Posted on 04/24/2021 7:11:44 AM PDT by Capt. Tom
Florida files with the Federal Court to get cruises resuming immediately. The state is not waiting around on the result of its lawsuit filed earlier in April.
After filing a lawsuit on April 8, receiving no answers or replies from the CDC for many months, and hundreds of thousands of people out of work in Florida, the state is tired of waiting around.
Florida has now asked a federal judge to overturn the Centers for Disease Control Conditional Sailing Order. This is the order that is keeping the cruise ship industry from sailing again in the United States.
No Results Yet on the Previous Lawsuit On April 8 Governor Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody filed the lawsuit in the Middle District of Florida, which the state of Alaska joined this week.
However, both the governor and the Attorney General feel this is taking too much time and now seek immediate court action through a preliminary injunction. Effectively asking the judge to block the CDC from carrying out its order.
The injunction states that lockdown was not done by state authorities, Congress, or the president, but by imposed by the CDC. With that, the state claims there should have been a far more limited timetable.
Since the CDC brought out the order, the agency has not provided the cruise industry with any guidelines for proceeding outside of the initial framework. That framework outlined building up testing infrastructure and running simulated test sailings before any of the ships would be allowed to sail with guests once again.
In the injunction, which is now with the courts and can be read here, the state says the following:
“The CSO was pursuant to a limited delegation from Congress to inspect and disinfect property and animals. Congress did not, in granting those limited powers, authorize the CDC to shut down a multibillion-dollar industry for over a year.”
The state further argues that experts, cruise operators, and government officials had limited understanding of the virus at the start of the pandemic. However, it feels that there is a significant improvement here. Cruise ships and cruise operators, and government agencies now have the necessary know-how to deal with any cases of COVID onboard.
What About the Cruise Lines? So far, the cruise lines have not joined the lawsuits or legislative actions that several senators and governors have taken in recent weeks. The Conditional Sail Order remains in effect until November 1, 2021, and is still missing further guidance for cruise lines to fulfill its parameters. Therefore, it would seem that the cruise lines will have plenty of reasons to support and applaud the actions of representatives.
In fact, many of the cruise lines have stated that they remain in constant discussion with the CDC while quietly backing the actions by Florida and Alaska.
The reasoning is simply that the CDC and the cruise lines have a long relationship that goes back much further than just COVID-19. The cruise lines will want to ensure this relationship is not disturbed.
Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain said this week he remains optimistic about working with the CDC and thinks the industry will be up and running soon.
Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain:
“Based on the advances in science and the data provided by our experiences abroad, the CDC is engaging in a constructive dialogue with us and the industry to enable a return to service in a safe and healthy manner,”
He further stated that the cruise industry and the CDC have been in constant dialogue, while they have also shared and discussed information and data that has emerged from the sailings in Europe and Asia.
These sailings saw more than 400,000 cruise passengers sail and resulted in more than 30 countries have now allowed cruises to resume in some way.
Both the CDC and the cruise lines are optimistic cruises could resume mid-July.
Richard D. Fain:
“We agree with that assessment, and we’re more optimistic than ever that a realistic path forward can be achieved in that time frame. That would enable a summer season in Alaska and elsewhere.”
Many would see the CDC’s public silence as a determining factor and why cruises are not on the program soon, yet it seems the cruise lines continue to work in good faith with the CDC.
Worth Reading: Alaska Senator Says “CDC is Dragging its Feet” On Allowing Cruises to Resume
It could mean there are still two options open for cruises to resume soon. The lawsuit, and injunction, sought by the states of Florida and Alaska, and the possibility that the CDC will come through on its promises.
IMHO the blame lies mostly with the ass kissing cruise lines and the Cruise Line Industry (CLIA) that seem to be very naïve in dealing with our CDC.
I felt restarting cruises in this country was going to be a slow motion train wreck, but this saga never seems to end. -Tom
Why is a Federal Agency blocking legal commerce without explicit Congressional legal authorization? Or is that one of those questions we are no longer allowed to ask?
I believe the legal system and its agencies are out of control of the people, and can get away with just about anything they want to do.
So agencies like the CDC, FBI, DOJ etc will do politically what they want to do. Who is going to stop them?
If Florida gets a favorable decision from a Judge, appeals and foot dragging can be expected to follow.
Florida and the Cruise Lines don't have the luxury of time. -Tom
This is a tempest in a teapot. People are in no hurry to be crammed anywhere. They are perfectly content to be herded around in face diapers.
Is the assumption here that the vaccines actually work? Although, if people are now flying in packed aircraft again, maybe cruise ships are feasible?
No, its an assertion, based on evidence.
The Duke wrote: “Is the assumption here that the vaccines actually work? Although, if people are now flying in packed aircraft again, maybe cruise ships are feasible?”
No, the assumption is airlines are necessary for business travel. Cruise ships are not.
It should be obvious that CDC, NIH, etc., are only interested in lowering the virus risk to the absolute minimum. That’s why they keep saying you have wear a mask even if you’re vaccinated.
Is there an estimate of % of cabins that have to be rented for the ship to earn a profit?
Regardless of vaccinations or the CDC, it would seem likely people will not fill those ships. So if they only fill 33% of cabins, that might mean the ship sails at a loss, and if it’s all open, there will be no stimulus money to keep the industry going.
This could be RICO...
You must read reports carefully re: airlines.
The hype report is “highest TSA screenings since March 2020!!!”
The truth is TSA screenings still less than 1/2 2019 levels for a given day/weekend.
DeSantis is a fighter... don't count him out. Yeah, they'll drag their feet and DeSantis will pick them up and shove them across the finish line. He's taking this one personally.
the planes never stopped flying...
A good test for DeSantis, right now I would take him over Trump in 2024.
Owen wrote: “Regardless of vaccinations or the CDC, it would seem likely people will not fill those ships.”
You might be surprised at the number of people who can’t wait to get back on board. check out cruisecritic.com, one of the largest social media sites for cruises.
Regardless of vaccinations or the CDC, it would seem likely people will not fill those ships. So if they only fill 33% of cabins, that might mean the ship sails at a loss, and if it’s all open, there will be no stimulus money to keep the industry going.
Royal Caribbean has weighed in on that question. See below. -Tom
"Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Chief Financial Officer Jason Liberty answered by saying the company could break even with use of fewer, but newer cruise ships, in lieu of older ships.
"For our newer ships, you need about 30 percent load factors to kind of break even. And then they skew to about 50 percent load factor on onto our older ships."
What's the CDC going to do?
How many divisions do they have...?
I think DeSantis would have a better chance then PDJT. He’s young, has military service, and has been way ahead of other governors in dealing with Covid. Not to mention, the white-hot loathing and hatred of PDJT by a lot of people, especially the LSM.
The most critical thing is he has a team working with him as governor he can bring with him and hit the ground running.
That’s interesting. What is the breakdown of costs? Labor? Fuel? Advertising? How much of the total is each?
30% or even 50% sounds a little bogus. In the immortal words of Bezos and Amazon — Your margin is our opportunity.
If someone is getting 50% margin, someone else is going to undercut them
I’ll go tomorrow if they open up. I would love a vacation in the sun. However any requirement for face masks or distancing would be a deal breaker
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