Back to Back - do we get off the ship??

[cruzintheworld]

Hi! We're doing our first back-to-back cruise on the Utopia later this year. I've been reading online, and some say we'll be able to stay on the ship the entire time (and that's actually what the person at RCCL's 800 number said when I booked), but others say that we'll escorted off the ship at some point and then walked right back on.

 

Can anyone who actually did this on RCCL tell me what your experience was? Thanks so much. If it matters, we are all US citizens and we are leaving from Port Canaveral. Thank you!!

[smokeybandit]

Odds are you'll walk off the ship, do your customs then walk right back on.
 

Customs people coming on the ship has been known to happen, but unlikely anymore.

[Biker19]

14 minutes ago, cruzintheworld said:

Can anyone who actually did this on RCCL tell me what your experience was?

Until there's a verifiable pattern on Utopia, no one will know. What the RCI person told you is likely wrong.

[RobInMN]

There's probably a couple main variations, each with some sub variations. And these can vary by ship/port/country.

However, since you say Utopia and Port Canaveral, I'd plan on what @smokeybandit said. If you search this board for various threads on this, the US ports appear to be pretty consistently: meet in a common area, get off the ship as a group, do customs, and then you can get back on. In some cases this may be right away, in other cases, you may have to wait for some sort of "all clear" from the ship.

Pretty sure the only people that have reported staying on the ship were all in European ports. My only experience was in Amsterdam on Jewel, and we stayed on the ship.

But like @Biker19 said, until someone's done it, no way to know for sure.

[1025cruise]

Since it's a US port, the ship will need to zero out. You will be asked to meet in a lounge with other B2B'ers and then be escorted off the ship to zero out. Once the all clear is given, you will be allowed to board first. If there are a good number of B2B'ers, there is a chance CBP might come on board to clear you, in which case you wait in the lounge.

[mets123]

Bottom line is that what happens today may not happen tomorrow. 

[FamilyCruiserUK]

As others have said on our back to back out of Miami we had to all meet up in the theatre, although some people thought they were too important to meet up with us. So we all spent a while sat waiting for them to be "found".  Collected 2nd weeks cruise cards. There was tea and coffee and cakes at the venue. Had to get a ticket to go to the toilet though. We were escorted off the ship through customs, face scan and then back onto the ship.

Tbh i found the whole exercise pointless and very time consuming. We wanted to get off and have a look around Miami but by the time the "Important" people were found and we were off and on it wasnt worth getting off again. 

 

Every P&O cruise i have been on you got a set time to get to a venue and have passport checked/stamped and given the following weeks cards, was super quick and easy. Took no more then 30mins and that was including cruises in the Carribbean.

[RobInMN]

21 minutes ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

Every P&O cruise i have been on you got a set time to get to a venue and have passport checked/stamped and given the following weeks cards, was super quick and easy. Took no more then 30mins and that was including cruises in the Carribbean.

That's how it was on Jewel in Amsterdam.

In the starboard theater doors. Passport check, new SeaPass Cards, "In Transit" pass, then security podium, scan out of first cruise, into new cruise, and exit via theater port doors. 5 minutes tops.

 

[neverbeenhere]

You could have collected your in-transit pass and new stateroom card from guest services or loyalty concierge and headed to the city as soon as the ship starts debarking passengers.

[cruiselvr04]

34 minutes ago, neverbeenhere said:

You could have collected your in-transit pass and new stateroom card from guest services or loyalty concierge and headed to the city as soon as the ship starts debarking passengers.

This depends on where you are in the world. 

[mo&fran]

5 minutes ago, cruiselvr04 said:

This depends on where you are in the world. 

But it is in the US.

[Mikamarii]

4 hours ago, cruzintheworld said:

Can anyone who actually did this on RCCL tell me what your experience was? Thanks so much. If it matters, we are all US citizens and we are leaving from Port Canaveral. Thank you!!

 

We recently did a back to back on Quantum this past December in Ft Lauderdale. Met and waited in 270, got our new sea pass cards and waited until the ship was empty. They then escorted us off where we scanned out of the first cruise. Waited in a small waiting area off the ship (I think they were waiting for the remaining passengers to clear out of the port area as to not confuse us with any stragglers). They then walked us all to a customs agent who did their thing then they walked us back up to the waiting area. Waited about 5 minutes or so then they took our group and let us scan and get back on the ship. From the time they started walking us off the ship to the time we got back on was about 45 minutes tops.

[UKWLDCruise]

I have stayed on the ship when back to backing from San Juan,  I have left the ship and turned round and boarded again in Miami and once I was asked to please choose a tour as they were having an inspection and they could do with the back to backers off the ship for a while.  I think it just depends.

[c-leg5]

3 hours ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

Tbh i found the whole exercise pointless and very time consuming. We wanted to get off and have a look around Miami but by the time the "Important" people were found and we were off and on it wasnt worth getting off again. 

There are always separate arrangements for those who want to get off independently or for a tour and you will be given in-transit cards. You just won’t be able to re-board  as soon as other B2B cruisers but if you are exploring it doesn’t really matter.

 

I am surprised this option wasn’t outlined on your instructions.

Edited April 2 by c-leg5

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, Mikamarii said:

We recently did a back to back on Quantum this past December in Ft Lauderdale.

I assume you meant Odyssey.

[cruiselvr04]

How’s this one for fun….we were on Brilliance RT Sydney and went to NZ.  No Australia ports that cruise.  B2B then going around Australia.  We had to pack all our belongings even if in the same cabin, special tag them, leave them out the night before turn around.  Morning of turnaround had to get off after everyone else did, collect our bags off the ship, recheck them. You could then head out to Sydney or get back on the ship.  Since we had to bring valuables off with us we chose to get back on rather then drag them around in a big backpack all day. We were then not allowed to leave the ship again. Strange rules and made a lot of work for everyone. We did get our luggage first but it was still a super hassle.
It was not that way in Perth when we continued on for the third B2B. Just coming from NZ. 

Edited April 2 by cruiselvr04

[PhillyFan33579]

I have only done B2Bs from US ports, most recently last year on Wonder at Port Canaveral. Every time all the B2Bers met somewhere in the morning, usually at the MDR, where you are given a new Seapass card. Shortly before boarding begins for the new cruise, everyone walked off the ship, waited in the terminal for as little as a minute to up to 10 minutes, than you are the first ones to board the ship. 
 

One loophole that still exists at Terminal 1 at Port Canaveral is you pay for parking when you enter the parking garage (just did this yesterday for Allure). So if you are on a B2B (or longer) you only pay for the first leg of your cruise. I have never had to pay for parking for the entire cruise when doing a B2B out of Port Canaveral. 

[Mikamarii]

2 hours ago, Biker19 said:

I assume you meant Odyssey.

oops you are correct....not sure what I was thinking there

[LB_NJ]

IN THE US, assemble, walk right off the ship and get back on.  If some passengers decide to walk around the ship and not get off then you could be sitting for hours waiting for the rude people.

[njkruzer]

In Australia we were required to leave the ship by 9 am and not return for 2 hrs.  Did. It in Perth. In Sydney coming from NZ we were changing cabins so moved stuff but didn’t have to leave out the night before,  just standard moving of stuff.  And again the 2 hr requirements. 

[NRWPA]

6 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

One loophole that still exists at Terminal 1 at Port Canaveral is you pay for parking when you enter the parking garage (just did this yesterday for Allure). So if you are on a B2B (or longer) you only pay for the first leg of your cruise. I have never had to pay for parking for the entire cruise when doing a B2B out of Port Canaveral. 

Is it the same out of terminal 5 does anyone know?