It’s been just over 13 months since a minor cruise accident effectively shut down San Juan’s Pier 3 terminal on the shores of Puerto Rico. But thankfully, the Caribbean docks are once again open, inviting Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships back to the popular island destination.
Over the past several decades, San Juan has remained a fan-favorite port of Royal Caribbean cruise ships, allowing visitors to disembark in the gorgeous island nation and explore the Eastern Caribbean city for themselves.
Sadly, in April 2024, San Juan’s Pier 3 was shut down indefinitely when MSC Cruises’ MSCMeraviglia accidentally struck and damaged a dolphin mooring structure within the pier’s docking area.
Since then, the pier — which is used almost exclusively for Royal Caribbean’s larger Oasis- and Icon-class ships — has been undergoing expansive repairs, refitting the docks so that it’s able to once again hold the popular cruise company’s gargantuan vessels.
The news came in an official statement from port officials within San Juan on Friday, June 27, confirming that the repairs had been made successfully approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.
“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,” San Juan Cruise Port posted on Facebook.
“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,” the port quoted its general manager, Clarivette Diaz, as saying.
“We deeply thank all the technical teams, consultants and agencies who made this long-awaited breakthrough possible,” the organization concluded. “We continue to work with commitment so that San Juan continues to lead as the base port of the Caribbean.”
It’s worth noting that, while Pier 3 itself has been closed, preventing Royal Caribbean’s massive Oasis- and Iconic-class ships from visiting, the port has remained open to the company’s smaller ships, including Quantum-, Freedom-, Voyager-, Radiance- and Vision-class vessels.