Puerto Rico Protests Could Cost the Island Millions in Cruise Business

Thousands of Puerto Ricans are protesting the island’s governor, which many on the island believe is corrupt and needs to go. The protests have caused massive disruptions on the U.S. territory, including affecting the country’s cruise business. As a result of the disruptions, some experts are claiming that the country could lose up to $2.5 million in the coming weeks.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has already cancelled several stops in Puerto Rico due to the protests. These cancellations were followed by additional cancellations by MSC and Celebrity. Insider.com reports that the stops were cancelled after passengers cancelled most of the scheduled shore excursions. “The economic impact of cruise ship stops canceled to date could be estimated at around $2.5 million due to the expenditure of approximately 15,000 passengers,” said the company in a statement.

On Monday, Puerto Rico saw what some are claiming was its largest ever protest. Tens of thousands of the island’s residents, including celebrities, took to the streets to demand that Gov. Ricardo Rosselló step down. 

The protests comes on the heels of the release of 889 pages of Rosselló’s chat messages with his political circle, which the protesters believe are unfitting of the office the the island’s top elected official.