Desantis Says Cruise Lines Cannot Require Any Proof of Vaccine for Cruises out of Florida

[broberts]

16 minutes ago, rallydave said:

Possibilities but no passports for US Citizens to St Thomas or San Juan.

 

If not passport, is not enhanced DL required to fly?

[rallydave]

15 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

If not passport, is not enhanced DL required to fly?

Not yet. Requirement recently moved to 2023

[rallydave]

38 minutes ago, cwn said:

I thought Abbott’s order only applied to business fund state and federal monies, not private business. I would cruise serval times a year if Regent offered something out of Galveston.

You are partially correct and I was partially incorrect. It also applies if entities get public money and while cruise lines got no public money it could apply to the port facilities that are public ally funded by govern money so people would not be able to enter the port building since it is a public facility at least partially paid for by government money

 

This May also apply to Florida depending on the language in the phased law. Perhaps federal law would usurp Florida law for the cruise line to ask but people could not enter the port facilities if public money used on them   Interesting to read the complete executive order. 

[PhD-iva]

1 hour ago, rallydave said:

 

Alabama and Mississippi on the Gulf Coast might work for less than optimal itineraries for the Home Ports as well but, not Galveston as our Governor has issues an Executive Order similar to DeSantis banning asking for vaccination information.  

Here’s the executive order from Texas governor Greg Abbott. It specifically states that state agencies and political subdivisions and any public or private entities receiving state funding cannot require vaccination passports. It does not prohibit private enterprises from requiring same.

https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/EO-GA-35_private_health_information_protection_vaccines.pdf

[ronrick1943]

Just had an idea, if Florida doesn't want to play ball and do the right thing.  Then cut the Federal funding they get in the state--that will do it.

[rallydave]

17 minutes ago, ronrick1943 said:

Just had an idea, if Florida doesn't want to play ball and do the right thing.  Then cut the Federal funding they get in the state--that will do it.

If the feds did that they would immediately eliminate the national debt as they would have to cut all federal funding to every state. 

[tipsygirl]

14 hours ago, BBWC said:

On the NCL board, they are saying that they are talking to port officials in Savannah and Charleston.

I would be delighted to sail from either. Both are fairly small ports though. 
 

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

Ron DeSantis better wake up and understand if his residents cannot sail out of Florida, he will be in big trouble next year!
I will personally campaign against him. 
He must allow Regent and other cruise lines to have their passengers produce vaccination documents in order to board ship..

I can’t believe he understands the severity of his actions. 
sheila

[snorkle lover]

So if we have a cruise scheduled to leave from Miami and return to Miami ( a Caribbean cruise)

and the departure port and returning port is in another state/ C. Island will cost of the cruise change?

This is so ridiculous, let’s get on with life, we are not getting any younger! 

[rallydave]

27 minutes ago, snorkle lover said:

So if we have a cruise scheduled to leave from Miami and return to Miami ( a Caribbean cruise)

and the departure port and returning port is in another state/ C. Island will cost of the cruise change?

This is so ridiculous, let’s get on with life, we are not getting any younger! 

Likely your itinerary will change and cruise price will change as wee but probably not for those already my booked. Likely fewer ports as well. 

[lprp]

17 hours ago, broberts said:

Cozumel, St Thomas, and San Juan might work as a home ports. The last two have the advantage of being US. All suffer from requiring passports to reach.

Pardon my lack of understanding (I’m British), but what is the issue with requiring a passport? If any US Citizen gets on a ship that goes to a non-US    territory, say Barbados or Aruba, do they not need a passport?

[broberts]

2 hours ago, lprp said:

Pardon my lack of understanding (I’m British), but what is the issue with requiring a passport? If any US Citizen gets on a ship that goes to a non-US    territory, say Barbados or Aruba, do they not need a passport?

 

Short answer, no. Cruises that depart and return to the same US port are termed close loop cruises. https://www.cruisecritic.com/ab/agents/variation-a/articles.cfm?ID=5281 explains the documentation requirements for US citizens. 

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

16 hours ago, rallydave said:

Likely your itinerary will change and cruise price will change as wee but probably not for those already my booked. Likely fewer ports as well. 

You are offering your opinion.....

[rallydave]

20 minutes ago, Bellaggio Cruisers said:

You are offering your opinion.....

And that is what the OP asked for because we can only give opinions for hypothetical things like this.  In fact the itinerary will change with the departure point and return point changing.  That is a fact. Other thoughts are likely based on changed departure and return being closer or further from the original ports.

[snorkle lover]

I understand right now that the future is anybody ‘s guess. We are booked for a cruise leaving and returning to Miami but not until February. Hopefully by then the kinks will be worked out and the cruise will happen as advertised and God willing maskless !

