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Understood. Lots of families in the same situation. Have fun!

Good discussion but the underlying issue is that some cruisers are more considerate of others. Other guests are more self-indulgent because they are on vacation. As in life on land, balance allows all of us to enjoy a vacation experience. Whatever you choose, be considerate when you can.

We have found on Med cruises (from age 58 to 69) that it's best to alternate an "all day" excursion with a shorter excursion, especially during hot weather. We found last fall very crowded in Italy and France due to the unseasonably good weather around Halloween. This made Cinque Terre and Eze less enjoyable, constantly fighting crowds to find food, restrooms, train seats, etc. As you are going in the summer, plan on taking/buying lots of bottled water. One summer we climbed Mt. Vesuvius during a Naples excursion and it wasn't bad although it is typical volcano hiking (like walking in sand). The bus ride to Rome does allow you to decompress a bit.

On Vision, take advantage of the Centrum. We don't do a lot of specialty dining, but we enjoyed our lunch in Chops on Vision in November. Sailed many times out of Baltimore. I will note that for our first Junior Suite, Vision wasn't as fancy as shown on larger ships. If you go Anthem, I'm not sure when you will arrive in San Juan. Arrival time can affect your ability to enjoy that port. Our only port experience in Bayonne wasn't that great, so I will put in a vote for Vision out of Baltimore. Either itinerary seems like a lot of fun.

You don't need to pack a suit, but allow others to celebrate a special night in an elegant atmosphere. I would have one spot where dress code is followed. The rest can be casual. But I think we used to have that...

On board time may be just 30 min before departure. Check cruise compass. Most cruisers don't cut it that close, hence 90 min is recommended.

Maybe try a car service that will drive you around and drop you off at the airport. I remember Royal had an excursion with airport drop off.

We have always cruised Royal because of its value proposition and availability. However, we aren't cruising this year (yet) and our next cruise will be on a different line in order to get the desired itinerary.

And adjust cruise fares, if necessary to make the menu work. It is a business, after all....

There were some dubious social media posts by Van Fleet which may have been a factor. I imagine corporate policy would be to be politically neutral and support an inclusive guest community. Apart from that, I agree that a weather expert would be a plus for Royal.

I don't think it is unreasonable to expect tea, and my wife has never had an issue finding some on any Royal Caribbean ship. I am not sure if she is particular about brands. I am a coffee drinker, and I know how annoyed I would be if I couldn't find decent coffee. Fortunately, every ship has that for purchase. I personally don't think the size of the ship has an impact on service delivery, except to create multiple venues and offer more options to guests. I prefer Radiance and Voyager class ships myself. Dealing with vacation issues is an art, and I will never claim that I have mastered it. I hope your next vacation is more enjoyable, whatever you choose to do.

Good point about goods. We had done just that, but Royal didn't get us the form after filling it out. So I remind folks buying pricey gifts to get the form.

We are going to these and other places in Jan 24 on another line. We have similar interests. If you travel after January, I'll let you know who we used. I've read that 3rd party vendors are available, and some have good reviews.

There is a process to get the VAT paperwork, so fully discuss with Royal. Must be 100 plus from same vendor. Use same SeaPass to make it easier. Refund kiosk at airport after security. But critical to get Royal or other vendor to give you form. We never received ours, just the original receipts.

Pre-covid we had a similar lost luggage story, although we all got ours about 3 days into our cruise. We found Royal's lost luggage team top notch. Now I put a little extra into carryon...

Wow! While it is fair to criticize Royal, please don't blame Costa Maya and Roatan. Each port can offer amazing experiences. Cruisers see poverty wherever they travel, even in the US. Post Covid we've all had to adjust our travel expectations. Give Royal your feedback, both positive and negative. We've all had at least one disappointing trip. PS. Agree with you on the spa....

What a frustrating experience! We have had 2 cruises cancelled in 19 years, so it isn't a frequent event. I think the CEO's staff will reply. Because we use a travel Agent, we've easily rebooked, although we were disappointed at missing our preferred itinerary. Whatever you choose to do in the future, know that you aren't alone. We all have a mix of good and not so good cruising experiences.

We have been told about 2 weeks before cruise is enough time for redemption processing. We redeem our Royal points earlier to use in Cruise Planner. On board, if single credit card applies to both occupants, it doesn't really matter if OBC is shared or not because it is applied to total room charges. I choose shared so it seems like my wife has $ to spend, but that is just psychological. How obc is initially broken out in portfolio depends on which Seapass is used for purchase. But in the end my CC applies to all room charges, so it is moot. If a guest has nonrefundable promotional OBC, guest will want to use own Seapass to spend it. That is the one exception we've encountered.

We found on sister ship, Vision, that music started later, about our early dinner seating. So the main activity is getting to the pool or solarium when everyone's ashore.

Great service. I lost my card Day 1 and they replaced it!

We use AAA agent and pay the cruise line, not AAA. So the policy you mentioned has changed or didn't apply to MD and NC. If we switch to MEI it will be because our TA is slow to answer emails. She gets back to us with good recommendations, but never gives us the interim reply that she is working on it.

It is larger than the "small" Vision Class. It has a promenade. You can break up the walking by sitting at a cafe or bar. Look at where your stateroom is located on the deck plans and see how it compares to the venues you'd like to visit and the elevators. We had a great time on Mariner in June 2022. I found it much easier to get around on the Mariner than on the Harmony.

This has happened before. You can add CC at the port. You can also call.

Was that from Cozumel or Costa Maya?

Do it. Several pyramids, nice walk, monkey sightings, gift shop and snack bar. Been there twice.