B2B on Dream...can I surprise my kids with 2nd leg?

[GatorMomInNC]

i have a B2B booked on the dream in December. Many firsts for us---First time on the Dream, completing our Grand Slam. First B2B. First aft facing balcony. First time my husband will be with myself and my 2 boys (ages 9 and 13) on DCL cruise.

But it will be the THIRD time I have taken my 2 boys on a cruise the day of a Star Wars PremEar.
I was able to surprise them the first Star Wars cruise, but now they expect it.

I won't even try to hide the first leg, when the three of us board the Dream for a 4 night cruise the week of Dec. 11th. My plan is to surprise them with the 2nd leg. That cruise my husband will join us.

So, will it be possible to keep it a secret when we get off that we are doing a B2B and getting right back on? Or will the crew refer to it when we disembark?

My plan is to have my husband waiting at the terminal then Surprise, we're getting right back on! But, can my husband join us when we get back on early with the other B2Bers?

Another option is to completely get off, my husband meets us, we leave the port, then ---Surprise! --turn around and head back for the first PAT. But of course, we miss the B2B perks of being first on and having ship to ourselves for a couple hours.

OR....Get off, Surprise! We are doing a B2B. Then a few hours later, husband gets on ship and... Second Surprise! Daddy's on the ship and he's going with us.

Realistically and logistically, are any of these options doable? Please help me previous B2Bers, you're my only hope!

 

[NZMUM]

Whenever we have done a B2B on the Fantasy, it hasn't been mentioned by cm's as we were getting off. Your room host/ess may say something the night before, also the head server may discuss whether you want to have the same servers/table etc. You could mention to them that it is a surprise for your boys so they don't talk about it around them.

If you have the same cabin you won't have to pack up, except for taking your docs and something to do while waiting, so your boys may notice that. Not sure how to get around that.

Your husband wont be able to meet you immediately in the terminal and get on straight away, as far as I know. We have still been waiting to re-board when the first group of new cruisers arrived. So if he is able to get into the terminal as soon as it opens and can check in straight away (getting an early PAT) he MAY be able to board with you, or you could wait for his boarding time. Or of course you could welcome him onto the ship later as part of the surprise.

Hope that helps a little .

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

I like your last option the best, but any of those will be an awesome surprise! Have fun!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

i have a B2B booked on the dream in December. Many firsts for us---First time on the Dream, completing our Grand Slam. First B2B. First aft facing balcony. First time my husband will be with myself and my 2 boys (ages 9 and 13) on DCL cruise.

But it will be the THIRD time I have taken my 2 boys on a cruise the day of a Star Wars PremEar.
I was able to surprise them the first Star Wars cruise, but now they expect it.

I won't even try to hide the first leg, when the three of us board the Dream for a 4 night cruise the week of Dec. 11th. My plan is to surprise them with the 2nd leg. That cruise my husband will join us.

So, will it be possible to keep it a secret when we get off that we are doing a B2B and getting right back on? Or will the crew refer to it when we disembark?

My plan is to have my husband waiting at the terminal then Surprise, we're getting right back on! But, can my husband join us when we get back on early with the other B2Bers?

Another option is to completely get off, my husband meets us, we leave the port, then ---Surprise! --turn around and head back for the first PAT. But of course, we miss the B2B perks of being first on and having ship to ourselves for a couple hours.

OR....Get off, Surprise! We are doing a B2B. Then a few hours later, husband gets on ship and... Second Surprise! Daddy's on the ship and he's going with us.

Realistically and logistically, are any of these options doable? Please help me previous B2Bers, you're my only hope!

It may be possible to keep it a secret, as long as you can make sure the CM checking you in for the first leg doesn't say anything. Or any of the others on the cruise who may be privy to that information. Like your dining room host, who will be checking with you about your dining arrangements for the second leg. Or your room host, if you're staying in the same room. Or, maybe, even the CMs in the kid's club who might be aware that you are continuing on.

No, only B2B people can board "early". Be aware that sometimes "early" is just before Concierge (so only about 1 minute). Other times, it can be around an hour and half.

 

[sefowler1]

We just did a B2B this year. I don't see any way to keep it a surprise. Your room host and servers will ask you about it. You won't take your luggage. You won't even go outside the terminal. You clear customs and go right back up the escalator to check in. Maybe you should think of a way to surprise them when you board the first time.

 

[Dug720]

We just did a B2B this year. I don't see any way to keep it a surprise. Your room host and servers will ask you about it. You won't take your luggage. You won't even go outside the terminal. You clear customs and go right back up the escalator to check in. Maybe you should think of a way to surprise them when you board the first time.

Or - assuming you have the same cabin for both legs - you could try and talk with everyone (host, servers) about not saying anything in front of the kids and hope for the best...and if that works, when you would normally start packing up you could surprise them then. Like "Hey, guess what? We don't have to pack up because we're staying on the ship!"