[mdunne48]

Cruises that are from Miami to Miami are 'closed loops' ONLY if they do not visit a foreign port.  Therefore a cruise departing Miami to San Juan to St. Thomas, V.I. and returning to Miami would be a 'closed loop' cruise and not subject to ICE.  Just as if you departed Miami to San Juan via American Airlines you are not subject to immigration or customs. If the same cruise went to St. Marteen it would no longer be a closed loop and it would be subject to ICE, (Immigration, Customs Enforcement) at the first U.S. port that the ship entered after leaving St. Marteen.  These are FEDERAL agencies and Governor DeSantis has zero to say about how these agencies operate and what they require of U.S. citizens reentering the country.  

[cwn]

19 minutes ago, mdunne48 said:

Cruises that are from Miami to Miami are 'closed loops' ONLY if they do not visit a foreign port.  Therefore a cruise departing Miami to San Juan to St. Thomas, V.I. and returning to Miami would be a 'closed loop' cruise and not subject to ICE.  Just as if you departed Miami to San Juan via American Airlines you are not subject to immigration or customs. If the same cruise went to St. Marteen it would no longer be a closed loop and it would be subject to ICE, (Immigration, Customs Enforcement) at the first U.S. port that the ship entered after leaving St. Marteen.  These are FEDERAL agencies and Governor DeSantis has zero to say about how these agencies operate and what they require of U.S. citizens reentering the country.  

Cruises from Galveston to Mexico are closed loops also. Many cruisers don’t have Passports. Risky but....

[Wendy The Wanderer]

37 minutes ago, cwn said:

Cruises from Galveston to Mexico are closed loops also. Many cruisers don’t have Passports. Risky but....

Are you saying that Americans can visit Mexico without a passport?

[rallydave]

5 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

Are you saying that Americans can visit Mexico without a passport?

The answer is yes on certain closed loop cruises which are cruises departing. As Nd returning to the same port snd meet the requirements of a closed loop cruise. An earlier post stated had to only go to US ports as Nd that is false.  Some cruised to the carsbbesn Mexico Alaska and eastern Canada qualify 

 

there are specific documents but not passports snd only for US citizens. 
 

s big risk is if for z as my reason you have to return from a foreign port without a passport you will have issues. Doesn’t often happen but could. Just look up closed loop cruise for examples snd more info. 

[broberts]

1 hour ago, mdunne48 said:

Cruises that are from Miami to Miami are 'closed loops' ONLY if they do not visit a foreign port.  Therefore a cruise departing Miami to San Juan to St. Thomas, V.I. and returning to Miami would be a 'closed loop' cruise and not subject to ICE.  Just as if you departed Miami to San Juan via American Airlines you are not subject to immigration or customs. If the same cruise went to St. Marteen it would no longer be a closed loop and it would be subject to ICE, (Immigration, Customs Enforcement) at the first U.S. port that the ship entered after leaving St. Marteen.  These are FEDERAL agencies and Governor DeSantis has zero to say about how these agencies operate and what they require of U.S. citizens reentering the country.  

 

Misleading. Foreign flagged ships (all but one mass market ship) must include a foreign port. See https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-74?language=en_US for documentation requirements. See https://www.cruisecritic.com/ab/agents/variation-a/articles.cfm?ID=5281 for a general explanation.

Edited May 10, 2021 by broberts

[Wendy The Wanderer]

14 hours ago, rallydave said:

The answer is yes on certain closed loop cruises which are cruises departing. As Nd returning to the same port snd meet the requirements of a closed loop cruise. An earlier post stated had to only go to US ports as Nd that is false.  Some cruised to the carsbbesn Mexico Alaska and eastern Canada qualify 

 

there are specific documents but not passports snd only for US citizens. 
 

s big risk is if for z as my reason you have to return from a foreign port without a passport you will have issues. Doesn’t often happen but could. Just look up closed loop cruise for examples snd more info. 

 

Interesting, did not know this.  I do know that Americans can actually enter Canada (normally), without a passport.  But they can't get back into the States without one.  So this closed loop thing is obviously quite different.

[Ride-The-Waves]

Visiting Canada, Mexico and selected Caribbean countries can be accomplished without a passport.  However one still needs acceptable identification, which is the new "passport card."  We recently renewed our passport books and included passport cards with the renewal.  Drivers license size it prove US citizenship and is accepted by INS for ceos-boarder travel to include "local" cruises.  It is not valid for air travel into the US.  If one needs to fly home and you only have a passport card - out of luck.  The passport book is still the "Gold Standard" for AMCIT travel outside the country.

[Twitchly]

On 5/10/2021 at 11:43 AM, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

Interesting, did not know this.  I do know that Americans can actually enter Canada (normally), without a passport.  But they can't get back into the States without one.  So this closed loop thing is obviously quite different.

I think Canada now requires a passport or an enhanced driver’s license, at least when driving across the border. Can’t remember when the rules changed, but it’s been a while. DH is a dual citizen, and we used to visit family over there weekly. We always brought passports for both directions. 
 

 

Edited May 26, 2021 by Twitchly