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The last day of a cruise is always bittersweet. Cruising is great, but always a little sad because we wish we could have extended our vacation. If only we could spend another week relaxing by the pool, eating unlimited food, and enjoying an ice-cold cocktail.
Let’s face it, the thought of saying goodbye and getting off the ship is the worst part of a cruise vacation! However, that’s not necessarily the case.
Back-to-back cruises are the perfect way to extend your cruise vacation and get the ultimate travel experience.
I went on a back to back cruise a few years ago and it was everything I hoped for. Finally, I was lucky enough to not have to pack my bags at the end of the cruise!
Whether you’ve booked back-to-back cruises or are planning one, you probably have questions about this unique vacation.
In this article, I share the pros and cons of back-to-back cruises, what to expect, and answer some common questions you may have about this type of cruise vacation.
What is a back-to-back cruise?
Back-to-back cruises are two or more cruises booked consecutively. cruiser Can be booked for the same or different cruise ship Depends on their vacation style. This is a great way for cruisers to experience different cruises and itineraries and have a more relaxing cruise vacation.
Is it cheaper to book a back-to-back cruise?
Although you won’t get any discounts by booking back-to-back cruises, it can be a way to save money. Since you’re doing two cruises in one trip, you save on flights, pre-cruise hotels, and other pre-cruise expenses compared to planning two separate cruise vacations.
Can I stay in the same cabin on consecutive cruises?
Cruise ships can stay in the same stateroom on consecutive cruises as long as space is available. Furthermore, as long as the voyage is continuous, cruise ship passengers Can leave their belongings in the cruise ship cabin during the cruise. This is one of the benefits of booking back-to-back cruises, as cruise guests have more time to acclimate to their cruise staterooms.
Do I have to disembark on consecutive cruises?
On consecutive cruises, all passengers must make short stops disembark So that the cruise line can zero in on the ship. When you’re on a continuous cruise, you’ll be among the last to disembark. Once everyone has disembarked, you will go through customs and board again. This process takes approximately 30 minutes.
Do I have to complete muster drills on my second cruise?
During consecutive sailings, all cruise guests are required to complete muster drills for both sailings. Muster drills are a mandatory procedure that must be completed on every cruise, and since back-to-backs are still considered separate sailings, cruise passengers must complete safety drills.
Advantages of back-to-back cruises
familiar crew
One of the benefits of booking back-to-back cruises is that you’ll learn crew Better throughout your voyage. Whether it’s your cabin crew, catering staff or the bartender at your favorite bar, getting to know your crew enhances the onboard experience.
By the second week of the cruise, you’ll often see a lot of familiar faces around the ship, which is always a nice feeling.
When I take consecutive cruises Regal Princess I really enjoyed getting to know the cast and crew in 2019. By the second week of my voyage, many people crew memoryBells The dining staff knew my name and many of my dining preferences.
Related: Regal Princess Cruises Review – Back-to-Back Holiday Sailings
A relaxing and comfortable way to cruise
Back-to-back cruises are a relaxing and comfortable way to cruise. Since you’ll be on a cruise that sails back-to-back, you don’t have to worry about fitting each experience into a week.
Whether it’s the attractions on the ship, Specialty restaurantsbars or casual dining options, you can move at your own pace and you’ll never feel rushed on back-to-back cruises.
On back-to-back cruises, you have plenty of time to relax and rejuvenate. This is one of the reasons why so many cruise passengers enjoy taking back-to-back cruises.
Additionally, the feeling on board the ship was truly unique on the first day of sailing. Many cruise passengers will be sad that their cruise vacation is coming to an end. However, you’ll be happy because the second half of your back-to-back cruise has just begun.
economical way to travel
Booking back-to-back cruises is actually a more economical way to travel than two separate cruise vacations. This is a great way to fit in two cruise experiences while only paying for the flights and pre-cruise fees for one trip.
Although cruising has a higher upfront cost, it’s worth every penny, especially if you’re an avid cruise enthusiast.
More time to explore
As cruise ships get bigger, it can be difficult to fully experience the ship in one cruise. However, when you stay on board for continuous sailings, you’ll have more time to explore the ship.
This is ideal for those who want to try the ship’s popular attractions or experience several different venues on the cruise.
Disadvantages of back-to-back cruises
Duplicate port
One of the disadvantages of booking back-to-back cruises is that your itinerary may repeat the same ports. We visited Princess Reef twice during my consecutive cruises.
While Princess Cay is a beautiful cruise ship port of call, I would rather go to another port cruise port Experience something different. However, it’s the perfect opportunity to stay on the cruise ship while everyone disembarks in port to enjoy the empty ship.
To avoid visiting the same ports over and over again, research your cruise itinerary. Cruise travelers who value visiting new destinations will look carefully at itineraries before booking back-to-back cruises.
Related: Best way to book a cruise: Travel agent or direct with the cruise line?
transition day
One small drawback of continuous sailing is transition days. For most cruisers this is Embarkation day. However, those sailing continuously must disembark briefly and go through customs before setting sail again.
And the day is spent at the original embarkation port, which can be a bit boring.
When I sailed continuously, our port of embarkation was at fort lauderdaleand there’s not much to do near the port. Instead of exploring Fort Lauderdale, I spent most of the day relaxing on the boat lido deck.
Lack of variety in onboard experience
What many people don’t think about when booking back-to-back sailings is the lack of variety in the onboard experience. From sailing party to restaurant dining main restaurant And in terms of onboard entertainment, not much changes between sailings on back-to-back cruises.
So if you’re going on back-to-back cruises, it’s important to understand that the onboard experience will be very similar from one week to the next.
travel fatigue
While it’s a first-world problem, long cruise vacations can cause travel fatigue. When visiting multiple destinations and doing activities shore excursionyou may be looking forward to your cruise vacation ending at the end of your trip.
Of course, cruise life is awesome! However, there are benefits to staying home and maintaining a normal routine.
Different types of back-to-back cruises:
Closed-loop back-to-back cruise
Both itineraries on a closed-loop back-to-back cruise start and end in the same home port. This type of cruise vacation usually combines two different itineraries, such as an Eastern Caribbean cruise and a Western Caribbean cruise. However, in some cases the same route may be repeated twice.
Closed-loop cruises are attractive to cruisers because they eliminate the need for additional flights or complex travel logistics. cruise ship passengers Enjoy a variety of destinations without changing boats or worrying about transportation between embarkation points.
One-way back-to-back cruise
A one-way back-to-back cruise is when cruise passengers pair up on two consecutive cruises, with each leg starting and ending in a different port. For example, you might sail from Barcelona to Rome on your first voyage, and then from Rome to Venice on your second voyage.
This type of cruise is ideal for cruisers looking to explore multiple destinations and ports on one trip.
Open jaw back to back cruise
An open back-to-back cruise is when cruise passengers combine two itineraries that start in one port and end in another. For example, they might plan to sail from Barcelona to Venice and then take a cruise from Venice back to Barcelona.
This type of cruise is a good choice for cruisers who want to explore multiple attractions board the ship port. While this is a great way to spend time in the embarkation ports, more planning is required to explore the embarkation ports between cruises.
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What is your favorite thing to do in a cruise port of call? Let me know in the comments below.
Happy cruising!
Ethan
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Ethan Schattauer has been an experienced cruiser since he was 4 years old and has been on more than 40 cruises with his family. Ethan brings a fresh and youthful perspective to the cruise world with his extensive travel experience. He also writes about cruise cuisine, onboard experiences and practical tips, providing valuable insight to cruise travelers around the world.
