Disney Dream Completes COVID Safety 'Test Sailing'

PORT CANAVERAL (CBSMiami) – The Disney Dream cruise ship completed its Centers for Disease Control mandated test sailing on Monday and returned to Port Canaveral.

The Disney Cruise Line ship departed Saturday afternoon, making it the first cruise ship to depart from the port with passengers on board since the pandemic started.

All of the passengers were Disney employees who volunteered for the two-day trip.

Port Canaveral is also preparing for its first sailing with the Carnival's brand new Mardi Gras on July 31.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put a no-sail order in place last spring for all sailing from the U.S. due to the pandemic.

In October, it issued a "conditional sailing order," which included a phased approach to resuming cruising, with ship operators needing to meet a series of requirements. Test sailings are one of those requirements if they cannot meet the 95 percent vaccination rule.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, backed by DeSantis, filed a lawsuit in April, to lift the order. DeSantis has argued that the CDC's requirements are a case of government overreach.

A federal judge ruled in Florida's favor but a new court of appeals ruling has put that on hold.