Picture the last morning of your cruise. Everyone around you is dragging suitcases, shoving into elevators, and clogging the stairwells, but you’re not going anywhere, because you booked a back-to-back and another sailing starts today. So what happens now? Do you get to stay in your cabin and watch everyone else leave, or do you have to get off the ship too?
The short answer: yes, you have to get off, but only for a little while. Every passenger leaves the ship on turnaround day, back-to-back guests included, so the crew can clear the ship and customs can do their thing. Then you’re walked right back on, usually before the new passengers start boarding.
That’s the easy part. The confusing part is everything around it: what happens to your cabin, your luggage, your onboard account, your drink package and that specialty dinner you’re pretty sure you booked. I often do back-to-back cruises including a 12 day Panama Canal cruise followed by a 9 day Southern Caribbean sailing on Holland America’s Rotterdam earlier this year, and have several back-to-backs coming up, so it’s safe to say I’m an old pro on turnaround day!
One quick note before we dive in. Everything here is based on back-to-back sailings that start and end in the United States. Every country and port has its own regulations for customs, immigration and in-transit passengers, and cruise lines can handle turnaround day differently from one another. If you’re sailing out of Canada, Europe, Australia or anywhere else, treat this as a general guide and confirm the details with your cruise line.
If you’re still sorting out how a back-to-back differs from a side-to-side, start with my article on back-to-back cruises vs. side-to-side cruises. And if any of the cruise line lingo in this post trips you up, my cruise term dictionary is a good place to brush up.
What Turnaround Day Actually Looks Like
Here’s how it usually plays out. Those continuing on to the next sailing are asked to meet in a specific lounge at a specific time. Key cards gets scanned on the way in, so the crew could confirm exactly who’s staying onboard. The back-to-backers are now referred to as “in-transit guests.”
Then you wait for what’s known as “zero count,” which is the point when every passenger from the previous cruise has left the ship. Once that happens, you’re escorted off and into the terminal to clear U.S. Customs, which could mean a physical passport check, or a smile-and-go at a facial recognition device. Then you line up and wait for the official OK to head back on board.
Sometimes the process is quick, sometimes it’s not. It all depends on how quickly they get the zero count and how quickly all the back-to-back guests are cleared through Customs.
You can read the full play by play in my Rotterdam Southern Caribbean review for Day 1.
Same Cabin or a New One?
This is the first thing to sort out when you book, because it changes how your turnaround day goes. If you can book the same stateroom for both sailings, you’re in great shape. Your stuff stays put and you don’t have to think about it.
That isn’t always possible, especially on a sold out sailing. On one of my back-to-back cruises, the second leg fell right in the middle of spring break, the ship was full, and my requests to keep the same room at Guest Services couldn’t be accommodated. I went from a spacious Family Oceanview cabin on Deck 1 to a much smaller interior on Deck 6. Not my favorite swap, but the move itself was painless.
Do You Have to Repack?
If you’re staying in the same cabin, no. Leave everything where it is.
If you’re switching cabins, it depends on the cruise line, so check your instructions. On Holland America, I packed up anything that wasn’t on a hanger and left my luggage and hanging clothes in the room. While I was off the ship clearing customs, housekeeping moved everything to the new stateroom. When I got back, my belongings were already waiting, and all I had to do was pick up my new key card at Guest Services.
A couple of things I’d recommend either way:
- Keep your passport, medications, electronics and anything valuable in a bag you carry yourself.
- Take a quick look at your closet and drawers before you leave. Things get missed in a move.
- Check that nothing you rely on was left behind.
Closing and Reopening Your Onboard Account
Policies vary by line, but in general each sailing is treated as its own cruise, which means your onboard account is typically settled at the end of the first leg and a new one is opened for the second. Expect a final statement for sailing one, and make sure a payment method is attached for sailing two.
Give that first statement a careful look before the next leg of your cruise starts. It’s much easier to question a charge while you’re still on the sailing before it moves over to the next.
Customs and Immigration
Even though you’re not going home, you still have to be cleared when you’re sailing out of a U.S. port. A cruise is international travel, so you need to officially re-enter the country before you can continue. Back-to-back guests are usually processed as a group, which is why it moves so quickly.
Keep in mind that this is how it works in the United States. Other countries have their own immigration rules and procedures, so turnaround day can look different at ports outside the U.S.
Bring your passport with you, even if your port uses facial recognition. You never know when an officer will want to see it.
