This was a confusing cruise. More than 5,000 passengers hoping for a week of fun in the sun in the Bahamas found themselves instead heading to cold Canada after a storm forced their Royal Caribbean cruise ship to change course. The Oasis of the Seas left New Jersey on Oct. 18 for what was supposed to be a seven-day tropical getaway, but passengers were told just half a day’s notice that they were headed to Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Oasis of the Seas set sail from New Jersey on October 18 with many disappointed passengers on board. joseph roland – stock.adobe.com The sudden change left some scrambling to pack winter clothing for the dramatically different temperatures. Worse still, passengers were told they would not be allowed to leave the ship while in port. “My husband was like, ‘This is a joke, right?’” Marie Durning, a New Jersey resident, told CTV News. “I have my winter hat and my earmuffs, but I forgot my scarf.” Some passengers from more distant states did not have time to exchange their suitcases for winter clothing. Actress Mikayla Iverson went viral for her Instagram video lamenting the annoying situation, which she filmed at Newark airport when she heard the news. “After landing in Newark, I was just told that our Bahamas family cruise leaves in literally 12 hours, now we’re going to Nova Scotia?!? And that we won’t be allowed to leave the ship all week. @royalcaribbean we don’t have the clothes for this,” she wrote in the post, which has racked up 1.4 million views. Royal Caribbean gave customers cash and travel vouchers for their inconvenience. CTV News Some passengers on board were Canadian, meaning the diversion sent them directly back home. “I’m very disappointed,” Nicholas Meli of Toronto, who drove seven hours with his family to New Jersey to board the ship, told the outlet. “I’m already from Canada and I wanted to go to the Bahamas.” Royal Caribbean gave disappointed customers cash and travel vouchers for their inconvenience. The cruise line did not respond to the Post’s request for comment. Start your day with everything you need to know. Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Still, some travelers decided to make the most of their unexpected change of plans. “Due to the fact that we spent a pretty penny on this trip, I told everyone to take out their frustrations before we get on the cruise, because once we get on the ship, I don’t want to hear about it,” Philadelphia’s Dwayne Hicks told the outlet. “That’s how the dice fell for us, but I’m grateful and I’m going to make the best of it,” added New Jersey’s Jim Matthews. “And I discovered that Halifax is a beautiful city.”
