We all understand that different areas of activity exist in the conditions of COVID-19 and at the moment, no changes are expected. The administration of cruise lines, as well as the Florida State Senate, also understands the current realities. In this regard, cruise lines received state support to resume cruises from Florida ports.
Florida Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio announced that they are advancing a bill in the US Senate designed to ensure security passengers and cruise line employees as the Florida cruise business reopens.
Senators propose creating a Task Force in coordination with the Private Sector Advisory Committee to address health, safety and logistics issues needed to reopen cruise ships and ports.
In his address to the US Senate, Rick Scott reported: “Florida is a tourist state with thousands of jobs dependent on the success of our ports, cruise lines and maritime industry.” “As we work to address the coronavirus and safely reopen our economy, this legislation will support the development of the guidelines needed to ensure the safe resumption of our cruise lines and port operations. I will continue to work with Floridians, industry organizations and federal leaders to safely bring back this industry that is critical to our state’s economic success.”
At the core of the bill is a requirement that the appropriate federal agencies, led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, work with private sector stakeholders to develop a plan for the safe resumption of cruise line operations. Since March, the U.S. cruise industry has been under a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “no sail order,” which prohibits all cruise ships that carry more than 250 passengers from leaving U.S. ports. Next week, on Sept. 21, the CDC is scheduled to close a comment period to get public input on how and when to resume flights. The CDC’s current no-sail order expires at the end of the month, but they previously extended their order and have not yet set a timetable for when cruises might resume.
The senators also highlighted the broad support for their bill, both from other sectors of the maritime industry and from the government. The American Association of Ports Authorities, Florida Ports Council, Tourism Miami-Dade and the Ports Committee expressed their appreciation and support for the bill.
“We are extremely grateful to Senator Rick Scott for introducing the Safe Boating Act. The cruise industry is a vital economic engine for both our national and state economies, and the dramatic impact of its closure is felt every day that cruise ships remain grounded. Thousands of jobs have disappeared and millions of dollars continue to be lost daily,” concluded Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Jimenez.
You can get any advice on cruises from our cruise experts.
