Booking Back to Back Cruises

[Carol28]

We've never done this before but are considering it.  Is there a discount? Is it difficult to stay in the same cabin? Are there benefits or difficulties.  Please share what I need to know.

[Georgia_Peaches]

No benefits or discount that I know of.  I recommend doing your own mock booking to find a cabin that is available on both legs of the cruise you are looking at and then let your TA know what the cabin number is and let them get it booked for you.  We are on a b2b in November.  Our categories are different for each leg so we will have to move on turnover day.  Not a big deal because we can drop off our luggage in the new room before we disembark/re-embark for the next sailing.  

 

[Northern Aurora]

We rarely book just a single leg.  We book B2B, B2B2B and an occasional B2B2B2B.  

 

There is a small discount when booking B2B.  It is a discount -- not OBC.  The amount depends on the number of days in the leg.  Frequently you need to ask for it.  It seems that a number of travel agents are not aware of it.

 

While it is convenient to stay in the same stateroom moving from one stateroom to another is not difficult. The move will be coordinated between the stateroom attendants.  You would need to pack items in drawers but the stateroom attendants have bellman type trolleys they use to move items on hangers.  And of course you are the person who moves items in the safe.

 

B2B passengers are invited to the Concierge Class embarkation lunch.

 

There usually is a B2B meeting before the turnaround day, and the B2B process will be explained there.  You will receive a succinct instruction letter before the turnaround day which also explains the process.  If you decide to leave the ship on turnaround day you will receive (with that succinct letter) a "Transit Pass" which allows you to bypass the lines of embarking passengers.  Our OP doesn't indicate where the turnaround day will be; in some ports all passengers need to physically leave the ship until boarding passengers start to board.

 

If you want the same stateroom and are unable to book it, just waitlist the desired stateroom.

[dateacher]

Your room steward will take your hanging clothes and packed suitcases to the new cabin if you can't get the same cabin. It's not a difficult thing to do.  

 

One suggestion.  If they are different categories, do the lower category on the first leg.

[WestLakeGirl]

1 hour ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

No benefits or discount that I know of.

 

There is a discount which varies by length of cruises involved

1 hour ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

  I recommend doing your own mock booking to find a cabin that is available on both legs of the cruise you are looking at and then let your TA know what the cabin number is and let them get it booked for you.  We are on a b2b in November.  Our categories are different for each leg so we will have to move on turnover day.  Not a big deal because we can drop off our luggage in the new room before we disembark/re-embark for the next sailing.  

 

The room stewards will move your luggage for you 

[Georgia_Peaches]

9 minutes ago, WestLakeGirl said:

There is a discount which varies by length of cruises involved

The room stewards will move your luggage for you 

Good to know on both counts. Thank you. We are on a b2b and got no discounts 😞. 

[Silkroad]

There’s a $100 b2b discount for cruises 10 nights or longer, and a $50 discount for cruises less than 10 nights. TAs and CVPs should know to get the discounts applied, but not all reservation reps seem to know about the discounts. Note: I’m not sure if there’s a minimum cruise length for the discount because my shortest cruise was 7 nights.

Edited October 16, 2023 by Silkroad

[Silkroad]

7 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Good to know on both counts. Thank you. We are on a b2b and got no discounts 😞. 

That’s a shame! I wonder if your TA can get them applied now. 

[helen haywood]

Since changing to a different cabin for the next leg is so easy we sometimes prefer to switch cabins.  Makes it feel more like another cruise…rather than just one.  And sometimes it’s fun to switch sides or decks.

[Arizona Wildcat]

1 hour ago, Silkroad said:

That’s a shame! I wonder if your TA can get them applied now. 

Just need to request.  The discount is not automatic 

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, Silkroad said:

That’s a shame! I wonder if your TA can get them applied now. 

Give them a call.  They should be able to apply it.   On more than one occasion I have booked a second or third segment and had my agent apply it as a NR OBC. 

 

I'm not sure if this is the same as the discount mentioned above.

[trinitygirl]

3 hours ago, Silkroad said:

There’s a $100 b2b discount for cruises 10 nights or longer, and a $50 discount for cruises less than 10 nights. TAs and CVPs should know to get the discounts applied, but not all reservation reps seem to know about the discounts. Note: I’m not sure if there’s a minimum cruise length for the discount because my shortest cruise was 7 nights.

I tried to have this discount applied to my upcoming B2B cruise but it does not apply to the UK/AU/NZ markets.

