FlowBro Ty

Oh great...why did you have to go and post that.  Now I HAVE to look.  I was doing so well too.  I have booked anything for two months!

Walls work and Labadee is protected by them and armed guards ?
 

This is not the first time in Royal Caribbean's history of Labadee that there have been protests/civil unrest elsewhere in the country.  It does not affect cruise stops because Labadee is in a rather remote part of the country, whereas the demonstrations take place in the cities.

If you get a peek just outside the gates to Labadee (which you'd see if you go up to the zip line attraction in a large covered Jeep), the peninsula area is surrounded by barbed wire fencing and security guards. It's completely barricaded from the rest of the island, so it really is just a cruise line tourist property. 
That said, there was a peaceful protest that did stop ships from stopping in Labadee a couple years back - https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2016/01/19/political-protests-haiti-prevent-royal-caribbean-guests-going-labadee 

Vision - Oct 10-14, 2019
Adventure - Jan 18-26, 2020

Ovation of the Seas - 10 Nov 19
Symphony of the Seas - 19 Sep 20
Navigator of the Seas - 28 Sep 20
 

@Jaymac Radio posted this video just yesterday about the Tampa fog situation I encountered:
Not Galveston but like Galveston Tampa deals with fog this time of year.
 

Hey, I kinda like that bridge.  Besides, it's not the only barrier to having an Oasis in Tampa.
A few years ago I heard some rumors about them developing a new cruise terminal somewhere beyond it (supposedly down around de Soto).  Maybe they should revisit that idea.

Hey Matt Thanks For The Great Blog. I Really Enjoyed It.

Don't show my wife this suitcase. My backs already broken carrying her stuff though the airport

Would you actually utilize this luggage for a 4 night cruise??  Be honest as I have seen many of you pack as if you are going away for a year when it's only 4 nights!! ?

Welcome to the forums!
Ok here's my pros
1.  You start your vacation early!  
2.  Once onboard you can visit the bars for a drink, visit the pool(s), eat at the windjammer, explore the ship (get your bearings), people watch the others embarking, visit customer service in case you need their services
And here are my cons
1.  If you embark as soon as possible, you may be waiting some time for your room to be ready (around 2-3 hours, it varies) and therefore anything you're carrying on, you're carrying with you for 2-3 hours.  So if you're enjoying the windjammer, its you and all of your stuff sitting down to eat.  Same with everywhere else you visit, that carryon stuff is coming with you (I say this because there are a lot of questions with people asking if they can carry on soda, while you can, that along with the rest of your carryon stuff can start getting heavy to lug around)
2.  Shopping and the casino are closed until you reach international waters. If you're looking to get your shopping on immediately or get to gambling, you'll be disappointed.  
3.  Most sit down restaurants will be closed immediately at embarkation.  The windjammer isnt bad at ALL, but if you're a sit down eater, you may have to wait until lunchtime
4.  Limited services available at the spa.  They are likely still turning over the spa from the previous sailing immediately at early embarkation and staff will likely be selling services for the duration of the cruise.
5.  Few organized activities during embarkation.  There is music to listen to, but shows or trivia or lectures, etc, will likely be after departure.  
 
Embarkation usually starts around 10am (ish) and rooms arent ready until usually 1pm (ish) and your luggage makes it to your stateroom normally by 7pm (ish)  So if your shuttle puts you any earlier than 10 at the terminal, you'll likely be waiting around the terminal to even embark, and then waiting 3 hours until you can go to your stateroom.  
I'm personally a fan of early embarkation because I like enjoying a day drinking cocktail while listening to music and people watching followed by a walkthrough of the ship and then light grub at the windjammer, but not everyone enjoys a cocktail and can self amuse by just music and people watching.  Others enjoy getting their grub on at the windjammer, others avoid the windjammer like the plague upon embarkation (it gets rather busy)  Some will be seen swimming when its warm, others or when its chillier wont be anywhere near the pool.

Hope This Helps.Here A Some Great Blog About Star Class And The Genie Program 
 
 

Most Caribbean cruises don't require that you take your passport off the ship.  Ships are cleared based on manifests submitted to governments.  A ship pulls up, local immigration clears the ship as a whole and every one is free to leave.  You never see local customs agents in each country, it's done while you are sleeping, or eating breakfast, etc...
When cruising to Cuba you must present your passport to Cuban immigration in the terminal so you need your passport to get off the ship there.  
Other than Cuba you just need ship card and in some cases a gov't ID like a drivers license to get back on the ship.  Some ports want gov't ID to see the name on the ship card is a match.  

