haf

So here's what I got from this...
We have the CDC in the middle with two big cruise lines and their Healthy Sail Panel on either side...

Along comes the little guy to save the day!

 
 

Well, look at it this way. There is a big fight going on and the big boys know they can't get in the ring and start throwing punches because that would not look good. The little brother will then go in and start flexing his muscles knowing full well he has the backing of his brothers. Guess what? the guy who for quite some time gave them headaches now know that either he has to back up the rhetoric ot get out of the way.

The real benefit will be the political momentum that will be generated and focused on the CDC when they slow roll cruising "out of an abundance of caution".  Once Florida sees lost revenue with the threat of more lost revenue there will be significant pressure applied to the CDC to get with the program and stop killing Americans by taking away their livelihoods at a time when the science no longer supports their cruise ship ban.  

It's funny in a strange way how focused the media is on ships.  4,100 new cases in Florida announced today, no major breaking news headlines even thought that number is good and down in general.
Six people test positive near a cruise ship and BAM!  Worldwide headlines.  
I suppose we shouldn't give the media any ideas.  With three Disney ships anchored offshore near Cape Canaveral the media could claim "4,100 new cases in the vicinity of 3 cruise ships!"  OR "Multiple cruise ships arrive in Miami today and 4,100 new cases are reported in Florida".

I'm with you. My old favorite just left the fleet - Majesty of the Seas.

I would say it is a bit scary to go on these ships. I personally like to have all the amenities that a modern ship can offer but at the same time, I tend to like ships with a human size, meaning a place where I don't feel overwhelmed. I understand that RCL build its ships based on their demographics but at least they have ships with reasonable sizes for us to enjoy.

It's almost like the CDC doesn't want us to travel.

I agree with @twangster in his assessment. There is a lot of positive change coming, and I think we are on the precipice of many promises finally coming our way.
The rollout of the vaccine, plummeting cases, very good news about its efficacy, and imminent information from the CDC for cruise lines all point to ships being able to sail again.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. I will be on a cruise ship as a paying guest by the end of 2021.

Welcome to the message boards!
Freedom class is a stretched version of Voyager class (Navigator).  They basically added a section in the middle allowing more space in the Promenade and on the pool deck (plus more cabins).  Beyond this extra section in the middle the ships are very similar forward and aft.  
Both have been recently "amplified".  That's Royal's marketing term for a refreshment adding new features like waterslides and venues like Playmakers.   
The waterslides on Navigator are unique in the fleet while Freedom's new waterslides are more of a traditional waterslide.  The extra space on Freedom allows for a dedicated pizza venue called Sorrento's while pizza is available on Navigator in Cafe Promenade. 
Both are fantastic ships.  Voyager class is a personal favorite of mine although Freedom class is equally compelling.   I have sailed both and have future bookings on both because it's hard to go wrong with either ship.

Our first cruise was on Navigator of the seas and the second one was on Freedom of the seas. While both were top notch, I would say that Navigator was better. As Tmsmith mentionned, Freedom has more things to offer if you have kids and/or teenagers.

Have boat shuttles from US ports to the Bahamas and then board the cruise there.  Most of the lines have their own islands anyhow.  This is my personal idea.  That way people do not have to fly out of the country.  And it would be just a short trip over anyhow.  Coming back though would be the challenge.  The CDC IMO is doing everything they can to destroy the cruise industry, of which they know nothing about, obviously.

Well, they will at least try something before going under. But, sure it is not easy to start in the caribbean and then be told it is a no-no. Cruise lines suffer and we suffer also.

We all have good days and bad days in reference to experiences with companies during this pandemic.  AirBnB and American Airlines have both made it on my never do business with again list due to how they handled pandemic related issues.
Heck back in Colorado they shut down the vehicle emissions testing sites because of the pandemic but the county charged me a penalty for not getting my emissions test done on time even though the reason I didn't was because they closed the testing sites. Even our governments aren't getting it right.  
As far as Royal, yes you are much better to wait until they cancel if a refund is your preferred solution (unless you booked a refundable fare).  

That's a good starting point for a comedy plot ! Just imagine some passengers holding a poor guy over the railing and asking him whether to put on a mask or go visit the fish below.

That's a good starting point for a comedy plot ! Just imagine some passengers holding a poor guy over the railing and asking him whether to put on a mask or go visit the fish below.

Passenger vigilantism. No mask, you're going for a swim

As i have been saying all along...nothing happening cruise wise for anyone in N.A till late 2021.....and for Canadians it may be 2022 before we can travel so for me it may be that cruising starts and I still cant go.

We're supposed to cope?

