Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson is calling on federal authorities to lift their ban on cruise ship travel.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a No Sail Order for cruise ships on March 14, 2020. More than one year later, the ban effectively remains in place despite a technical change last fall.

Cruises are the only remaining industry subject to a unilateral government shutdown.

“I strongly endorse and support federal actions lifting the ‘No Sail Order’ for the cruise industry,” said Stimpson in a statement on Monday. “The loss of the cruise industry within the state of Alabama has had a severe and detrimental impact to the City of Mobile’s economy.”

Stimpson highlighted that the cruise ship terminal at the Port of Mobile was handling around 200,000 cruise passengers each year before the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States early in early 2020.

“These passengers translate directly to the generation of gross expenditures from hotel rooms, restaurants, local attractions, and local retail totaling over $12 million,” advised Stimpson.

The mayor’s comments come in support of a push by the Cruise Lines International Association to have the Biden administration loosen the year-old federal regulation.

A phased-in resumption of cruises in July is the target outcome for the association, which represents 95% of the ocean-going cruise industry,

“Should President Biden support a phased approach to reopening U.S. ports to cruise ships, I am confident the Mobile Alabama Cruise Ship Terminal will successfully meet this challenge,” remarked Stimpson. “The terminal staff are already familiar with established safety and health best practices.”

Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: henry@new-yhn.local or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.