What IS a back-to-back cruise? I didn’t know either until I booked a girls cruise out of Orlando/Port Canaveral, decided a few months later that cruising again on the same ship with my husband would be cheaper than spending the weekend immediately following the girls cruise in Orlando with him, and called Carnival to figure out the “girls disembark, husband embarks, and I stay on the ship” process. The agent said “oh yeah, that’s called a back-to-back cruise” like it was no big deal. I had witnessed retired people living on or taking extended vacations on cruise ships, but it never occurred to me it was “a thing.”
So a back-to-back cruise is exactly what it sounds like. Itineraries can change slightly or significantly from sailing to sailing on any particular ship, so the benefits could include more time spent on a cruise, different ports, packing/unpacking less, and maximizing vacation travel to fit one’s schedule. Retired folks have the most flexibility, budget willing, and I would imagine teachers and real estate agents have more flexibility as well. But for those of us with Monday-Friday 9-5 careers with limited vacation time, myself included, back-to-back cruises would be great for situations like a wedding cruise with guests followed by a honeymoon cruise with only the newlyweds, a girls or guys cruise followed by a cruise with the spouse (in this case), or a corporate cruise followed by a personal cruise. So many options!
The Itineraries
In my case, my back-to-back cruise was a 4-day Bahamas cruise on Carnival Liberty with stops at Princess Cays and Nassau with my girlfriends, and a 3-day Nassau cruise on Carnival Liberty with only one stop in Nassau with my husband. I didn’t mind stopping in Nassau twice, in fact experiencing Nassau each time with different parties was a different and incredibly fun experience. And the multiple sea days were bliss!
Princess Cays
The girls and I had a lazy day in a private cabana at Princess Cays on the island of Eleuthera, Bahamas. We celebrated my friend’s birthday, drank sparkling wine and cocktails, and laid on the beach passed out under the shade of palm trees. It was so relaxing!
Nassau
On each stop in Nassau, Bahamas, we explored the historic district of Downtown Nassau on our own without a cruise excursion. We walked through Parliament Square, visited Queen’s Staircase and Fort Fincastle, found a winery, toured a chocolatier and rum distillery, and visited a beach and a pirate museum. I put together a walking guide for anyone visiting Nassau soon (read Downtown Nassau on Your Own: Walking Guide here).
Chef’s Table
I also got to experience Chef’s Table twice! I attended with one of my girlfriends on the first sailing and again with my husband on the second sailing. Same menu, different experience, worth every calorie! I wrote a blog post about Chef’s Table on a prior girls cruise out of Galveston (read A Cruise Must: Chef’s Table on Carnival Cruises here) and would happily do it again!
Sea Days
I look forward to sea days on cruises just as much as the ports, so I was very happy to have additional sea days during this back-to-back cruise to relax and explore. I like to go to the gym, drink wine, attend trivia and art auctions, nap, to name a few sea day favorites. Read about How I Maximize Relaxation & Fun on Cruise Sea Days here.
The Back-to-Back Customs Process
So minor I wouldn’t even call it a disruption was the mandatory customs process for back-to-back cruisers. My girlfriends had left the ship by 8:00am and I, along with the other 16 of us back-to-back cruisers (8 of them out on excursion), had the cruise ship to ourselves. The 8 of us that remained on the ship met in the lobby at 9:45am and surrendered our old Sail-and-Sign cards, were escorted through customs at 10:00am (no line!!), were back on the ship at 10:10am with new cards issued, had complimentary drinks at the bar, and waited for the new guests (including my husband) to arrive. It was really neat to see the turnover!
I will definitely be back-to-back cruising again, now that I know it’s a thing, and really maximizes time on the ship! Especially in my case where I want to travel with my girlfriends AND my husband. And one day…maybe I’ll be one of those retired folks you see living on a cruise ship. One can always dream. Have you ever done a back-to-back cruise?
More Cruise Tips, Packing Lists, and Past Cruise Adventures:
First 24 Hours on a Cruise Ship: Do’s and Don’ts
Cruise Tips: Planning and Packing
My Cruise Kit: The Practical & the Ridiculous
A Cruise Must: Chef’s Table on Carnival Cruises
How I Maximize Relaxation & Fun on Cruise Sea Days
Cruise Packing Lists: Backpack & Rolling Suitcase Packing Checklists
Carry-On Suitcase Packing List (Packing Checklist for the Overhead Bin)
Carry-On Bag Packing List (Packing Checklist for Under the Seat)
These Are a Few of My Favorite Western Caribbean Cruise Things (Part 1: Cozumel & Progreso, Mexico)
These Are a Few of My Favorite Western Caribbean Cruise Things (Part 2: Belize, Honduras, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica)
Read about our Mediterranean cruise here and British Isles cruise here and Alaskan Cruise here.
Don’t forget a corkscrew (read about my TSA-compliant Carry-On Corkscrew here)!
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