Cruise ships are a key point of Southeast Florida tourism and hospitality however the pandemic has rocked the boat. With ports in Palm Beach down to Miami, the local cruise industry has been impacted in a big way. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday announced that it will allow its “no-sail order” to expire this weekend. The change is a big win for the Florida cruise industry, which has been shuttered completely since March.  

Cruise stocks rose Friday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it will replace its nearly 8-month old no-sail order with a less restrictive “Conditional Sailing Order.” The no-sail order has been in place since mid-March due to the coronavirus but will expire on Saturday night and not be extended, the CDC said. The new conditional order will remain in effect until either Nov. 1, 2021, the expiration of the declaration of a public health emergency or when CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield decides to end it.

The CDC change does not mean cruising in the United States will begin again next week, or theoretically anytime soon. The hesitation is as new cases of the coronavirus continue to spike.

Cruise lines will have to prove to the CDC that its COVID-19 protocols are effective before they will be allowed to sail with passengers.