very smoothly for us.  One we actually moved our stuff down the hall with the steward and we in before anyone else got onboard.

[Banditswife]

We did a B2B with a cabin move last year, it was very easy.  I just packed everything from the drawers & shelves & mini safe.  The cabin steward did the hanging stuff.  And he had our cabin ready well before the new guests started arriving.

[crystalspin]

5 hours ago, OneMoreTime said:

We are doing a back-to-back cruise, 14 +7, and I am curious to know if it's worth the hassle to change cabins.   First leg of the cruise there's a great vista suite available on deck 5 but we'd have to move to to the same category cabin on deck 4 for the last leg of the cruise.

I really didn't want to change cabins, which led me to book 4100 on our B2B last winter -- we loved it so much I moved our coming K'dam cruises to the same Vista Suite! The Dutch Cafe is so close, one flight of stairs.

[kazu]

2 hours ago, POA1 said:

Do they still move drawers between rooms or is that that a relic of the past?

 

I think it’s now a relic of the past.  Two reasons - not all drawers are the same and it’s too easy to miss one and be liable (don’t get me started on what’s missing from my quick disembarkation when they were packing) 😉 

 

When we did it, and that was in 2019 I believe, there was no drawer moving - we were told to pack everything in drawers and toiletries.  They move the cases and that.  It was quick and easy and the new steward were there to let me in to just get my stuff in the SD Box.  Then we were off.

[OlsSalt]

There may  the added issue of "clearing the ship" if this applies to your B2B cruise - being required to leave the ship, or go someplace as an escorted group while the ship is cleared.  You will be given written instructions depending on how you plan to spend that turn-around day, if this applies to your cruise.

 

Ours was two separate bookings with two different cruise numbers, not an official HAL offered B2B. 

 

(1) Will you leave the ship and then come back later in the day as "transit" passenger?

(2) Will you stay on the ship and go through the ship-clearing as a HAL-escorted  group?

(3) Or will you go through the ship-clearing with the group and then leave the ship later before its departure in the afternoon, again as a "transit" passenger?

 

We "stayed on the ship" on our last B2B when we also needed to change cabins. We met with the HAL-escorted group, and by the time we returned to the ship after it "cleared"  the stewards had all our items in the new cabin. 

[NCTribeFan]

Hmm.  My move "next door" at the end of the Rotterdam 150th Anniversary sailing this past April (I stayed on for another 10 nights) didn't go so smoothly.  Maybe because I was in interior 6112 and moving to 6127 meant I was "technically" going from Port to Starboard and had different cabin stewards.

 

I thought I had to be in the cabin to move and I ended up sitting for quite a long time waiting.  Finally, an official-looking woman with a clipboard came to my cabin and asked when I was leaving.  Told her I was waiting to be moved next door.  She went over to check that the cabin was empty (it was but it -wasn't ready to be occupied) so she took my big suitcase and I took my carry-on.  I then went down to the Guest Services to get my new cabin key but there was a very, very long line (lots and lots of people staying on for the next leg and apparently changing cabins).  They were using the CO desk to issue new key cards.

 

Thankfully, my old card was still working, so I got a coffee at the Dutch Cafe and kept an eye on the line.  When it finally was down to about a half-dozen people, I went over and got my new key card.

 

I've done two B2Bs on Carnival where i changed cabins and it went much more smoothly, so i was a bit surprised that it seemed no one on HAL seemed to know what was going on with my move.  I wasn't going anywhere that day, but still.

[Haljo1935]

2 hours ago, NCTribeFan said:

Hmm.  My move "next door" at the end of the Rotterdam 150th Anniversary sailing this past April (I stayed on for another 10 nights) didn't go so smoothly.  Maybe because I was in interior 6112 and moving to 6127 meant I was "technically" going from Port to Starboard and had different cabin stewards.

 

I thought I had to be in the cabin to move and I ended up sitting for quite a long time waiting.  Finally, an official-looking woman with a clipboard came to my cabin and asked when I was leaving.  Told her I was waiting to be moved next door.  She went over to check that the cabin was empty (it was but it -wasn't ready to be occupied) so she took my big suitcase and I took my carry-on.  I then went down to the Guest Services to get my new cabin key but there was a very, very long line...

 

Thankfully, my old card was still working, so I got a coffee at the Dutch Cafe and kept an eye on the line.  When it finally was down to about a half-dozen people, I went over and got my new key card...

Unfortunate you had a bad experience changing cabins, it really is a smooth process.

