cruise ships

Florida’s pristine waters are its calling card for tourists, who are now returning to the state in record numbers. But what happens when crushing numbers of visitors harm the natural environment that draws them?

Port Tampa Bay, PortMiami, Port Everglades, Port Canaveral, and Port of Jacksonville collectively recorded 6.1 million cruise passengers in 2021.

The cruise company would not confirm how many people tested positive for COVID but said there were a number of positive cases on the Carnival Spirit.

It will leave it up to vacationers to decide whether they feel safe getting on a ship.

The AAA study says declining COVID rates and increased eagerness about traveling have contributed to these statistics.

The city of Key West has another possible plan to limit cruise ship traffic to its port. Voters approved limits in 2020, but they were overturned last year by the state Legislature.

A motion for dismissal filed at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals did not explain the decision, but the CDC let expire what is known as a “conditional sailing order” that placed COVID restrictions.

Norwegian Cruise Line canceled voyages on eight cruise ships, nearly half its fleet, after one of its ships on Wednesday returned early to Miami due to a COVID-19 outbreak among crew members.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that people should avoid cruise travel regardless of vaccination status because of the spread of COVID-19.

It's the second outbreak for the cruise line in as many weeks. Odyssey of the Sea, the newest in Royal Caribbean's fleet, will stay at sea until it returns to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday.

Key West locals who voted for limits on the cruise industry gathered with signs saying "stop the silt" and "no big ships" as the Norwegian Dawn pulled in.

Cruise ships recently returned to Key West after the pandemic put a stop to cruising last March. Since then, even though the ships weren't calling, cruising has been a hot topic on the island.