Stemming from a September public records request, the Orlando Sentinel released a list of over 100 potential violators of Florida’s COVID vaccine passport law. The list of potential violators under review by the Florida Department of Health include multiple cruise lines operating from Florida homeports, including Disney Cruise Line.
- Carnival Cruise Line
- Disney Cruise Line
- Norwegian Cruise Lines
- Royal Caribbean
On September 16, 2021, the controversial state law went into effect, but is being disputed in court. The law prevents businesses and governments from requiring customers to show proof of COVID vaccination. Florida’s Department of Health is responsible for enforcing the $5,000 per violation fine.
Currently, a federal court order is preventing enforcement against Norwegian Cruise Lines and it is likely the other cruise lines
The cruise lines are in unique position, as the State of Florida is holding off on enforcing the law on the cruise industry until a decision is made on the temporary injecting halting the enforcement stemming from the Norwegian lawsuit.
Disney Cruise Line restarted operations in Florida without a vaccine requirement, but in August announced that beginning early-September made a change after The Bahamas announced that all cruise ship passengers ages 12 and older must be fully vaccinated in order for a ship to be allowed entry into any of its cruise ports, including private islands like Disney Castaway Cay. To comply with this new requirement, Disney Cruise Line required all Guests ages 12 and older on upcoming sailings must be fully vaccinated to board the ship.
The full list of potential violators from a September public records request can be reviewed in this Orlando Sentinel article.
It will be interesting to see how this pans out. For the time being the law is the law and if we have to comply so should they.
Of course if they comply with the FL law they will not be cruising given they would thus not comply with the Bahamian law and would have no place to cruise! And under the PVSA they have to have a foreign port to which to cruise. This is a lesson for government not to interfere in too many decisions of a private business.
Interesting info here–thanks for this. Has anyone heard anything about the Bahamas rules after November 1? I’m curious if they (and Disney) will extend the vaccination rules past that?
If I was a gambling man, I would put all my chips on the Bahamas lowering the age requirement for the vaccine to 5 years on November 1. Especially given that the CDC has a meeting on Oct 26th, but then the FDA has to have a meeting and then the CDC needs to meet again, so there might be a 30 day extension to the current Bahamas requirement before they move down to 5 years old.
This will likely be the way until the Bahamas has enough vaccine supply for their population.
Hard to say. This could go either way but we hope that it works out. More to the point, gets straightened out once and for all.
What a conundrum. The cruise lines must comply with the laws of the countries they visit, the governor of FL wants all businesses open, but the cruise lines can’t go anywhere because they must visit a “Distant Foreign Port” when they sail. So of course they need to ask for proof of vaccination. Would like to see the cruise lines, which are a private business, running their business as they see fit–just what the governor wants.
Not only do the cruise lines have the right to require vaccinations they have an obligation to make cruising safe for their passengers. Additionally, if all the cruise lines pulled out of Florida, the $$$$ impact would be enormous!
Well I suppose that will be up to the courts to decide.
Do you think the person required to prove vaccination would get the $5,000? LOL
Nope. The $5000 fine is just that, a fine. I’m pretty sure it would go to the State Health Department. It would be great if they used the money to purchase more monoclonal antibody treatments.
Courts will be in a pickle to address this situation. If they say the cruise lines have the right to require vaccination proof in order the comply with the Bahamian port restriction (which is not a law in itself), but deny the Florida law passed by legislation then they will be in violation of the Constitution which grants states such powers. If they deny the cruise lines the power to require proof, then they will be forced to avoid the Bahamas and redo all of their itineraries. Chaos! (which the cruise lines brought upon themselves for not simply complying with the law until it was finally resolved). They could move to staycations until the Bahama restrictions are removed. Law states they cannot visit TWO U.S. ports without visiting a foreign port, so if they leave say Port Canaveral, sail around at sea, then return to Port Canaveral then they will have only visited one U.S. port. No violation! Yet, no Castaway Cay……..;(
Round trips (closed loop) cruises require a stop at a foreign port (e.g. Castaway). Cruises between two US ports require a stop at a “distant” foreign port. So, no, they couldn’t just do a UK Staycation cruise here.
Simple fix if Congress set their mind to it. They did it this past May (’21) for Alaska cruises bypassing Canada until Canada opened their ports back up.
A legal argument could be pushed that the Bahamas are targeting the cruise industry, since they allow unvaccinated (but tested) travelers via airline. It’s my personal belief though, that it was the cruise industry that asked the Bahamas to require the vaccinations so they could argue they have to ask for proof of vaccination thus justifying their ignoring the Florida law. It’s just my two cents though.
I find it all pretty weird as to travel to the Bahama’s by plane you do not need to be vaccinated.