 

[MSPeeler]

Or - assuming you have the same cabin for both legs - you could try and talk with everyone (host, servers) about not saying anything in front of the kids and hope for the best...and if that works, when you would normally start packing up you could surprise them then. Like "Hey, guess what? We don't have to pack up because we're staying on the ship!"

My kids would think I was really something special if I said "Hey you guys, you know what? I don't want to pack, lets just stay another week..."

 

[mandylovesdisney]

My kids would think I was really something special if I said "Hey you guys, you know what? I don't want to pack, lets just stay another week..."

I wish my husband would surprise me like that haha

 

[Cackyschmackers]

How fun!! I hope you can pull it off! Maybe you can say something like, "Wow that was fun, don't you wish we could do it again?" at dinner the night before? But you have to talk up being sad about leaving first. Lol

 

[clten]

One other thing, many times they let B2B guests get off on their own and then go back upstairs in the terminal to reboard. But there are occasions when they have guests doing B2B meet in a lounge the morning of disembarkation. It would be difficult to pull off a surprise if you do have a meeting time. But you would know that the night before as they do let you know about it in the letter they leave you. The one thing I am fairly confident of, your husband will not be in the terminal when you get off and head back up. While the time to get back on the ship varies and you may or may not still be in the terminal when they open it for new guests, you are there and checked in before they open the doors for new guests.

 

[GatorMomInNC]

Thanks, everyone for all the information. It's been very helpful. It sounds as if I would not be able to surprise my kids about the second leg -- at least not once we begin getting off the ship the morning of the 2nd leg.

So my choices are 1) surprise them by telling them about the back to back, maybe the last night of the cruise, then again I can surprise them when my husband appears on the ship later that day. 2) just disembark as usual, then the surprise, then turn around and get back on the ship at the usual PAT time, losing the B2B perk of getting right back on the ship.

Well I'm definitely leaning towards option number one.

 

[GatorMomInNC]

Will they let just the three of us check in, and my husband on his own later? We are gold, he's a first timer...can I still sign in early and get an early PAT just for him???

This is so complicated!

 

[clten]

Yes, when you check-in at the terminal, they will give you a boarding card to let those that were on the previous sailing back on. (It has varied for our cruises if we waited in the Concierge area or not. If not, we were just called into the Concierge area when we boarded as B2B guest usually board through that side door rather than through the Mickey Ears.) Your husband will check in when he arrives and then wait for his boarding group.

Your booking will open as normal for gold CC so yes, you are able to pick a PAT but it would apply to just your husband as you and the kids will have the PAT superseded by the B2B boarding card.

 

[mort1331]

One way if you have the same room is to tell your kids that the staff packs our stuff up. And that we pick up our bags when we get off. Just say that it is a special perk you were able to get.
We were able to pull off about 6 suprises our last cruise. To the extent that my wife turned and said she didnt want it to end.

 

[Dug720]

One way if you have the same room is to tell your kids that the staff packs our stuff up. And that we pick up our bags when we get off. Just say that it is a special perk you were able to get.
We were able to pull off about 6 suprises our last cruise. To the extent that my wife turned and said she didnt want it to end.

The kids have cruised before so they know that staff doesn't pack the bags.

 

[FigmentSpark]

You could keep it a secret, but maybe tell them about the B2B when they notice you're not packing up. But the surprise becomes daddy meeting you on board.

 

[GatorMomInNC]

We don't have the same room. I had already planned to just say that I'm leaving the bags because I paid to have them brought directly through customs or whatever ...something similar to what I've done before in the past when flying. I think I can get away with that.

Looks like I will surprise them with the b2b...hopefully I can keep it a secret until we get off. Then second surprise will be Daddy just showing up at muster drill, or in our room. Oh! But I want to be there when he gets announced coming on the ship!!!

 

[tigerchic89]

I would reveal the surprise on the last night of the 1st cruise. IMO one of the best parts of B2B is not having to pack and the giddy feeling knowing that your cruise isnt over. The last night while everyone else on the ship is slipping into depression and frantically packing up, you guys can just enjoy the evening

 

[argomANIA]

Looks like I will surprise them with the b2b...hopefully I can keep it a secret until we get off. Then second surprise will be Daddy just showing up at muster drill, or in our room. Oh! But I want to be there when he gets announced coming on the ship!!!

I think that's totally doable. Just tell them it would be nice to watch the other people get on and see how happy they are....then surprise...it's Daddy!!!

 

[JWG]

Oh! But I want to be there when he gets announced coming on the ship!!!

I think you found your surprise dad's here moment. You're still on land, so should be able to text (or call) your husband such that you know when he's boarding. He can let you know where he is in line (past the photographers or not) and that way you can be in the atrium at the right time without feeling like you're hanging there for no reason. Casually just say you'd like to watch people board for a bit since we never do and always just run off to "the next thing".

It will be interesting to see if they notice or figure it out when they announce the name since they likely think of him as "dad" and not his full name.