Federal judge rules in favor of Florida against CDC order blocking cruise ships

[TexasTowelie]

Source: AP

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. >> A federal judge on Friday ruled for Florida in a lawsuit challenging a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention order making it difficult for cruise ships to resume sailing due to the coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday wrote in a 124-page decision that Florida would be harmed if the CDC order, which the state said effectively blocked most cruises, were to continue.

The Tampa-based judge granted a preliminary injunction that prevents the CDC from enforcing the order pending further legal action on a broader Florida lawsuit.

“This order finds that Florida is highly likely to prevail on the merits of the claim that CDC’s conditional sailing order and the implementing orders exceed the authority delegated to the CDC,” Merryday wrote.

Read more: https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/06/18/breaking-news/federal-judge-rules-in-favor-of-florida-against-cdc-order-blocking-cruise-ships/

[Bev54]

1. Does it really matter who wins in the courts, the cruise lines can choose to require

proof of vaccination and likely will if they want to remain in business.

[at140]

5. The cruise line told me...

for my upcoming cruise that they will allow non-vaccinated to board but may require a fast covid test before boarding ship.

[Bev54]

11. If a cruise line told me that I would not be going on that cruise

That is just nuts, how long do they think they will be in business when there is a breakout. I doubt I will ever go on another cruise anyway.

[FarPoint]

32. I agree....

That is a marketing answer to boost participation in a cruise....it's what many want to hear verses what is honest and safe for all..

[azureblue]

9. or the cruise lines

will move their business to another state that has Covid rules that are in line with Cruise ship regulations. Like New Orleans. It is the right of the cruise ships to insure the safety of their passengers, and risking the spreading of an infection while at sea, is a primary concern. All this ruling will do is drive the cruise ships out of FL. The cruise lines have said so.

[Bev54]

12. I agree and if they are not going to insist on people having vaccinations

then they will lose a lot of people not prepared to take that chance. As it is, in our city we had an 80 year old woman, fully vaccinated, die 2 days ago from the delta strain. We are not over this shit.

[lark]

18. That will be quite difficult and expensive to do.

Death Sentence is trying to personally destroy this industry, its a game of chicken and consumers are the big losers. I wish the cruise ships would leave FL, but it won't happen. Without proof of vaccinations being required, or a test the day of sailing REQUIRED before entry to the ship, these are just death traps. Even being fully vaccinated, could that stand up to the massive infections of Delta variants that could be present there without proof of no disease and no proof of vaccination? I won't go anyplace where hundreds of people are packed indoors that doesn't do one of the 2, and do it 100%.

[azureblue]

25. not really

since New Orleans already has a couple of cruise lines that dock there. The city lost a line to FL so it's just a matter of moving back. The infrastructure is still there.

[lark]

33. Ok then, that's wonderful.

I'd rather travel to LA, spend 1-2 days in NO having fun, get on a SAFE(er?) cruise ship that requires proof of vaccination or a clean test from one of those instant results type administered by ships' staff and not have so much anxiety and risk. And that's saying something since I live in FL and there's even a Carnival cruise port not far from where I live.

Oh wait, if there's only one line available, that doesn't even begin to address the problem. So one line gets out, fantastic, how about all the other gigantic lines that don't have space there? Hey, I'd love for them all to move, Death Sentence would definitely lose his job because of the great loss of jobs at the ports - as well he should for being a fascist idiot and killer.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

2. Another Trump judge?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2021/06/18/florida-cruise-lawsuit-desantis/

[SouthBayDem]

4. George H.W. Bush technically

https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/merryday-steven-douglas

[Grins]

36. So he has been there more than...29-years?

Time to go.

[Eugene]

3. Unless it is a cruise to nowhere, reopening cruise destinations are requiring proof of vaccination.

[at140]

6. My September cruise stops in Bahamas and

a private island. I don't foresee a problem there.

[at140]

7. This is very good news for state of FL

which has the world's 3 busiest cruise ports in the world. Many jobs were at stake.

[azureblue]

10. vs

how many deaths? FL has one of the highest infection rates in the country. But what better way to reduce the number of Trump nuts that won't get vaccinated? Darwin always wins.
Like I said up stream, the cruise lines will simply relocate.

