3
Cruise line workers have gathered at Port Canaveral today, October 21, to rally and call for sailings to resume once again, after Disney Cruise Line–a major operator in and our of Canaveral–has canceled sailing into December 2020, and other domestic cruise lines have ceased sailings through the rest of this month after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended its “no sail” order through October 31.
Waving picket signs and chanting, these people attempt to remind viewers that cruising is more than just a vacation. For them, it is their livelihood.
The news comes from reporter Matt Lupoli who shares a picture and video from the rally:
At Port Canaveral, cruise line workers are rallying to get back to work, calling for the CDC to let its “no sail” order to expire at the end of this month. Several simultaneous rallies are taking place at ports across Florida today.
“We’re not disregarding coronavirus, we know it’s real … we’re saying we can do it safely.” pic.twitter.com/iI7VySnPL2
— Matt Lupoli (@mattlupoli) October 21, 2020
Port Canaveral is one of the most popular cruise terminals in the Sunshine State, especially for Disney Cruise Line.
According to the Disney Cruise Line website, there are 165 available sailings scheduled between December 2020 and the end of 2021, and that is not including any sailing that has already been fully booked or was canceled due to the “no sail” order.
While we have covered that Disney Cruise Line as a company is optimistic about its eventual return to sea, continuing to build its three new Triton-Class ships and releasing information on its sailing itineraries for 2022, it is a different story for these cruise industry workers who are struggling to stay afloat.
Related: CDC Director Suggests ‘No-Sail Order’ Should Extend to February 2021
It should also be noted that no distinction has yet been made as to the jobs these cruise industry workers hold, but comes after cruise ship crew members were left quarantined on their ships for most of the pandemic, unable to return to their homes.
We at Inside the Magic will continue to update our readers as more information from the CDC regarding its “no sail” order and Disney Cruise Line comes to light.
Do you think that the cruise industry should get sailing again? Why or why not? Would you feel comfortable getting on a cruise ship right now? Let us know in the comments!