“The Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Melissa Gorga and her family celebrated the New Year in paradise as she and her husband, Joe Gorga, and their three children took a trip to Aruba. However, Melissa revealed that her family is now stranded on the tropical island after hundreds of flights were abruptly canceled.
Melissa may have overlooked the reason why she and so many others were left stuck. According to Reuters, the FAA closed portions of Caribbean airspace following the U.S. strikes in Venezuela, triggering widespread cancellations across the region. Luckily, the U.S. lifted the airspace curb on Jan. 4, which hopefully means the reality star and her family were able to find a flight back to New Jersey.
Melissa Gorga’s Aruba Getaway Takes an Unexpected Turn
Getty“The Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Melissa Gorga took to Threads to vent her frustrations after discovering that her New Year’s family getaway to Aruba might be extended longer than planned.
Parade shared Melissa’s Thread post, which read, “wtf is going on.” She then tagged United Airlines and added, “Stranded- flight canceled with no rebooking options for weeks?”
Unfortunately, Melissa and her family were among hundreds of travelers whose flights were canceled following U.S. strikes on Venezuela on Jan. 3. As Reuters reported, the FAA closed airspace in the Caribbean “due to safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing military activity.” Major airlines, including United, Delta, American Airlines, and Spirit, canceled flights, though service resumed the next day.
However, airline analyst Robert Mann told the outlet that carriers are now facing the challenge of rebooking hundreds of stranded travelers across the Caribbean, adding that it will also likely take airlines several days to return to normal operations.
Hopefully, the Gorga family won’t be stuck in Aruba for much longer, though being stranded in paradise might not be the worst situation.
Gorga Shared Several Photos of Her Family Vacation in Aruba
Despite being stranded in Aruba, Melissa and her family enjoyed a fun-filled New Year’s celebration. Taking to Instagram, the RHONJ star shared heartwarming photos surrounded by her family, noting that all three of her children, Antonia, Joey, and Gino, were able to join in ringing in 2026.
Along with the sweet snapshots of her children, Melissa couldn’t miss the opportunity to include a photo of her and her husband, Joe, on the beach, where they both showed off their toned physiques.
She captioned her carousel, “Spending these 7 days together is my favorite week of the year❤️ Happy 2026 to everyone✨ Love harder, work harder, be kinder, forgive more and let’s make it a good one- from my family to yours 🫶🏼🥂.”
Melissa also posted fun photos posing next to flamingos in her bikini, and another picture featured her with Antonia, with both mother and daughter wearing maxi beach dresses and matching hairstyles.
Should check the news but how did they get there. Airlines taking advantage of travelers.
Love this family. Enjoy while you are there but be careful.