ORLANDO, Fla. — Carnival is expanding its return to cruising plans for July and August including its new ship Mardi Gras out of Port Canaveral, and for now requiring vaccines, even though that runs afoul of a Florida law going into effect July 1 that prohibits so-called vaccine passports.
The cruise line had already announced plans to sail from Galveston, Texas, and Seattle with only vaccinated passengers, but had yet to make the call on the first ship it had planned to sail from Florida — Carnival Horizon from PortMiami.
Part of that delay was due to an existing executive order and new law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that would fine companies $5,000 per incident if they require proof of vaccination.