@Trofus I totally agree with you. I believe this had little to do with the Bahama’s and everything to do with the Cruise lines. I have been to the Bahama’s quite a few times with unvaccinated friends and it is totally fine. I believe the cruise lines looked at this as their out to require vaccinations.
No need to show proof to get on in Florida but to get off in the Bahamas you must have proof of vaccination or stay on the boat. Complying with both laws the passengers will decide how they wish to cruise.
The Bahamian rule is much stricter. A cruise ship is NOT permitted to dock unless all passengers twelve (12) years old and older were fully vaccinated prior to embarking on the cruise ship at the start of the voyage.
I’m hoping that FL can very soon start enforcing it’s law and we can get back to vaccine, test and mask free cruising. It’s already been proven that none of these things work. I have multiple people close to me that are in various positions in the medical field. They all say the same thing. NONE of it works. They just can’t say it out loud for fear of losing their jobs. Just science and facts.
The cruise lines could comply with all the laws by requiring permission from The Bahamas for each person to sail, which, of course, would require people to tell The Bahamas their vaccination status. That way it would be The Bahamas requiring vaccinations and not the cruise lines, which is not a violation of Florida law.
Marcus, thanks for “saying” it out loud.
Funny how most people think honesty is a virtue yet no one wants to hear the truth.
From the same article: “Pushaw has said the state would not enforce the law for the cruise industry until a decision is made on the injunction”… so I guess we’re fine… for now?
I am so glad that unvaccinated, science-denying weirdos like Marcus and Jo won’t be permitted on my upcoming cruise. They shouldn’t be allowed out in society, either, but I’ll take what I can get!
@SH
Wow I am hoping I am not on a cruise with you and hope I never run into you in society. You sound like a rude, nasty and judgemental person. Do you really think you know who is vaccinated and who is not as you go about your daily life? I guess in your world yours is the only opinion that counts.
Ignore him or her. This desperate resort to name-calling is a logical fallacy known as argumentum ad hominem. It’s what some people do when they cannot refute your argument. Many of us who have received the vaccine are VERY anti-mandate and are against proof of vaccination requirements including medical professionals.
@Troyfus You are right and I will. I too have received the vaccine but I am totally against mandates and proof of vaccination requirements and also respect the decisions of friends, family and people who have had prior infection. When I see something like that it just riles me up.
I’m glad it’s not up to you.
Science says that those of us who already had Covid have 13 times more protection than those who got vaccinated. Study out of Israel where they have highly vaccinated population. FYI
Marni: I don’t know what magic pipe you’ve been sniffing off of but your science is flawed. Most main stream reliable and reputable sources disagree with what you are saying. Immunity varies based on the strain of the virus the person is affected by. Some more serious than others. So your Israel reference is not reliable.
Vaccines have been proven to be a better measure than natural immunity. And anyone who disagrees is just full of horse manure just like the people who Marcus and Marni. Vaccines are the answer but folks like you just enable this virus to continue on. This would have been over of not for people like you.
Marni is correct in her assertion as far as the Delta variant is concerned. The study does suggest that those who have had Covid have better protection against the Delta variant than those who have been only vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine. The study does also state that those who have had Covid can further boost their immunity with a vaccination months afterwards. Natural immunity from prior infection does provide greater protection than vaccine alone. Tyler, you misunderstand the main objective of the vaccines. They do not protect you from getting infected or from spreading Covid, breakthrough cases are expected; CDC and the vaccine makers state so. The vaccines’ main goal is to greatly reduce the symptoms and severity if you do get it. A higher percentage of vaccinated people get breakthrough cases of Covid than those who have already had it and have natural immunity. It’s a fact; it’s not manure. However, that being said, those who have already had it can opt to get the vaccine and boost their immunity even more if they so choose. Those who have only been vaccinated though should not be demanding that those with greater natural immunity be vaccinated. Those with natural immunity would actually have a stronger case that those vaccinated that have never actually had Covid should get it to build their immunity. Either way, here’s the article as posted on a medical news site. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/delta-variant-what-kind-of-immunity-offers-the-highest-protection#Limitations-of-the-study
@Tyler.. I think that maybe you should be checking more sources, medical pages and information regarding this from many other sources other than Israel.
That having been said, evidence is growing that contracting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, is generally as effective as vaccination at stimulating your immune system to prevent the disease. Yet federal officials have been reluctant to recognize any equivalency, citing the wide variation in Covid patients’ immune responses to infection.
Two Pennsylvania hospital systems allow clinical staff members to defer vaccination for a year after having tested positive for Covid. Another, in Michigan, allows employees to opt out of vaccination if they present evidence of infections and positive antibody tests in the previous three months.
There is much RELIABLE information regarding this so before you start being nasty to people I suggest you do your homework. Everything is not as cut and dried as you suggest.