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Florida sues federal government to allow cruises to sail

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Thursday, April 8, 2021 8:39 AM
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, center, speaks during a news conference surrounded by officials and cruise workers, Thursday, April 8, 2021, at PortMiami in Miami. DeSantis announced a lawsuit against the federal government and the CDC demanding that cruise ships be allowed to sail. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference, Thursday, April 8, 2021, at PortMiami in Miami. DeSantis announced a lawsuit against the federal government and the CDC demanding that cruise ships be allowed to sail. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
FILE -In this Saturday, April 4, 2020, file photo, Carnival cruise line ship Carnival Magic is docked at Port Canaveral, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Carnival Corp. says it lost $2 billion in the first quarter as the cruise industry remained shut down in many parts of the world by the pandemic. But the company says bookings are picking up, and 2022 could be a strong year for cruises. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference, Thursday, April 8, 2021, at PortMiami in Miami. DeSantis announced a lawsuit against the federal government and the CDC demanding that cruise ships be allowed to sail. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody speaks alongside Gov. Ron DeSantis during a news conference, Thursday, April 8, 2021, at PortMiami in Miami. DeSantis announced a lawsuit against the federal government and the CDC demanding that cruise ships be allowed to sail. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
FILE - In this May 4, 2020 file photo, Norwegian cruise ships are docked at Portsmouth Marine Terminal in Portsmouth, Va. Norwegian Cruise Line is announcing plans to resume sailing after being shut down for more than a year by the pandemic. Norwegian said Tuesday, May 4, 2020, that it plans trips in late July in the Greek islands and in August in the Caribbean. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot via AP, File)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, center, speaks during a news conference surrounded by cruise workers, Thursday, April 8, 2021, at PortMiami in Miami. DeSantis announced a lawsuit against the federal government and the CDC demanding that cruise ships be allowed to sail. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference, Thursday, April 8, 2021, at PortMiami in Miami. DeSantis announced a lawsuit against the federal government and the CDC demanding that cruise ships be allowed to sail. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

MIAMI (AP) — The state of Florida has filed a lawsuit against the federal government to demand cruise ships be allowed to start sailing immediately, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday.

DeSantis said the no-sail order is outdated and hurts the state as the industry generates billions for the economy and employs tens of thousands of Floridians.

“We don't believe the federal government has the right to mothball a major industry for over a year based on very little evidence and very little data,” the Republican governor said at a news conference at the Port of Miami.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines last week for companies on how to respond in the event of COVID-19 cases but has so far not lifted its no-sail order.

The CDC shut down sailing last March when several coronavirus outbreaks were tied to ships worldwide, prompting ports to reject docking plans and leaving some passengers and crew members to navigate for an extended time.

Florida is the nation’s cruise capital with three of the world’s busiest ports: Miami, Port Canaveral near Kennedy Space Center, and Port Everglades near Fort Lauderdale. The industry generates billions for the state’s economy as millions of people typically cruise from one of Florida's ports each year.

DeSantis has maintained the ban disproportionally impacts Florida and has said that cruising has resumed in much of the world, forcing Americans to fly to other ports in the nearby Bahamas. Industry leaders say there have been no new outbreaks tied to their ships.

“People are going to cruise one way or another. The question is are we going to do it out of Florida, which is the number one place to do it in the world, or are they going to be doing it out of the Bahamas or other locations?” DeSantis said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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