Popular Cruise Destinations That Have Recently Been Cancelled or Disrupted for Safety
Not every sunny stop on a cruise itinerary stays that way. In the past year, several well-loved cruise ports have disappeared from schedules. Safety concerns have pushed cruise lines to rethink routes, and in some cases, make sudden swaps mid-season. Here are 10 destinations that cruise ships have recently pulled back from.
Labadee, Haiti
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Royal Caribbean’s private resort in Labadee once promised travelers a beach day without the crowds. That plan changed in 2023 when rising violence in nearby Port-au-Prince pushed the cruise line to suspend stops “out of an abundance of caution.” The U.S. State Department currently advises against all travel to Haiti.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
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Flight cancellations grounded more than 48,000 passengers in Puerto Rico after the U.S. imposed temporary airspace restrictions following Venezuela’s political upheaval. Though not a cruise port issue directly, the closure of San Juan’s main airport halted embarkations for ships like Valiant Lady and Jewel of the Seas.
Barbados
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Barbados found itself caught in the fallout from the same Venezuelan crisis. The Bridgetown airport—key for cruise turnaround days—was shuttered, leaving Windstar and P&O Cruises scrambling to rebook flights for thousands of guests. While ships remained ready to sail, getting passengers on board became a logistical maze.
St. Maarten
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For cruise travelers planning to join their voyage in Philipsburg, St. Maarten, the timing couldn’t have been worse. As airspace restrictions swept through the region, the island’s airport shut down temporarily. Windstar Cruises reported delays for its Wind Surf and Wind Spirit sailings. Crews held the ships in port to give travelers a fighting chance to board.
Aruba
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Normally known for its steady breeze and smooth cruise operations, Aruba was another casualty of the FAA’s January air ban. Though ships still called at the island, travelers trying to fly in for embarkation got stranded. Cruise lines like Norwegian and Royal Caribbean had to reconfigure itineraries and manage a storm of refund requests.
Curacao
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Curacao’s role as both a destination and departure point meant that when flights were frozen, cruise logistics fell apart. Holland America’s Eurodam had to alter guest operations mid-trip, with passengers stuck in transit or suddenly grounded at the gate.
Bridgetown, Barbados
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Flights in and out of Bridgetown were stopped cold in early January, sending cruise lines into emergency planning mode. P&O Cruises worked over a weekend to rebook 5,000 guests after TUI cancelled their charter flights. While the ship stayed docked, staff scrambled behind the scenes to keep the sailing on track and passengers informed.
St. Lucia
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Though not as headline-grabbing as other islands, St. Lucia wasn’t immune to regional airspace chaos. Cruise-heavy itineraries, especially during the busy winter season, rely on consistent travel routes. But when flights were grounded due to service activity in Venezuela, the domino effect hit St. Lucia, too.
Margarita Island, Venezuela
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Cruise ships have largely steered clear of Margarita Island as Venezuela’s political situation worsened. Ports near Porlamar dropped off itineraries after U.S.-led actions against President Nicolás Maduro triggered activity and airspace restrictions. The FAA temporarily banned U.S. flights connected to the region, which made cruise logistics risky.
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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St. Thomas saw cruise disruptions tied directly to airspace restrictions in the Caribbean earlier this year. While the port itself remained intact, the closure of nearby regional airports stranded passengers trying to join cruises departing from neighboring islands. Several itineraries skipped scheduled calls when guests couldn’t arrive safely or on time.