AshleyDillo

And it keeeeeeps on dropping, Billy!  
I feel like this is timing the stock market at this point ?

Group Cruises are great because you can enjoy your own cruise experience within your family and decide to participate or not with the schedule group activities.  Typically they will have a meet up the night before the cruise in the debarkation city..and often locals will show up and hang out even if they aren't cruising.  Sometimes are able to organize a group hotel available which makes it convenient and then there's a possibility of an organized shuttle to the port.
Part of the perks of being with the group is that they will schedule things such as cocktail parties where we get to be "those people" and go past the sign that says RESERVED FOR PRIVATE EVENT.  Usually there's a group excursion opportunity as well.  On the Thanksgiving Symphony cruise last year we got to participate in the podcast recording down in the conference center.  Roller skating sessions, ice skating sessions, bumper cars are all things I've seen.   @Matt also tries to organize something exclusive for the Insiders (https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/support) to participate in.
But I think the impromptu events tend to be just as much part of the fun.  They set up a chat group so folks can connect with each other during the cruise.  There was a fun bar crawl and a cabin crawl that was organized on the Symphony, impromptu laser tag session on Mariner. And I always knew I could turn up to the pub at night and run into someone from the group.  
I've found the group rates ended up being better since they got locked in so early and it's refundable til the 90-days out mark.  
Plus you get to meet @AnnetteJackson from MEI travel and she is a blast to hang out with!

Pick from hundreds of no-fee ATMs!!! ?

I would just tell the TA your intentions of getting the package and that you would prefer OBC.  If they can't do that for some reason, then buy the package and have 4 specialty meals in total.

Where's @mpoole3 on this one??!?!  SELL, SELL, SELL!  ?

Thank you for the excellent view of what's on the "other side" of the Royal family!

I would contact MEI and get set up with some pricing quotes for what you are interested in..create a rapport with an agent and make sure that it feels like a good fit.  You're under no obligations to book anything.  Then at least you have a frame of reference for what pricing is.  Just remember that pricing constantly changes.  If you see a good deal you may want to just book with MEI -- do it refundable if possible in case you end up changing your mind about cruising out of San Juan.  You can always switch to non-refundable once you get back from your cruise if you do decide to go with it. 
If you don't book before you sail, check the pricing again right before you cruise so you know what you should be seeing for pricing.  You also can price things out onboard using the ship's wifi.  It allows you to connect to Royal's website even without an internet package.  Then you can book onboard with NextCruise and have your MEI agent transfer the booking when you get home.
Check http://www.royalonboardsales.com/ for the current NextCruise offers before you sail.  Some of the biggest benefits of using NextCruise are limited to non-refundable bookings for certain sailings..but my experience has been even booking onboard for a refundable rate with no reduced deposit, a 7-day sailing netted $76 of OBC we wouldn't have gotten otherwise.  
I monitor pricing enough that I wouldn't sleep on a super good deal over waiting for my upcoming cruise to use NextCruise..I would definitely book refundable if I wasn't completely committed, knowing that I could double-book on my cruise at NextCruise and then cancel the original booking.  

I would contact MEI and get set up with some pricing quotes for what you are interested in..create a rapport with an agent and make sure that it feels like a good fit.  You're under no obligations to book anything.  Then at least you have a frame of reference for what pricing is.  Just remember that pricing constantly changes.  If you see a good deal you may want to just book with MEI -- do it refundable if possible in case you end up changing your mind about cruising out of San Juan.  You can always switch to non-refundable once you get back from your cruise if you do decide to go with it. 
If you don't book before you sail, check the pricing again right before you cruise so you know what you should be seeing for pricing.  You also can price things out onboard using the ship's wifi.  It allows you to connect to Royal's website even without an internet package.  Then you can book onboard with NextCruise and have your MEI agent transfer the booking when you get home.
Check http://www.royalonboardsales.com/ for the current NextCruise offers before you sail.  Some of the biggest benefits of using NextCruise are limited to non-refundable bookings for certain sailings..but my experience has been even booking onboard for a refundable rate with no reduced deposit, a 7-day sailing netted $76 of OBC we wouldn't have gotten otherwise.  
I monitor pricing enough that I wouldn't sleep on a super good deal over waiting for my upcoming cruise to use NextCruise..I would definitely book refundable if I wasn't completely committed, knowing that I could double-book on my cruise at NextCruise and then cancel the original booking.  

