Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is suing the Florida surgeon general over the state's law prohibiting companies from asking customers for proof of their COVID-19 vaccinations. In the complaint filed Tuesday, the cruise line operator says it is sticking with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines calling for all passengers to show proof of vaccination as the company prepares to resume cruises. It describes Florida's ban as an 'anomalous, misguided intrusion' that threatens to derail its plans. The suit, filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, names Florida Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees as the defendant because his office is responsible for enforcing the state prohibition. It is asking the court to suspend the law. Among the arguments set forth in the suit, Norwegian says the ban, is a violation of First Amendment provisions protecting communications between customers and businesses, preempts federal regulations, and, 'profoundly disrupts the proper flow of interstate and international commerce.' Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is suing the Florida surgeon general over the state's prohibition on companies requiring customers show proof of vaccination. It says the law could derail its plans to launch its first cruise out of the state in August aboard the Norwegian Gem (pictured) The suit names State Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees as the defendant because he the official in charge of enforcing Florida's ban The company said asking for vaccine documentation could expose it to a $5,000 fine per passenger on its first cruise out of the state on the Norwegian Gem scheduled for Aug. 15. In April, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, issued an executive order blocking businesses from asking for vaccine documentation, and signed the ban into law May 3, arguing, 'In Florida, your personal choice regarding vaccinations will be protected and no business or government entity will be able to deny you services based on your decision.' A spokeswoman for DeSantis told the Daily Mail that for its upcoming scheduled trips, Norwegian has, 'made the disappointing and unlawful choice to join the CDC in discriminating against children and other individuals who cannot be vaccinated or who have opted not to be vaccinated for reasons of health, religion, or conscience.' Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the prohibition into law on May 3, saying, 'your personal choice regarding vaccinations will be protected and no business or government entity will be able to deny you services based on your decision.' 'Every other industry in Florida has safely reopened while still respecting the right of every Floridian to make their own medical choice when it comes to vaccinations,' she added. Norwegian's suit, which it describes as a 'last resort,' is an escalation of the standoff between the state and cruise line operator over the law. In May, Norwegian Chief Executive Officer Frank Del Rio said it could force the company to move its operations out of the state. 'At the end of the day, cruise ships have motors, propellers and rudders, and God forbid we can't operate in the state of Florida for whatever reason, then there are other states that we do operate from, and we can operate from the Caribbean for a ship that otherwise would have gone to Florida,' he told investors during an earnings call. Norwegian cites the devastating impact the pandemic has had on the cruise line industry, as it has been forced to suspend operations since March 2020. The suit was filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida Tuesday 'That shutdown has inflicted incalculable, irrecoverable losses,' the company said. The company reported a loss of $4 billion in 2020 as its operations ground to a halt, and it wasn't alone. Carnival, the world's largest cruise line company, reported that it lost $2.07 billion in the quarter that ended May 31 and has lost more than $14 billion since the pandemic started. Passenger cruises saw some of the earliest reported clusters of the coronavirus outside of mainland China. Princess Cruises' ship Diamond Princess was quarantined off the coast of Japan on Feb. 3, 2020, and on March 6 Princess' Grand Princess was quarantined off the coast of California after COVID cases were detected on board. Despite the devastation the pandemic has inflicted on the passenger cruise industry, there are signs of a rebound. On June 20 Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas became the first cruise ship to depart from a US port in 15 months with 650 passengers on board (pictured) By March 17 confirmed coronavirus infections had been associated with 25 additional cruise ships. There are signs of a rebound, however, on June 20 Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas became the first cruise ship to depart from a US port in 15 months. Freedom of the Seas set sail from PortMiami with 650 passengers on board - well below the impressive ship's capacity of 4,500. The two-day trip was dubbed a 'simulated voyage' by the CDC and is meant to test whether cruises hit hard early in the pandemic are safe to sail as COVID-19 continues to circulate worldwide. All of the passengers were volunteers or employees of Royal Caribbean. All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility