More Royal Caribbean Ships Rerouted by Pier Issues...

The saga continues! After months of rerouting itineraries as a consequence of ongoing work on one of many piers on the San Juan cruise port, extra Royal Caribbean passengers are nonetheless studying that they received’t be visiting in any case. 

Symphony of the Seas has been skipping the favored cease in Puerto Rico since November of final yr, however now Icon of the Seas – the world’s current largest cruise ship – can also be impacted. 

Visitors scheduled for the Icon-class vessel’s upcoming Could 3, June 7, June 21, and July 19 sailings obtained an electronic mail from Royal Caribbean informing them of the adjustments to their itineraries.

All 4 of those 2025 voyages are 7-night Eastern Caribbean sailings. 

“Earlier than your trip begins, we wished to tell you about some adjustments to our itinerary,” the e-mail from the Miami-based cruise line begins. 

“On account of ongoing enhancements to the pier infrastructure in San Juan, the port operators have suggested us that the port won’t be prepared in time for our go to,” continued the replace.

The voyage that embarks from PortMiami on July 19 will change the scheduled name with a day in Philipsburg, St. Maarten. 

The remaining three cruises will nonetheless go to Puerto Rico, however will sail to the town of Ponce as a substitute – which is situated about 70 miles away from San Juan on the US Territory’s southern coast. 

And naturally, the adjustments haven’t ceased for the 5,518-guest Symphony of the Seas both. 

Passengers counting down the times till the 228,081-gross ton vessel’s 7-night Jap Caribbean cruise that embarks from Miami on April 20, 2025, obtained their very own electronic mail replace. 

Their cruise will nonetheless go to Good Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s non-public island vacation spot within the Bahamas, on April 21, as deliberate. 

Nevertheless, the calls on San Juan and Philipsburg have been changed with Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, and Labadee, Haiti – which is residence to a different Royal Caribbean exclusive destination. 

Symphony of the Seas’ earlier April 6 crusing – which is one other 7-night Jap Caribbean voyage – has additionally been equally impacted. 

San Juan and Philipsburg had been once more changed by Puerto Plata and Labadee – however Nassau, Bahamas, was additionally thrown in as a “bonus port.”

What’s Fallacious in San Juan? 

With Royal Caribbean rescheduling sailings by means of the Summer time of 2025, it looks like the problems plaguing San Juan’s notorious pier received’t be fastened anytime quickly, and extra itinerary adjustments shall be inevitable. 

But it surely’s essential to notice that the difficulty isn’t with the port as a complete, however with Pier 3 particularly – which was damaged when MSC Cruises’ MSC Meraviglia accidentally impacted a mooring dolphin in April of 2024. 

Dolphin moorings safe and stabilize ships whereas docked within the port, so it’s essential that they’re functioning correctly for security causes. 

Sadly for bigger vessels, Pier 3 is the one berth able to accommodating greater ships that fall into Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class (together with the aforementioned Symphony of the Seas).

In fact, Icon of the Seas is even bigger than the sizable Oasis-class ships – coming in at 248,663-gross tons with a capability for 7,600 visitors at most occupancy.

Even Disney Cruise Line’s latest ship, Disney Treasure, was turned away earlier in February. At 144,000-gross tons and room for 4,000 passengers onboard, the Want-class vessel is likely one of the largest in Disney’s fleet. 

Learn Additionally: San Juan Cruise Port: Amenities and What’s Nearby

Understandably, the cruise neighborhood is pissed off with the continuing itinerary adjustments, however most do understand it’s not Royal Caribbean’s fault. 

For instance, one individual wrote: “I simply acquired the identical notification for the Symphony… I’m a bit pissed to say the least. I get it, however I don’t prefer it.”

That mentioned, anybody feeling determined to step foot in San Juan might have higher luck crusing on a smaller ship with one other cruise line. 

San Juan’s Pier 1, Pier 4, and the Pan American Pier – every of which might accommodate two ships – are nonetheless operational and have been receiving calls from manufacturers like Princess Cruises, Virgin Voyages, Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, and MSC Cruises.