TAMPA, Fla. — The future of the cruise industry remains uncertain after mediation failed to settle the case between the state of Florida and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It is now up to District Court Judge Steven D. Merryday to announce the next step in the case. It is not clear when that will happen. 

If the judge rules in favor of the state, a new Florida law backed by DeSantis could still prevent cruises from taking place as planned. The law bans companies from requiring customers or passengers to prove they have been vaccinated for COVID-19. The lawsuit filed in early April argues that the CDC’s conditional sail order targets the cruise industry unfairly and should be thrown out. 

The CDC guidelines state at least 98% of crew members and 95% of their passengers should be vaccinated in order to sail from U.S. ports. Ships that don’t meet that requirement must complete a test cruise to demonstrate their COVID prevention protocols work. 

“I think the governor put himself in a box,” said Marc Bokoff, a cruise planner out of Lakewood Ranch. “On one hand we want to protect the rights of people not to have to say they’re vaccinated, but on the other hand he wants to get the business back going and to reemploy those thousands of workers that need to be reemployed.” 

After the news of an impasse came down on Thursday, DeSantis slammed the CDC calling their regulations ridiculous and unlawful. 

“The CDC has no excuse for ruining two summers of sailing and it is well past time to end the CDC's desperate attempt to prolong its power trip over America. Floridians are ready for a real trip on our waters,” he stated in a news release. 

This back and forth is causing a myriad of problems for cruise planners who aren’t sure what the future holds. 

“It’s making our jobs very difficult because unfortunately we’re in limbo and we’re not sure what we need to be advising our clients,” said cruise planner Kathleen Pohl. 

The CDC has not made any indication when it would lift its no sail order.​