Repairs to a broken pier in Puerto Rico's biggest cruise port might finally be complete soon.
Royal Caribbean's biggest ships have been unable to dock in San Juan San Juan, Puerto Rico for months because of an issue with the pier.
Namely, the line's Oasis Class ships have been left without the ability to safely dock there, and as a result, have skipped visits to Puerto Rico and instead gone to other ports of call.
But a new timeline posted by local media indicates repairs could be ready very soon.
El Vocero reports the Coast Guard is revieing the work on the repairs, and it could be ready later this month.
The San Juan Cruise Port said they are working on reopening Pier 3 West, which is the pier that's prevented big ships from visiting.
"According to a statement, the process of reopening Pier 3 West includes collaboration with multiple regulatory agencies to ensure compliance, safety and operational readiness. A team of engineers has completed all necessary structural assessments of the pier and these have been submitted to the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for review."
Port authorities are reportedly “moving forward” with a project designed to meet the requirements to accommodate Oasis-class vessels at Pier 3 West.
If all goes to plan, mega ships will be able to return by January 20, "All regulatory and operational conditions are expected to be met by January 20, 2025, allowing the arrival of the larger cruise ships for the remainder of the season."
Royal Caribbean has not commented or announced any expectations yet related to the pier's status.
What happened to the pier
While San Juan has a few piers, only Pier 3 West can handle Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class ships.
Based on reports, damage to the pier that can handle the biggest ships took place in April 2024 when allegedly it was broken after the MSC Meraviglia was involved, however, specific details are not known.
The loss of a dolphin mooring structure just off the main pier is the primary issue, and the Coast Guard is working on it.
A dolphin is a group of pilings arrayed together to serve variously as a protective hardpoint along a dock.
Repairs and assessment are out of Royal Caribbean's hands, as it's work managed by port authorities and subject to approval by the Coast Guard.
Missed port stops have created controversy
Royal Caribbean's biggest cruise ships haven't been able to go to Puerto Rico since November 2024, and it's stirred up a lot of emotions.
Missed port stops can happen for all sorts of reasons, but some cruisers took exception to the San Juan cancellations because they were always done at the last minute, resulting in an itinerary change.
Moreover, the changes were announced well after the final payment date, which meant cancelling or changing sail dates would result in major penalties. This lead some to be frustrated with the circumstances.
"A total disappointment," wrote Clif809 on the Royal Caribbean message boards.
"I’m disappointed also and feeling betrayed," is what MamaShark added when she learned the pier issues have existed since April 2024.
"I reached out to Royal several times before making my final payment and again this week and was assured there would be no change in our itinerary. Receiving an email with itinerary changes today for our 12/29 sailing is unacceptable."
Complicating matters has been Royal Caribbean has diverted Symphony in all cases away from Puerto Rico and St. Maarten and replaced it with visits to its private beach in Haiti and Falmouth, Jamaica.
Haiti is well-known for dealing with major civil strife and safety concerns that have resulted in the worst travel advisory offered by the United States State Department, Level 4 "Do Not Travel".
To be fair, Labadee is in a remote area of Haiti and is walled off from the country on an isolated peninsula. Furthermore, visits to Labadee have been regularly occurring for months without incident.
Labadee is not near any urban centers, and Royal Caribbean has been monitoring the situation in the area carefully.
