Do we really have to get off and back on for a back to back cruise?

[Julie White]

We are doing an Eastern and Western Caribbean cruise on the Liberty in December. How does it work and how long does it take to get off and back on the ship. Same cabins so no luggage but do we get priority or join the long queue again? We wanted to enjoy the emptiness of the ship.....never mind, very lucky to be doing 2 cruises!

[moeve]

No you don't have to get off. If you have the same cabins then you don't even have to get up early and can sleep in. We often tell our cabin steward to not bother with our cabin since he/she has enough to do as is. If you have another cabin no. for the second leg they will often even help you move. You can leave the hanging clothes on the hangers and just exchange those with the empty one from you new cabin. I just put the drawer stuff into a suitecase to make it easier.

Without knowing your exact Itin you might have to go to immigrations in the morning but unless you have plans which require you to be off the ship early b2bers normally have to wait for all those leaving to be gone before they have to go to immigrations.

Check with the M'D if there are enough of you they will even offer lunch in the dinning room exclusively for those doing back to back. Make sure you do the paper work... credit card imprints, new sail & sign cards the day before. Remember each cruise is considered a separate cruise - you just get to stay a second one but the first cruise will be billed as they close it down.

Tip - go to the spa and offer to be a "model" for the afternoon.

[Julie White]

It states in the RCI book that you must disembark to do the immigration bit but I thought I'd heard you could stay on board.
Don't know about the modelling bit though....modelling for who?

[moeve]

The spa does ashow around in the spa on embarkation days and they "show off" their expensive treatments - some treatments require "bodies" (NO they don't show you naked) but you get a free treatment just for laying around. Nice perk

[moeve]

You said you were doing the Eastern first - is your last stop by chance St. Thomas? If so you won't have to do immigration in Miami anymore - you'll do it in St. Thomas...... US Virgin Islands.

[Julie White]

No, we don't visit St Thomas. We leave from and return to Miami on both the Eastern and Western trips, including stops at Puerto Rico,St Maarten and Haiti (wk 1) then Haiti again, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Mexico before returning to Miami.
Does this mean we do or don't need to disembark?

[moeve]

Julie that means you will do Immigration in Miami. You will get off the ship but you'll only need your passport. You need not pack or anything like that. You can ask at the pursers desk what time b2b passengers need to arrive - thta way you can sleeep in.

[Julie White]

OK, thank you so much for your help

[Chef Ken]

Julie, can you see your ticker isn't working? You can't use html code on this forum. Have fun on your back to back!

Never mind. It's working.

[Sonny V]

Julie, it should only take about 20 minutes. Leave everything in your cabin except for your seapass and your passport. Guess realations will tell you exactly what to do.

Sonny