YOLO

I agree with @Bob Burd.  The RCI Visa points will convert to OBC before you cruise, but just sometime after you apply for your reward..  At that point you can use that OBC pre-cruise on the cruise planner.  I use this site to redeem points:  www.royalcaribbean.com/MyCruiseRewardsOnline
🙂  Yes, there are better credit cards.  In most cases you only getting 1% (effective) cash back.
 

Thanks @YOLO, I wanted to check since the name/address block on my statements is a jumbled mess at first glance, with my short name hidden right in the middle of the block. Next step (once I get the purchase finalized) since most statements have my name and identifying info on a separate (mostly blank page) while the pages with my holdings listed have zero identifying data with my name or account. I appreciate the efforts to help with privacy but adds some challenge when the info together helps more in a situation like the Royal OBC. Something tells me they're likely used to deciphering statements like that.

@Jack805 My stock is held in my IRA RollOver account.  I don't think account type matters at all...

You don't have to spend for any of the add-ons and you can still have a fantastic cruise! 
Allure being an Oasis class ships has a LOT of complimentary dining options:
Main Dining Room Windjammer Buffet Park Cafe Johnny Rockets is included for breakfast only (you pay for lunch and dinner).   Doghouse on the Boardwalk. Mini Bites is located up on the pool deck and will have breakfast and lunch available and is included. Solarium Bistro is in the Solarium area and offers breakfast and lunch Sorrentos Pizza and Promenade Cafe are on the Promenade and have near 24-hour service and are included. Vitality Cafe which will be located near the gym/spa area. They have some light bite, fresh food items as well which will be complimentary.  The Cruise Compass will show ($) next to the Vitality Cafe, but that just indicates there is a charge for the juice/smoothies without a package. Soft serve is available on the pool deck Boardwalk doughnuts are available in the morning What you can appreciate is that there is a large variety of dining places (complimentary and extra) so it will help better spread out the 5000-6000 passengers on the ship!

Yup, Port=bad && Starboard=good.  But sometimes getting yourself oriented is the trick...

On Adventure last May and thought the ship was fine. Our problem was cabin location, right next to where they bus dishes they retrieve from room service. As early birds in our room by 10pm, we heard the clanking of dishes until 11pm. I poked my head out once and the crewman doing it said "oh, sorry" then continued on making loud noise after I went back in my room. Guest Services said they'd address it and it was better for one night then back to sounding like we were bunking in the dishwashing area in the galley.
The smell of smoke penetrates up from the casino...some days worse than others. Also forgetting what side of the ship you're on and walking down the pool deck and into the smoking section sucks. I've had these problems on more than one ship in the fleet though. 
Overall Adventure was fine for us in 2018 and recently this May. We'd sail her again.

I respect that people may have the "worst cruise" ever, but what thing or things made it so.

At least it wasn't ALL CAPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It really must have been a bad cruise as the post is all underlined. 😉
Hopefully OP returns so they can fill in the blanks as to why it was so bad! 

I find it disheartening that people are able to find these sites to complain about their cruise but they can’t find them before they cruise to research and find information that would help them enjoy their cruise. 

Fairly recent diamond here and currently on Explorer of the Seas. Really enjoying the outside portion of the D-lounge here as a quiet alternative to most of the packed topside areas.  Love the back stairs access from deck 13. Also a nice place to bring up food from the Windjammer when it's packed.  

omg yes i remember this
what a TIME to be alive!!!
(i say, as someone who has never used their vouchers in full on one day, ever 😂)

Yes, DL unlimited drinks ~(4:30PM - 8PM) would draw a crowd.  It was nice.  And for a year or so there was both DL unlimited drinks and vouchers to be used during the evenings until midnight.  That was the bomb!

