Now you may be wondering, how does a Back-to-Back cruise work? What do you need to do to make the transition between the first sailing and the second sailing as smooth as possible?
Keep reading to find out what to expect and how to prepare for your Back-to-Back sailing!
First Steps:
First of all, you will need to book a Back-to-Back sailing! This will be two separate bookings on the same cruise ship that overlap the disembarkation day and embarkation day. For example, your first booking is on Disney Cruise Line’s Wish that embarks on January 1st and disembarks on January 4th. Then your second booking on Disney Cruise Line’s Wish would embark on January 4th and disembark on January 8th. January 4th would be the overlap day where you disembark from the ship and then re-embark the ship that same day.
Once you have your sailings booked, enjoy your first sailing! Your first sailing will follow the same embarkation procedure as usual, and you will soon be on your way!
What's Next?
Now, after the first sailing is where the routine changes!
The day before disembarkation, your stateroom host will leave a note in your stateroom detailing all of the information that you need to know, including your stateroom number for the second sailing, a card indicating that you are going to be doing a back-to-back sailing, and where to wait in the morning to be brought through customs.
If you are staying in the same stateroom for both sailings, or if you are changing staterooms for your second sailing, read the section with the corresponding heading!
Same Stateroom:
If you are staying in the same stateroom for both sailings, for disembarkation you won’t need to worry about repacking your luggage and you can leave your luggage in your stateroom for the next sailing! But make sure that you still have all of your IMPORTANT belongings with you! DO NOT leave them in your stateroom. Please see the section labelled “IMPORTANT” for a list of important belongings that must be with you to disembark the ship.
Different Stateroom:
If you are changing your stateroom for the second sailing, you will need to pack your luggage and leave them outside of your stateroom the night before or bring them with you when you disembark the next day. The specific time that you must leave your luggage outside your door the night prior to debarkation will be stated on the letter you receive from your stateroom hosts that same day. If you leave your luggage outside your door, your stateroom host will bring them to your new stateroom for your second sailing! But make sure that you still have all of your IMPORTANT belongings with you! DO NOT leave them in your luggage. Please see the section labelled “IMPORTANT” for a list of important belongings that must be with you to disembark the ship.
*IMPORTANT*
Make sure that you have your Back-to-Back Card (that was enclosed in the letter), Key to the World Card, Passport (or other approved Government ID where applicable), Important Medications, and any other Important Documents that you may need.
Day of Disembarkation
Now, after breakfast on the morning of your disembarkation day, head to the area stated on the letter received the previous day from your stateroom host to wait for a crew member to escort you and other Back-to-Back guests off the ship.
Once customs have been cleared, a crew member will escort you and your fellow Back-to-Back guests to the ship’s exit where you will give your current Key to the World Card to the crew members and exit the ship.
After exiting the ship, you will be directed by crew members exactly where to go, so there is no confusion. Here is when you will go through border customs, and be led back to the port waiting area where you will check-in for your second sailing and wait to be called to re-embark the ship. Once you are called to re-embark the ship, you will hand in your Back-to-Back card that is the substitute for the QR code that you would normally use to enter the ship.
Finally, you will have re-embarked the ship and can now continue your magical vacation!
If you have any questions, or would like to book your own Back-to-Back cruise, contact a Dream Maker today!
Thank you for reading!
If you have any questions or would like me to help you plan your dream vacation, feel free to send me a message.
May all your journeys be magical,
