All skilled cruise vacationers know that the occasional port of name change is inevitable due to poor climate, medical diversions, technical issues, or different points.
When one port modifications, nevertheless, it might create a knock-on impact and impression rather more of a ship’s itinerary. That is now the case for Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas.
Attributable to an issue in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the ship is unable to go to the favored port on her subsequent crusing, departing Miami, Florida on Sunday, November 17. This has impacted all the ship’s deliberate Japanese Caribbean itinerary.
Visitors have been knowledgeable of the change only a day or two previous to embarkation, which will be fairly a shock for vacationers who had hoped to go to the deliberate ports of name.
“We’ve not too long ago been suggested by the port authority in San Juan, Puerto Rico, that resulting from technical points with the pier and the work that have to be performed and cleared by the USCG for accepting a ship our measurement, we’ll have to regulate our itinerary for our crusing,” the notification learn. “Consequently, we’ll skep our visits to San Juan, Puerto Rico and Philipsburg, St. Maarten.”
Symphony of the Seas will nonetheless take pleasure in her deliberate go to to Excellent Day at CocoCay on Monday, November 18, however the the rest of the itinerary is now a lot completely different than initially scheduled.
The ship will spend Tuesday at sea, then take pleasure in a cease in Labadee, Haiti from 7 a.m. to five p.m. on Wednesday, November 20. This can be adopted by Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic from 8 a.m. to five p.m. on Thursday.
Friday can be a day at sea, and Nassau has been added for Saturday, November 23 from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“We’re sorry for any inconvenience attributable to the modifications,” the e-mail notification concluded. “Nonetheless, we’re excited to go to our personal vacation spot and new ports with you!”
Symphony of the Seas has not modified her departure time for setting sail from Miami nor her return to her Sunshine State homeport, and no additional modifications are anticipated.
No particulars have been confirmed concerning the nature of the “technical points” on the pier in San Juan, however it might all the time be a problem to accommodate a ship as giant because the 228,081-gross-ton, Oasis class Symphony of the Seas. The ship measures 1,187 ft lengthy and 215.5 ft huge.
At many ports, bigger ships can solely use particular piers or terminal amenities. A ship’s gangway placement, gas necessities, and different elements can even decide what piers they will safely use.
Symphony of the Seas is homeported from Miami by way of April 2025, providing 7-night Japanese Caribbean and Western Caribbean sailings. It’s unknown whether or not extra Japanese Caribbean cruises can be impacted by the pier work in San Juan, however booked cruisers can be notified if their itinerary have to be modified.
How Totally different Are the Ports of Name, Actually?
The personal port of Labadee was closed for a number of months earlier this 12 months resulting from crime and violence ranges in Haiti, although there have been no direct incidents reported from Labadee.
Royal Caribbean ships simply resumed visiting the vacation spot in October. Regardless of the reopening, nevertheless, friends could also be disillusioned because the cruise line is limiting what shore excursions and actions can be found in “phased rollout” of choices.
This implies much less to take pleasure in or discover on the vacation spot, which stays below a “Degree 4: Do Not Journey” advisory from the US Division of State.
Whereas no such restrictions are in place at Puerto Plata, some vacationers could also be lower than enthusiastic that it’s one more personal vacation spot, making three out of 4 ports on the itinerary providing considerably related personal experiences.
Learn Additionally: Labadee, Haiti – What You Have to Know
Visiting personal islands could be a enjoyable time, however for some vacationers, they don’t seem to be practically as genuine as visiting native communities. In personal locations, experiences are sometimes curated to supply simply what guests could “anticipate” on trip.
It’s unlikely, nevertheless, that any hidden gems are ready to be discovered, similar to a singular native store, family-owned restaurant, or budding artist.
Have you ever visited completely different personal locations? Would you take pleasure in a cruise the place so many are included on the identical itinerary? Share your ideas on the Cruise Hive boards!
