'Devastated': Passengers speak out after Bahamas-bound cruise diverted to New England, Canada over weather

Table Of Content

• Watch: Globe Today
• From the Bahamas to Boston: Passengers say they felt 'punked' after holiday beach cruise was rerouted over weather
• Change of plans: Cruise passengers’ trip to Bahamas rerouted to Boston
• Cruise passengers speak out after Bahamas voyage reroutes to Boston
• Bound for the Bahamas, these tourists found themselves in Saint John instead
• Bahamas cruise unexpectedly reroutes angry passengers to Canada, New England

She told ABC, she and her group — including her best friend Val Montgomery and both of their children — was "devastated" by the change to their Christmas plans. "So this is some of my kids' Christmas gifts . . . We're from Chicago, so we wanted to change the weather. I never fathomed that we will be back in cold weather," she said. The itinerary change left guests scrambling to repack for winter cold instead of tropical heat.

Watch: Globe Today

MSC Cruises confirmed the MSC Meraviglia originally set sail from New York and docked in Boston on Sunday. Heavy rain and strong winds are forecast in Florida and the Bahamas over the next few days. Cruise experts said that while rare, it’s “not out of the question” that cruise vacations have to be rerouted because of weather. The “contract of carriage” clause in the cruise paperwork covers the possibility, of allowing the cruise line to change the itinerary for several issues including weather. Less than 24 hours before their voyage, MSC told passengers in an email that the cruise's itinerary had been "significantly altered" because of bad weather. The company apologized for the inconvenience and said guests could cancel their cruise free of charge and receive a future cruise credit, according to the letter.

From the Bahamas to Boston: Passengers say they felt 'punked' after holiday beach cruise was rerouted over weather

Guests were given a choice between sailing to the new stops or canceling for future cruise credit. The original seven-day trip was supposed to set sail from New York to the Bahamas this week, but the itinerary changed because of bad weather hitting the Bahamas and South Florida. MSC decided to change the itinerary instead of making the tougher choice of canceling the cruise for thousands of passengers. One day before the MSC Meraviglia was set to depart from New York to the Bahamas, the TODAY show reports passengers were informed that worsening weather had forced a change in their itinerary and they would instead be heading to Boston, Maine and Canada. Chris Gray Faust, executive editor of Cruise Critic, a cruise ship review site, told ABC News that cruise lines usually have a “contract of carriage” clause, which means the itinerary is not guaranteed and the trip can change for reasons such as the weather.

Change of plans: Cruise passengers’ trip to Bahamas rerouted to Boston

But just like planes, trains and other modes of transportation, experts told TODAY that cruises are subject to the whims of weather and many typically have clauses that allow for itinerary changes. The MSC Meraviglia had been scheduled to sail from New York City to the Bahamas, but severe weather forced a last minute change to the ship's itinerary. Instead of heading south for the winter, passengers were notified they'd be heading in the opposite direction to Boston, New England and Canada. “The only alternative would have been to take the more extreme step of cancelling the cruise—and thousands of people’s vacations—outright,” MSC Cruises added.

Cruise passengers speak out after Bahamas voyage reroutes to Boston

According to Cruise Mapper, the ship had been scheduled to return to New York on Dec. 23 and was in Portland, Maine, on Wednesday morning. Instead, their ship would sail north to the not-so-tropical destination of Boston and Canada. MSC Cruises confirmed that their ship will dock in Boston from Sunday to Tuesday, and then travel to Portland, Maine on Wednesday. Lakeya Allen planned the cruise to the Bahamas for nearly a year with her best friend. Travelers expecting a cruise to the sunny Bahamas this week wound up in chilly Boston instead.

