Florida Gov. Signs Bill Voiding Key West’s Ban on Cruise Ships
by Daniel McCarthy
Photo: Shutterstock.com.
Despite residents voting to do so last November, Florida will not ban large cruise ships from docking in Key West.
Gov. Ron DeSantis this week signed Senate Bill 1194 into law. Section 311.25 in the bill prohibits any ban on cruise ships with a capacity of 1,300 or more persons docking in South Florida, voiding last November’s referendum, passed by Key West voters, which aimed to keep them out of the Keys.
Key West residents had passed the bill by a wide margin during a referendum last November, but the bill signed into law this week will not allow any referendum to “restrict maritime commerce” at any port that has received or is eligible to apply for state funding.
The bill will not allow referendums to limit vessel type, size, or capacity, along with origin, nationality, or number of passengers on board.
Large cruise ships could now be back in Key West as early as this year when Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas stops in Key West during its Sept. 4 sailing out of Tampa.
Key West was the busiest U.S. cruise port in 1029 with more than 900,000 passengers and over 400 calls during 2019.
