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Back to Back cruise



 
 
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  #1  
Old December 11th, 2003, 02:29 PM
Peter T
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Default Back to Back cruise

Can anyone tell me, or point me to a review, on what happens on the
changeover day on a back to back cruise, port is Fort Lauderdale, on Royal
Caribbean. Particularly for non-American cruisers, (immigration etc.,) is it
better to stay on board or go ashore?

Thanks
PeterT


  #2  
Old December 11th, 2003, 02:50 PM
jcoulter
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Default Back to Back cruise

"Peter T" wrote in
:

Can anyone tell me, or point me to a review, on what happens on the
changeover day on a back to back cruise, port is Fort Lauderdale, on
Royal Caribbean. Particularly for non-American cruisers, (immigration
etc.,) is it better to stay on board or go ashore?

Thanks
PeterT




Welcome to America, the immigration authorities will want to see you
anyway, so you might as well go ashore.
  #3  
Old December 11th, 2003, 02:57 PM
ArleneL
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Default Back to Back cruise

While on back-to-back cruise on the Paradise in September, we had to get off;
wasn't our choice. What they did was have us get off last, walk through
customs, check in again, and keet us in a different area for approx. 30-45
minutes. We than reboarded. I think there were 18 of us back-to backers. This
was Carnival's way. Maybe RCI does it differently.

Arlene



Peter T wrote:

Can anyone tell me, or point me to a review, on what happens on the
changeover day on a back to back cruise, port is Fort Lauderdale, on Royal
Caribbean. Particularly for non-American cruisers, (immigration etc.,) is it
better to stay on board or go ashore?

Thanks
PeterT


  #4  
Old December 11th, 2003, 03:25 PM
George Leppla
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Default Back to Back cruise


"ArleneL" wrote

While on back-to-back cruise on the Paradise in September, we had to get

off;
wasn't our choice. What they did was have us get off last, walk through
customs, check in again, and keet us in a different area for approx. 30-45
minutes. We than reboarded. I think there were 18 of us back-to backers.

This
was Carnival's way. Maybe RCI does it differently.


I have come to find out that it isn't up to the cruise line but getting off
the ship is dictated by the local immigration office. In Miami, they make
you get off the ship and re-board. Crick Hatch just did
back-to-back-to-back cruises on the Carnival Glory from Port Canaveral and
he never left the ship. He was allowed to do all his paperwork at the
Purser's desk.

In my opinion, based on my experience... customs and immigration at the Port
of Miami is the most inefficient, anal retentive, and unfriendly of any port
I have ever sailed from. Understaffed, slow and surly are their best
qualities. You would think that the federal government would have
standardized procedures for cruise ship disembarkation but that is not the
case. Implementation of policy is left to the local offices and in this
case, Miami stinks.


--
George in PA http://www.countryside-travel.com

Norwegian Dawn http://www.cruisemaster.com/dawn.htm
Sleazy 3 - Carnival Conquest http://www.cruisemaster.com/sleazy3.htm
The Mother of All Group Cruises http://www.motherofallgroupcruises.com


  #5  
Old December 11th, 2003, 09:25 PM
Don & Lynn
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Default Back to Back cruise

We did back-to-back on the Coral Princess in Alaska a few months ago. On
Princess, they issue you a card when you check in and the first time you get
on the ship, they take your picture which is stored on the computer for
checking each time you get on the ship. A week later, we arrived in Seward.
The night before, we got our cards for the following week delivered to our
cabin. It was interesting that at some point our old card no longer
unlocked the door.

We were called"in-transit". We were not given any instructions. We decided
to get off the ship. At the gangway, they took our picture with the new
cards as if we were getting on the ship for the first time. We got through
the terminal with no Problem and took a bus into Seward to look around. We
got back in a few hours and there were no passengers arriving yet so
check-in and customs were not yet set up. We were sort of treated like crew
and got on the ship with no problem.

We did the same thing a week later in Vancouver. It was the end of the
Alaska season. The ship was on it's way to the Caribbean and we were booked
for three more days and would get off in LA. It counted as three cruises.

We have been on a lot of cruises and the last day comes too soon and is sad,
so it was great to watch people leave and we didn't have to and could do as
we pleased. We also got really close to a lot of crew members.

"Peter T" wrote in message
...
Can anyone tell me, or point me to a review, on what happens on the
changeover day on a back to back cruise, port is Fort Lauderdale, on Royal
Caribbean. Particularly for non-American cruisers, (immigration etc.,) is

it
better to stay on board or go ashore?