[lark]

19. I really doubt they will do that, the busiest cruise ports are here in FL.

That's a ton of infrastructure to build, it would take years and by that time the issue will be gone and FL could have a different governor. Think they will play the testing game and lose out really big. One big spread of infection, and everything stops again, and it's coming soon. Yes, there are way too many stupid rw FL judges and who knows how they will rule when this blows up in the consumers faces and they could continue to side with death. I bet it would be cheaper to just shut down for a year than to face all the lawsuits and empty ships when it's been proven again that they are just death traps. It'a also far cheaper than rebuilding in Galveston

I feel sorry for the people working at the ports, it's not their fault, but I sure doubt they are going to continue having those jobs in a few months (weeks). Covid is still spreading in FL and it's started going up again.

[at140]

38. FL has gone crazy with masks

I was at Publix yesterday. There were may be 100 customers in the store.
I did not see more than 1 or 2 masks in the entire store.
Even most of the workers were maskless.
My wife refuses to go to any restaurant where waiters are not wearing masks.

[at140]

37. I see no masks anymore in FLorida

Grocery stores, restaurants, etc hardly anyone here wears masks in my town south of Jacksonville.
Only doctor's offices and hospitals people wear masks.

[Lonestarblue]

8. Just what the cruise industry needs--a cruise full of unvaccinated Magats that turns into

a floating super spreader event. That’s a good way to kill your market, some literally. I don’t remember when or where I read it now, but I think some other court ruled that a private business has a right to set its rules, so how can the cruise lines be forced to accept unvaccinated people who are a threat to other passengers? Even if you’ve been vaccinated, you can still get the virus. I would be royally ticked off to waste 4-5 days of a vacation being sick with a even a mild case of the virus, and some cases are not mild. If that happens, passengers should demand their money back because the cruise company has an obligation to keep them safe and allowing unvaccinated passengers is just the opposite.

[groundloop]

21. The cruise industry WANTS to require vaccinations, yet DiSantis is prohibiting them from doing that

DiSantis claims to be looking out for the good of the cruise industry, yet he's doing just the opposite by attempting to prevent them from requiring proof of vaccination for passengers.

The cruise lines know that they can ill afford to have another large outbreak on a ship, and are moving forward with plans to require vaccinations before boarding. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

[cstanleytech]

13. I thought that decisions on what ships can enter US ports was up to the Federal government and

not the State governments?

[azureblue]

26. the decision

is up to the captain of the ship / in turn, the cruise line. IOW he can say what he wants to but he cannot force a business to change its policies, especially if they are health regulations. It's the same thing that airlines do.

[Initech]

14. Welcome to conservative bizarro world.

Where up is down, black is white, good is bad, day is night, and so on and so forth.

[twodogsbarking]

15. Remember when they wouldn't let the cruise ships back to port because of COVID?

[christx30]

28. That was just trump trying to manipulate

his numbers. Like the worker at the drive through having you pull to the front of the store to bring the food out, so their times don’t get too high.
He didn’t give a tip about the people being hurt. Those sick people were just metrics he had to hit for for a good evaluation.

[alphafemale]

16. I say fine. Let all these un-vaxed anti maskers get on a big boat together.

Take away the sneeze guards on the buffets while your at it.

[LovingA2andMI]

31. And breathing still happens....

So what is the purpose of the sneeze guards?

[alphafemale]

35. Snot is easier to see on Plexiglass than salad.

Just sayiin'

[Magoo48]

17. Cruise ships are an absolute environmental nightmare.

The world could have used this work stoppage to institute and enforce laws requiring the entire nasty industry to prove they can operate with 0 environmental impact before even one of the floating germ plantations leaves port. Another missed opportunity.

Everything must now be viewed through the lens of Climate Emergency. Follow the science.

[msfiddlestix]

20. looking on the bright side....

may all the wealthy maggots gather together and sail away to their own demise.

the down side on that though are workers who will bear the brunt of this assholishness and greed.

[madville]

22. I just want them to start sailing again so I can sell my stock in them

I have a few hundred shares of Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Carnival in my Roth IRA, bought them cheap after everything tanked. They’re up about 30% since then but I’m betting when they resume somewhat normal operations I will at least double my money.

