By The Star Staff
San Juan Cruise Port, the private operator of the San Juan piers, said it is working to restore service to the damaged Pier 3 West after the U.S. Coast Guard declared that the facility must remain closed to cruise ships until further notice.
Royal Caribbean Cruise has canceled a second call in Puerto Rico by Symphony of the Seas that began Sunday from the Port of Miami because of damages to Pier 3 West in Old San Juan, according to Seatrade Cruise News.
It is the second time Symphony of the Seas has had to bypass San Juan due to the pier issue. The ship’s Nov. 17 cruise from Miami was also impacted.
In a note to passengers, Royal Caribbean said: “Due to technical issues with the pier and the work that must be done and cleared by the USCG for accepting a ship our size, we’ll have to adjust our itinerary for our sailing.” Symphony’s revised route also drops St. Maarten. Instead, the ship will call Labadee and Falmouth (Jamaica).
In April, the U.S. Coast Guard disallowed cruise ship operations on San Juan Harbor’s Pier 3 West, following an incident at the facility which resulted in the loss of a dolphin mooring structure just off the main pier. The USGC said it is awaiting requested satisfactory assessment studies followed by a Coast Guard on-site inspection of the facility.
After the April incident, the USCG issued a facility inspection requirements form to San Juan Cruise Port and the Puerto Rico Ports Authority notifying them of the established operational control until satisfactory mooring and berthing studies on the structure were provided for evaluation.
Luis J. Rodriguez, commander of USCG Sector San Juan and captain of the port in San Juan, told the publication that Pier 3 West receives the largest cruise ships in the world. Since the loss of the facility’s mooring structure, Coast Guard Prevention personnel have been actively working with San Juan Cruise Port and the Ports Authority to determine if the structure remains sound for cruise ship operations.
“We understand the inconvenience of this matter; however, it is critical we ensure the safety of the port, the cruise ships and the thousands of people who operate on or visit the island through this port facility,” Rodriguez said. “My team stands ready to move ahead immediately once we receive the awaited studies from San Juan Cruise Port and the Puerto Rico Ports Authority.”
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