Judge Rules in Favor of Vaccine Passports on Cruises

After Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) boldly sued the CDC over vaccine passports being mandated by cruise liners, his actions to protect unvaccinated Americans may take a major hit after a recent court ruling.  This week, a judge ruled in favor of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings requiring passengers to furnish a vaccine passport before boarding one of their cruise ships.

Previously, the state of Florida along with many prominent voices in Florida politics canned the idea of vaccine passports faster than you could say “vaccine passport.”  In particular, State Rep. Anthony Sabatini (R-32), who responded to the idea with a resounding “HELL NO” and promised to, “Do everything in my power to BAN vaccine passports.”

As previously reported by The Floridian, Norwegian Cruise Line had threatened to pull its ships from Florida ports after Gov. DeSantis signed a bill in May barring businesses from requiring customers’ proof of vaccination and is asking the courts to block the law.

The company, which planned to restart cruises out of Florida in August with a full vaccination policy for all crew and passengers through Oct. 31, indicated that it would not be able to operate in the state if the law remains in effect.

Even though the CDC has previously said cruise companies won't have to mandate vaccines to host cruises, a judge has ruled in favor of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and their strong stance in favor of mandating the vaccine.  A statement on the case was released today from the Norwegian cruise company:

"Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is pleased to report that today Judge Williams ruled in our favor granting a preliminary injunction which paves the way for the Company’s three brands to require documentation confirming a guest’s vaccination status prior to boarding. This order will now allow the Company to operate in the safest way possible with 100% vaccination of all guests and crew when sailing from Florida ports. Nothing takes priority over the health and safety of the Company’s guests, crew and the communities visited and our commitment to them is paramount. The Company’s first sailing from Florida is scheduled on August 15, 2021 on Norwegian Gem departing from Miami."

Although there is plenty to be going on in Florida politics, in particular for Gov. DeSantis, expect a response from the governor's mansion or state representatives like Sabatini on this ruling.