Back to Back Cruises

[GirlTideFan]

I know I have read this information on here before but I am having problems locating it this morning. My family is planning a 7 day cruise for Fall 2016. We have not yet decided which cruise or if we want to do a 3n and 4n back to back. If we do the back to back cruise will we be required to disembark after the first cruise and go through all the check in procedures for the second? Will we have to change rooms? It will definitely be off the table if that is the case. TIA!

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

I have not actually done this, but I have read about it a lot on here and know the answer:

-Yes, you will have to temporarily disembark, but you will be one of the first to reboard the ship.
-It depends on if you can get the same room for both legs of your trip. If you can, there is no need to change rooms. You don't want to book a GTY category because you might not end up in the same room.

 

[Trera]

Just make sure you book the same room for both cruises and that way getting off and back on is a breeze!

 

[GirlTideFan]

Thank you all so much for your responses. One more quick question: Do we have to repack everything and take it off between cruises?

 

[tinkerone]

Thank you all so much for your responses. One more quick question: Do we have to repack everything and take it off between cruises?

not if you book the same room for both cruises. you just leave everything, get off the ship, re-register and wait for them to call you for boarding. its really very easy.

 

[GirlTideFan]

Awesome Thanks!

 

[HookedOnDCL1]

What has been said so far is true. I want to add however, that you do lose a good portion of the day on turnaround day. We waited almost 2 hours in the terminal to reboard and when we did, everything, including the pool was closed for quite some time. Also, there is a different "feel" on a B2B with changing of guests, etc and we found it less relaxing. I would pick a 7 day cruise over a B2B if you can.

 

[tinkerone]

What has been said so far is true. I want to add however, that you do lose a good portion of the day on turnaround day. We waited almost 2 hours in the terminal to reboard and when we did, everything, including the pool was closed for quite some time. Also, there is a different "feel" on a B2B with changing of guests, etc and we found it less relaxing. I would pick a 7 day cruise over a B2B if you can.

could not agree more! we do b2b's but as a 7 & 7. myself, i would never do a 3/4 split because of what you have just said but some others do disagree.

 

[Dug720]

I have two reasons I'm considering a B2B in July 2016 over a 7-night...

ONE ~ I would LIKE to cruise over my birthday, and to do so on the 7-night it would be the exact same itinerary I will have just cruised in April. Now, it may well be when they reveal the excursions for Tortola I can find enough I'm interested in that I wouldn't mind doing the same itinerary so close together (I've definitely got more than one in St. Thomas I'm interested in), but that is to be determined.

TWO ~ I would cross the solver/gold border between the two cruises so I'd have silver stuff for one and gold for the other. (Assuming I stick with my current plan to go to Thailand in February and don't rebook a Wonder cruise for Presidents' Week which would make the April cruise the one sending me into gold status.)

I would love to try the Western itinerary on the Fantasy, but I have to decide (if I stick with a Disney cruise) which is the stronger pull - cruising over my birthday or the Western itinerary. (Or a B2B on the Dream - it would be way too much to do B2B on the Fantasy as much as I'd love that.)

 

[GirlTideFan]

Oh, thank you so much, not sure we are willing to basically lose a day with disembarking and all! Really the only reason we were looking at a B2B is because of the two days at Castaway. The prices are pretty much the same for both scenarios.

 

[Justacruiser]

Here is a post from a poster who asked the same question this week.

Here's a few questions:

Do want 7 nights of different menus or is 4 ok?
Do you want the same shows on both cruises or like 7 different performances?
They do play less movies in the theater, is that ok?
Do you mind not going to other ports?
More variety of games shows and activities on the 7 night, do you like those activities?

Reasons to do 3/4 day
If you are wanting to get to Gold or Platinum faster
Want the experience of B2B
Have time to relax and not worry about going to all the shows, but knowing you haven't missed anything
Don't care about destination
2 stops at CC
2 Pirate Nights

Reasons for 7 day
More menus
More variety of entertainment
More movies
No leaving the ship after 1st cruise
More ports

The cost should be relatively close, depending on the 7 day destinations and time of year. But most like, shouldn't be much of an issue. My recommendation, you can't lose! If it were me, I would do the 7 day IF at least one of the days is CC. I am just not a fan of all of the hustling everyone does on the 3/4 night cruises. A lot of people are just so bent on getting everything done and standing in every line. The 7 day just seems so much more relaxing after day 2 or 3. People really start enjoying themselves and relax a bit more. Just my opinion.

Total: 24 DCL Cruises / Total Nights on Board: 133 / Favorite Ship: Magic

 

[Bareacuda]

Oh, thank you so much, not sure we are willing to basically lose a day with disembarking and all! Really the only reason we were looking at a B2B is because of the two days at Castaway. The prices are pretty much the same for both scenarios.

you are not really losing a day. We have done B2B and B2B2B and have another B2B planned for next year. LOVE THEM ! you are usually off the ship for and hour or 2.. But... its a good time to take photos of the terminal and the ship without hundreds of people in the way. Once on board another opportunity to do the same Play basketball.. take more photos of the terminal, chat with the cast members and the Captain... you really don't lose any time .

 

[cmhguy]

We are doing our first b2b this Sept on a 4/3. Price of a 7 was about the same. Why did I choose the 4/3?

It's my bday on the first CC day....I loved CC so much that going twice was a HUGE bonus over any negatives - it's my bday treat to myself....

