Florida Cruise Lines Set Sail Despite Surging Coronavirus Rates

TAMPA, FL — On the same day Florida posted a record number of new coronavirus cases, the new Carnival Mardi Gras cruise ship set sail on its maiden voyage.

The Carnival Mardi Gras embarked from Port Canaveral's Cruise Terminal 3 for a weeklong cruise at 6 p.m. Saturday with stops in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Amber Cove, Dominican Republic and Nassau in The Bahamas.

With a 70 percent of its full guest occupancy of 6,465, Mardi Gras is the first cruise ship to set sail with guests from Port Canaveral since the industrywide pause in operations 16 months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas also set sail on Saturday from Port Everglades as it resumes its Caribbean cruises.

The cruise ships received the go-ahead July 23 after the 11th Circuit Appeals Court reversed its decision to uphold the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "no sail order."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the CDC have been in a legal battle since April when the governor filed suit against the CDC for imposing coronavirus vaccination restrictions on cruise lines, a major economic driver in Florida, that essentially prevented them from setting sail.

The court originally upheld the CDC's decision. However, after State Attorney Ashley Moody filed an emergency application to vacate the 11th Circuit’s stay on the preliminary injunction, the 11th Circuit reversed its earlier decision, allowing the cruise industry to resume operations without adhering to the CDC’s restrictions The restrictions included what effectively amounted to so-called vaccine passports, something which DeSantis declared illegal in Florida effective July 1.

The court concluded the rules imposed by the CDC on the cruise industry “are likely unconstitutional and overstepping their legal authority.”

“I’m glad to see the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals reverse its prior decision and free the cruise lines from unlawful CDC mandates, which effectively mothballed the industry for more than a year,” DeSantis said in a statement.

“The importance of this case extends beyond the cruise industry. From here on out, a federal bureau will be on thin legal and constitutional ice if and when it attempts to exercise such sweeping authority that is not explicitly delineated by law,” DeSantis said.

Florida is home to some of the busiest ports in the world — Port Miami, Port Canaveral and Port Everglades.

Related stories:

• FL Governor Sues Federal Govt Over Continued Cruise Ship Closures
• Cruise Lines Cancel Cruises For 30 Days Due To Coronavirus Fears
• All American Cruises Canceled Until Sept. 15