Ditchdoc

Exiting the ship, a cross wind blew my $50 Tilly hat off my head into the drink between the ship and the dock. 

We are currently 35 days out GTY with no assignment. 
Our eDocs now show the deck but no room.
Our cruise is over the New Year and popular so it is probably fully booked and that could have some bearing.
I found out the bar code on the eDocs  has the room embedded. A bar code reader for your smart phone camera can decode the bar code. The last 6 digits or so are the deck and room number. Checking the deck plan, the bar code for our cruise appears to be the correct deck and room type is correct. I guess there is no guarantee until your bags are in the room but this bar code trick just might confirm your room before it becomes official.
 

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I hope you have a good experience.
I have been diving for 20 years. I got started as part of a swift water rescue/dive team. The level of training was pretty demanding as most of our diving was done in zero visibility along with anyone of a number of other hazards. We started out slow and worked out way up. Even then, some people did not make it.
The point is, dive schools that promise every thing in a day are rushed. If you are a strong swimmer, perfectly comfortable in deep water, have no issues with claustrophobia, no medical issues (especially respiratory or cardiovascular), don't panic easily, learn quickly, are level headed and can adapt to a totally different environment ... you should do well.
In addition to learning all the mechanics of the equipment and safety rules, buoyancy control is probably the hardest to control well. Being able to finesse this in small increments with varying depths takes practice. Mostly is done with the BC and many times it can be be adjusted by small amount by how deep you breathe or inflate your lungs.
I would prefer a class that is done over days, starting with a fairly deep swimming pool where you can take time to practice skills and really feel comfortable.
I'm not trying to scare you, its just a bit of a reality check. Diving is fun and a great sport. Just be aware that resort courses are accelerated. If all else fails, bubbles always go the surface. Don't panic and follow them slowly.
 

Sounds good.
Your own, well fitted mask will help.
If you have room in your travel bags I'd even take fins.
I personally take my own regulator. In part because it has a fitted mouth piece that is far more comfortable and it has the transmitter that talks to my wrist worn dive computer.
I also am prone to take my own 0.5 mil shortie.
You might wait awhile before you jump in that deep ?

Sounds good.
Your own, well fitted mask will help.
If you have room in your travel bags I'd even take fins.
I personally take my own regulator. In part because it has a fitted mouth piece that is far more comfortable and it has the transmitter that talks to my wrist worn dive computer.
I also am prone to take my own 0.5 mil shortie.
You might wait awhile before you jump in that deep ?

I hope you have a good experience.
I have been diving for 20 years. I got started as part of a swift water rescue/dive team. The level of training was pretty demanding as most of our diving was done in zero visibility along with anyone of a number of other hazards. We started out slow and worked out way up. Even then, some people did not make it.
The point is, dive schools that promise every thing in a day are rushed. If you are a strong swimmer, perfectly comfortable in deep water, have no issues with claustrophobia, no medical issues (especially respiratory or cardiovascular), don't panic easily, learn quickly, are level headed and can adapt to a totally different environment ... you should do well.
In addition to learning all the mechanics of the equipment and safety rules, buoyancy control is probably the hardest to control well. Being able to finesse this in small increments with varying depths takes practice. Mostly is done with the BC and many times it can be be adjusted by small amount by how deep you breathe or inflate your lungs.
I would prefer a class that is done over days, starting with a fairly deep swimming pool where you can take time to practice skills and really feel comfortable.
I'm not trying to scare you, its just a bit of a reality check. Diving is fun and a great sport. Just be aware that resort courses are accelerated. If all else fails, bubbles always go the surface. Don't panic and follow them slowly.
 

36 days till Dec 29 and our New Years cruise on Harmony. 
We are GTY with a balcony over central park. Pretty sure we are on deck ten but room is not yet assigned.
I had thought about Voom so I could present some live updates here. I'm just not sure I really want to be connected. I kinda see this as a time to disconnect.
Any way we are excited as time draws near and are looking forward too our 3rd visit to Coco Cay. The first time it was pretty much just an isolated beach. It's grown a bit since then.
 

