Matt

Cuba sailings through 2019 are now available.

Like Raye said, it basically depends. In my observations, they tend not to be that picky about it (more so before booking). This is more of an issue with family rooms, where you need at least 5 people. Frankly, I'd be surprised if there was any issue with a room for 3 having just two people and them forcing you to change.

The value in C&A and getting to Diamond or above is all the perks you get. Priority embarkation, welcome back parties, onboard discounts/coupons. Here's a cost benefit breakdown of the benefits: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2016/08/29/the-cost-benefits-of-royal-caribbeans-crown-and-anchor-society-onboard-discounts

The second formal night is on night 5 or night 6. Depends on the sailing.

This reminds me a lot of car rentals. There's usually 2 prices: one price for refundable and a discounted price if you pay up front.

I have gone on one NCL cruise back in 2012 (the Gem or Star or something like that) and while the experiences are somewhat similar, I felt NCL suffered more from upcharging more than RC does. I also felt the RC crew were a bit more attentive than on NCL. Again, I'm no NCL expert and I haven't sailed on their newer ships. What I always tell folks when it comes to comparing RC to other cruise lines is I feel RC offers the right balance of what you pay for versus what you get. Other cruise lines offer more than RC does, but they also charge much more. Some cruise lines are much cheaper than RC, but it feels like that comes at a price of what you get.

As far as I know, the answer to your question is no. There can be other ways suites are "held", such as in groups. If a group is created, they can hold certain staterooms until RC asks for them back or they sell. Since you are past final payment date, odds are they are sold and there's a lower likelihood of cancellations since there would be a penalty associated with cancelling at that point. You never know, because I believe @Christie was stuck in a similar situation and then yesterday one appeared.

I would be remiss in not encouraging you to share your review of the excursion here in these message boards! Alternatively, the tour might be on a site like TripAdvisor, which also allows for reviews.

I believe they removed the shore excursion review feature on RC's site.

I don't see any 2018 sailings to Cuba either

Forget getting online, the remotes do not have an input setting.

Until you have kids, that rationale totally makes sense.

Following!

Couldn't agree more on the level of service offered by the nursery. They are terrific!

Thanks, just added this to the Cruise Compass archive.

If you have a drink package, the pineapple price does come down, so you only pay the difference of what the drink package does not cover.

I think @F1guynz is right. There's only so much RC can realistically do in terms of itinerary variations.

When I drive to the port, I park at the port. Yes, it costs a bit more, but the convenience is hard to beat and you will be grateful for that convenience on disembarkation day when it's time to go home and you don't have to wait for a shuttle.

Nearly everyone raves about the tour. If you have never done a behind-the-scenes tour on a cruise ship before, I think you will enjoy it too.

C&A members do get a discount, but it has to be on a service that isn't already on sale. I know this because my wife gets something done every sailing.

I'm so glad to hear that. Thank you for supporting our sponsor!

Truth. I prefer next to Sorrentos for easy snacking during the parade

You'll have no problem if the kids sit with you. In fact, there is seating outside the pub on the Promenade that is perfect for this.

Yes. The only thing you cannot do is change or cancel the original reservation. But anything in the Cruise Planner is still available to you.

I did it once in 2013 on Jewel of the Seas. This was before nursery's were available on most ships. The service worked well and we were happy, but there was no way to really reserve things in advance. Basically, Guest Services would attempt to find a crew member who had spare time to babysit. My advice is to use the nursery. Not only is it cheaper, but they have cribs and the staff is trained quite well.