I found I just love being on the ship and relaxing and enjoying the ship. For our first Dream cruise, this will be a great way to enjoy all that the ship has to offer. We are not getting off the ship in Nassau either time. It's also unlikely we will do a 4 or 3 again - totally feel a longer cruise is the way to go. So why not do the Dream up on this way?

I've spoken to others who have done it and read a lot of reviews about it. The turn-around day isn't a negative for me. We are early risers and sitting reading a book is perfect for me. Won't be a problem or feel like a negative to me. Will be a nice stroll....lol.

The ONLY concern I have - we are 2 adults and very social. We make friends whereever we go. I'm wondering if it's enough days on either side to really get to know others as well as having 2 sets of people experiences. Or, it could be a huge plus and double the fun of making double the friends. Guess we'll find out...

You really can't go wrong either way, and it's worth it to try it!

 

[Dug720]

We are doing our first b2b this Sept on a 4/3. Price of a 7 was about the same. Why did I choose the 4/3?

It's my bday on the first CC day....I loved CC so much that going twice was a HUGE bonus over any negatives - it's my bday treat to myself....

I found I just love being on the ship and relaxing and enjoying the ship. For our first Dream cruise, this will be a great way to enjoy all that the ship has to offer. We are not getting off the ship in Nassau either time. It's also unlikely we will do a 4 or 3 again - totally feel a longer cruise is the way to go. So why not do the Dream up on this way?

I've spoken to others who have done it and read a lot of reviews about it. The turn-around day isn't a negative for me. We are early risers and sitting reading a book is perfect for me. Won't be a problem or feel like a negative to me. Will be a nice stroll....lol.

The ONLY concern I have - we are 2 adults and very social. We make friends whereever we go. I'm wondering if it's enough days on either side to really get to know others as well as having 2 sets of people experiences. Or, it could be a huge plus and double the fun of making double the friends. Guess we'll find out...

You really can't go wrong either way, and it's worth it to try it!

Yep...the fact that my birthday falls on the first CC day of the 4-3 I'm looking at in July 2016 is a big bonus point for me as well.

 

[evilipoo]

We are booked on the Magic in the same stateroom B2B for Baltics/Norway.
Can anyone offer insight on the following:

Will we keep/re-use our stateroom key?
When will they let us back in our stateroom?
Any cool things to do/places to check out during the turnaround time?

Thanks in advance!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are booked on the Magic in the same stateroom B2B for Baltics/Norway.
Can anyone offer insight on the following:

Will we keep/re-use our stateroom key?
When will they let us back in our stateroom?
Any cool things to do/places to check out during the turnaround time?

Thanks in advance!

You will get a new KTTW card for the second cruise. Can't really speak as to how it will be handled for the Norway cruises, but on most B2Bs you can access your room until the new cruisers board, and then DCL asks that you either stay in your room or out of your room until the new cruisers have access to their rooms also.

 

[kiford]

We liked our B2B. The only drawback for us was that we were just getting to know our tablemates and then we had to get to know new tablemates. Both sets of tablemates were really fun though so I didn't mind changing halfway through too much. As a bonus, on the second leg of our B2B one of the couples at our table we had met and sat with on the previous years' cruise.

We kept the same servers on both legs so they knew what we liked already.

We had originally thought that we might do Palo and Remy on both legs thus giving us the ability to do 4 alternative dinings. Eventually we decided not to and were glad that we didn't because we would have missed out on having dinner with our prior cruise/tablemates

We liked the fact that the menus and shows repeated. It gave me a chance to try more than one thing on the menu or repeat something I liked. We don't always get to the shows so we were able to see all of them once as well as do other things.

We didn't leave the ship until about 9:15-9:30 and then reboarded at 10:30. Since our plan for the morning would have generally included sitting in the Cove Café or elsewhere reading, it didn't feel like a lost day to us. We sat in the Concierge lounge in the terminal reading while we waited to reboard and then sat in the Cove Café and had a drink or two while waiting for the hallway to the staterooms open.

We didn't get off the ship much as we've been to Nassau before and weren't impressed so we had a nice relaxing time on board on both stops at Nassau. We did the kayaking and island walk on the first leg at Castaway Cay which was nice. The second stop at CC was windy so our parasailing was cancelled. So we just stayed on the ship as beaches don't much interest me. Because most people do get off, we did the Aquaduck about 8 times in a row.

We really found it to be one of our most relaxing cruises so I'd be happy to do it again.

 

[evilipoo]

You will get a new KTTW card for the second cruise. Can't really speak as to how it will be handled for the Norway cruises, but on most B2Bs you can access your room until the new cruisers board, and then DCL asks that you either stay in your room or out of your room until the new cruisers have access to their rooms also.

Thanks Princess Shmoo. (I thought I was the only one who knew Shmoo!)

 

[Ware Bears]

on most B2Bs you can access your room until the new cruisers board, and then DCL asks that you either stay in your room or out of your room until the new cruisers have access to their rooms also.

We are doing a B2B next summer in the med (in the same stateroom) and I guessed we would be asked to not go to it until everyone had access - I can imagine the problems it could cause if we were seen wandering to and fro! I shall make sure I've got a book/kindle with me ..... and swimwear in the hope of maybe getting the pool to myself for a bit!

 

[CM Dad]

Thank you all so much for your responses. One more quick question: Do we have to repack everything and take it off between cruises?

Haven't done it but I've read that it you don't have the same stateroom on both cruises, you have to pack, but you just leave the luggage in the first stateroom and Disney will transfer to the next room.

Taking out first B2B next January, but staying in the same stateroom for both so I believe we don't need to pack between cruises.