And it keeeeeeps on dropping, Billy!  
I feel like this is timing the stock market at this point ?

I would contact MEI and get set up with some pricing quotes for what you are interested in..create a rapport with an agent and make sure that it feels like a good fit.  You're under no obligations to book anything.  Then at least you have a frame of reference for what pricing is.  Just remember that pricing constantly changes.  If you see a good deal you may want to just book with MEI -- do it refundable if possible in case you end up changing your mind about cruising out of San Juan.  You can always switch to non-refundable once you get back from your cruise if you do decide to go with it. 
If you don't book before you sail, check the pricing again right before you cruise so you know what you should be seeing for pricing.  You also can price things out onboard using the ship's wifi.  It allows you to connect to Royal's website even without an internet package.  Then you can book onboard with NextCruise and have your MEI agent transfer the booking when you get home.
Check http://www.royalonboardsales.com/ for the current NextCruise offers before you sail.  Some of the biggest benefits of using NextCruise are limited to non-refundable bookings for certain sailings..but my experience has been even booking onboard for a refundable rate with no reduced deposit, a 7-day sailing netted $76 of OBC we wouldn't have gotten otherwise.  
I monitor pricing enough that I wouldn't sleep on a super good deal over waiting for my upcoming cruise to use NextCruise..I would definitely book refundable if I wasn't completely committed, knowing that I could double-book on my cruise at NextCruise and then cancel the original booking.  

Group Cruises are great because you can enjoy your own cruise experience within your family and decide to participate or not with the schedule group activities.  Typically they will have a meet up the night before the cruise in the debarkation city..and often locals will show up and hang out even if they aren't cruising.  Sometimes are able to organize a group hotel available which makes it convenient and then there's a possibility of an organized shuttle to the port.
Part of the perks of being with the group is that they will schedule things such as cocktail parties where we get to be "those people" and go past the sign that says RESERVED FOR PRIVATE EVENT.  Usually there's a group excursion opportunity as well.  On the Thanksgiving Symphony cruise last year we got to participate in the podcast recording down in the conference center.  Roller skating sessions, ice skating sessions, bumper cars are all things I've seen.   @Matt also tries to organize something exclusive for the Insiders (https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/support) to participate in.
But I think the impromptu events tend to be just as much part of the fun.  They set up a chat group so folks can connect with each other during the cruise.  There was a fun bar crawl and a cabin crawl that was organized on the Symphony, impromptu laser tag session on Mariner. And I always knew I could turn up to the pub at night and run into someone from the group.  
I've found the group rates ended up being better since they got locked in so early and it's refundable til the 90-days out mark.  
Plus you get to meet @AnnetteJackson from MEI travel and she is a blast to hang out with!

Where's @mpoole3 on this one??!?!  SELL, SELL, SELL!  ?

For Hubby it's not the longer length, it's the repeat ships he doesn't like.  To be more specific, it's the repeat entertainment.  We both love the shows but to watch it over and over again, he will be bored.  He's already complaining about Harmony next year, it will be the 4th time seeing Grease.  This is going to be the problem heading into summer 2021, with Wonder not coming to North America, not sure what that leaves us.  By summer 2021, we will have sailed all 4 Oasis class (minus Wonder)..Oasis/Allure pre and post amp, Harmony 3 times, and Symphony.  I don't mind, but Hubby, that's another story.  Hoping that @Matt makes the decision easy for us by announcing a summer 2021 GC.  Then it won't matter cause we'll be there, even on Empress. ??

