Another Cruise Line Impacted by San Juan Pier Closure

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Following weeks of adjusted itineraries for Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas due to ongoing construction work in San Juan, Puerto Rico, another cruise line’s biggest ship is also having trouble visiting the port of call.

Guests setting sail aboard Disney Cruise Line’s new Disney Treasure on February 1, 2025 have been notified of a last-minute port swap, cancelling the Wish-class ship’s visit to San Juan. Instead, an alternative port has been arranged during the 7-night Eastern Caribbean sailing.

“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.

“Unfortunately, we have determined that there are no suitable alternative berths available in San Juan, Puerto Rico for this sailing.”

Now, Disney Treasure will spend the planned day for Puerto Rico – Wednesday, February 5 – at sea instead. On Thursday, February 6, the ship will be visiting Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point as a substitution.

The ship’s planned visits to Tortola on Tuesday, February 4 and Castaway Cay on Friday, February 7 remain unchanged. Likewise, there is no adjustment to Disney Treasure‘s return to Port Canaveral on Saturday, February 8.

Generous compensation is being provided for this last-minute change, as Disney Cruise Line is giving every stateroom an onboard credit of $250 (USD). The onboard credit is non-refundable and non-transferrable.

If guests had any pre-booked Port Adventures for San Juan, those will be automatically cancelled and refunded.

Why the Change?

Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas has been skipping San Juan since November 2024 due to pier damage caused by an MSC Cruises ship earlier in the year. No other berths are available that can accommodate the Oasis-class ship.

With Disney Treasure one of the largest ships in Disney Cruise Line’s fleet, along with her sister ship, Disney Wish, it is not surprising that the same issue would be plaguing another massive cruise ship in San Juan.

There is quite a size difference between the two vessels, however, but not as much as many guests may believe. While the gross tonnage is quite different between the two ships – Symphony of the Seas is 228,081 gross tons compared to Disney Treasure‘s 144,256 gross tons – the length of the vessels is much more similar.

Read Also: Gross Tonnage of a Cruise Ship – What Does It Mean?

Symphony of the Seas measures 1,187 feet from bow to stern, while Disney Treasure measures 1,119 feet long. This means that Symphony of the Seas is 58% heavier than Disney Treasure, but only 6% longer.

This measurement disparity is a factor of the ship’s construction, onboard features, and materials used, as well as the overall architecture proportions and sleekness of each ship. Oasis-class ships appear very visually massive, while Wish-class ships have a much more tapered, elongated appearance.

Disney Treasure Docked in Port Canaveral, Florida
Disney Treasure Docked in Port Canaveral, Florida (Photo Credit: Disney)

Nevertheless, it is the length of the ship compared to the length of the pier that matters when berth space is considered, not the gross tonnage of the vessel. Despite her smaller size, Disney Treasure is still too large to be accommodated at any open piers in San Juan.

Docking schedules must also accommodate bookings by other cruise lines. On February 5 when Disney Treasure was to have been in San Juan, four other ships are simultaneously planned for the port: Viking Cruises’ Viking Sea, Princess Cruises’ Sky Princess; Holland America Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam, and Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Celebration.

Carnival Celebration is heavier and longer than Disney Treasure, but the ship would already have reserved available space to suit her size.

Until the pier construction is complete and safety inspections certified by the appropriate authorities, it is likely that cancellations by Symphony of the Seas and possibly Disney Treasure will continue.

Disney Treasure is homeported from Port Canaveral and offers 7-night Caribbean itineraries, alternating between Eastern and Western destinations. While San Juan is a popular Eastern Caribbean port of call, it is not included on every one of Disney Treasure‘s Eastern Caribbean cruises.

Some sailings visit Tortola and St. Thomas, instead, along with Castaway Cay. The ship’s next scheduled visit to San Juan is on her March 29, 2025 departure. Hopefully, the pier will be open by that time and Disney Treasure can make the call as planned.

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Melissa Mayntz
Melissa Mayntz
Melissa has been offering her expertise on cruises since 2017 and reporting on cruise news since 2021. her work has been featured in newspapers, blogs, and websites on a wide range of subjects, but cruises remain her favorite topic to cover. She has been on more than 40 voyages to the Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, and more, and always has at least one more sailing booked on the horizon.

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