Ron DeSantis Calls on CDC to Rescind No-Sail Order: Cruise Industry ‘Essential to Our State’s Economy’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Friday called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to rescind its no-sail order, categorizing the cruise industry as “essential to our state’s economy.”

DeSantis joined state Attorney General Ashley Moody and Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Secretary Kevin J. Thibault, P.E., for a roundtable discussion with cruise industry executives and employees at Port Canaveral on Friday and called on the CDC to rescind the no-sail order, slated to remain in effect until November 1.

“If there is one thing we’ve learned over the past year, it’s that lockdowns don’t work, and Floridians deserve the right to earn a living,” DeSantis said, identifying the cruise industry as “essential to our state’s economy.”

“Keeping it shut down until November would be devastating to the men and women who rely on the cruise lines to provide for themselves and their families,” he added, urging the CDC to “immediately rescind this baseless no-sail order to allow Floridians in this industry to get back to work.”

“It’s anchors aweigh for almost every travel industry in the U.S., yet the Biden administration is keeping our cruise liners docked—while many other major countries begin to operate cruises safely under health guidelines,” Attorney General Moody added:

The rationale for keeping U.S. cruises shuttered through the foreseeable future is based on outdated data and guidelines put in place before we had a COVID-19 vaccine,” said Attorney General Ashley Moody. “The federal government is acting outside its authority in singling out and docking the cruise industry while other tourism-based businesses continue to operate in accordance with health guidelines. This heavy-handed federal overreach is harming our nation’s economy and is especially damaging to Florida’s economy and our vital tourism industry. That is why, we are calling on the Biden administration to lift the outdated lockdown order on Florida’s cruise industry and allow workers who rely on this important industry to get back to work.

Similarly, Thibault attributed the cruise industry’s struggle to the CDC’s no-sail order and expressed hope that “federal counterparts follow suit” in assisting those affected by the order.

Per the press release:

A September 2020 report from the Federal Maritime Commission estimated that during the first 6 months of the pandemic, losses in Florida due to the cruise industry shutdown totaled $3.2 billion in economic activity, including 49,500 jobs paying $2.3 billion in wages. In addition, Florida saw wide-ranging indirect impacts throughout the state – from airports and ground transportation to hotels, restaurants, and tourist destinations.

The no-sail order went into effect March 14, 2020.