Thousands of cruise passengers spent the first days of the New Year facing unexpected travel chaos after the US military attacked Venezuela in the wee hours of Saturday, January 3, 2026, triggering an emergency airspace closure across parts of the Caribbean.

Among those affected were P&O Cruises fly-cruise guests traveling to and from Barbados from the United Kingdom.

The cruise line, which offers Caribbean fly-and-cruise holidays from Birmingham, Gatwick, and Manchester, England, was forced to reorganize travel plans after the airspace restrictions left 5,000 passengers stranded on both sides of the Atlantic.

Some guests were unable to depart the UK to begin their cruise, while others arriving at the end of a previous sailing were unable to fly home from Barbados.

P&O Cruises confirmed to Cruise Hive that three TUI Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliners chartered to transport passengers from the UK to Barbados for a 14-night voyage sailing aboard Arvia departing on January 3 were forced to turn back mid-Atlantic and return to the United Kingdom.

Additional charter flights scheduled to depart later the same day were cancelled before takeoff.

Read Also: Barbados Cruise Port – Getting Around, What’s Nearby and Guide

At the same time, passengers concluding Arvia’s prior Caribbean cruise were unable to disembark, as planned, in Bridgetown, Barbados, due to flight cancellations. Those guests remained onboard for an additional night while replacement flights were arranged, and the ship stayed in port longer than scheduled. 

P&O Cruises spent the weekend arranging new inbound and outbound flights for a total of 5,000 fly-cruise passengers, according to a cruise line spokesperson.

In a statement to Cruise Hive, the P&O Cruises spokesperson said, “Following the disruption and impact caused on Saturday by the international air restrictions, all P&O Cruises guests on Arvia Caribbean cruise holidays now have confirmed flight details to/from Barbados.”

“P&O Cruises has worked tirelessly over the weekend with our charter carriers to arrange new flights for a total of 5,000 inbound and outbound guests.”

The 1,800-passenger Arvia, which spent an unexpected additional night in Barbados, has since embarked on her Eastern Caribbean Islands cruise as of January 5, although P&O Cruises has not specified adjustments to the itinerary.

“The onward ports of call and itinerary are being prioritized and communicated to all guests on board so they can now continue with their planned holiday,” the spokesperson continued.

Originally, the vessel was scheduled to call in Fort-de-France, Martinique, on January 5, followed by visits to St. Kitts, the British Virgin Islands, St. Maarten, Antigua, Grenada, and St. Lucia.

Shutdown Disruptions Across the Caribbean

The effects of the Venezuela attack unfolded rapidly over the weekend as emergency restrictions were implemented across parts of the Caribbean.

Airlines in the US, Canada, and Europe cancelled flights to and from several destinations, including Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Aruba, leaving cruise passengers stuck.

Passengers sailing with Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady found themselves in a similar bind in Puerto Rico on January 3, although the ship carried on with its disembarkation and embarkation, offering passengers who missed the sailing a credit for a future voyage.

Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises both adjusted operations delaying Norwegian Epic’s and Grand Princess’ sailings, respectively, to allow additional time for affected guests to reach Puerto Rico before departure.

The Federal Aviation Administration lifted its restrictions at midnight on Sunday, January 4, 2026, with airlines, cruise ships, and passengers all scrambling to get back on schedule.

5,000 P&O Cruise Passengers Rerouted After Venezuela Tensions