Expected protests in San Juan have led two cruise lines to
cancel scheduled calls on July 22, even as two other lines affirmed plans to
continue with turnarounds on July 21 in the Puerto Rican capital.
The cancellations are from the Celebrity Equinox and the MSC
Seaside, according to a statement from the Puerto Rico Tourism Co. The loss of
the call from the Celebrity ship will cost the Puerto Rican economy $311,000
while the larger MSC Cruises ship will cost an estimated $439,000, the
statement said.
Calls have been made for a general strike in San Juan on
July 22 as part of ongoing protests of the conduct of Puerto Rican Gov.
Ricardo Rossello.
On July 15 and 16, Royal Caribbean International canceled
calls by the Empress of the Seas and the Harmony of the Seas after protests
occurred outside the governor’s mansion in Old San Juan.
However, both Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line were
expected to carry out boarding for seven-day cruises departing on Sunday, July
21, on the Freedom of the Seas and the Carnival Fascination, respectively. The
statement from the PRTC attributed a $1.3 million economic impact to those
operations.
The main cruise ship piers are in Old San Juan, near the
governor’s headquarters. PRTC said it tried to find alternative berths for
ships during the protest. It said the Pan American Wharf near the convention
center was one alternative, but the depth limit of 32 feet fell short of the 34-foot
requirement of some ships.
The statement said cruise lines were also offered the option
of using Ponce on Puerto Rico’s southern coast as a temporary port of call, but
the logistics of getting there from Miami would mean a ship would arrive in the
evening and only be able to stay for a few hours.