NEWS: Florida Governor Files Lawsuit Over Cruise Restrictions

Disney4me · April 8, 2021

The cruise industry has been at a standstill due to the ongoing pandemic.

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Will Disney set sail again this year?

Cruises leaving the U.S. are currently grounded — the Disney Cruise Line, for example, has canceled all departures through June. And while the CDC recently released another phase of its Framework for Conditional Sailing Order, which provides updated guidance for cruise ships’ return, the Florida governor has threatened to file a lawsuit against the public health agency. Now, that lawsuit has become a reality.

According to WESH News, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced that the state is filing a lawsuit against both the federal government and the CDC, demanding the reopening of the cruise industry.

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Currently, Florida has the 3 busiest ports in the country, at Miami, Port Canaveral, and Port Everglades near Fort Lauderdale. DeSantis has stated that unless sailing can resume from these ports, people will go to the Bahamas instead, causing Florida to lose revenue. Already, Royal Caribbean plans to resume operations this summer in the Bahamas.

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The CDC’s most updated guidelines for cruise ships’ return include reporting COVID-19 cases daily, testing ships’ crews, and establishing a vaccination plan. These requirements are in preparation for simulated “test” voyages — but the CDC has not indicated when passenger cruises could return. And just recently, the Disney Cruise Line extended its cancellations through June, with European cancellations stretching into September.