Passengers: MSC Cruises reroutes Caribbean trip to Boston due to weather - Business Insider

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Bound for the Bahamas, these tourists found themselves in Saint John instead

Thursday, the travellers will cross the border into Canada and dock in the Port of Saint John, N.B. There, guests will be greeted by a province attempting to restore power to its citizens following the storm, and temperatures around -2 degrees Celsius. The MSC Meraviglia left New York on Saturday as originally planned and headed first to Boston, Mass., where the ship docked for three days. "The only alternative would have been to take the more extreme step of canceling the cruise -- and thousands of people's vacations -- outright," he said in a statement to TODAY. The cruise ship departed New York last Saturday, docking for three days in Boston before leaving for Portland, Maine, where it is scheduled to dock Wednesday before heading to St. John's, Canada, on Thursday and returning to New York on Saturday.

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ABC News Live

Passengers on board what as supposed to be a Bahamas-bound cruise ship are now trying to make the most out of a not so sunny and definitely unexpected vacation destination. However, according to ABC News, the alternative was only presented 24 hours before they were scheduled to set sail, leaving many vacationers who'd traveled to the departure city with a difficult decision. The ship can accommodate over 5,000 passengers and 1,600 crew members. Passengers of a cruise who were expecting a sunny getaway in the Bahamas this week were instead sailed to a much colder climate due to severe weather. Natalie Allaby, director of cruise excellence at Port Saint John, said this is the first time a cruise ship has come to Saint John in December.

Cruise Bound for Bahamas Rerouted to Boston and Canada, Passengers 'Devastated'

Since their departure, Allen has shared numerous videos from onboard the MSC Meraviglia of travellers, like herself, trying to make the most of their vacations. In one video posted to TikTok, some passengers can be seen on the ship’s deck as they’re bundled in coats and hats, while others swim in outdoor pools, despite the cold weather. Passengers aboard a Bahamas-bound cruise trip had their holiday beach vacation dreams turned upside down when they were rerouted to Boston, Maine and Canada instead because of weather concerns. Faust said that cruise lines typically have a "contract of carriage" clause that doesn't guarantee the ports the ship will travel to and allows the cruise operator to change the itinerary for various issues, including weather.

Bahamas cruise unexpectedly reroutes angry passengers to Canada, New England

Actually, perhaps the Canadian passengers, angry though they were, didn’t have it worst of all. That honor may go to Connie C. She lives in Pennsylvania but regularly travels here for work. MSC said “the only alternative” to rerouting the destinations would have been to “take the more extreme step” and cancel the cruise outright. Field Sutton, director of communications for MSC Cruises USA, said poor weather conditions forced the unexpected switch. Some daring young passengers were even taking a dip in the outdoor pool, she showed. Still, the group has been trying to make the most of their vacation, which so far has included hot cocoa on board, an indoor jacuzzi and a trip to the Cambridge Mall in Massachusetts.

The cruise ship can accommodate up to 5,624 passengers and 1,608 crew members, the cruise line says on its website. It was unclear how many passengers were aboard the rerouted Bahamas cruise. "The only alternative would have been to take the more extreme step of canceling the cruise -- and thousands of people's vacations -- outright," MSC said.

Passengers aboard MSC Cruises’ Meraviglia ship were left stunned on Sunday and some even “thought it was a joke” when they were told that instead of enjoying warm weather and the beach, the ship would now be sailing up to Boston, Maine and Canada. Travelers readying for a tropical vacation were left out in the cold this weekend when their cruise ship headed to Florida and the Bahamas was rerouted to Boston due to inclement weather. MSC also said it offered passengers a choice of sailing to the new destinations or canceling for future credit, "which allows them to put the full value paid for this cruise toward another at their convenience."

"It's definitely a cold day, but we're going to bring them some warm hospitality for sure," Allaby said. Despite not having their feet up on a sunny, warm beach, most tourists were making the best of it. Passengers were told before the cruise departed New York that it would now be heading to Boston, Portland, and Saint John. The MSC Meraviglia was sailing out of Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday, ABC News reported. Both Delta and American Airlines are offering adjustments for those traveling to or from Boston. Travelers are able to change the trip without a fee or receive a waiver that can be used on a future trip.