S0nny

Oh no!! We must've gotten a dud. Cause our last Chops Embarkation lunch in the MDR with The Key was TERRIBLE ? That steak was dryyyyyy
With regards to buying The Key... it really depends on how they handle the different classes and the new rules. We have a group cruise booked for April '21 on Freedom and I plan on writing a Live Blog about the whole thing. Could you possibly buy The Key now at the "cheaper" price with the notion that you can always get a refund/CC before the cruise if things aren't being handled to your comfort? 

Oh no!! We must've gotten a dud. Cause our last Chops Embarkation lunch in the MDR with The Key was TERRIBLE ? That steak was dryyyyyy
With regards to buying The Key... it really depends on how they handle the different classes and the new rules. We have a group cruise booked for April '21 on Freedom and I plan on writing a Live Blog about the whole thing. Could you possibly buy The Key now at the "cheaper" price with the notion that you can always get a refund/CC before the cruise if things aren't being handled to your comfort? 

So I can only speak to what I observed and what I discussed with the instructors, but here's what I learned. You do not have to take another cruise from what the instructor said. We had a girl that couldn't get past her motion sickness, and gave up after her first open water dive. I specifically asked the instructor what happens to her now that she paid for all this, and she indicated that she would be credited with PADI to complete her certification once on land. She wouldn't need to book another cruise. She paid for 4 dives and the lessons. She completed the lessons and 1 dive... she would just need to complete the other 3 open water dives. 
This truly comes down to preference. I've certified both ways, and preferred certifying on the cruise ship. We had 2 Master Dive Instructors with the 9 of us the whole time... One lady always had difficulties equalizing... she had 1:1 instructor with her the whole time. I don't know if that is normal... but when I got my Jr. Open Water Cert... we had 1 instructor for like 15 of us... and my buddy/instructor was NOT interested in hanging around to make sure I was equalizing ok. 
I think it just goes to show there isn't a perfect answer for everyone. Collect as much info as you can and make the best informed decision you can and be adaptable ? 

Good rule of thumb when it comes to customs... declare something. With my previous job in aviation, it was my job to collect the customs forms for the crew and consult with the customs agent with any questions or inspections they needed to do. Anecdotally I noticed that the crew bags that got inspected, were the ones who never declared anything on their customs forms ?. Since then, I have always declared ? 

I imagine it will eventually, but like @twangster said... I doubt it is super high on the priority list. Cruising into Cuba didn't start until 2016... I wouldn't be surprised if it took another 3-4 years to get back into a change in policy. And by then, we have another election so who knows. I hope they do! I would love to do the Empress itinerary again (this time without breaking my knee ?)

Looks like you and I are planning similar cruises!
I would highly recommend you plan for some time in Rome if you have never been.
With that being said, I don't think there is anything wrong with B2B cruises... but I think your instinct for the 10-11 night cruises may be a better way to enjoy the Med AND experience one of the most historical cities in the world. May I suggest planning some cushion days on the back end of your cruise (this way you aren't completely jet-lagged). We were able to see "everything" in the 3 days we had planned there. We are always so tired after our cruises... if you can plan for 4-5 relaxing days in Rome, enjoy the wine, see the sights (there are so many to see), eat the great food... you won't regret it... I promise. 

1000%... 
We packed too much "fun" into this cruise. Really you "shouldn't" be drinking... so there goes the wasted drink package, and if you're on a cruise with friends, at least 3 days will be dedicated to this. While there are no longer didactic classroom instructions (everything is online)... the time in the pool and then early mornings of excursions may be a drag for the other party members. 
I would 10/10 recommend getting certified on a cruise ship... I would just plan the cruise accordingly. (short 3-4 night, inside cabin, very cost effective) And I say this as someone who went through PADI Jr. Open Water Certification back when I was 16. It was a lot of night classes, a lot of rental fees, a lot of poor visibility and dive spots. 

So I can only speak to what I observed and what I discussed with the instructors, but here's what I learned. You do not have to take another cruise from what the instructor said. We had a girl that couldn't get past her motion sickness, and gave up after her first open water dive. I specifically asked the instructor what happens to her now that she paid for all this, and she indicated that she would be credited with PADI to complete her certification once on land. She wouldn't need to book another cruise. She paid for 4 dives and the lessons. She completed the lessons and 1 dive... she would just need to complete the other 3 open water dives. 
This truly comes down to preference. I've certified both ways, and preferred certifying on the cruise ship. We had 2 Master Dive Instructors with the 9 of us the whole time... One lady always had difficulties equalizing... she had 1:1 instructor with her the whole time. I don't know if that is normal... but when I got my Jr. Open Water Cert... we had 1 instructor for like 15 of us... and my buddy/instructor was NOT interested in hanging around to make sure I was equalizing ok. 
I think it just goes to show there isn't a perfect answer for everyone. Collect as much info as you can and make the best informed decision you can and be adaptable ? 

