Posted on 02/04/2021 5:25:37 PM PST by Capt. Tom
This week’s Senate Transportation Committee meeting made painfully clear what the current state is of cruises leaving from Florida. It’s proving to be toilsome and there is a long road ahead before sailings can effectively resume.
Michael Rubin, the Florida Ports Council government representative, told members of the Senate committee that it would be months before a resumption will happen. It could also be 2022 or later before we see cruises on any significant level, let alone the same levels as pre-pandemic.
Are the CDC’s Measures Too Harsh? If we look at the immediate start of cruises from Florida, it is starting to look as if the measures the CDC has implemented in its safe sailing framework are just too cumbersome for cruise lines to comply with within any reasonable timeframe. Multiple other issues also seem to be arising as time progresses.
The CDC’s measures for crew members and passengers include building onboard laboratory capacity to test passengers and conducting “simulated voyages” to look at cruise lines’ ability to mitigate COVID-19 risks on ships.
Arnold Donald, the Carnival Corporation CEO, said that the cruise lines are still waiting for further instructions on how to perform these test voyages.
According to multiple reports, Michael Rubin told the Senate committee the cruise lines and ports are working through an “onerous” list of requirements from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and hope to have at least some vessels operating at half capacity this summer.
Also Read: Why Haven’t We Had Any Test Cruises Yet?
While cruise lines hope to be bringing back crew members soon to commence and clear quarantine requirements, another issue that has arisen lately is what would happen if cruise ships visit foreign ports under the current travel restrictions.
All this is creating a situation where resumptions of cruises are at best months away:
“I’m not sure we’ll have significant cruise operations until perhaps next year and even beyond that. Some of the smaller luxury liners may not be operating until there are vaccines available worldwide. We are concerned. We’re hopeful that they’ll allow them to operate at least half capacity here maybe in April, maybe in June. Hopefully, before that timeframe, because this is really, really troubling.”
Florida Hit Hardest By Cruise-Stop
Rubin said that although the pandemic’s impact varies by port, combined, the financial impact could reach $22 billion. A port like Panama City (FL) is handling more cargo, while Port Canaveral’s operations traditionally involve cruise operations 70% of the time.
“That is a significant impact on Florida,” Rubin said. “Sixty percent of cruise activity occurs in Florida.”
If we look at the staggering numbers involved in the cruise industry in Florida, it is not hard to see the impact that the absence of cruises is having on local economies.
The top three multi-day cruise ports are in Florida: Port Miami, Port Canaveral, and Port Everglades. In 2018, Florida had 59% of U.S. embarkations, over 7.5 million passengers
Five of six ports in Florida are home ports to cruise ships. The sixth (Key West) is a regular port of call. The cruise industry is responsible for more than 149,000 jobs in Florida, $8.49 billion in direct spending, and $7.69 billion in wages each year.
The economic impact, which you can read all about in this PDF, goes far beyond the cruise lines and ports. The cruise industry’s contribution to the airline industry was estimated to be at $2 billion in 2019.
CDC Needs to Work With Ports and Cruise Lines
With the current situation as it is right now, Rubin thinks that the CDC is too hung up on the incidents which happened at the beginning of the pandemic:
“As you know, there were some high-profile incidents of passengers trying to get off and a few deaths out there. So, we’re living with those high-profile incidents, and it can’t seem to get past it. … I think all of our ports and the cruise lines are trying to work with the CDC to say, ‘Look, we’re gonna have protocols, we’ll have masks, we’ll sail at half capacity so we can quarantine people if they need to be quarantined.”
There is certainly no denying that the cruise lines have done an extreme amount of work to be able to sail again.
However, the way it looks with growing numbers of cases worldwide, delays in the distribution of vaccines, and a political climate that does not favor cruises right now, it is not hard to see that Michael Rubin could well be right. Cruising on any significant level could be a long time in the future.
There will be no help from the BIDEN group, Green New Deal activists, and Environmental groups who now have control of the Presidency, Senate, House and the Press. Cruising is way down on the list now.
The happy talk about cruising is starting to fade and the cruise writers are starting to write about it.-Tom
My sister-in-law and I have been wanting to take a small ship cruise to the Great Lakes, were hoping to do it right after Labor Day. Since the ships all go into Canada, I would imagine those cruises are cancelled too?
