Bahamas cruise passengers ‘punked’ by sudden re-route to Canada

Passengers on a cruise ship hoping to spend their holiday season in a tropical destination weren’t too pleased when a change was made to their original plans.

The MSC Cruise Meraviglia ship made a sudden decision ahead of its 17 December departure to reroute its travel due to weather concerns. But what was meant to be a fun, sun-soaked trip to Florida and the Bahamas will now be a cold exploration of Boston, Maine, and Canada before heading back to New York, where travellers first boarded.

The Meraviglia will be docked in Boston until 19 December. MSC Cruises made the decision to stop in the east coast city in order to avoid severe weather conditions in the Bahamas. When the ship was docked in Boston on Sunday, the city was held under a “damaging winds” alert.

According to a report from the New York Post, all ticketed passengers were notified of the adjustment in an email the night before they were to embark on the trip. “To ensure the safety and well-being of everyone onboard, we will sail to New England and Canada instead, where we expect to encounter fairer weather conditions that will allow us to offer you the pleasant cruise experience that you expect,” the message reportedly stated.

Speaking to the Boston Globe, traveller Girish Keswani recalled: “The guy helping us with our luggage said: ‘You’re going to Canada.’ We all laughed it off.” Another passenger was extremely disappointed upon finding out their first stop would be Boston. Another passenger named Connie confessed to the Globe that she regularly visited the city for work, but her company usually pays for those trips.

“I did not want to pay $5,000 [for my family] to come to Boston,” Connie proclaimed. “This was supposed to be our Christmas vacation.”

Neither Connie nor any of the other passengers were obligated to go on the trip if they didn’t want to. MSC Cruises allowed ticketed individuals the opportunity to cancel their reservation the night before “free of charge and receive a refund in the form of a Future Cruise Credit”. Passengers were also given the option to rebook their trip.

“MSC Meraviglia sailed to Canada and New England instead of the Bahamas this week due to unseasonable and rapidly worsening weather that would have made it impossible to safely reach the southern Atlantic Ocean from New York City,” a representative for MSC Cruises told The Independent. “The only alternative would have been to take the more extreme step of cancelling the cruise - and thousands of people’s vacations - outright.”

In other cruise news, the world’s largest ship - the Royal Caribbean’s “Icon of the Seas” - will be setting sail on 27 January. With more than 18 passenger decks, seven swimming pools, 40 restaurants, and multiple bars holding 5,610 guests, the new vessel is bigger than the company’s “Wonder of the Seas” cruise ship.

“Icon of the Seas is the culmination of more than 50 years of delivering memorable experiences and our next bold commitment to those who love to vacation,” said president and CEO of Royal Caribbean, Michael Bayley. “Now more than ever, families and friends are prioritising experiences where they can bond and enjoy their own adventures.”