Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line said it may avoid Florida ports because of the Sunshine State’s vaccine passport ban.
“But at the end of the day, cruise ships have motors, propellers, and rudders. And God forbid we can’t operate in the state of Florida for whatever reason, then there are other states that we do operate from. And we can operate from the Caribbean for ships that otherwise would have gone to Florida,” Norwegian President and Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Del Rio told reporters on Thursday during an earnings call for the first quarter of 2021.
He said all cruise companies want to operate in Florida because the market is “lucrative” and hoped the disputes over the vaccine passport ban can be solved.
“We hope that this hasn’t become a legal football or a political football,” he said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis codified the prohibition of COVID-19 vaccine passports by signing Florida Senate Bill 2006 into law on May 3, 2021. He initiated the ban through an executive order in August.
The new law will be effective on July 1, 2021.
The Epoch Times reached out to DeSantis’s office for comments.
Florida Senate Bill 2006 prohibits a business entity from requiring patrons or customers to provide documentation certifying vaccination against or recovery from COVID-19. It also forbids governments and schools from requiring vaccination proof.
BYÂ ALLEN ZHONG
