Florida Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio have introduced a new Set Sail Safely Act to get the cruise industry moving again.
Set Sail Safely Act Introduced
Florida Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio want to get the cruise industry moving again and they have introduced the Set Sail Safely Act. The act will establish a Maritime Task Force in coordination with a Private Sector Advisory Committee that will look at how to resume cruises from the United States safely.
The new act is going to push and get cruises moving again and will address the health, safety, security, and logistical changes needed to make this happen.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, said:
“We are extremely grateful for the introduction of the Set Sail Safely Act sponsored by Senator Rick Scott.”
“The cruise industry is a vital economic driver of our national, state and County economies. The dramatic impact of its closure is felt every day that cruise ships are not in operations. Thousands of jobs have vanished, and millions of dollars continue to be lost daily. We welcome Senator Scott’s initiative and stand ready to work with him.”
Senator Rick Scott has said that he really wants to help industry leaders to bring back cruises which is a huge importance to Florida’s economy. PortMiami in south Florida is the busiest cruise port in the world and is known as the cruise capital of the world. There’s also Port Everglades at Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral, Port of Tampa, and more.
The senator has already had conversations with Florida leaders and federal agencies on how the cruise industry can ensure a safe return.
Senator Marco Rubio has joined forces with Senator Scott and has echoed the need to support the industry as it’s a vital part of the state economy. He’s said that resuming operations safely is a top priority for him.
Adam Goldstein, Global Chair, the Cruise Lines International Association, said:
“On behalf of the wider cruise community, including nearly 44,000 American travel advisors and hundreds of small and medium sized businesses in the U.S. that provide products and services to cruise lines, CLIA joins our port partners in thanking Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio for their leadership in introducing this important legislation.
The cruise industry is an important economic contributor in the United States, supporting nearly half a million U.S. jobs, and over 150,000 in Florida alone, prior to the pandemic.
The Senators’ bill draws much needed attention to the importance of strategic dialogue between appropriate federal agencies and a broad group of public and private sector stakeholders to safely advance a resumption of cruising in the U.S. that mirrors the gradual and successful restart of cruise operations in Europe.”
The Set Sail Safely Act is lead by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and a range of federal agencies that will need to come together to work out a plan for the safe return of cruise operations.
The Maritime Task Force would include representatives from several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Coast Guard, Health and Human Services, Department of Transportation, Department of State and the Federal Maritime Commission.
Private Sector stakeholders would include representatives from the passenger cruise line industry, U.S. ports, commercial fishermen, small businesses, and health professionals.
Even though this new act has been announced it would still take time for the relevant agencies to put together a plan. Our fear is that this would take even more time and could lead to a further extension on the CDC’s “No Sail Order” that’s currently in place through September 30, 2020.
