Cruise passengers get ugly surprise when ship is rerouted to Boston and Canada instead of warm Bahamas
MSC Cruises told passengers of the change one day before departure
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Passengers on a cruise were surprised when they learned their Bahamas vacation would instead be sailing to Boston and Canada.
The change happened on the MSC Meraviglia ship that left New York City on Saturday. Typically, the ship makes stops at Port Canaveral, Florida; Nassau, Bahamas; and MSC's Ocean Cay, the company's private island in the Bahamas.
"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," the company told FOX Business. "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 said securing last-minute berths is complicated, therefore leaving Canada and New England as the only viable options.
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The Statue of Liberty is seen while the MSC Meraviglia cruise ship leaves the port of New York on Dec. 9. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Girish Keswani, who was traveling with his family, first thought it was a twisted joke when he caught wind of the news.
"The guy helping us with our luggage said, ‘You’re going to Canada’ and we all laughed it off," Keswani told the Boston Globe. "We thought it was a joke."
However, according to the Globe, MSC Cruises sent out an email the night before outlining the itinerary changes.
"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 email read.
The ship was set to stop in Boston; Portland, Maine; and Canada.
When the ship made its first stop in Boston, according to the outlet, it was under a "damaging winds" alert, leaving passengers in for an unpleasant day.
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Guests on MSC Meraviglia gather by the pool as the sun sets and the ship prepares to take sail from Port Canaveral, Florida, on Oct. 13, 2022. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Another passenger, Connie C., told the outlet that she travels to Boston frequently for work.
"I did not want to pay $5,000 [for my family] to come to Boston," Connie C. told the outlet. "This was supposed to be our Christmas vacation."
A two-story, Mediterranean-style promenade is prominent on MSC Meraviglia, seen on Oct. 13, 2022. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images / Getty Images)
MSC gave passengers an option to cancel their cruise in exchange for a future cruise credit.
"If you are not satisfied with this change… you can cancel your cruise free of charge and receive a refund in the form of a Future Cruise Credit."
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The Infinity Atrium is a focal point of MSC Meraviglia on Oct. 13, 2022. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images / Getty Images)
However, some travelers weren't satisfied.
"We have all of our holiday plans built around this cruise, lots of money, hotel bookings, airfare, etc.," one traveler wrote on Reddit. "Really upset. In my 30 years of cruising, almost 50 sailings, this has NEVER EVER happened, with such a drastic change in itinerary with almost zero notice. Advice?"