More than 5,000 passengers aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Oasis of the Seas had their planned week-long trip to the Bahamas rerouted to Halifax, Nova Scotia, due to stormy weather. The ship departed from New Jersey on October 18, with passengers informed of the significant itinerary change with only half a day's notice.
This sudden pivot to Canada meant passengers faced dramatically different temperatures and encountered new logistical challenges. Some passengers, like New Jersey resident Marie Durning, expressed surprise and a lack of preparedness for the colder climate. "My husband said to me, ‘This is a joke, right?'" Durning told CTV News. "I have my winter hat and earmuffs, but I forgot my scarf."
Actress Mikayla Iverson shared her frustration in a viral Instagram video filmed at Newark Airport, lamenting the lack of appropriate clothing for the unexpected destination. "We will now be going to Nova Scotia?!? And that we will not be allowed to leave the ship all week. @royalcaribbean, we don’t have the clothes for this," she wrote, with her post accumulating 1.4 million views.
Adding to the unexpected nature of the detour, some passengers who were Canadian found themselves sailing back to their home country instead of to a tropical locale. Nicholas Meli of Toronto, who traveled seven hours with his family to board the ship in New Jersey, stated, "I am already from Canada, and I wanted to go to the Bahamas."
Royal Caribbean provided passengers with cash and travel vouchers to compensate for the inconvenience. The cruise line did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Despite the initial disappointment, some travelers aimed to make the most of their altered plans. "It is the way the dice fell for us, but I’m grateful and I’m going to make the best of it," said Jim Matthews of New Jersey, who added that he discovered Halifax to be a beautiful city. Dwayne Hicks of Philadelphia encouraged his fellow passengers to embrace the change, saying, "Once we get on the ship, I don’t want to hear about that."