After months of waiting, there is finally some good news coming from the San Juan Cruise Port in Puerto Rico.
Of the five piers at the popular cruise port, only Pier 3 is capable of handling larger Oasis-class and Icon-class vessels.
Since November 2024, Royal Caribbean’s biggest ships have been skipping San Juan because Pier 3 was taken out of commission after MSC Cruises’ MSC Meraviglia accidentally damaged its dolphin mooring structure.
Earlier in the saga, there were rumors that the repairs and inspections might have been completed as early as January 2025, but this obviously did not happen and many itineraries had to be changed.
But on Friday, June 27, 2025, port officials announced that the repair work is finally complete and has been approved by the US Coast Guard.
“It has been a long road, but our priority has always been to meet all the requirements established by the regulatory agencies and ensure the safe arrival of cruise ships in the coming years,” Clarivette Diaz, General Manager of the San Juan Cruise Port, said in a statement.
Indeed, Pier 3 is now fully functional and all restrictions have been lifted, which means mega ships can finally return.
“Pier 3 West has been officially restored, after completing a rigorous structural assessment in accordance with U.S. Coast Guard requirements. The slora restriction is lifted and the full use of the facility is enabled,” a statement from port authorities added.
Royal Caribbean cruisers, who were getting frustrated with the constant itinerary changes, will likely be relieved that the process is over.
However, it was important for the cruise destination to take its time to properly repair the damage. The dock also had to pass a series of strict assessment studies conducted by the US Coast Guard, which has now happened.
Which Cruise Ships Were Affected?
Symphony of the Seas has arguably been the most impacted by Pier 3’s indefinite closure, as the Oasis-class ship was the first to start skipping the port in November of 2024.
There was nothing the cruise line could do because Pier 3 is the only option for ships that are over 910 feet in length, and the 5,518-guest ship is 1,184 feet long.
Unfortunately, the re-opening comes a bit too late for the mega-ship, as cruise tracking data shows that she is not expected to return to San Juan in the coming months.
Similarly, the even larger Icon of the Seas saw several Eastern Caribbean itineraries in 2025 re-routed because of the pier closure.
As the largest cruise ship in the world, the Icon-class flagship is 1,197 feet long. This ship will return to San Juan before the year ends, with her next visit scheduled for August 12, 2025.
Read Also: San Juan Cruise Port: Amenities and What’s Nearby
It’s also worth noting that Royal Caribbean wasn’t the only cruise line to be impacted.
Disney Cruise Line’s recently launched Disney Treasure had to cancel its port call on February 5, 2025, because Pier 3 was still unavailable.
“We were advised by the port in San Juan, Puerto Rico that the berth that was previously confirmed for the Disney Treasure is unavailable due to ongoing construction work,” a notification sent to travel agents read at the time.
“Unfortunately, we have determined that there are no suitable alternative berths available in San Juan, Puerto Rico for this sailing.”
With a passenger capacity of 4,000 and a length of 1,119 feet, the Wish-class vessel is among the biggest in Disney’s fleet.
The DCL ship will sadly not return to Puerto Rico in the near future, with no other visits scheduled for this year.
