Please tell me about your back to back experience

[cinderella97]

We have a B2B booked for July 2019 - Barcelona to Dover then Dover to Copenhagen.
What is the process? Do we have to get off the ship? Can we leave our items in our room? We are staying in the same room. Can we access our room? Will we have 2 separate bills?
I know so many questions! Thanks in advance!

 

[Figment_Fan]

Signing it. We have a B2B in June Barcelona to Rome and then again back to Rome. Looking forward to hearing from anyone with any answers.

 

[ACQUADUCK]

We have a B2B booked for July 2019 - Barcelona to Dover then Dover to Copenhagen.
What is the process? Do we have to get off the ship? Can we leave our items in our room? We are staying in the same room. Can we access our room? Will we have 2 separate bills?
I know so many questions! Thanks in advance!

You will have to get off and do border control at Dover. UK border control is separate to Europe and Shengen. UK Additionally will have left Europe then, and enhanced border control, phased in. Albeit typically B2B in Europe is far easier than the USA.

If you have the same room you can leave your clothes in it.
Each cruise is separate, so bills, tips all get settled at the end of both cruises, at the end of cruise 1 you can request same servers or new team and rotation.

You will get a note in your room last night saying a meeting place in ship, then at that time, meet, go out to the terminal, check back in for the next cruise when everyone is off, then directed back in before general embarkation.
You will have to undertake border control between Brest and UK.
We will be in port circa 2am- 5 am.
On your online check in, on first cruise departure select going to Disney Magic.
When you are back on, they do not like you going in and out if your room, particularly when general embarkation starts.

Limited services are available. Say Cove cafe, pools can be closed.

Note if you planned to go into Dover, you could walk, but it's a very busy road, taxi us best.
As it's a Sunday main local shops only open at 11 am.
You need a taxi for Dover castle.

On back to backs you can use the laundry and that's an excellent time to do it.

You get Castaway gifts for both cruises, and you can book things like Palo for each cruise.

21st July Iceland cruise has a very very active cruise meets group.

 

[ACQUADUCK]

Signing it. We have a B2B in June Barcelona to Rome and then again back to Rome. Looking forward to hearing from anyone with any answers.

That will be very easy as all in Europe and no border check required.

 

[dcassetta]

A favorite experience from a BTB a couple of years ago was sitting in Cove Cafe after we reboarded. We were not off the ship very long and had reboarded before the terminal was open to new guests. Free specialty coffee was available and in addition to the usual breakfast pastries, we also had fruit and cheese. Several of the officers were there and we enjoyed conversations about how the ship works on port days and how they get things ready so fast for the new cruisers.

 

[GPaLarry]

When we did our B2B Med./WBTA a couple of years ago we planned to see a bit more of Barcelona on our switch day. Got off the ship at 8:30 and came back on around 1. Take all paperwork for second cruise (and passports) so that you can check in easily. We did and were assigned the group currently boarding. Took about 25 minutes to get back on and into our room...kept same room. If you want to see more of the port city you are switching in, then leave the ship and do it. If not, do what is advised above. Your letter the night before will explain your options. Have a great time!

 

[clten]

We find one of the best things about a back-to-back is gaining the last night of the first cruise. If you are staying in the same cabin, you do not have to pack up your things. I do recommend letting your stateroom host know you are doing back-to-back (it may be noted on the reservation, but we have had stateroom hosts who either weren't told or missed the notation.) As back-to-back guests, they are supposed to make up you room first so if you do need to get back in, it is done and off their list. We usually let them know our plans so they know if they need to rush to do ours first or not.

As others have said, you will get a letter the night before letting you know how things will work for disembarkation morning for back-to-back guests (meeting place, time, what to do if you are using the day as a port day, etc.)

A pp mentioned doing laundry on turn-over day. We used to do this a lot. If you plan on doing this during any time before cabins are opened up to new guests, I recommend bringing some post-it notes and leaving a note on the washer/dryer that you are back-to-back guests and will be returning for your laundry. The last thing you want is for someone from housekeeping to find clothes in the laundry room and think they were from a guest who left that morning - may take some time to track down laundry turned over to lost and found!