While the world woke up to news that the United States had taken military action in Venezuela, many cruise passengers expecting to enjoy a warm getaway are feeling impacts despite being hundreds of miles away.
The strike against Venezuela took place early this morning in the southern Caribbean, leading to the removal of the country’s leader. While the mission appears to have been quick and achieved its goal, possible risks in the area have escalated.
In response, Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) has been restricted for U.S. carriers. According to USAToday, more than 300 flights have been cancelled already. A statement from the airport expects the airport to be closed to flights for at least 24 hours, which would mean a possible reopening in the early morning hours on January 4.
That closure is in effect stranding many passengers, including many cruise passengers.
San Juan, Puerto Rico is a departure port to the southern and eastern Caribbean. And given the location far from the U.S. mainland, many passengers fly into Puerto Rico to then set sail. That means if the airport is closed, many people ending their cruise today are going to be delayed in getting home while those flying in won’t be able to reach the island before the ships depart.
According to CruiseMapper.com, the following cruises are scheduled to depart this weekend and look to likely have passengers impacted:
Sat. January 3, 2026:
- Emerald Azurra
- Jewel of the Seas
- Valiant Lady
Sun. January 4, 2026:
- Grand Princess
- Brilliance of the Seas
- Norwegian Epic
If you have a flight or a cruise that’s impacted by this delay, then your airline and cruise line will have the most up-to-date information for what’s happening. However, it seems clear that you should pack a lot of patience.
Virgin Voyages Offering a Full Credit to Impacted Passengers
At least one cruise line is being extremely generous with the setback, however.
Virgin Voyages posted an update to its website alerting passengers that they will offer a full future credit to those that can’t make their cruise due to the disruption.
“Local port authorities have advised that airspace over Puerto Rico is temporarily closed for all U.S. airlines due to military activity in Venezuela,” the notice said. “This is impacting flights operated by U.S. airlines flying into and out of San Juan. This situation is not related to any issue within Puerto Rico or at the airport itself.”
The website then goes on to explain they “understand that ongoing flight disruptions may prevent some Sailors from joining us for our next departure from San Juan. Any Sailor who is unable to embark due to this situation will receive a full future voyage credit to use on a future Virgin Voyages sailing.”
We have checked the websites of the other cruise lines impacted and haven’t seen similar updates posted. However, in the case when specific ships are impacted often the cruise line is in direct contact with those passengers regarding the situation.
As for now, anyone potentially impacted by the closure of the San Juan airport will want to be in communication with their cruise line if they aren’t already.