Group Cruises are great because you can enjoy your own cruise experience within your family and decide to participate or not with the schedule group activities.  Typically they will have a meet up the night before the cruise in the debarkation city..and often locals will show up and hang out even if they aren't cruising.  Sometimes are able to organize a group hotel available which makes it convenient and then there's a possibility of an organized shuttle to the port.
Part of the perks of being with the group is that they will schedule things such as cocktail parties where we get to be "those people" and go past the sign that says RESERVED FOR PRIVATE EVENT.  Usually there's a group excursion opportunity as well.  On the Thanksgiving Symphony cruise last year we got to participate in the podcast recording down in the conference center.  Roller skating sessions, ice skating sessions, bumper cars are all things I've seen.   @Matt also tries to organize something exclusive for the Insiders (https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/support) to participate in.
But I think the impromptu events tend to be just as much part of the fun.  They set up a chat group so folks can connect with each other during the cruise.  There was a fun bar crawl and a cabin crawl that was organized on the Symphony, impromptu laser tag session on Mariner. And I always knew I could turn up to the pub at night and run into someone from the group.  
I've found the group rates ended up being better since they got locked in so early and it's refundable til the 90-days out mark.  
Plus you get to meet @AnnetteJackson from MEI travel and she is a blast to hang out with!

In the end, the only person to whom you need to justify your purchase of anything is you.  If it makes sense to you, then you've made a good decision.

They provide bar soap and a pump on the wall that is a "conditioning shampoo".
There will also be a hair dryer in the room in a vanity drawer (not in the bathroom).  The hair dryers are a bit weak and you have to continually hold down the button to operate it, so you may want to consider taking your own if anyone in your traveling party has long hair to be dried.

Echoing what @Fairlynew said..Pasanggrahan is located at the closest end of the beach to the port.  So it's nearly the first one you would come to if you walked up that way.  However this stretch of beach has tons of little resorts that will sell you chairs and umbrellas at a cheaper price that you can negotiate down.
You can also opt to take the water taxi ($8per person I believe) which goes from the port to the center of this beach near the Hard Rock if you look at a map..then you can walk either left or right up the beach until you find where your family would like to roost for the day.  
You just have to decide if everything that comes with that $45/pp is worth it to you when you can have the same experience DIY a little bit further up.
I've heard good things about Holland House and Lizzy's Beach Bar as places to hang on the beach for the day if you want other places to research. 
The one time I went and did the beach we just got off the water taxi and took a quick right and walked right down and into the water.  Didn't rent a chair or umbrella..along the boardwalk there's places that sell drinks left and right.
 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/united-states-citizen-travel-documentation
The 18 year old will need her ID and her birth certificate.   Royal hasn't implemented accepting the Real ID in lieu of the birth certificate.
The 12 year old only needs the birth certificate. 

They will take a known food allergy very seriously but it is one of those things where you need to make sure that you ask.  They do wonders at modifying dishes and menus to accompany all kinds of special dining needs.

Royal is a mass market cruiseline.  They're not really catering to the "finer" things.  None of the major lines really are.  For a luxury cruise experience you have to go with a luxury cruise line.  Even if you stay in the upper level suites on a Royal ship, if you're expecting a lot of luxury you will be disappointed.  If you price out a luxury line and cringe at the prices, you may want to give Royal's sister, Celebrity a try.  They tend to come off as a little more upscale, but don't set your expectations too high.  They're still a mass market cruiseline.

They aren't doing an indoor pool on Odyssey..so there is more open deck space.  Not so much a "cold weather" ship compared to the other Q-class ships.  It's almost like they intentionally designed her to move away from that cold-weather label.

And this is why I will wait until last minute next year to book a Thanksgiving cruise..insane.
I know there's probably no chance to luck into this for next year (especially considering this is a price for a SOLO) but still..might as well since I have the travel flexibility and can drive to the port.
e! 
 

Royal is a mass market cruiseline.  They're not really catering to the "finer" things.  None of the major lines really are.  For a luxury cruise experience you have to go with a luxury cruise line.  Even if you stay in the upper level suites on a Royal ship, if you're expecting a lot of luxury you will be disappointed.  If you price out a luxury line and cringe at the prices, you may want to give Royal's sister, Celebrity a try.  They tend to come off as a little more upscale, but don't set your expectations too high.  They're still a mass market cruiseline.

And this is why I will wait until last minute next year to book a Thanksgiving cruise..insane.
I know there's probably no chance to luck into this for next year (especially considering this is a price for a SOLO) but still..might as well since I have the travel flexibility and can drive to the port.
e! 
 

They will take a known food allergy very seriously but it is one of those things where you need to make sure that you ask.  They do wonders at modifying dishes and menus to accompany all kinds of special dining needs.