28 days – sailing to Tahiti, Bora Bora and Pago Pago!
“How many films have you seen over time that feature scenes from these locations ?!” Joan Chace asked.
It was her dream vacation but it – along with seven others she booked – has been canceled since the pandemic started.
“When we arrived at the end of last year, I really had the feeling that preparations were already being made for the cruise to start this year,” recalls Chance.
On Thursday morning, Governor Ron DeSantis announced a lawsuit against the federal government to repeal the Conditional Sailing Regulations, which continue to limit the operability of cruise lines.
“The federal government and the CDC have banned this industry for more than a year. That is unreasonable. It’s not rational, ”DeSantis said during a press conference in Port Miami.
According to the Federal Maritime Commission, Florida lost $ 3.2 billion in economic activity in the first six months of the pandemic, including nearly 50,000 jobs and $ 2.3 billion in wages.
And with vaccines now widespread, Governor DeSantis says it is time to lift the ban immediately.
“Guess what? If they say cruising is not safe without widespread vaccinations, they have antibody treatment on whatever tests they want that was very effective. This is a very different situation than it was a year ago,” said DeSantis.
Chace is confident that things will open up again soon, largely with another eight cruises on the horizon.
“To be honest, I think the cruise industry is better prepared to deal with pandemic-related things and how not,” said Chace.
The cruise lines Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Disney have already suspended their activities until June.
Norwegian Cruise Line tells Bay News 9 that there is a detailed schedule that requires vaccines before they resume operations.
