Florida Files Appeal Against Norwegian Cruise Line Over Vaccine Passport

The State of Florida has filed an appeal in its case against Norwegian Cruise Line regarding vaccine passports.

According to Orlando Weekly, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his administration filed paperwork with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday saying the preliminary injunction that supported the cruise line should be vacated.

Officials from Norwegian said it is requiring passengers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination before boarding its ships, thus complying with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mandates for the industry.

Governor DeSantis outlawed “vaccine passports” in the state and said the court ruling allowing Norwegian to check vaccination status delivered an “unprecedented ruling” and “erred” in determining the governor’s executive order likely violated the First Amendment.

State officials said the First Amendment was not violated since the order impacted what a business cannot do, rather than what a business can or cannot say. Florida representatives said Norwegian’s profitability should not override its “sovereign decision to protect its citizens’ personal liberties, privacy and health.”

“There is no sound basis for a court to make the judgment that the policy choices of other jurisdictions, including how they balance these interests, should prevail over Florida’s,” the official appeal read.

While the appeal is waiting to be heard, Norwegian will be permitted to verify the vaccination status of potential passengers before they board the company’s ships in Florida.