MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Cruise lines could sail through July. At least, that’s the hope after the CDC withdrew parts of its no-sail order after strong political pressure, including a Florida state lawsuit against the CDC.
“We do not believe that the federal government has the right to mothball a large industry,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.
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After strong political pressure, the CDC blinked and dropped the “test cruises” requirement. It will enable operators to put ships to sea when 95% of passengers and 98% of crew on board are vaccinated. Several cruise lines have already announced that ships will follow CDC guidelines, including social distancing and onboard masks.
“This seems like good news, although it is not known exactly how this will play out,” said maritime lawyer Jim Walker.
Walker, a critic of the cruise industry, is aware of the economic impact of non-sail ordering. But he warns cruise ship fans not to pack their bags so quickly. In the best of circumstances, a ship can take a month or more to be operational.
“We have Governor DeSantis’ ordinance that cruise lines don’t have to require their employees or guests to be vaccinated,” Walker said.
In order for the cruise ships to sail, passengers and guests must be vaccinated. It is certainly a conflict that has not yet been resolved.
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“I do not legally believe that the governor has the authority or authority to pass laws dealing with international trade in foreign-flagged cruise lines,” Walker said.
Other problems are the preparation of the ships and the vaccination of the crews. And the pandemic has other effects too: COVID-19 is devastating India.
“Thirty percent of the crew come to India. They are the flight attendants, the cooks and the waiters who are an integral part of the cruise, ”explained Walker.
And the mere task of getting crew members fully vaccinated and COVID-tested back on board is a logistical hassle to set each sailing date in July.
“I think it’s a mistake to skip the test cruises. Practice makes perfect, so to speak, ”said Walker. “I think it would have been important just to see if you had a group of compliant passengers ready to wear masks and come on board and follow the protocols.”
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Having a crew trained and ready to execute these protocols is a lot of work for the cruise industry.