Bribe an island in the Caribbean, have them all sail from there, don’t go to any US ports.
Sailing with masks and idiotic protocols doesn’t sound too fun.
More governmental trashing of entire industries and ruining countless livelihoods.
My sister-in-law and I have been wanting to take a small ship cruise to the Great Lakes, were hoping to do it right after Labor Day. Since the ships all go into Canada, I would imagine those cruises are cancelled too?
Please excuse double post...
You might luck out, as they just change the itinerary.
More than likely the small cruise ship line in flagged in USA and doesn't have to visit a foreign port, like Canada. -Tom
rnold Donald, the Carnival Corporation CEO, said that the cruise lines are still waiting for further instructions on how to perform these test voyages.
________________________________________
That 40 page CSO was announced Oct 30...it must have taken the CDC months to develop...100 days on and they havent explained how the cruise lines are to accomplish much of the directive...
The required equipment must have been hard to purchase since its the same that hospitals are using for their virus patients but they have managed get them...and extended boo coo funds rebuilding parts of every ship to fulfill the demands of the CDC...
If it wasnt for the test cruises they could have been back sailing again...
The CDC kept moving the goal posts for months ...I hope there are very big lawsuits ...Id join a passenger one...
What some little gods in the CDC are doing to these companies and the American economy and workers has to be illegal...
It has already cost the state of Florida tens of BILLIONS of dollars...
I’m afraid that the cruise line industry is done.
I may be proven completely wrong, but I suspect that the era of middle class international tourist travel is over.
It’s looking like Europe will be closed to most tourists this year, even if you wear a mask for 9, 12 or more hours nd get tested on both arrival and return. It’s just not going to be a pleasant experience and most will avoid it.
As far as I know, the Caribbean islands are closed to tourists still, and the same for South America. Many of the folks who made the cute handcrafts, worked in the hotels or other things in support of the tourist trade are out of work now. By the time this has the slightest chance of becoming fixed, say 2022, the travel industry will be much smaller and much more expensive.
So, for now we can have fun seeing the USA... well, at least until our shiny new electric cars keep us from straying too far from home, and of course we will have to file our travel plan. Have you saved up enough carbon credits yet?
sigh. I need a vacation from the dreary pandemic. A place where I can cruise, eat, drink, dress well, sunbathe, participate in art auctions. Jonesing.
I believe we can cruising goodbye maybe forever, but at least until/unless the Green freaks aren’t running the show. They’ve always been after planes and ships, and now they’re in charge.
My sis was pig-piled on when she posted something similar on some cruise related FB site.
IMHO the Cruise Lines will have to downsize in the number of passengers, and devote more time to solid itineraries and avoid certain unfriendly ports, and have a talk with the people who loaned them BILLIONs, for starters. -Tom
I have Gypsy Fever, aka Wanderlust. I’m hot with fever!
I don’t like long distance driving, and my bad feet don’t look forward to walking around an Airport.
I’m even thinking about The Greyhound, first time in X number of decades. Gov. Brown’s Smart Train doesn’t go anywhere but Dulls-ville Blvd.
Seeing as I never went Horseback Riding, my mode of travel will probably be Amtrack.
Under the “Green New Deal” the whole power grid will go third world—sometimes it works, sometimes it does not.
That will make long distance travel with electric vehicles a test of nerve.
I really hope that they can turn things around. Thousands of American jobs are at stake.
Florida is a right wing voting state and the sociaist/communist America hating BIDEN group couldn't care less about its economic problems.
Republican Gov. DeSantis of Florida is a potential Presidential candidate for 2024 and there is no incentive for the socialists DEMS to bail him or that state out.
The BIDEN Group will concentrate on bailing out California and New York, and other socialist states and cities. -Tom
“I need a vacation from the dreary pandemic. A place where I can cruise, eat, drink, dress well, sunbathe, participate in art auctions.”
Come to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina! The pandemic panic has already passed, indoor dining is OK, beautiful white sand beaches. Some restaurants require fancy dress or it’s just fun to do so.
Lots of local cruises with dinner evenings on board ship & entertainments. Art auctions abound.
Been vacationing there for 35 years. You’ll love it!
Great advice!!!! Thank you.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.