Oasis of the Seas, April 14, 2019.  This will be my second RCL cruise.  I have booked TL #1718.  Does anyone have any suggestions on what to expect with the Royal Genie program?  I am not very needy but as with my first cruise, I did enjoy the Concierge taking care of all of our onboard reservations and having priority seating at events.  

Unlike a stop in most Caribbean ports you can't leave Labadee and go into Haiti.  Locals can't enter either, unless employed there.  Royal employees 500 full time positions in Labadee, the majority being locals. 
The village nearby is an old fishing village which has prospered because of Labadee while the rest of Haiti is pretty unfortunate.  Consequently it tends to be a different dynamic in Labadee.
Civil unrest and similar warnings have occurred many times over the years.  Labadee is typically not impacted by them.  Royal is not in the business of getting their guests hurt or thrust into the limelight so they would absolutely avoid it if they thought it was a danger.  

One more that I tried of on Carnival.  It seemed I could close my eyes and in some places would have no idea what ship I was on when I opened them.  Many things repeat over and over.  Dream class had some differences but the cabins were verbatim copies spanning 20 years of ships.  
Royal 'suffers' from that on Voyager and Freedom class to some degree, but one class to another usually has some big differences.  I like variety.  

Some bars, pools, Windjammer will be open - rooms are ready usually by 1:00. It gives you a chance to grab something to eat before the crowds get heavy, to explore the ship a bit before there are a lot of people on board. You're going to wait somewhere - why not the ship? I like to start my cruise ASAP! The kids would probably rather hang out by the pool rather than in a hotel room, I reckon - just bring their suits in a small carry on so you don't have to wait for your luggage to be delivered.  And have a great time!

To My Knowledge They Will Still Be Stopping There. 
It Is Very Safe And Secure At Labbdee. 

Money's the bottom line.  Royal's primary focus, and their biggest draw for a lot of people, is in maximizing the onboard experience, and the Oasis class' size gives them the greatest capabilities in that respect.  It also gives them the greatest flexibility for testing new innovations, as well as for future refurbs and modifications.
As for production spans and whatnot, this is a reflection of the sheer increase in scale.  As things get bigger and more expensive, you're going to see the time scale grow, too, and, yes, they're going to see them use some designs (especially such a successful one) longer than they used to.  You'll probably see the service lives of the ships themselves get longer, too.

Damn, I was really hoping for something along the Ohio river. 

Hello,
Does anyone know if Harmony and other  RC boaths are still stopping at port of Labadee?   Canada ambassy asks to avoid completely this country since Feb’19.   (it isn’ t an island but is connected to Haïti.)    I wonder if it is safe to unboard there even if private area.    Would rather be redirected to another port.

Sadly friends, this live blog must come to an end. Not because I want to end it, but because I am being forced to vacate this ship. 
Thanks for reading and following along. I have to admit I really enjoyed this format of live blogging, and I’d love to do it again. It’s certainly a lot simpler approach compared to my other live blogs. 
Thanks again and hope you enjoyed it.  So long, and thanks for all the fish. 

https://media2.giphy.com/media/c20UV66B7zCWA/giphy.gif?cid=19f5b51a5c6a063b524963714102fd30

There is protocol for folks who don’t make it to the ship on time beyond blasting the ships horn. It begins with announcements onboard requesting they call guest relations (because it is entirely possible they are aboard); you can be sure their recent seapass use is researched to see if they have entered their stateroom, bought a drink, played a slot machine, bought some art from Park West, etc. etc. I’d like to think somebody onboard is calling, emailing, and texting the important contact information you were required to submit when you bought the cruise. Finally— security enters their stateroom and ransacks it to obtain their passport and then those missing persons passports are handed to the local port agent before the ship leaves. Offenders are left high and dry but with access to their passports, just no luggage. On the bright side they do have plenty of time to head back to Froggies or Margaritaville.
Who is the port agent you ask? Well, somewhere buried in your cruise documents is the name, address, and phone number of the port agents for the ports you will be visiting. You sign your name that you are aware of this people when you first get onboard. Remember?
We all can be sure the ports where people are frequently late like Rome (Civitavecchia) or Nassau everyone who works on that pier will know which way you need to go and who you need to see.
Not every pier runner is drunk. Hey, sometimes medical emergencies happen while passengers are in port. In those cases, the hospital will usually notify the ship that Mr Smith has had a heart attack and Mrs Smith will be staying with him while he is in surgery or Mr Jones is in traction from a zip line injury earlier that morning; in those cases Royal security will ransack the room and the little safe looking for passports as they do but they will also pack the personal belongings and leave those with the port agent. So maybe hospitality has not completely left the cruise industry?