Brevard County

Port Canaveral officials committed to being safe, getting cruise industry back on its feet as CDC extends no-sail order

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended its no-sail order through Sept. 30.

Port Canaveral’s CEO said the order also puts plans into motion that will help reestablish the cruise industry.

On Friday, there was only one ship docked at Port Canaveral, and it was there to take on spare parts.

No ship at the port has taken on passengers since mid-March.

Read: Coronavirus: CDC extends ‘no-sail’ order on cruises from US ports until October

Port Canaveral Port Authority CEO Capt. John Murray said the big question is how long does the downturn last?

He said with no cruise passengers, capital projects have been scaled back.

The port’s workforce is one-third smaller than it was a year ago. Despite healthy cargo activity, the port estimates its losses will total $17 million by the end of this fiscal year.

Read: Arrival of Carnival’s new Mardi Gras cruise ship at Port Canaveral delayed again

“We continue to look for ways to save money and push costs down the road,” Murray said. “When the cruise industry comes back, we don’t know how it’s going to come back. We’re pretty sure it’s going to come back slowly.”

The port’s vice chair said the cruise lines are both committed and capable.

“Everybody’s committed to being safe, but we’re also committed to getting this industry back on its feet, like the rest of the nation is getting back on its feet,” Rear Adm. Wayne Justice said.

Read: After Port Canaveral sees $3.6 million drop in cruise line revenue, CEO describes what rebound could look like

The port’s CEO said no port in Florida has received funding as a result of the pandemic, but conversations are underway that could change that.

Katlyn Brieskorn, WFTV.com

Katlyn Brieskorn is a Digital Assignment Editor at WFTV. She joined Channel 9 in July 2019.