Here is more (current) positive data to use the Shareholder Onboard Credit Offer Request Form (PDF).
On Friday (8/26/22) I summitted 5 separate email requests for shareholder OBC at around 4PM EST.
On Sunday (8/28/22) I received 5 separate DONOTREPLY emails with PDF receipts for my OBC at around 2PM EST.
My cruise dates ranged from SEPT 11th 2022 through SEPT 14th 2023, so the time limit doesn't seem to apply.
The total OBC amounted to $650!  🥰

Here is more (current) positive data to use the Shareholder Onboard Credit Offer Request Form (PDF).
On Friday (8/26/22) I summitted 5 separate email requests for shareholder OBC at around 4PM EST.
On Sunday (8/28/22) I received 5 separate DONOTREPLY emails with PDF receipts for my OBC at around 2PM EST.
My cruise dates ranged from SEPT 11th 2022 through SEPT 14th 2023, so the time limit doesn't seem to apply.
The total OBC amounted to $650!  🥰

Not silly at all, but a very prudent question.
In our case, once we were doing 4 or more cruises per year, we decided that it was worthwhile to get the annual policy.  We look at it a lot like we do the Deluxe Beverage Package.  It really isn't about saving money, it's about the convenience.  Our annual policy has been $623 per year for the past 3 years so I assume that is the price that it's going to be for the foreseeable future.  We have been doing between 6-9 cruises per year. The annual policy definitely saves money over buying individual trip plans but even if it didn't, we would still do the annual policy.
For one thing, the annual policy is not just for cruises.  It is any travel that we do (of course, neither of us is traveling at all right now....but that's an anomaly) and in the recent past, both Dan and I traveled a lot for work.  Are there less expensive annual policies ?  Sure.  But we have the most inclusive policy that they offer with high limits b/c we cruise in suites most of the time and the $$ value of the overall trips is fairly high.  Now that I am on Medicare, I would not have health insurance coverage outside of the US if I didn't purchase it elsewhere.  It is mainly for this reason that we have travel insurance.
Here are the coverage caps:
 


 
I came across the following, related to COVID while I was looking up the coverage caps :

 

That's an important point, @JeffB.  Many people do not realize that Medicare does NOT cover anyone while traveling outside of the US.

In general, the older you get, the higher the cost of travel insurance and the lower the cap on medical coverage. It gets to a point where single trip policies are exorbitantly expensive for capped medical coverage. I recommend factoring in your age when considering an annual v. per trip coverage. Equally important is dove-tailing your regular health insurance policy coverage with your annual trip insurance medical coverage. I have an annual policy with GeoBlue. I did a lot of research (as twangster suggests you do) to purchase an annual plan that met my specific needs. I have regular medical insurance that covers overseas travel (Medicare doesn't) so I can accept policies with less medical coverage, saving money in the process. Medical evac coverage is important - it's a low risk that it will be required but its going to cost at a minimum $250K if your evac is from anywhere outside North America.

My son got an ear infection while on the cruise.  Seen the ship doctor and he let us know what was going on and gave us medicine.  My health insurance paid part of it and my travel insurance paid the deductible. Norwegian Cruise Lines shorted my TA cruise from 14-day cruise to a 10-day cruise the week before we left.  My travel insurance paid me for trip interception and gave me $250 a day (for the 4 days) for hotel room in London.  I had the choice to do that, or they would have flown me home and paid for the ticket. Covid canceled my cruise, and I had a hotel room and outside excursion that was nonrefundable.  My travel insurance refunded me the amounts.

I am purchasing an annual policy in November of this year.  I had already purchased trip insurance for everything through my September cruise.  I have not decided on what company I am going with because all of them are so different in what they cover and how much.  I guess I am getting close enough that I have to make a decision soon.  I am sure I will be going with Travel Guard or Allianz.

For us it makes sense.  We try to cruise every quarter, and more if there's a pop-up opportunity, but we also travel outside cruising, to various vacation/family spots a few times/year (air, car, hotel etc).  Annual policies cover all travel over the covered period.     We used to purchase cruise line or travel agent offered plans, but found the an annual policy to provide wider coverage for far less premium than numerous single trips,  la carte line or travel agency policies.    Since we have to possibly deal with medical issues, it provides peace of mind.   You'll have to research the coverage options and weigh cost for your individual situation, but in our case it costs less for a  broader annual policy.

I wouldn't have said "sand". 🙂
 

@Mattright now prepping for his Youtube chat tonight
 

This is such a relief, no more hassle about flying from the UK (and money saved!)
Very happy.

In my best Maxwell Smart voice: “Missed it by that much”
We are on Liberty August 28-September 4, and our October cruise goes to Canada.