A la hora

A la hora
 

"Esta compañía es muy popular porque los barcos casi siempre salen a la hora."

Does a la hora above mean 'on time' (not late) or 'on the hour' (10.00, 11.00, 12,00 etc.).

Many thanks in advance.

It means "on time". :)

salen en hora (on time) = salen a la hora indicada (on schedule)

For me "salen a la hora" alone means you have to wait less than an hour for a ship to weigh anchor if you arrive without knowing the time schedule. But maybe in some country it's informal for "a la hora indicada".

Many thanks, guys.