I would think it could be for the next 4 years anyways..lol.
 
It would make sense..smaller ships can only go there...close to the US as they want to start out with short cruises....I am sure the demand is there as well if it opened up again. Can't imagine that it wont in due time.

I'd prefer a pay channel of "Waiting for your tour group number to be called in the theatre".  

Cruises to Cuba would not be on the radar until the US Government changes its official stance.
When the US opened up relations with Cuba last time, there was a period of time that elapsed before cruises to Cuba were announced.

It's a catch 22.  
Cruise ships can't sail while the virus spreads so quickly.  It doesn't matter what home port they use, the SeaDream experience teaches us that no government wants to deal with any quantity of cases regardless if it's 5 or 500 cases.  
Cruise ships will only sail in any measurable way once the pandemic is over.  The virus may still be around just not in pandemic levels of infections.  Once we reach that point ships will be sailing from America.
Finding some crafty way around the CDC restrictions doesn't accomplish anything because no government is going to want ships with sick people to return.  Cruising won't be back until the opportunity for spread is very low.   

Bikinis are overrated.  Parkas are the new thing.  
Boy do I sound old...

I got certified on Adventure back in January of this year (2020).  I can't remember if I posted about it.
It is time intensive, so if you are traveling with people who will resent you for not spending time with them, you'll have to decide which is more important.
I did all the "book learning" at home before the cruise.  On boarding day, we had to check in at the PADI shop and take a small quiz to see that we actually learned something at home.  Any areas that were foggy were gone over.  We also fitted for gear and learned about it that same day.
The training in the pool was done in the early mornings before it officially opened.  It was interesting to see the people lined up to get chairs as we were finishing up each day.  One morning I went to the chair I had left my bag on, and someone told me that the chair was already taken. 
We did our actual open water dives in San Juan and St Thomas.  The PADI instructor on the ship was not allowed to work in the US (or its territories) due to visa requirements, so while at those two ports, we had an instructor from the dive shops that Royal contracted with.  Our ship-based PADI instructor came with us and for all intents and purposes instructed us with the local instructor.  It was really great because there were two instructors for three students.  We had a lot of personal attention and instruction.
In San Juan, we entered the water from shore.  In St Thomas we entered from a boat.  After the final training dive in St Thomas, we had dive time left to do some sight-seeing with the local instructor.
Diving is something I always wanted to do, and my wife encouraged me to take the course.  We were on the cruise with another couple who we are close to, and they thought it was awesome that I was doing the course.  My wife spent the day in San Juan and St Thomas with them while I was diving.  There were no bad feelings.
The only bummer is that I haven't been able to dive since (we came back from our cruise shortly before the pandemic exploded), so if our back to back cruise in Aug/Sept 2021 goes, I'll take the reactivation course on the first week and do some actual diving the second week.  I don't feel comfortable enough to just go on a dive since I haven't actually practiced what I learned.
 

Thank you for writing about your experiences. I had planned to do my PADI certification on a transAtlantic cruise this fall, that didn't happen... I have been thinking if I should plan to get the certification during a western Caribbean cruise to these porta, the dive sites sound nice.
But I probably won’t, since we are travelling with another family, have the drink package and suites etc, and I am our translator (we aren’t native English speakers), since it sounds as if me doing PADI will men the others are doing a “traditional vacation” while I’ll be off doing other stuff. And with the others not wanting/daring to do excursions without me... not fair on them. 
 
I guess the best plan will be for me to di PADI on a solo cruise, no stress or guilt...

