ALL IN ALL, JUST VERY COOL.
STUART: I AGREE 100 PERCENT.
VERY COOL, INDEED.
STAYING ON THE SPACE COAST, AS
IT’S CALLED, THE FLORIDA COAST,
THE CRUISE INDUSTRY WAITING FOR
THE RESULTS OF FLORIDA’S LAWSUIT
AGAINST THE CDC.
THEY WANT TO START SAILING AGAIN
IMMEDIATELY.
PETER KRANNIS IS WITH US FROM
THE SPACE COAST OFFICE OF
TOURISM IN FLORIDA.
THIS IS A BIG DEAL.
YOU WANT TO GET CRUISING AGAIN.
FLORIDA’S THE BIGGEST CRUISING
STATE IN THE NATION.
WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO FIND OUT
THE RESULTS OF THAT LAWSUIT?
>> YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THAT’S THE
BIG QUESTION.
IT’S A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR
INDUSTRY, AND EVERY DAY THAT
WE’RE NOT CRUISING THERE’S
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE
AFFECTED, THEY’RE NOT WORKING,
THERE’S, YOU KNOW, MILLIONS OF
LOST VISITOR SPENDING DOLLARS
THAT WE CAN’T RECOVER.
WE’VE REACHED OUT TO THE
GOVERNOR’S OFFICE THIS MORNING,
AS OF THIS MORNING THERE WAS NO
UPDATE.
SENATORS RUBIO AND SCOTT HAVE
ALSO FILED A BILL IN THE
CONGRESS.
WE’RE WAITING TO HEAR ABOUT
THAT.
THAT’S ABOUT TEN DAYS OLD.
BUT THE WHEELS ARE TURNING TOO
SLOWLY FOR US.
IT’S BEEN A YEAR.
THEY’RE CRUISING OUT OF OTHER
COUNTRIES, SO WHY NOT THE UNITED
STATES?
WHAT’S GOING ON?
AND SO WE’RE ANXIOUS ABOUT IT,
AND IT’S A HUGE PART OF OUR
BUSINESS.
STUART: I’M TOLD THAT A LOT OF
CRUISE SHIPS HAVE ACTUALLY LEFT
FLORIDA AND GONE TO OTHER
LOCATIONS WHERE THEY’RE ALLOWED
TO CRUISE RELATIVELY FREELY, IS
THAT ACCURATE?
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, THAT’S -- EXACTLY.
WE’RE SEEING CRUISING OUT OF THE
BAHAMAS RIGHT NOW, EUROPE, ASIA.
THEY’RE ALL, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE
PROTOCOLS IN PLACE.
IT’S SAFE.
PEOPLE ARE FLYING OVER THERE AND
TAKING CRUISES.
WE HAVE A PENT-UP DEMAND HERE,
AND, YOU KNOW, FLORIDA, AS YOU
SAID, IS PROBABLY THE NUMBER ONE
STATE IN THE COUNTRY FOR
CRUISING.
WE HAVE THREE OF THE TOP CRUISE
PORTS, MIAMI, OURSELVES AND
LAUDERDALE --
STUART: DAVID, CAN I JUST ASK A
REAL FAST QUESTION HERE?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
STUART: IS THERE ANYTHING
POLITICAL IN THIS?
FLORIDA IS A REPUBLICAN STATE
WITH A REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR AND A
REPUBLICAN SENATOR, RICK SCOTT.
THEY’RE A MAKING THE DEMANDS OF
THE CDC WHICH IS REALLY RUN BY A
DEMOCRAT ADMINISTRATION.
IS THERE A POLITICAL DELAY HERE,
DO YOU THINK?
>> I MEAN, I CERTAINLY HOPE NOT.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT POLITICS.
THIS IS ABOUT PEOPLE’S LIVES,
YOU KNOW?
WE’RE LOSING MILLIONS AND
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY DAY
THAT WE’RE NOT CRUISING.
IT’S ABOUT THE ECONOMY.
IT’S NOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT.
WE’VE GOT TO GET GOING, AND, YOU
KNOW, IT’S REALLY BAFFLING AS TO
WHY IT’S NOT.
STUART: YEAH, IT REALLY IS
BAFFLING.
THEY SHOULD BE OUT THERE
CRUISING AND MAKING MUST BE.
PETER, THANKS FOR JOINING US,