I was told by GS on one of my first B2B that involved changing cabins to: remind cabin steward day before Turnaround Day that I'd be changing cabins & tell them the new number, get a new key early Turnaround morning then go to breakfast (I get mine around 6am - never a line no matter the ship). If you see your cabin steward, you can let them know you're leaving so they'll know they can move your stuff and clean your room.

I've followed that routine every time and it's worked great. I've moved cabins to different sides and to different decks, so involved changing cabin stewards.

If you're on a ship that has to "zero out" you will scan out with your old card and will scan in with your new card, which you'll already have because you got it earlier in the morning. 

Hopefully you have more B2B in your cruising future and things will go better.

Edited August 6, 2023 by Haljo1935
Typo

[cwd79]

We did it last fall and everything was pretty easy, only annoying piece was having to stand in the extremally long Guest Services line to get our new cabin key. Wish they had a better process to get a new cabin key. 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

19 hours ago, POA1 said:

Do they still move drawers between rooms or is that that a relic of the past?

I think they prefer not to. 

[tgetz]

But will they if we are moving just next door and in the same cabin category?? I would tip nicely if they would.  🙂 

[Crew News]

2 hours ago, tgetz said:

But will they if we are moving just next door and in the same cabin category?? I would tip nicely if they would.  🙂 

Since you are moving next door, the occupants of your future room might leave the ship in one of the early groups and your Room Stewards will allow you to start moving items, to include swapping drawers, ASAP. 

[tgetz]

thanks....

[Holly g]

On 8/6/2023 at 10:34 AM, Haljo1935 said:

Unfortunate you had a bad experience changing cabins, it really is a smooth process.

I was told by GS on one of my first B2B that involved changing cabins to: remind cabin steward day before Turnaround Day that I'd be changing cabins & tell them the new number, get a new key early Turnaround morning then go to breakfast (I get mine around 6am - never a line no matter the ship). If you see your cabin steward, you can let them know you're leaving so they'll know they can move your stuff and clean your room.

I've followed that routine every time and it's worked great. I've moved cabins to different sides and to different decks, so involved changing cabin stewards.

If you're on a ship that has to "zero out" you will scan out with your old card and will scan in with your new card, which you'll already have because you got it earlier in the morning. 

Hopefully you have more B2B in your cruising future and things will go better.

We will be doing a back to back in April. How and where did you get a new key card early in the morning? Don’t you have to get the new key off the ship at check in?

[Crew News]

5 minutes ago, Holly g said:

We will be doing a back to back in April. How and where did you get a new key card early in the morning? Don’t you have to get the new key off the ship at check in?

Keys are no longer given at check-in rather they will be found in your stateroom mailbox.  Same for changing rooms.

 

The Room Stewards of your new room will unlock the room for moving your stuff to the new room using their Room Steward keys.

Edited August 21, 2023 by Crew News

[kazu]

21 minutes ago, Holly g said:

We will be doing a back to back in April. How and where did you get a new key card early in the morning? Don’t you have to get the new key off the ship at check in?

 

Crew News is correct that the new keys are in your mail box however, my experience has been on a B2B, we needed our old key to disembark and our new key to come back on board (no check in needed of course).

 

On mostcruises and one of ours, the new key is usually available the turnaround morning.  On another, we were actually provided with it the night before but that was on the little Prinsendam.  I doubt it would be the same on the bigger ships.

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, Holly g said:

We will be doing a back to back in April. How and where did you get a new key card early in the morning? Don’t you have to get the new key off the ship at check in?

@Crew News @Holly g every B2B I've done that involved changing cabins (most recent this May Eurodam, Feb N Amsterdam, Dec K'Dam) I got the new key prior to breakfast (usually 6 - 630am) on Turnaround Day at Pax Services. Keep old key b/c as @kazu said, you will need it to scan off. No need for you personally to access the new cabin until you get back on. You'll scan back on the ship w/the new card and will be able to get into the new cabin. Cabin Steward will move your stuff while you're gone.

We were told to do this a couple years by a very helpful cabin steward and it's worked every time 😀 

[OlsSalt]

You will get written instructions the night before. And presented with different plans for different choices:

 

(1) Leave the ship on turnaround days and come back later as a "transit passenger;

(2) stay on the ship and go through whatever ship clearance is required as a HAL escorted  group; or (3) stay on the ship get settled into your new cabin, but leave later and get a "transit" passenger card. 

 

 

They will tell you how to exchange keys (cards, whatever), but yo will need to make one of those three basic choices. Getting the staff to know what the written instructions explained the night before may take a little patience and not work like clockwork, but it all does work out. 

[Haljo1935]

@Holly g no matter which of the 3 options from @OlsSalt list I do, I always go to Pax Services early (6-630am) Turnaround morning and get a key to the new cabin.