wordell1

Cruise vacations have very different rules vs other vacations. Everything is communicated but unfortunately there are many who either don't read the communication, or think it does not apply to them.

Yes, Roatan is a poor country and I like the security of having a dedicated driver. They know the lay of the land and you really can't go wrong for the price.

I personally don't book RCL excursions in the Caribbean as a general rule. You can typically get much better deals either through an outside vendor, or just doing it on your own. Advantages: Cheaper, with better choices on the beach club Often get much more time at the beach (or less if you want it) No long waits to start the tour on the cruise ship Disadvantages: No guarantee on making it back to the ship - This can be a big one if you are a big drinker, or taking an excursion far from the ship (like in Europe, or the Chitzen Itza excursion in Cozumel). For me it is not really a concern for beach excursions in the 2 ports you are concerned about. The tour companies that operate in the larger cruise ports are generally reputable and rely on reviews and repeat business - they are set up to ensure you are back to the ship in plenty of time. Lot's of people take RCL excursions, so it isn't a bad excursion. You will have a great time either way. I would recommend you look at Paradise Beach in Cozumel. It is an easy taxi ride from the port and easy to get a taxi back when you are ready. $68 includes food and drinks. https://www.paradisebeachcozumel.com/ In Roatan, I book a private driver. It is usually around $100 for the group plus the cost of whatever you want to do. They have a lot of options but can just take you to the beach if you want. The driver will stay with you the whole time. They also have some premade tours. West Bay beach is very nice with lots of food choices and chairs/umbrella etc. https://ronystours.com/ You can also check out the Shore Excursions page on this website for suggestions and opinions about these ports.

I have been to Kontiki and it definitely meets your requirements (which are exactly the same as my requirements!). I also think that any of the above would also meet them. The beach clubs at Orient Beach in general are high end and are actually my favorite of anywhere in the Caribbean. One tip is to make arrange with your taxi driver a pickup time for the way back.

Viator is definitely a reputable way to book a local tour operator. You could also walk off the ship and find many tour operators offering excursions.

The prices in the port area itself are all listed in dollars. You could use peso's outside of the port area, but it is just easier to use a credit/debit card. You get very good rates on CC purchases.

Honestly, Uber/Lyft is easy and convenient and will be price competitive. Use XL if you have more luggage than would fit in a normal sedan. You can book your ride on the app in advance the day before.

Flight delays are an unfortunate part of travelling and can occur for many reasons. I would always plan to arrive the day before.

Taxi from the port. You may find that drivers will try to convince you that you need a reservation at KL. You do not - they don't even take them. The driver probably gets a kickback for taking you elsewhere.

I really enjoyed Crazy Lobster. I love Maya Chan, but they close in the summer, so we tried it and I would definitely go again. They have a very good set up.

I actually really like PB. I just liked it a lot more as a pay as you go.

The tacos from the taco truck were very good. Mexican street tacos. The guacamole is really good. They usually bring some right away with some chips. I asked for more. I also had some pizza which was just ok, similar to the ship pizza.

I preferred paradise beach before it went all inclusive. I used to get a large drink and a full plate of food at at a reasonable price. They have basically eliminated that option so I do the all inclusive. With the all inclusive, everything comes in a mini version. The drinks are fine, and the service is very good. The food is good, but it's not a full meal. The waiters are available and responsive so it works out. We tried Nachi Cocuum last year and I think the drinks and food are of similar quality, but the service is better at PB. NC has a nicer beach and I like the chair set up better. PB has an awesome pool. PB is much more crowded but has way more options for a family which is why we chose it with 3 18 year olds. I would probably choose NC for just my wife and I, but it's close.

We had a great cruise. His 2 friends had never cruised before so it was kind of fun to see them experience it for the 1st time. They had their own room so we basically let them do their own thing. We did zip lining and snorkeling in Roatan and did Crazy Lobster in Costa Maya and Paradise Beach in Cozumel. They enjoyed the 18 drinking age.

I highly recommend this option. Cinque Terre is easy to do from La Spezia and well worth it.

I just got back from Harmony and am interested to see what changes they will make. We had a perfect week but the cruise before had terrible weather and it sounds like there will be issue this week as well. I'm not sure what changes they can realistically make from Galveston other than to cancel stops and have some days at sea.

I live in Texas and have cruised from Galveston many times in January. December can go either way in Texas and the odds are that it will be reasonably warm in Galveston. If it is not, obviously the 1st day will be cold (Cold in Galveston means like 50 degrees). Typically, the ship will be far enough South by noon on day 2 for the pool. This would work in reverse on the way back, with the 2nd half of the last sea day getting colder. The hot tubs are a good choice when it is a little cold.

Generally yes, you would need to sign a waiver. It is up to the staff, but is usually allowed. The teen group is loosely organized and all activities are optional.

If you are staying a few days, all of those things are easy to do from downtown Rome. I booked a driver through Rome In Limo and had them pick us up at the cruise and then bring us to Ostia Antica (look it up if you have never heard of it - It's like Pompeii without the crowds), St Paul outside the walls (one of the 4 Basilicas in Rome), and the Catacombs. All of those are outside of Rome and harder to do without a car.

They don't have the bottle specific fill stations that you see around, but there are places where you can fill the bottle. Windjammer and Cafe Promenade come to mind. On #2, there will be a server or 2 there to take orders. I recommend some $1 bills to tip - not required, but you may get faster service as the week goes on.

The excursion you mentioned sounds very ambitious. I would do one of the things you mentioned on the cruise and then add the other stuff later. My last Mediterranean cruise we stayed 2 nights before and 4 after just in Rome. The ship docks downtown in Naples so it can actually be a good opportunity to do the city itself and then maybe stay in Sorrento when you come back after the cruise and use it as a base for Capri and the Amalfi coast.

Times can change from what is published even on ships that dock. You will get the actual times on the ship. I would assume that the later time is the time the ship leaves and not the last tender, but they will let you know on the ship. If you are booking a private excursion, they will be used to this and make whatever adjustments are needed. You could probably get better answers by posting this with the specific ship and port in the shore excursions section of this board.

You have already made the best decision, which is to do some research before taking your first cruise! I would try to read as much as possible so that you get the general idea of how things work on a cruise. I think your basic budget will work fine with minimal drinks and add on's. People definitely spend more, but it will always be your choice. You will be offered upsells for specialty dining, drink packages, etc - all you have to do is politely say no and it is no big deal. Dress code will be all over the place. You will see people very dressed up, and you will see people very dressed down. Do what you are comfortable with. I will suggest that it can be a good time to have a nice professional photo taken on formal night if you want.

In Cozumel, you basically have a choice of a nice sand beach, with nothing to see while snorkeling, or great snorkeling, but no beach.

Junior Suites are really just very large balcony cabins with a nice closet and tub/shower vs the small pod showers. It's a very nice room but you get zero perks of a suite - except double C & A points. Having said that, I usually check on pricing because sometimes they are the same price as a normal balcony or only slightly higher - it's a great deal if the price is right.