BTB Question

[Syd58]

I have booked 2 separate cruises on the same ship (Dawn). The second cruise was booked several weeks after the first.  We arrive from the first cruise and depart the second cruise from the same port on the same day. Will we be required to exit the ship with our baggage, or can we live our things in the cabin? Would prefer to not have to disembark. We have the same cabin on both cruises. 

Edited July 10 by Syd58

[nowornever]

If I read this correctly, you are continuing your cruise in the same Dawn cabin without an interruption? When you booked is not an issue.  No, you will not need to do anything but put your "Do Not Disturb" sign out & get up & out whenever you want & enjoy a leisurely breakfast with fewer people, or go on an excursion arranged for on-going pax & be thankful you're not disembarking.  That's the beauty of longer cruises ! Cheers.

[Syd58]

18 minutes ago, nowornever said:

If I read this correctly, you are continuing your cruise in the same Dawn cabin without an interruption? When you booked is not an issue.  No, you will not need to do anything but put your "Do Not Disturb" sign out & get up & out whenever you want & enjoy a leisurely breakfast with fewer people, or go on an excursion arranged for on-going pax & be thankful you're not disembarking.  That's the beauty of longer cruises ! Cheers.

Yes, this is correct. I was concerned since we did not book the two cruises at the same time on the same invoice that we might have to disembark and go back through the check-in process. Perhaps Silversea has a way to link the two together so they will know we were on the first cruise and will be on the second as well. Thanks. 

Edited July 10 by Syd58

[alithecat]

Usually Silversea gives you a discount when you book B2B, often 5%. You should have your TA enquire, or call your Silversea rep. 

[Pies4u]

The on board process should be pretty straightforward, as others have indicated. In the UK the biggest problem is the admin, getting them to link the booking so it appears a continuous voyage in “My Silversea”. I’m not sure if other countries experience the same issue. It is crazy to have to jump in and out of 3 bookings to sort everything out, plus the changeover days appear on 2 different trips, blocked out as embark or disembark etc, so booking anything on those days was impossible.

 

We booked a combined 2 x 7 day plus 1 x 13 day btb, it took weeks to get them to list it as a 27 night single trip & not 3 separate cruises with transfers, flights etc. It also affects potential insurance claims as there were 3 separate ATOL certificates and there was no formal record of the actual booking arrangements that we had made. I had the 3 separate confirmations but they show something very different to reality, of course. On 2 days it looked like we were flying back from Barbados to the UK then back out again on the same day! Eventually, it would have an impact for excursion and dining booking dates too. I recognise that there are 3 different cruise numbers - and the trip isn’t listed as a single 27 night option - but that’s a corporate admin issue that they should get to grips with. As a customer, I expect to see my booking arrangements in my account appearing, exactly how it’s been booked, with a separate “new” cruise number if necessary. That is precisely what, subsequently, happened. The excursion link still shows 3 different cruises but the “timeline” page shows everything booked under a continuous trip, so I’m guessing/hoping all will be well when we do actually travel (in 2026).
 

The CC at Silversea in the UK was brilliant and recognised my concerns, she forwarded my e.mail accordingly. Then the matter went via London, Miami & Monaco before they eventually changed the records to show that we were, in fact, remaining on the ship for 27 nights and not flying backwards & forwards during the process. It took several attempts before they actually linked the saved excursions and sailing days to the revised, correct, booking. It may sound pedantic but, as I say, there are real, practical implications if a trip isn’t recorded accurately and correctly - both for the customer’s personal peace of mind and for technical/legal reasons too.

 

This must happen all the time, hundreds of folks book btb, I couldn’t believe that it was so difficult, or took so long, for them to amend the system to address such a basic issue. 
 

Do others just “go with the flow” and accept the flaws in the process?

[Port Power]

8 hours ago, Syd58 said:

Yes, this is correct. I was concerned since we did not book the two cruises at the same time on the same invoice that we might have to disembark and go back through the check-in process. Perhaps Silversea has a way to link the two together so they will know we were on the first cruise and will be on the second as well. Thanks. 

