CruiserBruce

Check out the Western Europe board, here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/148-british-isleswestern-europe/ Those two cities are covered there, and there are many discussions.

The side doesn't matter. The ship can put either side to the dock, and it is usually not predictable. Scenery is all around you in Alaska. And you aren't locked in your cabin, rather you are roaming all over the ship.

If the cruise doesn't end at HNL, unlikely the inspections will be done there. But Immigration (what you really need to worry about)and Customs might (almost non-existant process for cruisers any more). Interesting they are using Pier 80. First choice is the regular terminal at Pier 27. Second choice is typically Pier 35, the old cruise terminal. There is at least facilities there. Pier 30-32 is the next choice...used occasionally, but no facilities. Pier 80 is a new one. It sounds like you will be here in Spring, so the biggest event of the year, Flight Week, is not the cause of this.

Have you sailed with them before...expect their boarding procedures to be the same, or very similar in every port they depart from. I would think you could be easy on board by noon. By the way, Seattle is discussed on the West Coast Departures, here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/315-west-coast-departures/

Just a little reading around the board answers a number of your questions....first, that Glacier Bay is pretty important, and RCI doesn't sail there, but HAL does.

"Crowded" is a purely personal and subjective position. Just got off the Zaandam (sister to Volendam) 14 day Eclipse sailing. It was filled to the gills. Only a couple of times did we feel crowded.

I would always vote for the longer cruise. The cabin is a lessor concern.

What time are you scheduled to arrive at Civi? Is this a port stop, or the day you disembark? Is your ship spending the night in Civi? If so, you won't have any problem getting off the night before. Arriving at 6am doesn't meaning getting off the ship at 6:05, unless maybe if it is a port stop, not a disembark. Its 75 or so minutes to the Vatican. I would want private transport, or the expensive cab, not train in this case.

You will find a lot more info on the Ports boards, like Northern Europe: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/116-northern-europe-baltic-sea/ Good chance this will get moved there.

You will find far more info if you look on the Princess board, here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/119-princess-cruises/

These things are discussed here almost daily. Carnival sails from Pier 91. The "best" (whatever that means) way to get to the ship, and back to the airport is Uber/Lyft or taxi.

And to be clear, the most you will have to do is an Immigrations process...showing your passport to an Immigrations official. Your stuff doesn't leave the ship, which possibly could cause a Customs procedure, but as Customs is not done in the case of a B2B, won't happen.

If you look around the board, there are a huge number of threads about Miami hotels. The ones with shuttle are near the hotel. Conversely, the better areas to stay for restaurants and the like are in the downtown areas, like Brickell. The Hampton Brickell is a great hotel in a very user friendly area.

Yep...a full 12 hours later than expected.

Depending on the meal, various drinks are self serve in the Lido. Water, coffee, tea, is always available, 24/7. Various drinks (milk, juices, etc) at breakfast. Rotterdam has several restaurants...the Dive In, the Deli, a couple others. Club Orange is only for breakfast and dinner. I don't see HAL adding the ability to order 6packs of soft drinks, for example. But you never know. There are things like the Quench package for your needs.