With the biggest cruise pier in San Juan, Puerto Rico nonetheless unable to welcome an Oasis class ship, we’ve now bought affirmation of yet one more Symphony of the Seas voyage dramatically altered from its initially deliberate itinerary.
The impacted cruise is the January 12, 2025 departure, a 7-night Jap Caribbean trip from Miami. The ship was initially deliberate to go to Good Day at CocoCay, San Juan, and St. Maarten.
As a substitute, Symphony of the Seas shall be heading in the other way, the identical kind of adjustments which were made to a number of Jap Caribbean sailings up to now few weeks.
“On account of ongoing building on the pier in San Juan, the port authority has suggested us that the port won’t be prepared in time for our go to,” the e-mail notification learn. “We perceive how necessary every vacation spot is to your trip, so we have now labored diligently to seek out the perfect alternate options for you.”
The ship will nonetheless make her deliberate name to Good Day at CocoCay within the Bahamas on Monday, January 13, and the subsequent day will nonetheless be a full day at sea.
Wednesday, January 15, will now be a go to to Labadee, Haiti, quite than San Juan, Puerto Rico – 400 miles additional west than the unique itinerary, on a unique island, and in a unique nation.
Following Labadee, Symphony of the Seas will head to Jamaica, calling on Falmouth on Thursday, January 16, the day that had initially been scheduled for Philipsburg, St. Maarten.
The final two days of the crusing are days at sea, the identical as the unique itinerary, with the ship returning to Miami on Sunday, January 19.
Booked passengers could be disillusioned within the itinerary change, notably in exchanging the richness and historical past of a vacation spot like Puerto Rico for the far more restricted, personal vacation spot of Labadee. Whereas there are some nice choices in Labadee, the 2 ports are radically completely different and provide very completely different experiences.
Moreover, some vacationers could also be involved that the US Division of State has listed Haiti as “Degree 4: Do Not Journey” advisory as a consequence of kidnapping, sexual assaults, robberies, and extra.
For a number of months, Royal Caribbean had suspended visits to Labadee as a consequence of these issues. The cruise line resumed visits in October, nevertheless, with restricted choices obtainable to vacationers. The Dragon’s Tail Curler Coaster, seaside rest, and a small Artisan’s Village can be found, amongst different decisions.
So Many Itinerary Adjustments
Symphony of the Seas has had a number of Jap Caribbean itineraries modified in related methods over the previous few months as restore work on Pier 3 in San Juan continues. That individual pier is the one one that may host the huge ship, which measures 1,187 ft lengthy.
Learn Additionally: What Are the Totally different Oasis-Class Cruise Ships?
The pier was apparently broken in April 2024 by an MSC Cruises vessel and whereas repairs are ongoing, inspections are required by the US Coast Guard (USCG) earlier than cruise ships can resume utilizing the pier.
“San Juan Port’s Pier-3 West stays closed to cruise-ships till additional discover pending requested passable evaluation research adopted by a Coast Guard on-site inspection of the ability,” the USCG defined in November.
To date, the ship has continued to reroute impacted sailings to Labadee and Jamaica, often together with Nassau as a further port of name if attainable.
Whereas vacationers could also be pissed off at having their itinerary modified simply weeks – and even days – earlier than departure, it’s clear that the cruise line is making an attempt to protect the unique scheduling if in any respect attainable.
With the circumstances out of Royal Caribbean’s management, visitors ought to stay affected person and hopeful for his or her upcoming Jap Caribbean cruises, however put together for the likelihood that extra itineraries will likewise be altered.
