Are there ANY downsides to a back-to-back?

[pcur]

B2B's ROCK!! Definitely do it, especially if it's that much cheaper. Be sure to get the same cabin for both cruises. As Merion Mom says, it's an inconvenience to change cabins on the second cruise.

 

We sleep in on turnaround day, then eat leisurely, do the new cruise card thing (ours was easy: we went to a lounge and got them, then went off the ship; no rechecking in again).

 

Downside? Getting off the ship!!!:D

[Sheik]

You will not receive a cruise credit. Cruisecredits will only be offered on cruises of 7 nights or longer.

[cruisegirl1]

Sorry Sheik -

 

Cruise credit are offered on ALL RCCL sailings - regardless of the number of days.

 

Basically a 3 day sailing awards the same credit as a 7 day sailing. A 3/4 day back to back in a JS or higher willl net you 4 credits.

 

M

[Sheik]

Sorry, my mistake, you are correct.

 

offtopic:

In this case it's not special at all if you are Diamond plus member :( What a bummer....a couple of 3 nighters and you are Diamond. I'm Diamond member, but have done a lot of expensive and long cruises...

[cruisegirl1]

So true - about the easy claim to status.

 

All one really needs is a few 3 night cruises in JS and they are diamond.

 

The Florida folks jump on the 3 night cruises all the time - I don’t blame them -if the price is right - why not.

 

At least you do now get some additional credit compensation for suite or longer sailings. In the beginning - it did not matter – a cruise was a cruise for credit purposes.

 

The C/A program issues could make for an interesting thread.

M

[Sheik]

I don't want to be too offtopic, but thanks for your clarification regarding the C&A program.

[jjb415]

The only downside is that turnaround day can be a bit of a lost day, depending on how the port handles it. In Ft. Lauderdale, we had a leisurely breakfast, met with other B2Bers in the Schooner Bar around 10:00, were taken off and re-processed in a group. We were back onboard by 11:15 and had a nice quiet couple of hours in the Solarium until the new lot of cruisers invaded.

 

In LA we met around 9:30, had to wait about an hour because disembarkation was a mess, and then were escorted ahead of those still waiting to clear immigration. I went home for a couple of hours, but those who stuck around had to wait until boarding commenced for the new cruise - although they were the first to board, they had about an hour's wait in the P/D lounge, as I recall from the telling.

 

But the benefits far outweigh the negatives, especially if you keep the same cabin for both legs. Schlepping stuff down the hall is a minor inconvenience, but it's better to stay put if you can.

 

I just read a review of the Majesty of the Seas B2B out of Miami on another site that mentioned doing the 4-day first, with the last port being Key West. He cleared Immigration formalities in Key West and didn't have to leave the ship in Miami for the B2B, just had to go to the Purser's Desk to get a new Seapass card. Something to remember for the future !!

[chanclay]

You will not receive a cruise credit. Cruisecredits will only be offered on cruises of 7 nights or longer.

NOT TRUE you get credit for all cruises.

[Sheik]

@chanclay:

We know that already.......

[TigerLady]

Well, the hubby and I just got back from AOS 3 days ago, and we're both in withdrawl and NEED something to look forward to! However, we liked the fare that we paid for sailing in September, and everything seems pretty expensive to sail in February, when we would like to go again.

 

So I got the bright idea this morning of doing a back to back in the Bahamas (a 3 night and a 4 night), because it saves us HUNDREDS compared to actually taking a 7 night sailing. If I'm correct, we would also get one C&A credit per sailing too, wouldn't we? (That would put us both at platinum status, instead of staying a gold member for one 7 night sailing)

 

I had never occurred to me before to do a back to back to actually SAVE money, but the way I'm looking at it, you can't really go wrong. Is there something I'm missing that would downgrade our experience? We don't mind hitting some of the same ports twice, since anything away from winter in Chicago is an AWESOME time.

The only downside is, you eventually have to go home. I tried to stay on the ship last time, and they said I didn't "have to go home" I just couldn't stay there....:p

[james j feller]

The only real problem doing a b2b is your clothes fit tighter on the 2nd cruise.

 

JIM

[Mydnite]

The only issue we found was saying goodbye to the friends you make on the first leg of the cruise :(

[anaslile]

Upside, if there is a hurricane, like came and hit Galveston while I was on Conquest, at least you have a break in between to get back and save your car. Folks told me I gambled and lost cruising in September, thats the only caveat, hurricane season.

 

I did a B2B like you are speaking of, but it went into Oct when less chance of hurricanes. I need one more credit to be platinum, hoping to book Voyager again next spring to get there myself.

 

Firefly, you should consider the April 5, 2009 Voyager sailing. We have a really terrific group going and if you don't mind having an inside gty RCI is having a sale for only $499 pp for that week and the week after.

 

 

I personally can't see any downside of a b2b, as long as you don't mind repeating ports/food/entertainment. Any day on a cruise ship is 10x better than a day on land.

[rubrrick]

To clarify - we did not have to "re-muster", we got a special card - like a note to the teacher!

 

 

Just a quick note on "muster drill". I know that some people think it's a pain..........and many feel that they should get out of it on a B2B....on the second leg.

 

I don't have a problem with someone that is staying in the same cabin, not attending the second drill.........as they know where their muster station is located.

 

But for anyone that has to move to another cabin on the 2nd leg of a B2B......do you really know where your muster station is????

 

It's far better to take the 15 minutes out of your cruise.......to be at the muster drill............and know your station!!

 

For that very rare occasion where you NEED to know where your muster station is located......and need to be there with your life jacket on....and medications stored in a sealed zip lock bag.........you will be very thankful that you took the time to go thru the drill. ;)

 

Rick

[TravelerThom]

I personally can't see any downside of a b2b, as long as you don't mind repeating ports...

And even that is not always true. We have signed up for March 2009 Vision of the Seas 2 * 7 nights out of Santo Domingo and these seem designed for B2Bs as there are NO repeated ports in the 14 nights other than the port of origin. [They also seem designed for non-US cruisers who don't want the hassle and expense of US Visas, as the ship never touches a US port (such as San Juan or St. Thomas) in the 14 nights. The Vision will have just come from the West Coast of the US, so it will have been subject to US Coast Guard inspection (not like some ships that NEVER touch US ports and are purposely avoiding USCG inspections)]