FAA Security Order Shuts San Juan Airspace, Disrupts Cruises

Cruise travel through San Juan, Puerto Rico, was disrupted on Jan. 3, 2026, after U.S. military action in Venezuela prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily restrict airspace over Puerto Rico, triggering widespread flight cancellations by U.S. carriers and complicating both cruise disembarkations and same-day embarkations.

Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) said it was operating under an FAA security order that paused U.S. airline flight activity for 24 hours. Airport officials said the earliest reopening was expected at 1 a.m. on Jan. 4, subject to further evaluation.

Flight shutdown in San Juan ripples across Caribbean cruise gateways

The disruption extended beyond Puerto Rico, with airports across the Caribbean issuing updates as schedules were affected, particularly for flights involving U.S.-registered aircraft. Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten said operations continued, but warned that an active NOTAM was impacting flight activity and could lead to delays and cancellations.

By Jan. 3, more than 300 flights had been cancelled, stranding travelers trying to connect to cruise itineraries that depend on air service into and out of the islands. Airports reporting impacts included locations in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Antigua, Grenada, and St. Lucia.

Officials and airlines outline a path to resuming flights

As airlines worked through cancellations and rebooking, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the restrictions were expected to end overnight.

Duffy wrote on social media: “The original restrictions around the Caribbean airspace are expiring at 12:00am ET and flights can resume. Airlines are informed, and will update their schedules quickly. Please continue to work with your airline if your flight was affected by the restrictions.”

Delta Air Lines also announced a restart to affected routes, saying: “Delta will resume flights to and from 13 previously impacted airports in the Caribbean as the FAA has indicated they will allow their airspace closure directive to expire early Sunday morning, Jan. 4.”

Disembarkation continues under customs rules as cruise departures slip

Several ships were in San Juan on Jan. 3 to complete a voyage and begin the next sailing, including Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas (up to 2,191 passengers) and Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady (up to 2,770 guests). Cruise operations in port continued even as many passengers struggled to fly home or reach San Juan in time to sail.

Virgin Voyages told guests disembarking that flight disruptions would not change shipboard clearance requirements. In its notice to guests, the cruise line said, “US Customs and Border Protection requires the ship to be cleared,” adding that “disembarkation times remain unchanged” and that “All Sailors must disembark by 10:30 a.m. as originally scheduled.”

Virgin Voyages reroutes Valiant Lady and offers future voyage credits

Virgin Voyages said local guidance tied to the Venezuela situation and the airspace restrictions drove both operational messaging and itinerary changes for Valiant Lady.

In an update posted for guests, Virgin Voyages said: “Local port authorities have advised that airspace over Puerto Rico is temporarily closed for all U.S. airlines due to military activity in Venezuela. 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.”

For travelers who could not arrive in time to sail, Virgin Voyages said: “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.”

Valiant Lady departed San Juan at 8 p.m. local time on Jan. 3 for a seven-night sailing. The cruise line removed scheduled calls in Oranjestad, Aruba (Jan. 5) and Willemstad, Curaçao (Jan. 6), replacing them with Bridgetown, Barbados, and Castries, St. Lucia, on the same respective dates.

Explaining the decision, Virgin Voyages told guests: “Due to the evolving situation in Venezuela, we have made some careful adjustments to our route in the best interest of our sailors and crew.” The cruise line added: “Safety is always our top priority, and after close coordination with government officials, we are confident that this is the right decision.”

Virgin Voyages said prebooked shore excursions for Aruba and Curaçao would be automatically cancelled and refunded to the original form of payment, and that new options for Barbados and St. Lucia would be added in the Virgin Voyages app once available.

Princess Cruises delays Grand Princess and refunds a day of fare

Princess Cruises held Grand Princess in San Juan to give more time for disrupted travelers to arrive. The 107,517-gross-ton ship (up to 2,610 guests) was set to sail the evening of Jan. 4, but the new plan kept the ship alongside overnight and delayed final departure to Monday, Jan. 5, at 6 p.m.

Princess Cruises told guests: “Due to airspace closures over Puerto Rico, Grand Princess will extend her departure from San Juan until Monday, January 5th, at 6 p.m.” Princess also said guests already in San Juan, or arriving on Jan. 4, could still embark while the ship remained in port.

The delay changed the itinerary by canceling the planned St. Thomas call on Jan. 5. The ship would instead proceed directly to Basseterre, St. Kitts, for its scheduled Jan. 6 visit.

Princess Cruises offered a prorated refund equivalent to one day of cruise fare, including taxes and fees, as well as Princess Plus or Premier packages purchased for that day. Guests still unable to reach San Juan in time to embark on Jan. 5 were directed to contact the Princess Cruises En Route Assistance Team.

Other San Juan sailings adjust departure times

Norwegian Cruise Line pushed back Norwegian Epic’s Jan. 4 departure from San Juan, moving a scheduled departure of about 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. local time. In a message to guests, Norwegian Cruise Line wrote: “In light of the recent airspace closure and reopening in Puerto Rico that may have impacted some travel plans, we’ve adjusted Norwegian Epic’s departure today, January 4, 2026, to 10:00 PM local time.” As of the update provided to passengers, the cruise line said the itinerary remained unchanged.

• Tortola (Jan. 5), St. John’s, Antigua (Jan. 6), Bridgetown, Barbados (Jan. 7), and St. Lucia (Jan. 7)
• St. Maarten (Jan. 8) and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, before returning to San Juan on Jan. 11

Royal Caribbean also delayed Jewel of the Seas’ Jan. 3 departure from San Juan. In an email to guests, Royal Caribbean said: “We’re closely monitoring the evolving situation in Venezuela and the impact it has made on travel plans.” The message added: “As a result, we will be departing later than originally planned today to ensure everyone possible can sail with us,” with a departure anticipated around 10:30 p.m. local time.

Airports cited as key cruise gateways during the disruption

Airports frequently used for cruise embarkation and turnaround traffic were among those flagged during the disruption, including:

• Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
• Queen Beatrix International Airport (Aruba)
• Grantley Adams International Airport (Barbados)
• Cyril E. King Airport (St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands)
• Princess Juliana International Airport (Sint Maarten)
• Hewanorra International Airport (Saint Lucia)

With airspace restrictions expected to lift overnight into Jan. 4 and airlines working to restore schedules, cruise lines operating from San Juan continued to manage delayed arrivals through later departures and, in some cases, revised itineraries tied to proximity and security concerns.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When was San Juan’s airport expected to reopen?

Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport said the earliest reopening was 1 a.m. on Jan. 4, 2026, but the timeline was subject to further evaluation under the FAA security order.

What did Virgin Voyages tell guests about disembarkation on Jan. 3?

Virgin Voyages told guests that customs clearance requirements would still apply. The cruise line said, “US Customs and Border Protection requires the ship to be cleared,” and added that “disembarkation times remain unchanged” and that “All Sailors must disembark by 10:30 a.m. as originally scheduled.”

What did Virgin Voyages offer guests who missed Valiant Lady’s departure?

Virgin Voyages said: “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.”

Which ports did Valiant Lady swap out, and what replaced them?

Virgin Voyages removed Oranjestad, Aruba (Jan. 5) and Willemstad, Curaçao (Jan. 6), replacing them with Bridgetown, Barbados, and Castries, St. Lucia, on the same respective dates.

Did Princess Cruises compensate Grand Princess guests for the delayed departure?

Yes. Princess Cruises said it would provide a prorated refund equal to one day of cruise fare, including taxes and fees, and any Princess Plus or Premier packages purchased for that day.