The United States authorities approved this Tuesday a Disney test cruise departing from Florida, whose governor, Ron DeSantis, has sued the federal government to allow the “immediate” reactivation of that economic sector.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) granted Disney Cruise Line a permit to take a simulated cruise departing from Port Canaveral on June 29.
It is the “Disney Dream” that will sail for two nights to evaluate the health and safety procedures of the shipping company.
“The ship will sail with volunteer passengers and test our newly developed health and safety protocols, which have been meticulously adapted to today’s public health environment,” Thomas Mazloum, president of Disney Signature Experiences, said Tuesday.
The CDC has advanced in the authorizations to the shipping companies, which have been presenting their plans, either for the option of test cruises (without the need for vaccination) or that of vaccinated crew and passengers.
In this way, the federal agency has authorized Royal Caribbean a trip with volunteer passengers for June 20 from Miami and also the first with travelers and crew “totally” vaccinated from Fort Lauderdale for June 26.
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Meanwhile, it is also advancing authorizations for Carnival test departures, initially in three ports in Texas and Florida.
Although the CDC expects the industry to revive in July, cruise companies are at a crossroads for Florida ports because a new law signed by DeSantis prohibits companies from requiring proof of vaccination.
Florida’s new law fines companies, whether cruise ships, restaurants or events, with a fine of $ 5,000 that ask customers for proof of vaccination against COVID-19.
Parallel to that stumbling block, Republican DeSantis sued the Joe Biden government and the CDC last April to demand the “immediate” reactivation of cruise ships, suspended since March 2020 in the country’s ports due to COVID-19.
However, on May 18, Judge Steven Merryday gave until Tuesday for mediation to avoid trial.
With mediation, the judge avoided ruling on a motion presented by the DeSantis government that asked to immediately stop the CDC’s order of non-navigation while the trial takes place.
According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents 95% of companies with oceanic cruises, between March and September 2020 these companies had global losses of 77,000 million dollars, 23,000 million in salaries and 518,000 jobs.