first time b2b

[cruisinsmoothly]

We will be cruising in July to Alaska on the HAL Veendam for a 14-day cruise (booked that way). It is actually 2 seven-day cruises b2b. What happens on day seven? For instance, will we need to leave the ship in Seward? Will we have the same table for dining on both weeks? We are 6 people and have requested a table for 6. It would be nice to not have to change mid-trip. Will we have the same room steward and wait staff for both weeks? Anyone with b2b that can share their experiences?

Thanks

[Keith1010]

I can answer most of the questions.

 

You will have the same room steward as long as the room stewards contract does not end at the end of the first cruise.

 

In term of the dining room table and the waiter, if you want to stay where you are just let the restaurant maitre d' know so that he keeps you at the same table with the same waiter.

 

All of my back to back cruise have not involved ports in the USA and for those we could stay on the ship. I am not sure how what happens when the turn around is in Alaska.

 

Keith

[FUN33]

We will be cruising in July to Alaska on the HAL Veendam for a 14-day cruise (booked that way). It is actually 2 seven-day cruises b2b. What happens on day seven? For instance, will we need to leave the ship in Seward? Will we have the same table for dining on both weeks? We are 6 people and have requested a table for 6. It would be nice to not have to change mid-trip. Will we have the same room steward and wait staff for both weeks? Anyone with b2b that can share their experiences?

Thanks

You will receive you sea pass for the next cruise two nights before the first cruise ends. On the last day of the first cruise you will receive a notice to meet with the other B2B passengers. A crew member will escort the group on a short walk where you will use your first sea pass to take you off the ship and then you will put in your new pass. At that point, you are free to go anywhere you want on the ship until it sails.

 

If you want to go ashore for the day, just leave whenever you want to. You will use your old sea pass to get off. Keep in mind, if you want to return to the ship, try to not return before 1PM. As soon as you return to the terminal, find someone with authority and show them that you already have your sea pass for the next cruise. They should let you bypass most of the lines & re-board the ship.

 

The most important thing to do on a B2B is HAVE THE SAME CABIN FOR BOTH CRUISES. Changing cabins is a real pain. Staying in the same cabin is like adding an extra day to your vacation.

[kitty9]

You will have to go through US Customs and Immigration when the ship docks after the first segment. You will be told when and where to meet as a group, and you will escorted to where the officials are waiting and you'll hand in your US Custom's forms.

 

Did you book the same cabin for both segments? Unless the room steward/waiter leaves on vacation, or gets a change in assignment, your cabin steward/waiter should be the same.

 

BTW, you do your gratuities separately for each week, and not once at the end of your second segment.

[chasetf]

We will be cruising in July to Alaska on the HAL Veendam for a 14-day cruise (booked that way). It is actually 2 seven-day cruises b2b. What happens on day seven? For instance, will we need to leave the ship in Seward? Will we have the same table for dining on both weeks? We are 6 people and have requested a table for 6. It would be nice to not have to change mid-trip. Will we have the same room steward and wait staff for both weeks? Anyone with b2b that can share their experiences?

Thanks

Make sure your TA cross references all of your reservations. This will assure you do not have to change cabins and this is how you can make sure you are all at the same table and if you want to stay at the same table for the second week, now is the time to make that preference. It may be too late to get the Matre'd to change it during your trip.

 

Even if you have the same table, the waiters switch around. We found this out on a B2B. We kept the same table but got a different wait staff on the second leg. They may or may not be rotating between your legs.

 

If you or any of your party have to change cabins, the crew will assist. For us, they arrived with those hotel carts.... took our hanging clothes and the suitcases that we packed with our drawer contents. (for the second leg we were moving from an Ocean View to a Balcony).

 

Shows will be the same, menus also. But you will be able to catch what you missed on the first leg. On our Tahiti B2B it was interesting because the show performers (singers and dancers) were rotating, so we saw the same show the next week but with a completely different cast.

 

Have a great trip.

[megr1125]

If you booked the same cabin for both legs, then you are all set.....if it's available.....

 

You CAN ask the maitre d the 1st or 2nd night to keep your table and waitstaff...we did, and it wa very cool! the Maitre D had to rearrange a few things, but we loved our DR staff, they loved us and we had a blast! they did their jobs well (with respect to the rest of the diners..) and since we generally were slow to move, they would come chat a bit after-while they were setting up around us.....saw lots of pix of their families, etc.

 

(They were VERY well rewarded at the end of week 2....and nicely rewarded after the st week)

 

You will have to leave the ship, but briefly. US Immigration/Customs needs the ship to be at ZERO before it is cleared for the new pax to board....

\

make sure to stop by Guest relations the 1st or 2nd day of leg 2 to be sure that your seapass card was linked to your CC from the 1st leg. This got fouled up on our cruise......found out when i went to buy ice cream.

 

GR took care of it as I had a letter where this was mentioned explicitly...thus i said i would not waste my vacation time solving their screwup!!

 

B2Bs are the BEST!!! Problem is, you do one, you want ALL your cruises to be B2B (or B2B2B2B2B~!!!!)

[chasetf]

........B2Bs are the BEST!!! Problem is, you do one, you want ALL your cruises to be B2B (or B2B2B2B2B~!!!!)

How true. I always like the expression on folks face when we tell them "Oh... were staying on" :D My brother once told some table mates they were staying on and they were surprised.....they asked them....."Can you do that ?"

 

The Dawn Princess used to do the ultimate B2B. They would repo from Florida / Caribbean to Alaska. To do it they did the following legs:

1) Fl to LA (Panama Canal)

2) LA to Honolulu

3) Honolulu to Papeete

4) Papeete to Honolulu

5) Honolulu to Alaska

 

My brother and his wife did legs #3 and #4 B2B and we were going to go too... but I couldn't get that much time away from work. They met folks on the ship that were doing all the legs. :eek:

[cruisinsmoothly]

We actually booked it as a 14 day cruise. Each of the Van.-Seward and Seward-Van. legs are also available for booking as 7 day cruises. We have the same rooms for the 14 days. Does the dining room still treat it like a B2B or will we be assigned for the duration to the same table and waitstaff? Has anyone booked with HAL on a cruise that could also be booked as smaller portions?

[ThePatientOne]

We actually booked it as a 14 day cruise. Each of the Van.-Seward and Seward-Van. legs are also available for booking as 7 day cruises. We have the same rooms for the 14 days. Does the dining room still treat it like a B2B or will we be assigned for the duration to the same table and waitstaff? Has anyone booked with HAL on a cruise that could also be booked as smaller portions?

 

 

To put your mind at ease, contact whoever you booked through and ask them the questions. They will be able to tell you in no uncertain terms what and how you are set up... They also can make the changes needed if need be to make it right... Just a thought...