The Consecutive Cruiser Meeting
Your cruise line will tell you where to go and when, and this is where people get nervous. Instructions typically show up in your stateroom, in the daily schedule, or from Guest Services in the last day or two of the first sailing.
Don’t wait for the information to find you. If you haven’t seen anything by the last sea day, stop by Guest Services and ask. It takes two minutes and removes all the guesswork.
Can You Leave the Terminal Between Cruises?
Yes, at least on U.S. sailings. After you clear customs, you can tell the staff you’d like to spend some time ashore. You’ll be treated as an in-transit guest and given instructions for getting back onboard, usually with an all-aboard time later in the day. It works a lot like a regular port stop.
If you’re sailing from a port like Miami or Fort Lauderdale, that’s a nice chance to grab lunch, do a little shopping or just stretch your legs. Just keep an eye on the clock and be back well before the deadline. I’m usually happy to head right back onboard, though, and enjoy an hour or two of a nearly empty ship before the next round of guests start boarding.
Beverage Packages, Wi-Fi and Dining Reservations
This is where back-to-back cruisers get surprised, so here’s the rule of thumb: don’t assume anything carries over. Drink packages and Wi-Fi are generally sold per sailing, so a package that covers your first leg usually ends when that leg does. Some lines let you buy for the full length up front and others don’t, so ask before you pay.
For dining, make your reservations for the second sailing as soon as your cruise line lets you. Embarkation night is one of my favorite times to eat in a specialty restaurant, since most people are still unpacking and the restaurant is quiet.
If you’re curious what a beverage package will cost you over a long stretch, try one of my drink package calculators.
Parking and Transportation
If you’re driving to the port, a back-to-back is actually easier. You park once and the car stays put for the whole trip, but the daily rate adds up over two sailings, so price it out ahead of time.
Things get trickier if you’re flying. Make sure you book your return flight based on the final disembarkation date, not the first one, and double check that your two sailings begin and end in the ports you think they do. If friends or family are joining you for only the second sailing, they’re doing a normal embarkation day, which means their own transportation, their own parking and their own check-in.
When Two Cruises Are Treated as One Voyage
Most back-to-backs are two separate bookings, and that’s why you go through customs, close your account and start fresh. But some lines package two sailings as one longer itinerary, and when that happens the rules are the same. You will have to go through the full turnaround routine.
However, you may not get a new account and have to rebuy your packages. That all comes down to how it was booked.
My Back-to-Back Checklist
- Confirm whether you’re staying in the same cabin or switching.
- Find out where and when the consecutive cruiser meeting happens.
- Keep your passport and valuables with you on turnaround morning.
- Review your onboard account before the first sailing ends.
- Re-purchase or re-book anything tied to the first sailing, like packages, Wi-Fi, cabanas and specialty dining.
- Decide whether you’d rather head back onboard or explore ashore as an in-transit guest.
- Sort out parking, flights and transfers around the final disembarkation date.
Frequently Asked Questions About Back-to-Back Turnaround Day
Do I have to get off the ship during a back-to-back cruise?
Yes, briefly, on sailings out of the United States. All passengers disembark on turnaround day so the ship can reach zero count and everyone can clear customs. Back-to-back guests are usually processed as a group and escorted back onboard.
Do I need to change cabins on a back-to-back cruise?
Not if you book the same stateroom for both sailings. If you’re switching, the cruise line will usually help move your belongings, but follow their instructions closely.
Will my drink package and Wi-Fi carry over to the second cruise?
Generally not automatically. They’re typically sold per sailing, so ask your cruise line about buying for the full length or adding a new package for sailing two.
Do I need my passport on turnaround day?
Bring it. Even if your port uses facial recognition kiosks, it’s the one document you don’t want to be without.
Can I leave the terminal between cruises?
Yes. After clearing customs, you can let the staff know you’re spending time ashore as an in-transit guest. Be back onboard before the all-aboard time you’re given.
Are two back-to-back cruises treated as one voyage?
Usually not. Most are two separate bookings with separate accounts, though a few lines sell combined itineraries as a single voyage. Ask your cruise line how yours is classified.
Do the same back-to-back rules apply outside the United States?
Not necessarily. Each country and port has its own regulations for customs, immigration and in-transit passengers, and cruise lines can handle turnaround day differently. This article is based on sailings out of the U.S., so check with your cruise line if you’re departing from another country.
