Florida sues CDC to get cruises started again
The state of Florida on Thursday sued the federal government to force it to let cruise lines restart sailings out of U.S. ports.
“Today, Florida’s fighting back,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a press event Thursday to announce the lawsuit against the Biden Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC has been blocking most cruise vessels from sailing in U.S. waters since the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic in March of 2020, citing COVID-19-related risks.
DeSantis made the announcement at PortMiami, the world's biggest cruise hub, with the state's Attorney General Ashley Moody by his side.
The lawsuit comes as Florida politicians and Florida-based cruise lines have become increasingly frustrated with the CDC for not allowing at least limited cruising to restart out of the state.
Cruising around the world ground to a halt in March 2020 after the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic and many countries went into nationwide lockdowns. But since last summer, a number of countries including Italy, Greece, Germany, Norway, Taiwan and Singapore have allowed at least some cruise vessels to resume operations as they relaxed national lockdowns and travel restrictions.
In the U.S., by contrast, federal officials have blocked all cruising for the past 13 months, with the exception of a handful of sailings on very small river vessels on the Mississippi River and small ships that sail on intracoastal waterways.
Florida politicians have noted the financial hardship of the cruising shutdown on people who work for ports, cruise lines and related industries in the state as Florida-based ships sit idle. Cruise lines based in Florida have had to lay off thousands of people during the shutdown.
Cruise lines in recent weeks have argued that the rapid rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. and some other countries have made it possible to safely return to operations. They have claimed the cruise industry has faced a double standard from federal regulators when it comes to approval to restart operations as compared to providers of travel experiences on land such as resorts and theme parks.
Some big land-based resorts such as Disney World in Florida have been allowed to welcome thousands of vacationers since last summer even as cruising remained halted.
“We believe, that in light of the current health trends, buttressed by the more than 650 million vaccines administered worldwide to date, it is time for [us] to join the rest of the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors in participating in this next phase of our recovery,” Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings president and CEO Frank Del Rio wrote Monday in a letter to CDC director Rochelle Walensky.
The letter asked the CDC to allow the company to restart operations from U.S. ports in July.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is the parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
The lawsuit filed by the state of Florida on Thursday named the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in addition to the CDC and the Biden Administration.
The ban on cruising out of U.S. ports has prompted some major cruise lines in recent weeks to announce plans to move some ships that normally sail out of U.S. ports to other countries for the summer.
For example, the world's largest cruise line, Royal Caribbean, in recent weeks has said it plans to use the Bahamas and Bermuda as bases for new cruises starting in June. Celebrity Cruises is redeploying a vessel to the island of St. Martin for new sailings starting in June.
During Thursday's press event, DeSantis made the argument that it was better to open up cruising for Americans out of Florida than to see them go to other countries to cruise.
"People are going to cruise one way or another," he said. "The question is, are we going to do it out of Florida, which is the number one place to do it in the world, or are they going to be doing it out of the Bahamas or other locations?"
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.