David Morris's five-member family, including his mother, brother, sister-in-law, and 7-year-old nephew, found themselves unexpectedly stranded in the Caribbean during their Christmas and New Year 2026 holiday. Airspace closures and flight cancellations followed a US airstrike on Venezuela.

By 10/1, after seven days of being stranded, flights resumed. However, the family was still unable to return home, incurring thousands of additional US dollars. Some family members had to miss work, their lives were disrupted, and everyone felt exhausted despite their "luxurious" holiday.

Morris during his memorable trip. Photo: BI

On the morning of 3/1, the family boarded a boat in Barbados for a scheduled island tour, after which they planned to head to the airport for their flight back to the US. During the tour, family members' phones began receiving constant notifications. News reports indicated a military action involving Venezuela had restricted airspace in the eastern Caribbean region.

"When the tour ended, we received the notification that our flight back to the US was cancelled. Our family stood at the airport, luggage in hand, unsure how to get home, no matter the cost", Morris recounted.

His family's flight was not the only one cancelled. Thousands of people were stranded across the Caribbean during the peak holiday travel season. All families needed accommodation and food, but no one knew what to do as the island was already overwhelmed with many people in the same predicament.

Since Morris had not booked his flights through the cruise line, he received little assistance beyond general instructions. Despite continuously calling airlines and searching online, he could not secure five seats on any commercial flight back to the US for at least seven days.

"I even considered chartering a private jet. One company quoted over 70,000 US dollars (approximately 1.8 billion VND) from Barbados to Dallas, but still had no available aircraft before tuesday (6/1). Even if we chartered a private plane, we would still lose nearly a full week of work", he stated.

Morris had already taken a long holiday and had to request additional days off, cancelling upcoming trips to compensate for the extended stranding. His sister-in-law could work remotely, but his brother lost several contracts due to his absence. His nephew was forced to miss school.

Unable to return to the US that weekend, the family had to find overnight accommodation in Barbados. The sudden surge in demand meant that even budget hotels were fully booked until monday. Occasionally, rooms appeared on online booking platforms, but at "staggering" prices. A single room at a high-end hotel cost around 4,500 US dollars a night. "Paying 9,000 US dollars for two rooms was unrealistic, especially with no clear return date", Morris explained.

Ultimately, through an intermediary platform, they managed to rent a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment at a 3-star resort for 600 US dollars a night. After one night, they decided to move to a neighboring island, hoping for more options and stable prices.

The Morris family on their flight to Canouan island. Photo: BI

Canouan is a small island in St. Vincent & Grenadines. A round-trip flight from Barbados cost about 600 US dollars per person, which was the most reasonable solution among many options. Canouan has fewer flights, fewer cruise ships, and was less affected by stranded tourists. "We found a villa for much less than a single room in Barbados. The price was still high, but it was stable and reasonable", Morris added. They ended up with an unplanned extended vacation.

After seven days, the Morris family still had not returned home, despite the airspace situation stabilizing and the airline arranging new flights. To date, the family has spent thousands of additional US dollars on unplanned stays, meals, airfare, and rebooking fees. Travel insurance may cover some costs, but it could not get the family home sooner.

Although ultimately stranded for a period, the Morris family was fortunate to be able to adjust their plans. Morris realized that luxury trips, despite their high cost, do not always provide support to travelers when incidents occur. Sometimes, the smartest choice when stranded is to be flexible and adapt.

"We were lucky to have the financial means to cover many unexpected expenses, which many others could not. Next time I travel abroad, I will set aside extra buffer days, research alternative transit points in advance, and focus more on destinations that remain accessible if plans fall apart", Morris shared.

Tam Anh (According to Business Insider)