To help cruise companies stay afloat, Miami-Dade has once again extended waivers of lay berth and harbour fees at PortMiami Florida.
Concerns over COVID may be receding alongside business re-openings and looser safety guidelines. However, travel operations from the world's "Cruise Capital” will not resume until July at the soonest.
On Monday, May 31, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced the extension to the waivers through July 30, 2021.
In a statement, she said that cruising was a cornerstone of Miami-Dade’s economy, and they were committed to restoring that "vital industry in the months ahead”.
Waived fees include passenger guarantees and regular payments that cruise companies with berthing/operating agreements at PortMiami FL must normally pay. Cruise lines, in exchange, must still guarantee ship calls at the port, maintain guest volumes here relative to other US ports, as well as meet other requirements “on a cruise line by cruise line basis.”
Gov. DeSantis earlier signed a law banning businesses that operate in the state, including cruise shipping companies, from asking clients for proofs of vaccination.