The caveat is in relation to where your back to back cruises are.  You have not mentioned destinations.  Some countries require the ship to clear all passengers, in which case you must disembark by a certain time so the ship can be “cleared”.  Just you.  Your cabin remains unchanged and luggage stays under the bed.  In such countries you might be able to board again almost immediately.  In other cases you will not be able to board again for several hours.  Silversea usually provides a shore excursion specifically for B2B passengers in this instance.

 

Definitely have your TA get the B2B discount for you.  No matter how long between booking the two cruises, this discount still applies.

[fdnycruiser]

Ports in the USA fit that description. 

[FauxNom]

On my recent b2b cruise things went pretty seamlessly. I did check with reception a couple times to make sure some onboard spending credit carried over to the second leg. At turnaround day in Namibia, it was clear that they wanted us off the ship because there was a wonderful excursion offered (cost-free because we were on an expedition ship), but I don't recall anyone insisting we needed to leave. 

[LAexNY]

We were on a B2B on the Wind this year, Lisbon-London-Reykjavik.  There had been norovirus on the ship prior to Lisbon.  Some Noro continued on the first leg.  In London, everyone was required to leave the ship for the day so the whole ship could be sanitized.  So it can happen, even though it is not the norm.

[Sololux]

We were on Sea Dream on a B2B, several years ago.  When we got to San Juan, the end of the first trip, we didn’t realise we would need to get up early and go to the reception for a border security clearance check.  The policeman was not happy that he had to wait for us to get dressed, we were the last couple to be cleared.  After we were able to go back to our suite.  Had Sea Dream informed us we would have got up early.  Lesson learnt was check with reception the night beforehand if you’re going to have to be present for a border clearance check when doing B2B.

[Port Power]

4 hours ago, Sololux said:

We were on Sea Dream on a B2B, several years ago.  When we got to San Juan, the end of the first trip, we didn’t realise we would need to get up early and go to the reception for a border security clearance check.  The policeman was not happy that he had to wait for us to get dressed, we were the last couple to be cleared.  After we were able to go back to our suite.  Had Sea Dream informed us we would have got up early.  Lesson learnt was check with reception the night beforehand if you’re going to have to be present for a border clearance check when doing B2B.

Wow, that’s unusual!  I have always received very clear, printed instructions a day or two in advance about what would be happening on changeover day.

[highplanesdrifters]

Last year when Cairns was our first port in Australia all guest were required to vacate the ship for the entire day until 8 pm. Australia required some type of fill blown inspection. An excursion and dinner was offered.

[Port Power]

1 hour ago, highplanesdrifters said:

Last year when Cairns was our first port in Australia all guest were required to vacate the ship for the entire day until 8 pm. Australia required some type of fill blown inspection. An excursion and dinner was offered.

I think that was something to do with the ship having its hull scraped, which SS had not had done prior to arriving.  
 

In Japan we went for a day excursion, but that was voluntary.  In Dubai we went to a lounge to receive our new pass cards, then walked out on deck to tag off, tag on with new card, and came straight back onboard.  USA IIRC is one of the countries that require clearing the ship.

[Syd58]

On 7/10/2024 at 12:47 AM, alithecat said:

Usually Silversea gives you a discount when you book B2B, often 5%. You should have your TA enquire, or call your Silversea rep. 

I checked with the TA who contacted Silversea. A representative sent her back an email saying if I used the 5% discount, the total price of the two cruise segments would be higher than what I paid. I don’t understand as the price of the two cruise segments has not increased since I made the booking.

Edited July 11 by Syd58

[FauxNom]

38 minutes ago, Syd58 said:

A representative sent her back an email saying if I used the 5% discount, the total price of the two cruise segments would be higher than what I paid.

That seems impossible, especially if the cruise prices are still the same! When I added the second segment to one that had been booked way earlier, Silversea gave me the 5% on each segment, honoring the price at which I had booked the old segment and using current rates for the second. 

The only exception I can think of is if the pair of cruises is on the list of combination cruises. If so, you can't book the 2 segments separately in order to get the b2b discount: https://www.silversea.com/destinations/combination-cruises.html

[highplanesdrifters]

My TA tells me it's Russian Roulette with the Silversea (and Seabourn) agents.  She sometimes has to call numerous times to get a person who really knows something in order  to get what should be the correct answer, fare, or information.