OVERALL REVIEW
Alright cruise family. I wanted to write this post to give people the opportunity to decide IF getting their certification onboard a cruise was the right choice. Let me start with some pro's and cons.
PROS: 
- Some of the BEST DIVE LOCATIONS you could certify in! It's not everyday you get to dive in crystal clear water and see amazing coral life. To certify in those conditions with varied locations is not afforded to everyone. 
- You are certifying with experienced dive instructors who really know how to cater to their clientele while providing exceptional customer service. We heard horror stories from members in our class that went diving with a local company on Cozumel. (apparently the dive "master" grabbed her by the arm and tried dragging her under when she had difficulty clearing her ears. And then when she fought back, he just LEFT HER and her buddy!)
- You will NEVER certify with equipment of this caliber. Everything from the gorgeous blue tanks, to the BCD's, and depth gauges are an amazing quality given the amount you're paying.
- Speaking of money, the COST is really on par with what you would pay on land. For approximately the same price for certifying on land, you are getting quality instructors, quality equipment, and TOP NOTCH dive destinations.
- NO IN CLASS INSTRUCTION! I personally LIKED not having to be in class like I did when I certified for my Junior Open Water Certification. It was all online and at our own pace.
- Even if you don't complete your Open Water Diver, you can be signed off for the water depth you did complete, and may have a credit towards a future PADI course. We had a student that refused to dive after our first open water dive due to motion sickness. I asked  what would happen to money she paid, and they indicated that she could use it towards a future class. I think this would just cover the PADI expenses, but at least it is comforting knowing it's not a total loss. 
CONS:
- You're supposed to be on vacation! Our vacation time is sacred to us; spending any time not drinking, relaxing, or doing cruise activities is kinda a drag. And you're not supposed to drink prior to diving... so that leaves little time to enjoy the libations. 
- Cruising with a group would RUIN your experience. If you were part of a larger group that DIDN'T want to certify, it would be very difficult to coordinate dinners and excursions around the certification and training. We were lucky it was just the two of us, but we would have been miserable doing the training if our friends were on the ship too and living their best life. 
- Not all equipment can be rented. You still have to buy a mask/snorkel and fins; they "can't" be rented. (I think your millage may vary depending on our instructors... ours were accommodating, but we wanted our own anyway).  
- Taking the course with a group of people is a gamble. Our group wasn't terrible. But, there were members that were constantly sea sick and that brought its own challenges. 
- This is not something you can add at the last moment. You have to have paperwork signed by an MD if you have any health conditions. Not everyone has a primary care provider, so not every MD would be willing to sign you off without knowing you and your medical history. You also have to complete the online training modules (which take almost 2 days if you're really going through them thoroughly... and probably longer if you are doing a few courses after work or school or dealing with kids). 
My take:
Don't book this if you are going on a cruise with a group, plan on buying a dining or drinking package, or have a splurged on room accommodations. I also wouldn't do this again on a longer cruise. Financially, we splurged for everything: room, dining, drinking... the works. That means we paid for days of dining and drinking we weren't really able to use with our constantly changing dive schedule. I would have much rather booked a 4 night cruise from a local port, and dedicate it to JUST the diving certification. When all was said and done, I don't regret doing it this way! I would get certified on a cruise ship again, but would take into consideration the comments above. 
Let me know what questions you have! I will try not to take 4 months to respond
 ?

That’s kinda what I figured. I did a search of PADI Certification on the message boards, and didn’t see much come up. I thought any info would be helpful for those trying to decide what’s best for them. 

@RCVoyager
While I may have a difference of opinion when we are done, I would have to say it depends on the circumstances. We intentionally did it on this cruise because we were NOT cruising with friends/family. So generally speaking, I would agree with that sentiment; it would be hard to enjoy this experience AND try to enjoy the company of fellow cruisers. We have also had to curtail our drinking (which you may not believe if you read our live blog). 
 
It really depends on the individual person and your personal goals too. If your goal is to eat, drink, see all the shows, lounge by the pool or relax the whole cruise, this may not be the best fit. But if you pick this with intention, you may have an amazingly positive experience. If we could go back and rebook and plan this better, we probably would have NOT selected the UDP, the spa all week access, or The Key. (I’ll give a better review when we are done) Getting our certification has been a goal of ours for almost 9 years. To FINALLY be able to get it done, AND scuba in some amazing ports, AND have the security of a 5 Star PADI dive shop with amazing instructors, for one low price, it really is something that SHOULD be considered. You just must do your due diligence to ensure this experience fits the circumstances. 

