Ditchdoc

Very nice ... as hard as the crew works ... it is only right they have have access to nice areas to decompress.

Very nice ... as hard as the crew works ... it is only right they have have access to nice areas to decompress.

Southern is my favorite. St Lucia, Aruba, Curcaco are all beautiful.

Thanks for recognising the hard work we do!

Very nice ... as hard as the crew works ... it is only right they have have access to nice areas to decompress.

Very nice ... as hard as the crew works ... it is only right they have have access to nice areas to decompress.

I am not sure how many times Ive been to Labadee. I think the first time, we tendered in. There was a large picnic shelter that served lunch and a smaller one for cocktails and a couple of beaches. Oh, and a smaller dock for jet skies and such. I think that was it.
Never had an issue there except maybe with the weather.

Too many IFs or MAYBEs ..... communication is hard .... Contacting RC, explaining, hoping that one of a hundred 'cruise specialist' trying to manage tens of thousands of rooms gets their notes right and its understood by whoever and risking the loss of the room when you may need it ..... nah .... I would not try to be accommodating, though it is a nice gesture. Keep the room. There are several on a ship. If RC really needs one, they will figure out how to make it work.
Enjoy your cruise.
 
 

Too many IFs or MAYBEs ..... communication is hard .... Contacting RC, explaining, hoping that one of a hundred 'cruise specialist' trying to manage tens of thousands of rooms gets their notes right and its understood by whoever and risking the loss of the room when you may need it ..... nah .... I would not try to be accommodating, though it is a nice gesture. Keep the room. There are several on a ship. If RC really needs one, they will figure out how to make it work.
Enjoy your cruise.
 
 

Too many IFs or MAYBEs ..... communication is hard .... Contacting RC, explaining, hoping that one of a hundred 'cruise specialist' trying to manage tens of thousands of rooms gets their notes right and its understood by whoever and risking the loss of the room when you may need it ..... nah .... I would not try to be accommodating, though it is a nice gesture. Keep the room. There are several on a ship. If RC really needs one, they will figure out how to make it work.
Enjoy your cruise.
 
 

Just looking at maps:
Labadee is a 6 hour drive from Port-au-Prince.
The road looks pretty good all the way to Cap-Haitien where the road turns into a twisty, narrow path that goes over and around a 2000 foot mountain range.
There are additional beaches and resorts before reaching Labadee that you would presume also want security.
Actual information on security measures are scarce other than "armed" and "fenced". One picture that states it is the security fence for Labadee shows what appears to be about a 12 foot concrete wall with Concertina wire around the top.
Access to Labadee is limited. Guests cannot leave and only authorized employees and vendors are allowed to enter. Food and supplies come from the ship.
Some information, as you might expect, indicates Royal Caribbean monitors the situation in Haiti closely and have on occasion refused to port in Labadee if security was compromised.
In general, security measures are out of sight of cruise visitors and the area around Labadee is very natural and serene.
 

I am not sure how many times Ive been to Labadee. I think the first time, we tendered in. There was a large picnic shelter that served lunch and a smaller one for cocktails and a couple of beaches. Oh, and a smaller dock for jet skies and such. I think that was it.
Never had an issue there except maybe with the weather.

Just looking at maps:
Labadee is a 6 hour drive from Port-au-Prince.
The road looks pretty good all the way to Cap-Haitien where the road turns into a twisty, narrow path that goes over and around a 2000 foot mountain range.
There are additional beaches and resorts before reaching Labadee that you would presume also want security.
Actual information on security measures are scarce other than "armed" and "fenced". One picture that states it is the security fence for Labadee shows what appears to be about a 12 foot concrete wall with Concertina wire around the top.
Access to Labadee is limited. Guests cannot leave and only authorized employees and vendors are allowed to enter. Food and supplies come from the ship.
Some information, as you might expect, indicates Royal Caribbean monitors the situation in Haiti closely and have on occasion refused to port in Labadee if security was compromised.
In general, security measures are out of sight of cruise visitors and the area around Labadee is very natural and serene.
 

