Back to Back Cruising

[weemom]

Does anyone have experience doing a back to back 3 night and 4 night cruise on the Disney Dream? If you have the same state room on both cruises, do they make you pack up, disembark, go through customs again and get back on the ship or can you just stay onboard and not pack up? Thanks!

 

[Robin"D"]

Does anyone have experience doing a back to back 3 night and 4 night cruise on the Disney Dream? If you have the same state room on both cruises, do they make you pack up, disembark, go through customs again and get back on the ship or can you just stay onboard and not pack up? Thanks!

The night proir to your 1st cruise ending, you will get a letter stating where you need to meet, with all your paper work, to include passprts & documents for all in your party.
NO....if you are staying in the same cabin, you do not have to pack everything up....whichj is a GREAT thing.

Have a great cruise.... hope this helps

Robin & Angel "D"

 

[kiford]

If you're in the same stateroom for both legs, you don't need to pack up. You will have to disembark and check back in again. You'll get a new KTTW card. You'll get a letter the night before giving you the procedure. We were one of only three families doing the B2B in December so we were just told to disembark by at least 9:15. Then they checked us in and sat us in the concierge lounge in the terminal until about 10:30 when we were allowed back on.

I know that others have been told to meet in a lounge and have been escorted through the process. I think that may only happen if there are a lot of people doing B2B. Each trip is different. What is common is that you'll get a letter.

You can ask your head waiter to seat you for the second leg so that you have the same servers if you like them.

 

[weemom]

Thanks for the info! So it sounds like they might make you wait a little over an hour to get back on? I have to convince my DH of this He hates wasted cruise time. I'm trying to get him to do the back to back 3 and 4 night on the Dream vs. 7 night on the Fantasy because we can go to Castaway Cay twice which is our favorite place on Earth! Any thoughts on the B2B vs. 7 night?

 

[crafty91]

subing! Since our first cruise (4 nights) we have only done 7 nighters. Is the B2B experience much different than doing a 7 nighter? We may consider doing this with some family members that want to tryout cruising on a 4 nighter but we want a 4 night get away.

 

[Justacruiser]

B2B compared to a 7-day.

Yes you do get two days at CC, priceless! And you get to have the experience of being one of a few couples that the ship staff know you are staying on board. Especially nice if you are in the same state room. There is some down time on disembarkation day. You will need to leave the ship as previously stated for an hour or so before you can reboard. You are permitted to go to your stateroom prior to the 1pm time before everyone else. But they ask you not to come and go at your leasure prior to 1pm. Other cruisers just won't understand why YOU are allowed in your room and they aren't.

You will also have to go through the muster drill again at 3:45.

If you requested your same dining staff when you made your original rservations through DCL, you would have the same wait staff. Or you can request prior to getting off the ship the first time. I set mine all up way ahead of time.

The wait staff really like B2B'ers also. They already know you and makes things easier on them.

A negative of the B2B cruise is that the shows and events will all be the same for the two cruises and the menus will be the same. On a 7-day, entertainment and menus are different every night. And on the 3/4 day you hit Nassau twice, not a fan. But as stated earlier CC twice.

I would do the B2B once on the 3/4 cruise just for the experience. And then do the B2B only on cruises with alternating ports like the 7-day eastern followed by the 7-day western.

IMHO

 

[RweTHEREyet]

When you do the B2B, you do get credit for two cruises for the Castaway Club, if that matters to you any. And you have the same menus, etc. which is good if you liked the offerings. If you didn't, you can skip dinner in the dining room. Since you have seen the shows on the first sailing, there isn't as much rush to see them on the second sailing.

On the B2B, you don't lose much time on the day you are back at PC, but you are duplicating a lot of events, like the menus, sail-a-way, till we meet again, etc. You do have some time when you board the second sailing that the cruise is not that crowded and you can get some great pictures not filled with people, or ride the Duck and enjoy the pools while they are not crowded at all. You also get the two stops at CC, which is so very nice.

