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We have used Royal's contractor, Allianz, and others. If you need good medical coverage, as previously stated, avoid Royal's coverage. However, Royal does have a "cancel for any reason" feature that may be appealing if medical coverage isn't that important. For frequent travelers, Allianz has an annual premium package. There are really many providers of travel insurance, especially medical coverage.

There used to be a way to check out excursions by going to a port search at Royal's site and looking for the excursion link when you reached your desired port. The prices would be somewhat dated, but certainly in the ballpark. I am not sure if Cruise Planner has completely changed that port excursion search. It never covered drinks or dining, however, just excursions that were typically offered for a given port.

Since room location is important to us, we always pick our own cabin. To save $$, we'd rather pick a lesser category of room than give up the right to choose location.

Yes, life as we know it has changed -- forever. However, we can still shape our future. It just won't be the same as our past. I am determined to cruise when it is safe, and I believe it will be safe in late 2021. Just my opinion. Be safe....

Yes, because I could snorkel at both locations, shop in Labadee, and enjoy dancing on the ship.

When the weather is nice, Central Park. Love to listen to the musicians in the afternoon/evening and have a glass of wine. 2nd favorite spot is the cafe on the Promenade.

My wife and I would like Royal to serve filet mignon topped with crab meat. We have had both separately, but not together as one dish. We were exposed to it in a small PA town and would love to try it on a cruise.

At Roatan we enjoyed Maya Key, which is close to the ship, for guided snorkeling and general relaxation. For Cozumel, our best excursions were either the Amazing Secret River or Tulum, both requiring the ferry to the mainland. (Diamond International in downtown Cozumel should be approached warily -- check prices on their website before you go into the store. They are pleasant to deal with but notorious for overcharging tourists. We have had both good and not-so-good experiences there.) At Costa Maya, you can walk the shops in the nearby village (take a short tram ride or cab), but we enjoyed Chacchoben Mayan Ruins. We use Royal for lengthy excursions so there is no risk of being left behind. We sailed last September, and the weather was great.

I have sailed both the Oasis and the Harmony and love them both. The Harmony is newer, so maybe that is a tiebreaker? Have a great trip!

We sailed the Western Caribbean itinerary September 2019 right after the hurricane. Weather was fine. Just make sure you have some type of travel insurance. It's impossible to predict in advance what weather will be like and where/when a hurricane will strike.

I am hopeful that some of the beach destinations or resorts will be open...lots of breeze to mitigate any fears about crowds.

I am definitely thinking on a dining package - skipping the MDR except for lobster night....For me, this is pushing the envelope!

Good ideas. We did have a cruise in Australia/NZ (2018) during which buffet service was assisted by staff. Guests couldn't self-serve, and the Diamond lounge buffet was shut down. This was all due to a norovirus, which had infected over 30 on the ship. Frankly, the biggest help for vacationers will be the availability of a low-cost vaccine. Until the vaccine is available, I am afraid there will be significant challenges to any sort of vacation travel.

Not sure if it is accurate, but my wife read a report yesterday indicating that the virus is not engineered, and it possibly came from or involved a virus in bats. Something to think about.

I just received an e-mail that Qantas is suspending flights until at least May 20, so I don't expect cruises in the South Pacific or Australia until July-August. Just a guess. As for the US, I expect cruising to restart by Labor Day. The issue in starting earlier would be the unwillingness of ports to allow visitors. Sadly, I believe much of Europe will be down until next year. Maybe Greece will be OK?

We will get the vaccines when they are generally available, just like the flu. Other than that, we don't plan on visiting Asia, and we may wait awhile before visiting Venice. I like the other posts about just being smart, washing hands, etc. Actually, I am thinking I should work harder on my bucket list as we never know what the future will bring....

I'd vote for the Med as we saw so many historic sites and delighted in the foods of each region, which were featured in the MDR. I also want to put in a vote for the Canary Islands with their exotic landscape and unique, family-run plantations. Excursion-wise, I will always remember my first snorkeling trip, climbing Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica, and visiting the Amazing Secret River in Playa del Carmen. The Mayan temples were very interesting, too.

Roger, I am close to pulling the trigger on that.

And if we get that $1000 per person they are talking about, I'm all for booking another cruise!

Appreciate the update. The majority of our cruises were out of Baltimore.

That is very frustrating and disappointing. Policy changes need to be communicated up front, and they should be handled with sensitivity.

Although you don't need to make show reservations, as @PatsFanBrian has pointed out, you may want to think about your daily schedule to some degree. Check the Cruise Compass for a similar voyage and consider your normal dining time. At one time 1st seating went to one show and 2nd seating went to the other, but you'll want to see what the latest times seem to be. And if you have MTD or specialty dining reservations to consider, there is that. On the plus side, it gives you something to think about as the days count down. Have a great trip!

You can take the tram to the local village and try out one of the restaurants. It's just $6 or $7 one way, I believe. A cab will bring you back. It is relaxing to stroll by the vendors. In September we tried the raft trip at Lake Bacalar, but it was a little too tame for us. We needed our bug spray. There were a few interesting sights, plus lunch and an opportunity to swim. But about that time we were hearing a lot about amoebas and other parasites in warm water, so we mostly just hung out at the mini-beach. I wouldn't really recommend it. Our best excursion experience was Chacchoben (Mayan Ruins), but do take bug spray for that.

You've seen the other answers, but I am one who likes back-up. Murphy's Law still applies...What does it cost to print one or two pages?

I was able on two occasions to have the rep at the redemption center force through the on board credit. I was buying about $100-$150 in points.