Cruise lines wrestle with Florida ban on vaccine passports

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention detailed requirements in April that allowed ships to begin regular sailings without first conducting test cruises if they attest that 98% of crew members and 95% of passengers are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. But Florida, as well as Texas and Alabama, which also have cruise ports, passed laws barring businesses from requiring “vaccine passports," or proof of vaccination.

Florida filed a lawsuit in April challenging the federal government’s restrictions on the cruise industry. The case is pending.

The states’ measures have put cruise companies in a bind, analysts say, and the companies have responded with a mixture of policies. Celebrity Cruises, owned by Royal Caribbean Group, is requiring vaccine-eligible passengers to be inoculated, and for Florida departures, those who don’t show proof of vaccination will be subject to additional costs and restrictions, a spokesman said.

Royal Caribbean International, owned by the same parent company, is strongly encouraging, but not requiring, vaccinations for passengers on voyages departing from Florida ports, he said.

Carnival Cruise Line, which is part of Carnival Corp. and has cruises scheduled to depart from Texas, said it is mandating vaccinations. So, too, is Norwegian Cruise Line, which has trips scheduled to leave from Florida in August.

“It’s so in flux, it’s confusing," said Gina Arlotto, a 53-year-old resident of Washington, D.C., who is considering taking a cruise in the coming months but is waiting to see how the situation shakes out. “Every day in my Facebook group and on the cruise forums, it seems someone else has new information."

Though Mr. DeSantis is usually an ally of business interests, the state’s new law is testing the cruise industry, a key economic engine in the state. The measure allows the state to impose a fine of $5,000 for each instance of requiring proof of vaccination. Mr. DeSantis’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment.

In a statement when he signed the bill in May, the Republican governor said, “Your personal choice regarding vaccinations will be protected and no business or government entity will be able to deny you services based on your decision."

The uncertainty threatens to extend the pain for the cruise industry, which has been shut down for 15 months. Customer demand is strong, but a major concern holding passengers back is that they will book a trip, only to have it canceled because of continuing pandemic concerns, said Robin Farley, a leisure analyst at UBS Investment Research.

“Every month that goes by, that’s cash burn," she said.

A recent survey of more than 5,000 readers of Cruise Critic, a popular review site, found that 80% of respondents preferred to sail on a ship with a vaccine requirement, while 13% preferred one without such a mandate.

“We’re definitely hearing from cruisers that vaccine requirements are driving many of their booking decisions," said managing editor Chris Gray Faust.

The persistent risk of coronavirus infections aboard cruise ships was highlighted this week with the Celebrity Millennium, which departed St. Maarten on June 5. Though all crew and passengers aged 16 and older were required to be vaccinated, two guests tested positive in routine testing on board, the cruise line said Thursday. The passengers, who were asymptomatic, were isolated, and the company said it conducted contact tracing and expedited testing for all people the pair came in contact with. Remaining passengers were able to continue their trip normally.

The CDC doesn’t require a cruise to be halted unless there is a major outbreak.

In October, the agency implemented a conditional-sailing order that set up a framework for restarting cruises that included test sailings. It followed up in April with the option of bypassing such sailings by requiring virtually all crew and passengers to be vaccinated. Florida’s lawsuit seeks to set aside the conditional-sailing order, arguing the CDC overstepped its authority.

Carnival Cruise Line, with scheduled departures from Galveston, Texas, in July, is evaluating that state’s law, which is similar to Florida’s, and looking for a potential workaround so it can continue to require vaccinations, a spokesman said.

Jennifer Rainville, a 26-year-old chemist in Massachusetts, said she and her husband were planning a cruise in October on a Royal Caribbean ship until she heard the company wasn’t requiring vaccinations for Florida sailings. She said she isn’t worried about getting infected, since she is vaccinated, but fears an outbreak on board would force passengers to isolate and ruin the trip.

“This is just crazy for them not to require a vaccine," she said.

Priscilla Evans, a 43-year-old business owner in Georgia, is eager to get back on a cruise, but not if the company requires vaccinations. She said she is protected by antibodies from a bout with Covid-19 last year and worries about the safety of vaccines. She said she doesn’t mind undergoing regular testing on board, but would resist excessive mask requirements.

“If they start saying you have to wear a mask the whole time, or something that feels restrictive, I’ll go somewhere else that doesn’t feel like I’m in prison," Ms. Evans said.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text