Air space over Venezuela has been closed since November 29th. As of yesterday airports in the Caribbean countries listed below are closed. Anyone in any of the southern Caribbean islands is stranded. This is the weekend most holiday travellers return home!
Virgin Voyages just announced their January 3rd sailing of the Valiant Lady will not stop in Aruba and Curacao. They are replacing those stops with Barbados and St. Lucia.
Puerto Rico is an embarkation port for cruises. Many people are stranded in San Juan and can't return home. Others cannot get to their ship as the airports are closed. These ships are scheduled to depart San Juan:
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 made independent flight arrangements and have not booked Princess Vacation Protection, please contact the Princess En Route Desk so they can inform the ship of your delays. (They will get you to the next port at their expense)!
Princess En Route Desk Contact Info:
Within the U.S. or Canada, please call 1-800-545-0008.
Outside of the U.S. or Canada, please call 1-661-284-4410.
Within Australia, please call 13 24 88.
If you have booked Princess Vacation Protection and have made independent flight arrangements (have not booked Princess EZair®), call the travel assistance provider under the plan: Within the U.S. or Canada: 1-877-303-5909.
Virgin Voyages:
We 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.
If you need assistance with your voyage or are experiencing impacts to your travel plans, our Sailor Services team is ready to help. View their ‘contact us’ page. Please note that we are currently experiencing higher-than-average wait times, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as our team works through each case.
I didn't book with Princess EZ Air for my next cruise as I'm using air miles. I usually book with Princess EZ Air because if there are any problems, they protect you. I checked my insurance. Bel Air Direct formerly Johnson Medoc:
A cancellation or delay of you or your travel companion’s common carrier resulting from:
•the mechanical failure of that common carrier;
•a traffic accident;
•an emergency police-directed road closure;
•weather conditions;
•flight delay; or grounding of your air transportation, when the cancellation or delay causes your or your travel companion’s trip to be cancelled or interrupted, or when your or your travel companion’s connection, cruise or tour is missed.
Note: This covered reason does not apply if alternative travel arrangements can be made
They would cover the air and the cruise if we were stranded and couldn't make other arrangements!
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