It was a chaotic cruise.
More than 5,000 passengers who had hoped to enjoy a week of sunshine in the Bahamas found themselves heading to frigid Canada after stormy weather forced the Royal Caribbean cruise ship to change its route.
The Oasis of the Seas departed New Jersey on October 18 for what was supposed to be a seven-day tropical getaway, but passengers were informed only half a day in advance that they would be heading to Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The sudden shift has some scrambling to pack their winter gear in preparation for the drastically different temperatures. To make matters worse, passengers were told they were not allowed to leave the ship while they were in port.
“My husband said to me, ‘This is a joke, right?'” New Jersey resident Marie Durning told CTV News.
“I have a winter hat and earmuffs, but I forgot my scarf.”
Some passengers from further states don’t have time to change their suitcases into winter clothing.
Actress Mikayla Iverson posted a video on Instagram lamenting the annoying situation, which she filmed at Newark Airport after learning the news.
“Upon arrival in Newark we were told that our family’s Bahamas cruise was leaving in 12 hours and we would now be heading to Nova Scotia?!? And we wouldn’t be allowed off the ship all week. @royalcaribbean we have nothing to wear for this,” she wrote in the post, which has been viewed 1.4 million times.
Some of the passengers on board were Canadians, meaning they took a detour directly back home.
“I’m very disappointed,” Nicholas Meli, from Toronto, who drove seven hours with his family to New Jersey to board the ship, told the media. “I’m already from Canada and I want to go to the Bahamas.”
Royal Caribbean did offer cash and travel vouchers to disappointed customers to make up for the inconvenience. The cruise line did not respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post.
Still, some travelers decide to make the most of the unexpected change of plans.
Dwayne Hicks of Philadelphia told the outlet: “Since we spent a lot of money on this trip, I told everyone to vent their frustrations before we get on the cruise ship because I don’t want to hear it once we get on the ship.”
“This is our fate, but I’m grateful and I’m going to make the most of it,” New Jersey’s Jim Matthews added. “I found Halifax to be a beautiful city.”