36 days till Dec 29 and our New Years cruise on Harmony. 
We are GTY with a balcony over central park. Pretty sure we are on deck ten but room is not yet assigned.
I had thought about Voom so I could present some live updates here. I'm just not sure I really want to be connected. I kinda see this as a time to disconnect.
Any way we are excited as time draws near and are looking forward too our 3rd visit to Coco Cay. The first time it was pretty much just an isolated beach. It's grown a bit since then.
 

36 days till Dec 29 and our New Years cruise on Harmony. 
We are GTY with a balcony over central park. Pretty sure we are on deck ten but room is not yet assigned.
I had thought about Voom so I could present some live updates here. I'm just not sure I really want to be connected. I kinda see this as a time to disconnect.
Any way we are excited as time draws near and are looking forward too our 3rd visit to Coco Cay. The first time it was pretty much just an isolated beach. It's grown a bit since then.
 

No doubt. About the only limitation would normally be a passengers right to a cabin of equal or greater value/category.
It is their ship. Their rules.
There are no doubt many reasons a cabin assignment could change. One of the most obvious would be mechanical issues. Something breaks or becomes serviceable. No doubt with hundreds/thousands of cabins to maintain, some amount go in and out of service on a regular basis for repairs or updates. There could be safety reasons.
 
 
 

If anything, the ship usually arrives back a little early.
Disembarking is a system where you get assigned colors and a place to gather. There is no guarantee where you will end up in the process. Baggage claim and customs usually goes pretty smoothly and quickly. When driving, I find I am usually on the road between 8 and 9 with no special considerations.
If you let your state room attendant know you have a need to disembark as soon as possible due to travel commitments, they will work with you to get you off as soon as possible. You might be on the road by 7 or or earlier.

Everyone has an app now days, My smart phone is cluttered with them. They use storage space, eat data and battery power. Some are useful and get used almost daily while others only get used on a rare occasion. I only cruse once or twice a year and it seems wasteful to use limited phone resources for an app I would only use a couple of times a year.

I don't pretend to know anything about running a cruise line, especially finances ... but ... just from what has been posted here ....
 
It took 60 million to stretch the ship and added 151 state rooms. That is almost 400 thousand per state room.
Just to make it easy, lets say the state rooms rent for 1,000 per week. It would take 400 weeks or almost 8 years to for them to pay for themselves.
My very basic understanding of business is if something does not pay for itself in 5 years, its not worth it.
Of course this does not take all kinds of things into consideration like cost of extra food, fuel costs or what passengers spend on all kinds of things like drinks to name a few.
 

Radisson Resort at the Port
 
It's close, they offer park and cruise, shuttle to the ship and back, have a very nice pool. I've stayed there 3 or 4 times.

Just ran across this tid bit.
 
Generally cruise ships leaving and returning from a US ports did not have a passport requirement.
 
Officials in Martinique now require a valid passport in order to go ashore. This requirement will be strictly enforced by local authorities.
Martinique is a French island that is often visited on cruises to the Southern Caribbean.

I never seem to need a lanyard. I look nerdy enough without looking like I am at a convention. ?

Well ... for a long time, as a guy, mostly all I had to carry around were my keys and billfold. Typical pants/shorts fit the bill. Then along came cell phones.
For awhile keys in a front pocket, billfold in one back pocket and phone in the other back pocket was doable but not always comfortable and risked breaking the phone.
Then there was cargo pants. Bingo, two extra front pockets on the thighs. Over time, virtually every pair of pants and shorts in my wardrobe morphed into the Jungle Jim look.
Now cargo pants are made in most every style from denim to camouflage , to dress. Flaps button, zipper or Velcro. There are pockets inside of pockets. Smaller stitched pockets that hold writing implements and with rings for attaching keys. There are heavy and light weight materials that dry in minutes if gotten wet.
On a cruise ship about all you need is the sea card. With all the cargo pant options, its is easy enough to find some place to keep the card.
Going ashore? A passport with a credit card, a bit of folding money and the sea pass card inside the pages are the only necessities and easy to stash in a pocket.
Extras like a phone or small digital camera, pair of glasses, even a smaller bottle of water can find a home in the right cargo pant pocket.
As a back up, I use a sturdy book bag/backpack as my carry on. If it seems prudent for the day, it can hold all the above, binoculars, towel, lightweight rain jacket, small packages from shopping and so on.
I just never liked things hanging around my neck.
 
