Back to Back cruise question

[matheke]

A couple years ago we did a 5 day on the Magic which was the Cruise before the Transatlantic. We had heard many of the guest on our cruise were doing the trip across the Atlantic also.

If you book back to back cruises, and manage to get the same stateroom, do you still need to pack up all your stuff, disembark from the first cruise, clear customs, and then walk back into the terminal and start all over? or do the have an expedited check out/check in for this situation where you can leave your stuff on board?

I hope to hers from people that have actually done this.

Thanks.

 

[ACDSNY]

I believe you can leave your stuff on board, but you still have clear customs and check back in. We're doing this on the British Isles and WB Transatlantic.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

A couple years ago we did a 5 day on the Magic which was the Cruise before the Transatlantic. We had heard many of the guest on our cruise were doing the trip across the Atlantic also.

If you book back to back cruises, and manage to get the same stateroom, do you still need to pack up all your stuff, disembark from the first cruise, clear customs, and then walk back into the terminal and start all over? or do the have an expedited check out/check in for this situation where you can leave your stuff on board?

I hope to hers from people that have actually done this.

Thanks.

If you have the same stateroom, you leave all your "stuff" in the room. If the turnaround port is a US port, you will be required to debark the ship and re-check in. If the turnaround port is a foreign port most of the time you will re-check in onboard.

At the end of the first cruise you'll receive a letter in your room detailing the exact procedure for your B2B.

If you do debark to check in again, you will need all the necessary documentation that you used for the first check in (ID/reservation info) and it's a good idea to bring along something to keep yourself amused, as the time off the ship can be short (10 minutes) or long (couple of hours). Yes, you do go through immigration/customs and then go back up to the check in lounge. Not really "expedited" but you're the first to check in (usually just before the terminal opens).

Typically, you'll reboard the ship before the Concierge guests (that time onboard, before others start boarding can be short (5 minutes) to around an hour or so. Nothing really is open (they're in clean-up mode onboard), but, usually Quiet Cove is open with snacks. You may use the pools (once they are clean). And you can go back an forth to your room until such time as "everyone else" boards. At that time you must choose to either stay in your room or stay out of your room until all rooms are available (usually 1:30).

 

[ludari]

I concur with the pervious posters... that you leave your stuff in your stateroom. You are one of the last people off the ship to go through immigration/customs, check in for your next cruise and then right back on the ship. On my B2B once you returned to the ship you where not allowed to go back to your stateroom because of the crew cleaning and preparing the staterooms for the next cruise. Make sure you have swimming clothes with you or you'll end up like me swimming in your boxer shorts but luckily there was no other guests at the adult pool area. It seemed like I was there alone for several hours before the first guests starting arriving and one of my most memorable experiences.

 

[matheke]

Thanks for the quick replies.

We are looking at a 2019 7 day Southern Caribbean out of San Juan and the a 6 day(?) San Juan to Port Canaveral cruise. Having been through the terminal at San Juan last year, I was hopping to only have to do that again once in 2019.

 

[Dug720]

Thanks for the quick replies.

We are looking at a 2019 7 day Southern Caribbean out of San Juan and the a 6 day(?) San Juan to Port Canaveral cruise. Having been through the terminal at San Juan last year, I was hopping to only have to do that again once in 2019.

Double check that it will be allowed before getting your heart set on it. Regulations prevent some back to backs on repos.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Double check that it will be allowed before getting your heart set on it. Regulations prevent some back to backs on repos.

San Juan round trip B2B with San Juan to PC is OK. The PVSA has an exemption for cruises to/from Puerto Rico.

 

[Dug720]

San Juan round trip B2B with San Juan to PC is OK. The PVSA has an exemption for cruises to/from Puerto Rico.

Gotcha. I get confused with it.

 

[lorimay]

Thanks for the quick replies.

We are looking at a 2019 7 day Southern Caribbean out of San Juan and the a 6 day(?) San Juan to Port Canaveral cruise. Having been through the terminal at San Juan last year, I was hopping to only have to do that again once in 2019.

We did this B2B in April/May of this year, it was a great cruise, we flew into San Juan the day before the cruise and then we rented a car for the 3 hour drive home.
We had the same room and left everything in the room. All I brought was our passports with us into the terminal. Unfortunately, there was a computer glitch so we spent way too long in the terminal, almost an hour. By the time we were escorted back to the ship and put our passports back in the room and went to quiet cove, it was only about an hour or so before new guests were boarding. There were about 50-60 people who did B2B on this cruise.

Have fun!

 

[gatordoc]

So we're doing a BTB in San Juan, and were wondering whether there would be any problem with us heading over to Old San Juan for a few hours on the disembark/reembark day. As long as we're back to the ship before the last on-board time that should be fine, no?

 

[mhconley]

We’re on the B2B from San Juan this January. Many of the B2B cruisers are planning an excursion on the turnaround day. You should have no issues as long as you are back before all-aboard. You will need to carry you IDs and check-in paperwork with you to check-in when you return to port. We’re spending 3 days in San Juan before our first cruise so we plan to reboard as soon as we can.

Martin

 

[GPaLarry]

We did a B2B last fall Med./WBTA. Flew into Barcelona two days prior to the first leg. We saved La Rambla for our swing day from one cruise to the other. Our room was the same for both and we left the ship, with all return documentation (passports a must), and walked the (now much in the news) shopping avenue for about three hours. When we returned, we went through the line rather quickly and were given a "group 3" card which was already boarding.
Perhaps, since you have to check out, then check in on the ship anyway, you could fill your down time by visiting that port for the first time or again. As stated by others, we got a letter the night before explaining our options. One thing less to worry about is staying in the same room for both legs.