Having some SCUBA experience I'll add my $0.02.
First, I am Advanced Open Water, Dry Suit, NITROX and Rescue Diver certified. I learned to dive as a SCUBA, Swift Water Rescue Team. I have  over a thousand logged dives. A lot of my diving has been body, vehicles (including one military helicopter) and evidence recovery in conditions and waters most people wold never consider wading in, much less diving in.
I have done a fair amount of diving in the Caribbean, deep dives, drift dives and cave dives.
PADI instructors are among the best. Learning to SCUBA is very rewarding. The beauty of the oceans is like nothing you will every see on land.
Learning the skills and being comfortable in the water is paramount. It is nothing to rush through and end up being uncertain about. Keep in mind that not everyone is suited for SCUBA. It can feel claustrophobic and scary. Everyone learns differently. Some take more time and patience. Keep in mind that 'quickie' resort and cruise training may not be sufficient for some people. I have seen bad situations where bad instructors just leave people to flounder because they can not keep up with the rest of the class. There are classes where time and money can take precedence over safety.
I will say the experience I have had with RC dive shops on board has been good but diving excursions can and are often run by independent dive shops and the quality of instructors, boats and equipment can vary.
If SCUBA is all new to you, my advice is get the best training you can. Get your own well fitted mask, snorkel and fins.
You might consider a wet suit. These come in full length ankle to wrist and 'shorties' that are thigh to elbow. For Caribbean diving, something thin and light weight alike 0.5 or 1mm thickness. It will act as your cover up, help with any slight chill and offer some protection if you bump into something that might hurt.
If you go on a dive boat, be prepared to contend with other divers and motion sickness. Find your rental gear, inspect it and keep it close. If you can, test fit you BC and assemble your tank and regulator, and have your weight in place. If you have questions about how much wight, or anything else, ask your dive master for advice. Test your regulator for a good fit in your mouth, that your tank is full and nothing is leaking air. As a novice, it is easy to the have the tank turned the wrong way, the regulator on the wrong side or what ever. The basic idea here is to plan ahead for that drop into water and be ready so you are not scattered, lost and over anxious when the time comes. I have never had a dive master complain about me double checking and getting everything ready in advance. If anything, it gives them some confidence that you know what you are doing.
It takes practice to get good control of buoyancy. Don't over compensate and yo yo. Its easy to be excited and burn up your air in a hurry. Stay calm and enjoy. Ascend slowly and decompress.
The last thing you want to do and probably will do is panic at 60 feet or more.
Anyway, enough scary stuff. The point of all this is take your training seriously and if you really feel uncomfortable in the water or with the equipment, maybe stick to the swimming pool. Be cautious of accelerated courses that promise certification in a day or two. SCUBA is a serious endeavor that is fun with great rewards and learning to do it properly and safely can not be over emphasized.
 

We traditionally eat about 5pm at home or away.
Food does not digest as well laying in bed.
Of course if you are dancing till 2am, I guess it does not matter.

Something I take on trips and use every day at home.
A 6 port, 2 amp, USB charger. That and a couple of double sided Velcro strips to keep cords neat.

Ah....the mini, battery operated night light. I found some that were magnetic AND motion sensing. They were great to stick on the wall outside the bathroom. Especially for people of a certain age that have to get up a couple of times at night.

Magnetic hooks....
 
About magnetic hooks....
They are extremely powerful. If two connect to each other, it about takes a vice and a pair of pliers to separate them. They can snap together extremely fast and if a bit of skin is between them, they can tear the skin.
With that safety message, buy small plastic, screw top containers and keep one magnet in each. With care to always keep the magnets away from each other, these stick to the metal walls of your cabin and make a great place to hang all kinds of things like hats, day packs, jackets and so on.

Magnetic hooks....
 
About magnetic hooks....
They are extremely powerful. If two connect to each other, it about takes a vice and a pair of pliers to separate them. They can snap together extremely fast and if a bit of skin is between them, they can tear the skin.
With that safety message, buy small plastic, screw top containers and keep one magnet in each. With care to always keep the magnets away from each other, these stick to the metal walls of your cabin and make a great place to hang all kinds of things like hats, day packs, jackets and so on.

We traditionally eat about 5pm at home or away.
Food does not digest as well laying in bed.
Of course if you are dancing till 2am, I guess it does not matter.

We traditionally eat about 5pm at home or away.
Food does not digest as well laying in bed.
Of course if you are dancing till 2am, I guess it does not matter.

Typical for us to ask for the Cruise Compass and a couple of extra towels every day. We are generally pleased with the response.
Last cruise was a B2B for two weeks and by the end of the cruise I think we had 7  towel animals lined up.
Our cabin attendant received a nice tip.
 

Typical for us to ask for the Cruise Compass and a couple of extra towels every day. We are generally pleased with the response.
Last cruise was a B2B for two weeks and by the end of the cruise I think we had 7  towel animals lined up.
Our cabin attendant received a nice tip.
 

Typical for us to ask for the Cruise Compass and a couple of extra towels every day. We are generally pleased with the response.
Last cruise was a B2B for two weeks and by the end of the cruise I think we had 7  towel animals lined up.
Our cabin attendant received a nice tip.
 

Typical for us to ask for the Cruise Compass and a couple of extra towels every day. We are generally pleased with the response.
Last cruise was a B2B for two weeks and by the end of the cruise I think we had 7  towel animals lined up.
Our cabin attendant received a nice tip.