How to Back to back cruises work?

[jenhelgren]

This is a newbie question-but can someone explain how a B2B cruise works? Do you get to have the same cabin both sailings? Do you have to leave the ship with all your luggage while Disney prepares for the next cruise or do they store it for you? Do you just disembark as late as possible and hang out in the terminal or do you need to collect your baggage and exit through Customs like the rest of the passengers? I'm sure I'm forgetting some more questions but I just want a general idea of the easiest way to do it. Thanks in advance!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

This is a newbie question-but can someone explain how a B2B cruise works? Do you get to have the same cabin both sailings? Do you have to leave the ship with all your luggage while Disney prepares for the next cruise or do they store it for you? Do you just disembark as late as possible and hang out in the terminal or do you need to collect your baggage and exit through Customs like the rest of the passengers? I'm sure I'm forgetting some more questions but I just want a general idea of the easiest way to do it. Thanks in advance!

Each cruise on a B2B is a separate reservation. It's not booked as a "back to back" cruise.

If you are able to book the same room on both reservations, then you will be in the same room.

If you do have the same room for both cruises, you can leave your stuff in the room (remember to take your check in documents with you) while you disembark the ship and re-check in. If you are not able to book the same room, you will pack up your stuff, but leave your bags in your (1st) room. The room hosts will transfer it to your new room for the second leg.

You won't clear customs/immigration until you leave the ship for good (after the second cruise).

If the turnaround day is a US port, you will be required to disembark the ship between cruises. If you are doing a B2B that the turnaround day is a non-US port, you may or may not be required to disembark.

 

[noahsmom]

Actually you do have to go through customs between the 2 cruises and they will ask for your passport (or whatever ID you're using) and the customs form.

After you go through customs you will proceed back up the escalator to an empty terminal. There you will wait until they've cleared the cruise that just ended. Then you will check in for the next cruise. You will receive new lanyards and room cards. After check-in you will wait in the concierge waiting area until they are ready for you to board. This process generally takes about an hour, so you might want to bring something to read or do. Once back on board you can explore an empty (of passengers) ship. I do laundry at this time. Once people start to board they do request that you either stay in your room or in a public area. The cabin hallways will be roped off, and they don't want people ducking under to find their rooms.

Turning over the ship is quite a task and it's very interesting to see all the activity that happens in these few hours.

 

[kiford]

You still have to clear customs and immigration even if you're getting back on. You'll need not only your cruise documents but your passports and customs declaration. You simply declare nothing then go back up the escalators and check back in again. We got put into the concierge lounge to wait for about an hour (bring some reading material with you) and then were allowed to board at 10:30 before they opened up the terminal. We went up to the Cove Café and spent some time with a "coffee" (a Mint Mocha Latte with crème de menthe - it's 5 pm somewhere!) and read for a while longer.

 

[perfectmatch300]

Thanks for the info about how a B2B works. We have never done one before, but are thinking about turning our upcoming Dream cruise into a B2B. Unfortunately, we will not be able to get the same stateroom, or I would have probably already booked. As it is, I am hoping to hold out and maybe get a FL resident rate. If I can do that it will take some of the sting out of having to move cabins. I sure hope I can get this to work!

 

[Suz D]

Could you choose a different stateroom for the first leg? One that is open for both sailings? It is So nice not to have to switch staterooms between voyages. That's huge for me. Everyone else is packing up and you aren't. Not in an "I'm entitled" kind of way but in a "how fun!" way.

 

[MouseMomx2]

Thanks for the info about how a B2B works. We have never done one before, but are thinking about turning our upcoming Dream cruise into a B2B. Unfortunately, we will not be able to get the same stateroom, or I would have probably already booked. As it is, I am hoping to hold out and maybe get a FL resident rate. If I can do that it will take some of the sting out of having to move cabins. I sure hope I can get this to work!

We were upgraded on the second leg of our B2B so we had to switch staterooms. It was a fairly painless process and I liked it because it forced us to organize our stuff half-way through the trip.

We packed up our belongings, threw our laundry in a washer, asked our room host to move our bags and headed off the ship around 9:30. When we reboarded we were allowed to go right to our new stateroom even though it wasn't 1:30 yet. We finished our laundry, took lots of pictures of the empty ship and watched the crew get everything ready for the new passengers. We developed an even deeper respect for the job the crew does on that transition day.

I would highly recommend doing the B2B, even though you won't be able to keep the same stateroom.

 

[collinsfamle]

Do they have the pools open in the morning when you are able to reboard?

 

[Ohana 4]

I have a question for all the B2B experts...

We are doing the Vancouver-Hawaii-Vancouver B2B cruises and was wondering if we get off and want to spend some time in Honolulu, would we be let right on whenever we are ready to board or would we have to stand in the lines to board? I know we would first have to process back onto the ship, but if we did that right after debarkation and then went out and about rather than back onto the ship, could we do that and avoid the lines coming back on, say around 3 pm?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I have a question for all the B2B experts...

We are doing the Vancouver-Hawaii-Vancouver B2B cruises and was wondering if we get off and want to spend some time in Honolulu, would we be let right on whenever we are ready to board or would we have to stand in the lines to board? I know we would first have to process back onto the ship, but if we did that right after debarkation and then went out and about rather than back onto the ship, could we do that and avoid the lines coming back on, say around 3 pm?

Typically, on a turnaround day, if you actually depart the terminal you must re-check in with the new guests. I'm not sure if you can check in when you disembark, reboard, and then leave the ship to reboard at your leisure or not.