Cruise ships line up at PortMiami on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pedro Portal
pportal@miamiherald.com
Feb. 3, 2020: Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Japan, becomes the largest outbreak of COVID-19 outside of the epicenter in Wuhan, China.
A bus leaves the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship at a port Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, in Yokohama, near Tokyo. The U.S. says Americans aboard a quarantined ship will be flown back home on a chartered flight Sunday, but that they will face another two-week quarantine. Jae C. Hong AP
March 8, 2020: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Department alert Americans to avoid cruise travel.
March 9, 2020: Grand Princess cruise ship, owned by Carnival Corporation, docks in California with COVID-19 outbreak on board.
In this Feb. 11, 2020, photo, the Grand Princess cruise ship passes the Golden Gate Bridge as it arrives from Hawaii in San Francisco. California’s first coronavirus fatality is an elderly patient who apparently contracted the illness on a cruise, authorities said Wednesday, March 4, and a medical screener at Los Angeles International Airport is one of six new confirmed cases. The cruise ship is at sea but is expected to skip its next port and return to San Francisco by Thursday, according to a statement from Dr. Grant Tarling, the chief medical officer for Carnival Corp., which operates the Grand Princess. Any current passengers who were also on the February trip will be screened. Scott Strazzante San Francisco Chronicle via AP
March 13, 2020: Cruise companies cancel U.S. cruises for 30 days.
March 14, 2020: CDC issues no-sail order, banning cruise ships from operating new cruises with passengers in U.S. waters.
Cruise ships line up at PortMiami on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Pedro Portal pportal@miamiherald.com
April 2, 2020: The Zaandam cruise ship, owned by Carnival Corp., docks at Port Everglades with four dead passengers on board.
The Zaandam cruise ship with COVID-19 passengers on board is escorted into Port Everglades after 12 days at sea searching for a place to dock along with its sister ship the Rotterdam. Emily Michot emichot@miamiherald.com
April 4, 2020: The Coral Princess cruise ship, owned by Carnival Corp., docks at PortMiami with two dead passengers on board.
The Coral Princess docks at PortMiami in Miami, Florida, on Saturday, April 4, 2020. Daniel A. Varela dvarela@miamiherald.com
Oct. 30, 2020: CDC issues “conditional sail order,” a framework of instructions for cruise companies on how to safely operate in the pandemic.
April 8, 2021: Gov. Ron DeSantis sues the CDC, asks a federal judge to lift all of the agency’s regulations for Florida cruises.
Florida Ron DeSantis announces a lawsuit against the CDC to try to get cruising restarted in a press conference at PortMiami on Thursday, April 8, 2021. Charles Trainor Jr ctrainor@miamiherald.com
May 3, 2021: DeSantis signs legislation that makes it illegal for cruise companies to require passengers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
June 18, 2021: Federal judge in Tampa bars CDC from enforcing its COVID-19 cruise regulations in Florida on July 18, 2021.
June 26, 2021: First cruise ship restarts operations from a U.S. port: Celebrity Edge from Port Everglades.
Royal Caribbean’s Celebrity Edge is seen docked at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday, June 26, 2021. After departing Port Everglades Saturday, Celebrity Edge will be the first cruise ship sailing with guests from a U.S. port in over 15 months. MATIAS J. OCNER mocner@miamiherald.com
July 13, 2021: Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings sues Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees, asking a federal judge to allow the company to require its passengers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
The Norwegian Encore cruise ship at PortMiami on Thursday, March 26, 2020. Al Diaz adiaz@miamiherald.com
July 17, 2021: U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit blocks lower court decision, leaving CDC cruise regulations in place.
This March 6, 2020, file photo shows the headquarters for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Ron Harris AP
July 23, 2021: U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit reverses its decision, barring CDC from enforcing its COVID-19 cruise regulations in Florida.
Taylor Dolven is a business journalist who has covered the tourism industry at the Miami Herald since 2018. Her reporting has uncovered environmental violations of cruise companies, the impact of vacation rentals on affordable housing supply, safety concerns among pilots at MIA’s largest cargo airline and the hotel industry’s efforts to delay a law meant to protect workers from sexual harassment.
