Royal Caribbean Cruise Diverted to Canada Instead of Bahamas Due to Weather
Passengers expecting a tropical getaway on a Royal Caribbean cruise found themselves packing winter clothes after severe weather forced the ship to head to Nova Scotia instead.
Thousands of vacationers booked on a Royal Caribbean cruise expecting warm weather in Florida and the Bahamas experienced an unexpected change of plans when adverse weather forced the vessel to redirect north toward Canada. Passengers aboard the Oasis of the Seas received only a few hours of notice before departure from New Jersey, requiring many to quickly scramble and swap swimwear for winter coats, hats, and scarves.
Marie Durning of New Jersey recounted to CTV News that she could hardly believe the sudden shift when she learned about it before boarding. "My husband said to me, this is a joke, right?" she said, noting that she managed to pack winter gear but accidentally forgot her scarf.
The itinerary originally promised a seven-day voyage featuring a stop in Port Canaveral, Florida, followed by several days in the Bahamas. Instead, Ron Green of Virginia explained to the outlet while docked in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that worsening weather conditions completely altered their route.
The cruise ship spent a single day docked in Halifax, giving travelers an opportunity to explore the local boardwalk, go shopping, and take a harbor boat ride. To compensate for the drastic alteration, Royal Caribbean provided all passengers with a 50% travel voucher alongside full refunds for any booked shore excursions.
Reactions among the travelers varied widely. Jim Matthews of Paterson, New Jersey, chose to embrace the unexpected detour. "It is the way the dice fell for us, but I'm grateful and I'm going to make the best of it," he said, adding, "And I have found out that Halifax is a beautiful city."
Walter MacDonnell, visiting from Hamilton, Ontario, expressed pleasant surprise at returning to a location he already appreciated. "Angry? Not at all, and I'm glad this happened, because we love coming here," he stated.
Not everyone shared the positive outlook, however. Nicholas Meli voiced clear frustration after driving seven hours with his family from Toronto to New Jersey, only to find himself traveling right back toward his home country. "I'm very disappointed," Meli said. "I am already from Canada, and I wanted to go to the Bahamas."
Dwayne Hicks of Philadelphia acknowledged the financial cost of the vacation, noting that he encouraged his family to air their grievances before boarding so they could enjoy the remainder of the trip. "I think we are halfway to the North Pole, where Santa Claus is from," Hicks remarked.
The Oasis of the Seas departed Halifax on Wednesday evening for a three-day journey at sea before concluding the trip upon its return to New Jersey on Sunday.