Back-to-Back Cruises: What to Know Before You Book

A back-to-back (B2B) cruise means booking two sailings in a row and staying onboard in between. The most obvious perk is more time at sea, but there are other good reasons to do it:

How does a back-to-back cruise work?

The process is similar across cruise lines, though details vary.

Stop by Guest Relations during your first cruise to confirm you’re on the consecutive cruiser list. If you’re not, the ship will expect you to leave when the first sailing ends.

A few days before that sailing ends, you’ll find a letter in your stateroom explaining turnaround day (what everyone else calls disembarkation day). It tells you where to report onboard, when, and what to bring. You’ll need the passport or ID you used to board. Be sure to attend the B2B meeting....more details will be provided at that time.

When you arrive to the designated meeting place on turnaround day, a crew member signs you in using your name and stateroom number. Technically, you’re now “off the ship,” so you’ll wait in the venue until the passenger count reaches zero. Then a crew member escorts you to the gangway, where you scan your old cruise card and receive a new SeaPass card to scan for the next sailing.

On our recent Celebrity Cruises Alaska B2B, we met in the Sky Lounge at 9am, showed our old SeaPass cards, and got new ones. We scanned them right there and never had to leave the ship. That’s not always how it works, though. Customs and Border Protection for the country you are in dictates the process for consecutive cruisers, so it varies by port.

How do you book a back-to-back cruise?

Booking a B2B takes some legwork...or a travel agent. You book two separate cruises, one right after the other. Sometimes you can get the same cabin for both, but not always. If you can’t, don’t worry...your cabin steward will help you move.You don’t have to book both at once.

You can add the second cruise later, as long as space is available. Ask about discounts when you book. Cruise lines typically offer $100-$200 per cruise. Discounts can vary, so be sure to ask when booking.

If you’re changing cabins, what happens to your luggage?

If you’re staying in the same cabin, you don’t need to do anything.

If you’re changing cabins, pack everything from the drawers and bathroom, and check the safe for valuables! Hanging garments can stay in the wardrobe, and your cabin steward will move them on a rolling rack. (Some cruise lines now require everything to be packed, so check the information letter for your sailing.) Leave your luggage in the cabin, and it will be moved for you.

DO NOT put disembarkation luggage tags on your bags or leave them outside the cabin on the last night!! If you do, your bags will be taken off the ship and you’ll have to retrieve them shoreside through the normal luggage process.

Talk to your cabin steward before the last day. They’ll tell you the easiest way to help with the move.

Is the muster drill required for the second sailing?

YES! Maritime law requires every passenger to complete the safety drill on every cruise, including consecutive cruisers. Each cruise is a separate sailing, and the Coast Guard makes no distinction between B2B passengers and those just boarding. The ship can’t sail until everyone has completed it.

We like to check in as soon as it opens, then we’re free to enjoy our day. If you’re exploring the port, complete it as soon as you re-board.

What can you do on turnaround day?

You’re welcome to stay onboard and enjoy an almost empty ship. The pools are open, but bars and food venues stay closed until embarkation begins. Some cruise lines offer a special lunch for B2B cruisers, so take advantage if yours does!

You can also head ashore until all-aboard time. Verify that time when you leave. At most ports you won’t have to go through embarkation again, but ask the port agents where consecutive cruisers re-board.Some lines also offer special B2B excursions.

On our Alaska sailing, we could have done a Kenai Fjords tour at a reduced rate. We skipped it because our daughter was an Activity Host onboard and we wanted to spend port time with her.

What happens to your onboard account and packages?

Settle your shipboard account at the end of the first cruise. The second starts fresh. Beverage and internet packages don’t carry over, so repurchase and reactivate them. If they were included in your fare, you only need to activate the new internet package.

If you like to give extra tips to your stateroom attendant, do it before the first sailing ends, especially if you’re changing cabins. If you’re staying put, make sure you’ll keep the same attendant. Crew changes happen - either reassignments or vacations.

Is a back-to-back cruise worth it?

A back-to-back can be a fantastic vacation option. You skip the disembarking, luggage gathering, travel to a new port, and re-boarding, and you can visit new ports or revisit favorites. Plus, you get to explore an almost empty ship and watch the excitement as new cruisers join.

Please share your experiences...we’d love to hear them!

Happy Cruising!

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