We have done both the B2B on the Dream and been on the 7 night Fantasy. I am glad we did both, but if I had a choice, I would do the 7-night Fantasy for sure. I loved the Satellite Falls area on the Fantasy, which is not on the Dream.

.

 

[iambrink]

I have booked a B2B for next April vacation and part of the reason is the repeat in activities and shows. I plan on doing all the shows, excursions, etc during the 4 night cruise, then relax during the 3 night cruise and enjoy the ship at a relaxed pace. We have already done the Dream 4 night, so we are already prepared for repeats, but I feel like there are so many things we did not get to do that the B2B will allow for this! I can't wait...

 

[owensamo]

We've done B2B 5 night cruises on the Wonder in the past, and we did all of the meals/shows on the first cruise - and I think we managed to make 1 show on the second! Repeated meals were awesome because we got to get our old favorites the first time, and try something different/new the second time! We had the same server (assistant changed between cruises) and head server, and they were awesome (*love* O'Neill and Tektas!) - our second cruise we had a table for just our family, and were in and out in less than an hour every evening.

We're doing 7n B2B this summer and hoping for a similar experience. Given we'll be on a new ship (Fantasy) with all new shows, we'll have to see them all the first time, but then can pick and choose which to see again. We'll have plenty of time to enjoy the menus - and be able to try multiple things without fear of wasting food or gaining a ton of weight! There are a lot of benefits of B2B that outweigh the hour or so in port during the switch-over.

 

[tinkerone]

I have priced out the 3/4 b2b several times and always have found it more costly than a 7 night. maybe others have had different experiences but I have yet to find it cheaper, so, for us, that's a factor. also, even though you do get cc twice, the same stop in the Bahamas is just is a minus, again in my eyes. this is all jmo.
we are doing a b2b in the fall on the fantasy and I can't wait for that, can't get here quick enough. while the shows will be a repeat on the second half of the b2b, like a pp said, I plan on skipping out on the ones that are just okay and doing things I would not normally do because of the shows. seen them all several, several times but for some reason, when we cruise, I just feel we have to set through them again. this time will be different.
long story short, its the cost that mostly keeps me from doing the 3/4 b2b. it just doesn't make sense to pay more for basically the same thing. 3/4 or 7.

 

[weemom]

I guess it just happened that the 2 B2B weeks I picked were less than the total for the 7 night during the same time period. I agree with some of the posts above, a second day at Castaway Cay is priceless to my family

 

[baleeve]

Same here. I booked the Dream the last week in Aug B2B and it is $1200 less than a 7 night on Fantasy at the same time. That's incentive enough to tolerate a few repeats. I know that its also not taking into consideration other important factors but as a solo parent, money is kind of my #2 consideration...after my kiddos safety and enjoyment.

We are first time cruisers so I have tons of organizing to do for not only our first cruise but now our first TWO cruises.

Hugely excited!

 

[PegIra]

We have a back to back on the Fantasy in January 2014 and can't wait. We are doing the Eastern and Western. I like the idea of a 2 week cruise and not having to pack up between cruises is great. I like to read any reports others have who have done this. This will be our 8th and 9th Cruise, so won't be long until we hit platinum. Yea

 

[KPetty725]

I just learned of B2B cruising for the first time a few months ago and now I'm intrigued. Reading all the reports here it sounds like the way to go for our family. We cruise for the ship, not the ports so it would be better for us to get the two days at Castaway Cay. I've currently got a 3-night booked on the Dream in November. I may have to see about tacking on a four night before or after!

 

[baleeve]

Initially I booked a 3 night cruise but kept thinking it was too short (reading up on here confirmed that). I kept stalking the DCL website and found a GREAT deal so I went for the 4 night. THEN out of curiosity I kept stalking the DCL website to check on the 3 night I gave up and found an even better deal than I originally had so I booked it and that is how I came to be a B2Backer!

My B2B's on the DREAM in August are different categories and both GTY so I will be in for a surprise on where I am on the ship.

I feel a little spoiled to say that I am taking my first AND second Disney cruise this August but seriously, it was such a great deal and even $1200 cheaper than a 7 night on the Fantasy.