Royal Caribbean cancelled yesterday’s call in San Juan, Puerto Rico, by Empress of the Seas due to unrest in the area, a cruise line spokesperson tells Travel Agent. The ship was rerouted to Tortola, and guests received refunds for prepaid shore excursions.
“We continue to monitor the situation closely and will make adjustments as necessary to ensure the safety and security of our guests and crew,” the cruise line said.
Monday a series of protests in San Juan called for the resignation of Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló, NBC News reports. According to a spokesperson for the local police, the protest was one of the biggest and most intense in the island’s history; approximately 40 properties in Old San Juan, a tourist area popular for its historic architecture, were damaged.
The protests stem from 889 pages of private chats released by Centro Periodismo Investigativo, a Puerto Rico-based investigative journalism publication. The chats reportedly show profanity-laced, misogynistic and homophobic comments by the governor, and they come in the wake of corruption scandals plaguing the governor’s administration. Last week, five people were arrested on charges relating to the alleged embezzlement of $15.5 million worth of federal funds between 2017 and 2019.
CNN reports that the governor has said that he will not step down. “I will continue my work and my responsibility to the people of Puerto Rico,” he said at a news conference.
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