NEWS: Florida Governor Has Filed Lawsuit Over Cruise Restrictions

The return of the cruise industry has been a major question for months now.

Cruise lines, including the Disney Cruise, shut down last March in response to the global health crisis. Now, amidst vaccine rollout, the industry is looking at a return. With guidance from the CDC and federal government prohibiting sailings, Florida officials have announced legal action.

At the end of last month, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis threatened to sue the CDC if cruises were not to resume this summer. Now, DeSantis has announced a cruise industry lawsuit against the federal government and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to WESH, DeSantis noted in a press conference that, “On behalf of the tens of thousands of Floridians whose livelihood depends on the viability of an open cruise industry, today Florida’s fighting back.”

The lawsuit asks that the cruise industry resume sailings from U.S. ports immediately. If not, DeSantis notes, people will be going to the Bahamas to get on cruise ships. As this happens, he says that this will adversely affect Floridians.

Recently, Royal Caribbean announced that it will be resuming operations in the Bahamas. Carnival Cruise Lines, which has more ships based in Port Canaveral than any other cruise company, also threatened to pull all of its ships out of the U.S. ports.