[Traildogbob]

23. I do not remember the documentary

On HBO a few months back, but it was about one of the first Ships hit, Asian line I believe, and an up close personal account of the hell the guests and staff endured.
As a U.S. Sailor, we had to watch gruesome STD videos before going ashore overseas. It work for most of us.
I think those Florida Ships should require potential guests to watch that documentary about Covid on a ship, not allowed to come ashore.
I bet shots would be demanded by all guests before taking a cruise. Most of the sailors that did not heed the STD warnings Were in line for sick bay, days after shore leave, begging the one sick bay Petty Office for a shot. Especially after agonizing pain when pissing. Nor as bad as dying from Covid though.

[kimbutgar]

24. I saw that documentary also

For two months in April and May I saw all these cruise ship anchored in the SF Bay where hundreds of crew members were stuck on the boats because they couldn’t fly home to their foreign countries. A supply boat would bring food and take off sick people.

That said I will NEVER take a cruise out of Florida even it was for free. I don’t trust that state nor its evil Governor. No Disney world for me either.

[Traildogbob]

27. If you

Live in San Fran, why go anywhere. I had the opportunity to Stay there as part of a Northern Cali Forest tour with the International Dendrology Society two falls ago. I love that place. I am a mountain, wilderness no people kind of person, but SF is awesome. Wanna come back without the strict itinerary of an International Tour.

[kimbutgar]

29. I'm a native San Franciscan

Feel fortunate to live here but I miss traveling internationally. Was on a European cruise in September of 2019. They were constantly cleaning the ship and hand sanitizer was everywhere. This was a smaller cruise line also not the huge Carnival corporation.

We also have some great hiking trails in the city, Twin Peaks, Mt. Davidson and the Presidio that you sure come back to enjoy. Our covid rate is really low in the city also.

[Traildogbob]

30. I will.

I want to explore much, much more of the Sierra Nevada's and a ton more of Yosemite. Without a group. “Muir is calling, and I must go.”
Love the wild Parrots roaming San Fran. And endless wine tasting. Farmers Market, Wow!!!

[hollygolively]

34. Irony is dead - Royal Caribbean's newest ship delayed due to COVID

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/06/16/1007108653/royal-caribbean-launch--megaship-sidelined-covid-cases-odyssey-seas

[Lasher]

39. Eight crew members tested positive.

All 1,400 crew members must now be quarantined. What's it gonna look like when they load the ship up with passengers?

[alphafemale]

40. I just really don't understand the appeal of these floating p̶r̶i̶s̶o̶n̶s̶ errr hotels

I don't care how many nice buffets and open bars place has.

You CAN't leave and it is an absolute heaving hoard of people.

Now I have heard of tall sailing ships that go out for a day o two and you get a very marginal sea education about sail hoisting and that sort of thing.

That sounds thousands of times more interesting.

[BlueWavePsych]

41. Well, Florida WILL be HARMED now.

[BlueWavePsych]

42. Cruisin' with COVID-19: At least eight Royal Caribbean crew test positive despite vaccinations

At the start of the pandemic, multiple cruise lines made headlines for having passengers or crew members on board who tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, the cruise lines were forced to either dock at the nearest port or delay their trips. The struggle continues, with a Royal Caribbean International cruise delaying its inaugural sailing of the Odyssey of the Seas cruise ship after eight crew members tested positive for COVID-19. But the twist is that all eight members who tested positive were vaccinated, officials said Tuesday, according to NBC News.

In a statement posted to Facebook Tuesday, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean Michael Bayley said the situation was "two steps forward and one step back." All crew members were to be fully vaccinated by June 18; however, before the date of departure could arrive, at least eight tested positive, two with mild symptoms and six who were asymptomatic. Bayley noted that the “positive cases were identified after the vaccination was given and before they were fully effective.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) it is rare for people to test positive for COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated, but not impossible. Such cases are known as breakthrough infections. Out of more than 130 million people who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus in the U.S., only 10,262 have reported breakthrough infections, the CDC said in May, NBC News reported.

While many Republican governors are against companies requiring passengers to prove they have been vaccinated, the CDC and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission support their ability to do so. While Royal Caribbean has set up guidelines for its cruises, including it being mandatory for all guests over 16 to be fully vaccinated, the rules do not apply in Florida. Florida’s exception follows Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order that bans companies from asking people for proof of vaccination.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/6/17/2035654/-Cruisin-with-COVID-19-At-least-eight-Royal-Caribbean-crew-test-positive-despite-vaccinations