twangster

Guide for Port Everglades produced by the port:
http://en.calameo.com/read/004673538f6ba47ddfa16
Port Map:
https://res.cloudinary.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/porteverglades/Port_Facilties_Map_UPDATED_August_5_2016_967fef41-99cb-400e-a99b-a0bbb8b935be.pdf
 

Voom on-board versus cruise planner at $13.99 for various C&A levels:
Voom Comparison 1399.pdf
For D/D+ the day 2 strategy remains cheapest for 7 nights or less.  
Day 2 strategy involves buying it on board but waiting until day 2 to do so since prices drop for the full voyage plans on board as each day passes.
For Emerald and Platinum on 7 night or longer you are better to buy it ahead of time @ $13.99
For Gold on 5 night or longer you are better to buy it ahead of time @ $13.99

Two ships at CocoCay
While looking at satellite images of CocoCay in Apple Maps I found two ships anchored off CocoCay.  Enchantment and Grandeur.  Date unknown.
Apparently there is some history with having two Vision class ships sharing CocoCay.

I assume it's related to the message board area being a separate software engine compared to the main blog site.  
Matt has done a good job blending the two but under the covers there are some subtle differences. 

Thanks, Matt.  Took a minute, but I finally figured that out.  BTW, I absolutely love this site so I became an INSIDER and well worth it.  It must have taken you quite a while to set this all up, and I, for one, appreciate it! 

Absolutely.  Check often. 
Typically you are safe to purchase now and if a future sale does apply to your sailing, refund your purchase and buy it at the lower price.  

I have three mid-September cruises.  My 'eDocs' are ready for 9/12 including luggage tags - 47 days. 
For my other cruises at 52 and 56 days, no eDocs yet, no luggage tags.  Luggage tags are usually found within your eDoc near the end.  This isn't the same as a SetSail pass.
A quick way to look for eDocs is in your dashboard once logged in.  Click the "View more details" link and the section will expand.  If you're eDocs are ready a link will appear for them.   Otherwise it will state "You have no cruise documents available at this time".

As a subscriber to Adobe's $10 per month photography plan they occasional publish guides and tips.  This plan includes Lightroom Classic CC which is one of the best software applications I've come across.  I'm not a fan of paying a recurring charge for anything in life but for this I've made an exception.
Today I received an email with a link to this tip showing how a professional photographer used Lightroom to create a dramatic image from an already pretty good photograph:
https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/how-to/create-landscape-photography.html
People often ask "What kind of camera do you have?" 
The camera is just one small part of taking good pictures.  The truth is the brand of the camera isn't as important as the tools available for any photographer.  Tools such as a camera, lens and software.  
When traveling you rarely have time to set up a tripod and make a series of adjustments while capturing dozens of images so being able to take any image and make adjustments later in software is probably the biggest upgrade anyone can do to achieve better photos.  This is best achieved when capturing in RAW format compared to JPEG.
If you have or are considering Adobe Lightroom, make sure you check out all the free tutorials they offer for beginner and advanced users:
https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/tutorials.html

I have three mid-September cruises.  My 'eDocs' are ready for 9/12 including luggage tags - 47 days. 
For my other cruises at 52 and 56 days, no eDocs yet, no luggage tags.  Luggage tags are usually found within your eDoc near the end.  This isn't the same as a SetSail pass.
A quick way to look for eDocs is in your dashboard once logged in.  Click the "View more details" link and the section will expand.  If you're eDocs are ready a link will appear for them.   Otherwise it will state "You have no cruise documents available at this time".

They likely didn't know it was for the infamous Matt Hochberg.

And a great opportunity to get another stamp for the NPS passport!! Woot!

@twangster Wow! Fantastic information. I'm definitely leaning towards one of those hikes now

No app for Jewel at the moment.  
Royal has been working on a new app called "Royal Caribbean International" that is expected to eventually be used on all ships.  They haven't released a specific time line for any given ship so we don't know when Jewel will be enabled for the new app.

I bought a Rolex a couple of years ago.  They are quite affordable but I hardly wear it and it's a bit bulky. 
It was $36 on the streets of San Juan.  
Still not sure what all the fuss is about.

My current plan is to walk through town and eventually to the Gold Rush Cemetery and Reid Falls. 
Depending on weather there are other trails in the area.  It's a National Park.
https://www.nps.gov/klgo/planyourvisit/hiking.htm
I'm not booking an excursion this time.  

Correct.  Day 2 excursion that would have to tender given the location.  That is what made it unique for this itinerary.  

I got the email today.  My Hubbard Glacier Wilderness Explorer excursion has been cancelled ?

I got the email today.  My Hubbard Glacier Wilderness Explorer excursion has been cancelled ?

Agreed.  Adjusted for inflation over the years cruising rates still make them a great way to vacation.
There are trends across many cruise lines and for the most part we see the same or similar changes being made across the industry. 
Also be aware there is a service fee for most room service orders now.  The menu is much better but there is a per-order service charge.  I can't fault them for this as I used to see gobs of wasted food lining the halls because, why not?, it's 'free'.  The small fee charged now makes people think twice about ordering room service and you don't see the waste you used to.   

Luggage tags often appear 30-45 days out.
Check back in a couple of weeks.

They likely didn't know it was for the infamous Matt Hochberg.

I bought a Rolex a couple of years ago.  They are quite affordable but I hardly wear it and it's a bit bulky. 
It was $36 on the streets of San Juan.  
Still not sure what all the fuss is about.

Loving the blog, keep it coming!

I appreciate your seafood aversion as a non-fan myself,  but understand these lobsters are not like the Caribbean lobsters served on RC ships on formal nights.  Unless you are allergic, consider trying some just to experience 'real' lobster.   

@Mljstr - In your case you now have 90 minutes between arrival and departure.  You were very smart to book a longer layover and now that is paying dividends since there have been changes and you still have a very generous amount of time to make your connection.
Keep in mind you don't have to be at the gate of your Rome flight 60 minutes before.  Not that I think it will happen, but arriving after boarding has started won't impact you.  You could stop, eat a quick bite, go to the restroom and still make it to your Rome flight with ample time to board.
Unlike domestic flights were everyone is competing for overhead bins space, on most international flights people have checked bags and fewer carry on items usually meaning ample overhead bin space for everyone's carry on.  
You are likely not getting anywhere with Air2Sea or the airline because 90 minutes between flights is more than enough time for anyone regardless of their age or abilities. 
As to why flight times have changed - Airlines set schedules far in advance but as day of travel approaches many things impact the day of a plane. 
In some cases the FAA grants and adjusts take-off and landing slots in a giant jigsaw puzzle trying to balance multiple airlines using both the originating and destination airport. 
In your case the change may have started hours earlier in a different city far away where your plane (ironically called 'ships' in the airline industry) had to have it's scheduled adjusted for any number of reasons.  That one small change impacts the next leg and the leg after that and the leg after that until it comes to the leg that you are on. 
It could be that an airport in California announces it is closing a runway for maintenance.  Your plane just happens to be there 6 hours before your flight.  Instead of the hour long ground time they thought they would have, now they have to land 10 minutes later and will spend 68 minutes on the ground because of that maintenance being introduced by the airport four states away.  That one change ripples through the various flights your plane is scheduled to fly that day until it comes to your turn to get on that plane.
On any given plane there are passengers connecting to a myriad of destinations.  Every change has ripple effects for the daily life cycle of any plane and the hundreds of passenger connections each day.
Rest assured it's not some conspiracy or shenanigan focused at you.  If you fly enough you see this sort of thing all the time, some times providing a longer layover, some times making it shorter.