Thanks
PeterT




  #6  
Old December 11th, 2003, 09:33 PM
ChiliJim
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Posts: n/a
Default Back to Back cruise

Don & Lynn that sounds awesome! I agree the last day is sad. Must
try a back to back next time.

Jim


We have been on a lot of cruises and the last day comes too soon and is sad,
so it was great to watch people leave and we didn't have to and could do as
we pleased. We also got really close to a lot of crew members.






  #7  
Old December 11th, 2003, 11:09 PM
Rich Cacace
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Posts: n/a
Default Back to Back cruise

If I recall correctly, Princess had a little get together for all the pax
doing back to back cruises during the week. They had an open bar for an
hour or so & explained the whole transition procedure. (This was back in
1992).

"Don & Lynn" wrote in message
...
We did back-to-back on the Coral Princess in Alaska a few months ago. On
Princess, they issue you a card when you check in and the first time you

get
on the ship, they take your picture which is stored on the computer for
checking each time you get on the ship. A week later, we arrived in

Seward.
The night before, we got our cards for the following week delivered to

our
cabin. It was interesting that at some point our old card no longer
unlocked the door.

We were called"in-transit". We were not given any instructions. We decided
to get off the ship. At the gangway, they took our picture with the new
cards as if we were getting on the ship for the first time. We got through
the terminal with no Problem and took a bus into Seward to look around.

We
got back in a few hours and there were no passengers arriving yet so
check-in and customs were not yet set up. We were sort of treated like

crew
and got on the ship with no problem.

We did the same thing a week later in Vancouver. It was the end of the
Alaska season. The ship was on it's way to the Caribbean and we were

booked
for three more days and would get off in LA. It counted as three cruises.

We have been on a lot of cruises and the last day comes too soon and is

sad,
so it was great to watch people leave and we didn't have to and could do

as
we pleased. We also got really close to a lot of crew members.

"Peter T" wrote in message
...
Can anyone tell me, or point me to a review, on what happens on the
changeover day on a back to back cruise, port is Fort Lauderdale, on

Royal
Caribbean. Particularly for non-American cruisers, (immigration etc.,)

is
it
better to stay on board or go ashore?

Thanks
PeterT






  #9  
Old December 13th, 2003, 12:00 AM
Peter T
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Back to Back cruise

Thanks for the answers Guys & Gals, I think you have made up my mind that
we should treat Fort Lauderdale as another Port day. I'll start looking for
a suitable excursion. Something to keep my dearest away from shopping malls
:-))

PeterT

While on back-to-back cruise on the Paradise in September, we had to get

off;
wasn't our choice. What they did was have us get off last, walk through
customs, check in again, and keet us in a different area for approx.

30-45
minutes. We than reboarded. I think there were 18 of us back-to

backers.
This
was Carnival's way. Maybe RCI does it differently.

Arlene


We were on the same cruises as Arlene and Milt, and had to get off the

ship and
go through customs. We opted, since we were already off the ship, to take

an
air-boat tour through the Everglades and returned to the ship in early
afternoon. We then proceeded through check-in in a most expiditious

manner.
We basically used Miami as another port visited.

We are looking forward to doing anothe rback-to-back next year; Vancouver

to
Honolulu and Honolulu to Ensenada (22 days, with 13 in Hawaii).


Ray

Wishing light winds and smooth seas to all



  #10  
Old December 13th, 2003, 12:03 AM
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Posts: n/a
Default Back to Back cruise

I have done many back-to-back cruises ... and each case is handled
differently by the cruise line and local officials [but, in general, the
local officials often have no idea what to do].

I had one strange event in NYC with Cunard ... I was told by Cunard that
the Customs personnel would come to my cabin to give a quick check ...
and after that the vessel's Front Desk would take care of the rest.

The Customs man arrived ... and asked: "Where is the Luggage?"

I explained that there was no packed luggage as I was staying aboard for
the next voyage ... and he was free to look in closets, drawers, empty
luggage, etc.

He was dumbfounded ... and kept saying he can only inspect packed
luggage. I suggested he call his Supervisor to check as to what to do
... he finally just gave up and left and said not to worry.

I received my new ID from the Front Office.

I then walked off the ship [after all the passengers had disembarked]
... no one was even left on the pier to check me out.

P.S. I have also left/joined voyages enroute [and some of those
disembarkations/embarkations in foreign lands have been most peculiar].

 




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