Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is ready to set sail from Florida!
Sailings from PortMiami and Port Canaveral as well as New York and Los Angeles are contingent on obtaining a certificate from the CDC.
“We are currently in communication with his staff and legal counsel to ensure that we can offer the safest cruise experience for our passengers departing from the cruise capital of the world,” said Norwegian’s CEO, Frank Del Rio.
The CDC, said cruises could sail again if 98% of the crew and 95% of passengers are vaccinated and ships take other measures to limit the risk of transmitting the virus.
Norwegian threatened to keep its ships out of Florida after the governor signed legislation banning businesses from requiring that customers show proof of vaccination. The company says the law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis is at odds with guidelines from federal health authorities.
“It is a classic state-versus-federal-government issue,” said Norwegian's CEO, Frank Del Rio. “Lawyers believe that federal law applies and not state law, but I’m not a lawyer. And we hope that this doesn’t become a legal football or a political football.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis said that if smaller cruise lines want to leave the state because of vaccine requirements, their void will be filled.
Norwegian is the third-largest cruise line in the world with three ports of departure in Florida — Miami, Port Canaveral and Tampa and also makes stops in Key West.
The federal government is getting ready to let cruises sail again, but only if passengers and crew are vaccinated against the virus.
DeSantis, signed a bill banning business from requiring proof of vaccination, prompting Norwegian to say it might move Florida departures to other states.
“The major cruise lines, Norwegian's not one of the bigger ones, by the way ... have been operating in other parts of the world where there's no access to vaccine, much less the passengers required" to be vaccinated, DeSantis said. “We are the number one destination for people who want to come and take cruises. These cruise lines are ready to go — Royal Caribbean, Carnival — they want to go, they're going to be able to do it. We're ready.”
DeSantis is suing the CDC over the no-sail order.
Photo: Getty Images