I wanted to start this blog by sharing our Open Water Diver Certification process on board Harmony OTS, Nov 2019. Hopefully this will help answer any questions or concerns. This will be partly live since we are still on board; if you have any questions you want me to relay, let me know! (We disembark on Nov 16, 2019)
We signed up for the excursion about a week prior to the cruise. I asked a bunch of questions, and THAT same day the excursion team reached out to the dive team. All my questions were answered that same day (appreciated the quick responses!). They also included copies of our medical questionnaire (see pictures) and asked us to send them back. The same day I sent them back, they responded with my PADI redeem key so I could start my eLearning modules. I HIGHLY recommend getting them done early (obviously...) this was a last minute decision (largely thanks to @twangster and noting some advice he posted. I owe you a beer on our next cruise...provided I get certified... ??)
Since it was a last minute decision, we spent most of the morning of our embarkation (both before and after we were on the ship) frantically trying to finish ?? Ultimately it didn’t seem like a huge deal if we hadn’t, since all open water stuff was going to be done the following day. They didn’t seem too concerned that some of our modules appeared as not complete (even though they were), they just softly reminded us to finish them and encouraged us to get them done ASAP. There are NUMEROUS glitches with the PADI eLearning app (known as “PADI Library” in the Apple store). We found the iPad to be WAY easier to use vs. just an iPhone. Even with the large screen of the iPhone 11 Pro... it still was difficult to navigate, watch videos, take exams, etc. 
Once on board, we showed up before 3:pm to prove all our pre-cruise requirements were completed, our medical questionnaire, doctors note (if needed), and PADI folder were all filled out. I would HIGHLY suggest you review the medical requirements and get all issues signed off by your MD well in advance. We had to show back up at 6pm to fit our gear (and buy what we didn’t have). They (Francois and Kelly) seemed really friendly, and probably would have let us borrow equipment had we pressed the issue, but we wanted to just buy our own anyway. If you’re smarter than we are, I would suggest going to your local PADI (or dive) shop, try on products there, and buy them in advance. Ultimately the masks they offered ranged in price from $20-120 , but they had limited options for colors, styles, brands etc. This is like going into your local bowling alley and seeing all the pretty, fancy pro gear, and then going online and seeing about 8 million different options than what was offered. You may not only save some money, but also have something that fits better or you like more. 
That was it for day 1!!
They were supposed to have us do our confined water dives on Perfect Day, but the pool was down for maintenance apparently. This meant we got a free day in Cocoa Cay! BUT it meant we had to use the on board pool (and NOT the aqua pool like I’ve heard they used in the past) for our initial confined dives. This meant our first sea day was an almost all day practicum  day and only in 4.5 ft of water ?

Day 2 (our 3rd cruise day and first sea day). We met at 6:30am at the dive shop. We grabbed our gear (prepared and fitted previously) then prepped it like they taught us, and went into the pool. There are 7 in our class and they said that is about typical for on board certification. People ranged from having previous dive experience to having none. Overall our class went until about 10:30am. At that time one of our classmates apparently gagged on something and threw up in the pool ?? Whatever, lol ?  happens. Rolling with the flow of the ocean is what cruising is all about. They did have to clean out the pool which meant lessons were over for the morning. This was kinda a hindrance since we need to come BACK this/that evening at 4:30pm for more training. 

As of writing this (I’m sitting in the hot tub in the solarium relaxing until evening class), things haven’t been too crazy difficult or hard. Super basic skills (removing mask and regulators, practicing emergency procedures etc) were all we completed. (But according to our instructors we are doing relatively well!)
I’ll keep you all updated with the thing that happen next and relay any lessons learned I thought might be useful!

Oasis has just went through the Amped process, which means she’s been upgraded with the latest toys to play on, down side is she still has Cats for the Broadway production. Allure has Momma Mia for the broadway production and she hasn’t been Amped yet, but still a great ship. I prefer Oasis as she has a better itinerary for that run. 

???????????????????????

This is EXACTLY what they told me on our upcoming booking. I was attempting to reprice our cruise, and the agent ended up making excuses as to why he couldn't rebook; This went on for DAAAAYS. (he kept saying the "hold lines are super long" and "they aren't repricing cruises right now"...
I used the advice from this blog. I called the service number and used the phone routing intended for travel agents (was connected in no time). Then I had to fight with the agent to release the travel agent's grip on our cruise. They said they are unable to do anything about it. I expressed that I HAD contacted the TA (who is the owner), and I kept getting the run around. The rep kept putting me on hold (I think they were just contacting the TA on another line). Lo and behold... I got an email from my TA saying the cruise had been rebooked for a lower price. The rep came back on the line and explained that everything should be corrected... and I insisted otherwise. After some back and forth, I eventually got an email, and was told I had to email them with my request. I emailed them, and no more than 2 days later, we were released. (not notified... I just noticed I could finally pay our balance online). 
The email is: [email protected]
Good luck!

This is EXACTLY what they told me on our upcoming booking. I was attempting to reprice our cruise, and the agent ended up making excuses as to why he couldn't rebook; This went on for DAAAAYS. (he kept saying the "hold lines are super long" and "they aren't repricing cruises right now"...
I used the advice from this blog. I called the service number and used the phone routing intended for travel agents (was connected in no time). Then I had to fight with the agent to release the travel agent's grip on our cruise. They said they are unable to do anything about it. I expressed that I HAD contacted the TA (who is the owner), and I kept getting the run around. The rep kept putting me on hold (I think they were just contacting the TA on another line). Lo and behold... I got an email from my TA saying the cruise had been rebooked for a lower price. The rep came back on the line and explained that everything should be corrected... and I insisted otherwise. After some back and forth, I eventually got an email, and was told I had to email them with my request. I emailed them, and no more than 2 days later, we were released. (not notified... I just noticed I could finally pay our balance online). 
The email is: [email protected]
Good luck!