[Northern Aurora]

3 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Good to know on both counts. Thank you. We are on a b2b and got no discounts 😞. 

 

And did you ask?  These discounts don't seem to be automatically applied.  ASK.  DEMAND.  We have had them applied before final payment date.

[ela123]

1 hour ago, trinitygirl said:

tried to have this discount applied to my upcoming B2B cruise but it does not apply to the UK/AU/NZ markets

I’ve had the discount applied previously for B2B cruises in UK and AU and I live in the UK

[trinitygirl]

19 minutes ago, ela123 said:

I’ve had the discount applied previously for B2B cruises in UK and AU and I live in the UK

interesting!  i was told by two different agents on the phone that the discount only applied to the US market.  i guess the rules change from time to time, or maybe they didn't know what they were talking about...  they certainly wouldn't apply to my cruises.

[twincheryl]

9 hours ago, Silkroad said:

There’s a $100 b2b discount for cruises 10 nights or longer, and a $50 discount for cruises less than 10 nights. TAs and CVPs should know to get the discounts applied, but not all reservation reps seem to know about the discounts. Note: I’m not sure if there’s a minimum cruise length for the discount because my shortest cruise was 7 nights.

We did a 7day b2b with a 4 day this past summer and had to call… got $100 discount.

[Georgia_Peaches]

6 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

 

And did you ask?  These discounts don't seem to be automatically applied.  ASK.  DEMAND.  We have had them applied before final payment date.

I am asking today!  Will report back. I’m after final payment so maybe an OBC?

[bikerunner]

2 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

I am asking today!  Will report back. I’m after final payment so maybe an OBC?

No, I was after final payment when I booked my b2b,  Already had the 10 day for november 20th on Silhouette and added last week the 4 day Nov 30th on the Silhouette.  I go the 50 off for the 4 day and since I had already paid in full for the 10 day they issued me a credit, took 3 days for it to show up on my CC.  

[Georgia_Peaches]

Called and got my discount!  @bikerunner you are correct.  Will get refunded to my CC.  Not sure why my TA didn't point this out...

 

Grateful to OP for posting this thread and all who chimed in!

[Jim_Iain]

7 hours ago, trinitygirl said:

interesting!  i was told by two different agents on the phone that the discount only applied to the US market.  i guess the rules change from time to time, or maybe they didn't know what they were talking about...  they certainly wouldn't apply to my cruises.

With due respect.   I think the answer changes from Agent to Agent.   If you don't like the answer call back and you may get a totally different answer or ask to speak to a Supervisor.

[trinitygirl]

41 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

With due respect.   I think the answer changes from Agent to Agent.   If you don't like the answer call back and you may get a totally different answer or ask to speak to a Supervisor.

the supervisor i spoke to after the agent said no, showed me a list of the promo codes that apply to NZ/AUS and the B2B code wasn't on it, so she said she couldn't apply it, the system would not accept it.  she also said it didn't apply to the UK but didn't show me that list.

[BytownMatt]

Have been on 2 B2B so far with more planned - my TA has included $120 (CDN) discounts (recognize this may vary from country to country and maybe from one TA to another). One piece of advice for those changing staterooms is to speak with your room attendant in advance to confirm the details. For my first B2B on the Apex, everything was perfectly handled and simple. My experience on the Beyond was less positive - luggage disappeared for 14 hours until it was found in the unclaimed luggage storage area on deck 2. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 hour ago, BytownMatt said:

My experience on the Beyond was less positive - luggage disappeared for 14 hours until it was found in the unclaimed luggage storage area on deck 2. 

Yikes!  Is there anything stopping me from taking my luggage to the next room myself or do I have to let the room attendant do it?

[BytownMatt]

2 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Yikes!  Is there anything stopping me from taking my luggage to the next room myself or do I have to let the room attendant do it?

It's a good question. My guess is that they would discourage that because of all of the people and luggage moving about and room cleaning on turnaround day. I would like to think that my experience on the Beyond was the exception. That said, I plan on speaking with my room attendant next time to confirm the room change process.

[skatelady]

I always check rates whenever they announce a new sale.  I have had good luck with changing cabins.  On a single cruise I moved from obstructed balcony to a sunset verandah and saved $600, keeping the same benefits. That was a score!  More relevant to this thread, when we did our back to back I booked the two legs about 9 months apart.  The cabin from the first leg was not available.  When doing a mock booking for a sale I found the first leg cabin available again and was able to move.  We appreciated not having to move.