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It is always important to be considerate of others when cruising, so you wouldn't want to hog someone else's slot. But there could be a gap after the first wave where you could board easily without infringing on others. We have gone 30 to 45 min early and waited as needed.. Maybe shoot for 1130? I really think going too early would exacerbate the congestion for all at the port. I don't want to be the selfish person other cruisers complain about, but you will make your own choice.

Likely your insurance. Most lots have a liability waiver. Few people buy rental car insurance as it is expensive. Not sure if travel insurance covers it. Sometimes named storms are excluded. Good question. I am not sure final answer.

We have been in Italy and Mexico during hot summer weather and no cancellations. Water and sunscreen were essential. When Royal excursions were cancelled for any reason, we were refunded. When itinerary changed port arrival, excursion times were adjusted and new tickets left in stateroom.

On the invoice, the listed times are estimated ship arrival and departure. Tender times are shown in the Compass. The fastest/soonest tender off the ship will be a Royal excursion. All aboard time is usually 30 min before ship departure on itinerary/invoice, and last tender will be before that. Captain may change itinerary, and always use ship time, not necessarily local time.

It depends on the port as there can be views from either side depending on the orientation of the pier.

Just booked a 26 cruise on Adventure. Not cheap, but reasonable given inflation. Seems like prices have moved up one room category --balcony price is what we paid for junior suite before, etc.

And the 24 hour clock can span 2 days, which helps to spread out your use.

2015 rather than 2013, but it seems like range should have been 14 to 15, unless they are accepting expired ones for renewal, as just noted above.

Has anyone tried this for the purpose of catching sight of marine life? What was it like?

If last tender is 7, each should work. 5 pm has a bigger cushion. Some 3rd party operators are very reliable. That said, if traffic is involved, there can be unforeseen delays. We have been on Royal excursions that encountered accidents.

To be safe you might verify last tender time. You will want to return to tender port 30 min before last tender, as a general rule. If ship departs at 8, all aboard is 730, but when is last tender? Maybe 7 pm, 645 or 715? Cruise compass for similar itinerary may help. Some ports have longer tender travel than others.

Maybe pick the night with the most appealing dessert? Just a thought with kids involved...

We took a bus tour to El Yunque and found it underwhelming; a small waterfall and lookout point.

If you use a travel agent from the start, you have someone who can be persuasive on your behalf or who can access group rates.

Yes, Royal arranged free shuttles on our NZ Australia cruise 2018 at a few ports, and in Italy 2022 a bus took us from our berth to the edge of town. I think that was Civi.

We are in the same situation and are concentrating on each port. Knowing how the itinerary fits together is important. Our Alaska cruise is a year away so not much can be booked. However, Royal, Viator, and .org sites provide us ideas.

There are threads with Barcelona hotel recommendations when you visit again.

US dollars and credit card. I have used pesos in Mexico and sometimes got a better deal on purchases, but it is more complicated than using dollars. In Roatan, Grand Cayman, and Belize I used dollars.

Sorry you had a bad experience. Managing expectations on vacation can be challenging. Some of what you observed is due to post-covid changes throughout the industry. I find I need to go with the flow and realize the world around me has changed. We recently tried a small-ship cruise line and enjoyed it, but the price was much higher.

And even with reservations, you may wait for a table on busy nights. We found that MTD was best at 730 to 8 pm. Early reservations are at the mercy of early dinners, who sometimes linger.

The ship doesn't have free internet, but some ports do. Ship has a message feature. Can't comment on your media.

You can check a cruise compass for a similar itinerary, but the 2nd formal/dress your best night won't be the last night. It will likely be the night before the last night. Last night folks are packing, etc.

To reinforce this point, we just obtained a group rate on a cruise from our agent that was 300 per person less than Royal's online price for similar balcony room. And our room is better than the one Royal "offered". The group rate is refundable deposit, as you noted.

I don't have your card, but I'd give another vote for Allianz. The travel card I did have covered luggage and rental car issues but not much of anything else. Allianz is easy to use to file a claim if something goes wrong. With a family vacation, overall peace of mind and security are important. When I was younger I cut corners on a few things and regretted it. The point to insurance is that you hope and expect you won't need it, but it is there just in case....

There are always vendors trying to sell you 3rd party excursions at Roatan, but the sloths seem to be popular. Have you checked Viator or other travel sites so you have an idea of availability and cost? Usually, last-minute excursions have the least time choices available, and you wouldn't want to miss on-board time. So the general answer is yes, it is possible, but can't say it is the best idea. The large number of guests on the ship can put a significant burden on excursion operators.