Back to Back cruises are also known as Consecutive cruises, and are simply when two (or more) consecutive cruises are booked. Back to Back cruises typically involve longer durations and are therefore most popular with retired guests who have the opportunity to spend more time on vacation.

The best value back to back cruises often include a ‘re-positioning’ leg – when the ship is sailing from one part of the world to another, typically as the season changes, for example a transatlantic cruise where the ship is re-positioning from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean.

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about back to back cruises

Can I stay in the same stateroom for each leg of a back to back cruise ?

In short – yes !. You will need to book the same stateroom number for each leg of the back to back cruise at the time of making the reservation. We always open 2 (or more) tabs on our PC so that we can compare which cabins are available for each leg when making a booking. This does however mean that you will not normally be able to book the lowest available fare as often these apply to what is called a ‘guarantee’ basis which means that the cruise line will allocate your cabin number close to the sail date and almost certainly this will mean moving cabin in between each leg.

What happens if I cannot book the same stateroom for each leg ?

It really is not a problem – it just means that you will need to do some packing on the last day of each leg. Normally you can leave any hanging clothes in the wardrobe but everything else will need to be packed in your suitcases. Most importantly DO NOT leave your cases outside your cabin door on the final night if you are staying on board for the next cruise. On ‘changeover’ day your cabin steward will move all of your belongings to your new stateroom.

What happens if I am staying in the same stateroom for each leg of a back to back cruise ?

Then you really are on easy street ! You can just treat ‘changeover’ day as another port of call and enjoy your day ashore or on board with very few other guests at least for a few hours. You can leave everything unpacked in your stateroom ready for your return.

Do I have to ‘Disembark’ after each cruise and check in for each additional leg ?

In short No ! You may need to ‘checkout’ of the current cruise and receive a new Seapass card for each subsequent cruise but this usually completed on board in one of the lounges. Your Seapass account will be closed, and the relevant payment charged, at the end of each leg of a back to back cruise. Importantly if you have any on board credit this usually applies to each specific cruise or each leg of a back to back cruise so make sure that you spend any that you have available before the end of each leg.

What happens on Changeover day ?

Well as most of your fellow guests disembark for the end of their cruise you just carry on enjoying your vacation. There are slightly different procedures for each cruise line, and sometimes determined by the port in which the ship is docked, but you can either choose to stay on board ship or leave the ship and enjoy the day ashore. If you stay on board be aware that some services may not be available – changeover day is always very busy for the crew.

How do I find out what specific details apply to my cruise ?

Normally on the last sea day of each cruise guests who are staying on board for the next cruise will be invited to consecutive cruisers meeting, usually in one of the lounges or conference rooms. All of the details about what happens on changeover day will be provided at this meeting and guests will have the opportunity to ask any questions that they may have.