Norwegian Cruise Lines suing the state of Florida

[Jancruz]

Frank DelRio and NCLHC are suing the State of Florida saying they will not leave from there unless people are 100% vaccinated..

Just heard it on CNN

Jancruz1

[RetiredLifer]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/norwegian-cruise-line-sues-florida-surgeon-general-over-vaccine-passport-ban-11626200236

 

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2021/07/13/ncl-sues-florida-over-vaccine-passport-ban

Edited July 13, 2021 by RetiredLifer

[jimdee3636]

I've got a transatlantic (Miami to Lisbon) booked on the Oceania Riviera in March of 2022. I support Del Rio's 100% vaccination policy, but I sure hope he wins his battle against DeSantis fairly soon. I assume Del Rio's Plan B is to move all the Miami cruises to St. Maarten or somewhere else in the Caribbean. That would be a hardship for people in the Western U.S. To get to many Caribbean islands from out here, you have to leave early in the morning, take two flights to Miami, then a third flight that might arrive as late as midnight. Not a fun way to start a vacation.

[scamper]

Not to go off-topic, but when I first heard some cruise lines might move from Florida ports my first thought was the logistics involved provisioning massive ships from tiny islands.

[Jancruz]

1 hour ago, scamper said:

Not to go off-topic, but when I first heard some cruise lines might move from Florida ports my first thought was the logistics involved provisioning massive ships from tiny islands.

Not easy!!

Jancruz1

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, scamper said:

Not to go off-topic, but when I first heard some cruise lines might move from Florida ports my first thought was the logistics involved provisioning massive ships from tiny islands.

Maybe they can just go to another State  up the coast  unless they are also in on the same scheme as Florida

 

[Cruzin Terri]

15 hours ago, RetiredLifer said:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/norwegian-cruise-line-sues-florida-surgeon-general-over-vaccine-passport-ban-11626200236

 

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2021/07/13/ncl-sues-florida-over-vaccine-passport-ban

Hard to read this article if you don’t subscribe to the WSJ.

Terri

Edited July 14, 2021 by Cruzin Terri

[A331320]

I love what Norwegian is doing.  It is  hardly fair to prohibit the one thing that can prevent Covid when the state will rapidly file suit against the cruise line should there be a covid outbreak.  I hope Norweigan filed it in federal court where it will have a better chance of success.  Any business should have the right to take care of it's employee's and customers.  I have two cruises booked on Oceania and their vaccination policy was the key reason I booked on them.  

[RetiredLifer]

13 minutes ago, A331320 said:

I love what Norwegian is doing.  It is  hardly fair to prohibit the one thing that can prevent Covid when the state will rapidly file suit against the cruise line should there be a covid outbreak.  I hope Norweigan filed it in federal court where it will have a better chance of success.  Any business should have the right to take care of it's employee's and customers.  I have two cruises booked on Oceania and their vaccination policy was the key reason I booked on them.  

It was filed in federal court.  US District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

[PaulMCO]

10 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Maybe they can just go to another State  up the coast  unless they are also in on the same scheme as Florida

 

SC and GA have similar laws.   NCL already uses Baltimore and NY.  Those cruise ports cannot handle their entire fleet.  Other cruise lines use them too.   Crystal is basing Symphony in the fall in NY and NCL has Getaaway, Breakaway and Gem based there during fall/winter.

 

There are ways around this law. FDR is just grandstanding. But I agree with his lawsuit and wonder why it took so long.  They could have sued at the Executive order stage months ago.  There arguments against the law are the same as the executive order.

 

The law is clear - you cannot make vaccination a condition of admittance.

So you do what Carnival and RCL are doing  -- make it uncomfortable.  Masks everywhere, testing regularly and at your expense, separate dining area, plus no/limited shore excursions.  Some countries requiring vaccination means cannot leave ship.  Mandatory cruise insurance  $$.  You could also make it prohibitively expensive with added cleaning surcharges.

[A331320]

1 hour ago, RetiredLifer said:

It was filed in federal court.  US District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Thanks for the Information. I hope they are successful.  

[A331320]

1 hour ago, PaulMCO said:

SC and GA have similar laws.   NCL already uses Baltimore and NY.  Those cruise ports cannot handle their entire fleet.  Other cruise lines use them too.   Crystal is basing Symphony in the fall in NY and NCL has Getaaway, Breakaway and Gem based there during fall/winter.

 

There are ways around this law. FDR is just grandstanding. But I agree with his lawsuit and wonder why it took so long.  They could have sued at the Executive order stage months ago.  There arguments against the law are the same as the executive order.

 

The law is clear - you cannot make vaccination a condition of admittance.

So you do what Carnival and RCL are doing  -- make it uncomfortable.  Masks everywhere, testing regularly and at your expense, separate dining area, plus no/limited shore excursions.  Some countries requiring vaccination means cannot leave ship.  Mandatory cruise insurance  $$.  You could also make it prohibitively expensive with added cleaning surcharges.

Your right.  This is what the NFL is doing but it isn't working that well.  I do not want to be onboard a ship with unvaccinated people - pure and simple.  We have all seen how they follow the mask rules now - they don't.  This is a community issue and it includes all the crew and passengers on the ship.  These folks are exposing their families, their friends, acquaintances and anyone the come in contact with including fellow passengers.  Have some respect, get vaccinated. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

....So you do what Carnival and RCL are doing  -- make it uncomfortable.  Masks everywhere, testing regularly and at your expense, separate dining area, plus no/limited shore excursions.  Some countries requiring vaccination means cannot leave ship.  Mandatory cruise insurance  $$.  You could also make it prohibitively expensive with added cleaning surcharges.

What you are suggesting would never work for a cruise line like O which prides itself on not having “classes” of passengers and nickel/diming folks.

 

O seldom has a problem filling its ships and this will hold true for their 100% vaccination requirement. So, should they lose the lawsuit, changing where they embark from would be the logical alternative. And if some booked passengers then decide to “jump ship,” remember that there’s a ton of folks with time-limited FCCs still looking for 2022 bookings.

We’re easing back into the O cruise life with a short 14 day MIA-MIA Riviera itinerary in January 2022. We’re arriving a few days early from SFO, which will allow any necessary added/modified flight to wherever (or a no penalty change in flights - thanks United) and really wouldn’t mind not having to deal with or spend time and money in  Swamplandia. 
 

Best of luck to FDR. Just don’t back down from 100% vaccination.

Edited July 14, 2021 by Flatbush Flyer

[Aloha 1]

O is not like the mass market lines so I suspect there are few, if any, unvaccinated people interested in cruising O. That said, is it fair to ban people who, for medical reasons cannot get the vaccination? Or people who have had Covid and therefore have antibodies?. 

We are fully vaccinated but one size may not fit all.

[floridatravelersforlife]

Beyond me why NCL can't follow RCCl's process.    I'm not going to wait for lawyers.  I'm cancelling all my O cruises thru July 2022 and going to Celebrity till NCL figures out what they are doing.  They screwed me out of two locked in cruises with the Jan 2022 restarts announcement.  That cost us trying to find alternatives .   I vote with my wallet.  

[marieps]

For your reading pleasure, complaint filed by NCLH v. Florida.  This is a public document.  O and RSSC are named as separate plaintiffs.

NCLH Doc.pdf

Edited July 14, 2021 by marieps

[LHT28]

28 minutes ago, floridatravelersforlife said:

Beyond me why NCL can't follow RCCl's process.   

What is RCCL's process  ?

Do they allow only vaccinated pax & crew on the ships??