I feel ya.  Prior to last year, between work and fun, I spent far more time away than at home....  
For cruises, I canceled everything except December on the Grandeur this year.  It's easier for me to cancel a trip than to plan it while not being sure if it's going to be able to go.  December's far enough away that I can put a little time and day dreaming into the planning but not be too upset if I need to reevaluate later this year.  I'm also looking at booking different cruises than I ordinarily would for 2022/2023, I've only ever done the Caribbean, preferring land based trips for everywhere else, so lots of other places to look into.  Currently I'm researching Antartica and Alaska cruises, they've been on my todo list for awhile now and there's a ton to consider for both of them.
Been wanting to go to Europe, spend a few days/week in France and then do a Mediterranean cruise, so using it as an excuse to learn French via Duolingo while I wait till that's possible.
One of the things I noticed when I stoped traveling is that I never really took the time to document any trip that I've gone on.  I was (and still am) a proponent of enjoying the now, sometimes I could get caught up in taking a photo more than I was enjoying the moment I was in.  All fine and dandy till I want to look back and try and relive a trip in my memory...I don't have as many photos/etc to trigger those memories.  So now I've decided to start documenting my trips a bit more.  Photography's already a huge hobby of mine (although mostly studio based or environmental portraiture) so I'll spend some time picking what my ideal travel kit would be.  What I'd bring for the Caribbean is different than I'd bring for a bucket list trip like Antartica.  Part of me's also amused at the idea of trying to drag along my 8x10 to just go complete overkill.  Started teaching myself watercolor painting too to make a travel journal with, a combination of writing, sketching, and painting.  We'll see how that goes (not well so far!). Good things to help though and hopefully make future trips even more enjoyable.
Off of that, I've started reading back through live blogs and longer reviews, some YouTube vlogs, and movies about travel/adventure.
I still travel some, but it's much more local.  My last "I NEED TO GET AWAY" trip was a few hour drive and a stay at an airbnb in Cherry Springs so I could do some astrophotography uninterrupted for a few days.
Took up some older hobbies too to keep myself busy, right now I'm making a 1/12 scale dollhouse for my nieces with hand tools, keeps the hands busy while listening to the RCB podcast ?
tl;dr, lots of planning for the future and new projects to keep occupied / improve myself in the mean time.  It's been a strange year.

I read this blog every day. I then scroll the message boards endlessly. Then I watch YouTube videos of Ship tours from Harr Travel or Cruising with Ben & David, then I watch docuseries, such as "Might Cruise Ships".  Then I go to the RCI site and research things to do and do mock reservations to try out different combinations of itinerary/stateroom/etc.  This really hasn't helped all that much...but it's better than watching the so-called "news".

Traditionally there has been a pre-cruise meet up. We don't usually make plans until much closer to the sail date.
All are welcome, even those not sailing.
Just like my group cruises, I want them to be as inclusive as possible. 
Renting a car will almost certainly be cheaper than ubering to Miami from Orlando.
I'll defer to @Sharla or @michelle for hotel recommendations.
What I do is look for Priceline Express deals with at least 4 stars near WDW. You will almost always come out with a nice hotel.

Florida has long been the rental car capital of the US.  In many cases it is the most logical and attractive means to get around Florida.  Some rental agencies have one-way penalties but many do not.  Shop around.
You can look at Uber to get an estimate and I think you'll find it a pretty expensive option for long distances like Orlando to South Florida.  
Amtrak does have service between Orlando and South Florida but you'll still need an Uber or some means to get to and from the train stations.  In the years ahead there are talks about better train service between Orlando and South Florida but we aren't there yet so Amtrak would be it for a train option for now.   
As far as hotels near Disney there are so many.     Pricing varies based on load factors so a good deal in a particular hotel one time may not be a good deal the next time.  

Whenever we cruise from Miami, we fly to Fort Lauderdale. We always rent a car to do a 2 or 3 day trip to Orlando. Takes the hassle out of looking for transportation. However, the last time, I was surprised that now, there are no toll booths so check with the rental agency for a way to get a sunshine pass for the duration of your trip. 

Interesting to read this, as I'm feeling the opposite despite my last cruise being even longer ago (Oct 2019) and my next cruise not happening until July of '22. The dollar price difference may not be as great as doing a land vacation (although I'll bet it's still going to be pretty good when comparing the price of a Euro-based 2-week land tour through the Greek Isles, Italy, France, and Spain), but when I think about what I won't be having to do on several days of the trip, cruising is still far more compelling for me.
I won't be repacking my bags every couple of days I won't be rushing to an airport or bus/ train station for the trip to our next leg I won't be burning a chunk of my day stuck in that moving little tube, or waiting to check in to the next hotel, or unpacking again for the next couple of days I won't be trying to figure out which place is our best bet for breakfast or dinner, or grappling with possible language barriers while ordering (although I'll concede I may well miss out on some fantastic surprises here) Cruising still takes a lot of the planning stress away from me, since all travel and accommodations are covered along with most of my meals. I can focus my planning time on the places we want to see most, the best options for doing that; the transportation there and back; and one hotel each for pre-/post-cruise. Believe me, the planning is a great part. But I would be overwhelmed if I also had to plan out all those other bits, along with figuring out the optimal travel route and best means of transportation between stops.