 

Well ... for a long time, as a guy, mostly all I had to carry around were my keys and billfold. Typical pants/shorts fit the bill. Then along came cell phones.
For awhile keys in a front pocket, billfold in one back pocket and phone in the other back pocket was doable but not always comfortable and risked breaking the phone.
Then there was cargo pants. Bingo, two extra front pockets on the thighs. Over time, virtually every pair of pants and shorts in my wardrobe morphed into the Jungle Jim look.
Now cargo pants are made in most every style from denim to camouflage , to dress. Flaps button, zipper or Velcro. There are pockets inside of pockets. Smaller stitched pockets that hold writing implements and with rings for attaching keys. There are heavy and light weight materials that dry in minutes if gotten wet.
On a cruise ship about all you need is the sea card. With all the cargo pant options, its is easy enough to find some place to keep the card.
Going ashore? A passport with a credit card, a bit of folding money and the sea pass card inside the pages are the only necessities and easy to stash in a pocket.
Extras like a phone or small digital camera, pair of glasses, even a smaller bottle of water can find a home in the right cargo pant pocket.
As a back up, I use a sturdy book bag/backpack as my carry on. If it seems prudent for the day, it can hold all the above, binoculars, towel, lightweight rain jacket, small packages from shopping and so on.
I just never liked things hanging around my neck.
 
 

I never seem to need a lanyard. I look nerdy enough without looking like I am at a convention. ?

Ships are dangerous......so are airplanes, trains, automobiles, movie theaters, malls, Walmart, schools, concerts, night clubs, riding a bike, riding a motorcycle, scuba diving, foul balls at baseball games, swimming, hurricanes, tornadoes, mud slides, forest fires, ice storms, earthquakes, getting too close to wildlife, boating, guns, poor diets, obesity, smoking, alcohol, second hand smoke, vaping ......
 
I guess I'll just assume a fetal position in my basement and hope for the best.

Ships are dangerous......so are airplanes, trains, automobiles, movie theaters, malls, Walmart, schools, concerts, night clubs, riding a bike, riding a motorcycle, scuba diving, foul balls at baseball games, swimming, hurricanes, tornadoes, mud slides, forest fires, ice storms, earthquakes, getting too close to wildlife, boating, guns, poor diets, obesity, smoking, alcohol, second hand smoke, vaping ......
 
I guess I'll just assume a fetal position in my basement and hope for the best.

Ships are dangerous......so are airplanes, trains, automobiles, movie theaters, malls, Walmart, schools, concerts, night clubs, riding a bike, riding a motorcycle, scuba diving, foul balls at baseball games, swimming, hurricanes, tornadoes, mud slides, forest fires, ice storms, earthquakes, getting too close to wildlife, boating, guns, poor diets, obesity, smoking, alcohol, second hand smoke, vaping ......
 
I guess I'll just assume a fetal position in my basement and hope for the best.

Ships are dangerous......so are airplanes, trains, automobiles, movie theaters, malls, Walmart, schools, concerts, night clubs, riding a bike, riding a motorcycle, scuba diving, foul balls at baseball games, swimming, hurricanes, tornadoes, mud slides, forest fires, ice storms, earthquakes, getting too close to wildlife, boating, guns, poor diets, obesity, smoking, alcohol, second hand smoke, vaping ......
 
I guess I'll just assume a fetal position in my basement and hope for the best.

Ships are dangerous......so are airplanes, trains, automobiles, movie theaters, malls, Walmart, schools, concerts, night clubs, riding a bike, riding a motorcycle, scuba diving, foul balls at baseball games, swimming, hurricanes, tornadoes, mud slides, forest fires, ice storms, earthquakes, getting too close to wildlife, boating, guns, poor diets, obesity, smoking, alcohol, second hand smoke, vaping ......
 
I guess I'll just assume a fetal position in my basement and hope for the best.