Thousands of Cruise Passengers Bought a Trip to the Bahamas. Then the Ship Went to Canada Instead

Colson ThayerThu, October 22, 2026 at 5:03 PM UTC

70

Royal Caribbean’s ‘Oasis of the Seas’ docks in Halifax, Nova Scotia, after diverting from the Bahamas on Oct. 20, 2026.Credit: CTV News/YouTube -

Bad weather diverted Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas from Florida and the Bahamas to Halifax, Nova Scotia

Passengers reportedly received only several hours’ notice, plus a 50% travel voucher and refunds for shore excursions

The ship departed Canada on Wednesday, followed by three days at sea before returning to New Jersey on Sunday

Thousands of Bahamas-bound cruise passengers expecting tropical beaches and warm ocean breezes found themselves packing winter coats instead when bad weather diverted their ship to the coast of Canada.

“My husband said to me, this is a joke, right?” New Jersey resident Marie Durning told CTV News, adding that she was only given several hours’ notice of the itinerary change before boarding Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas in her home state. It left her scrambling to repack her bags for the chilly itinerary. “I have my winter hat and earmuffs, but I forgot my scarf.”

“We were supposed to go to Florida and stay in Port Canaveral for half a day, and then go to the Bahamas, then come back on a seven-day cruise, but then the weather got bad and we came here,” Ron Green, of Virginia, told the outlet as the ship was docked in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The ship arrived in Halifax for just one day before departing for U.S. waters, CTV News reported. To accommodate the change, all the passengers reportedly received a 50% travel voucher as well as refunds for shore excursions. It gave them the chance to explore the Halifax boardwalk, do some shopping and take a boat ride in the harbor.

“It is the way the dice fell for us, but I’m grateful and I’m going to make the best of it,” Jim Matthews, of Paterson, N.J., said. “And I have found out that Halifax is a beautiful city.”

Matthews wasn’t the only passenger wanting to make the best of the situation. “Angry? Not at all, and I’m glad this happened, because we love coming here,” Walter MacDonnell from Hamilton, Ontario said. “I have been here before, and I was really impressed when I came back here before.”

Advertisement

However, some were not as impressed. “I’m very disappointed,” said Nicholas Meli. He traveled with his family for seven hours by car from Toronto to New Jersey, just to return to his home country. “I am already from Canada, and I wanted to go to the Bahamas.”

Halifax Harbour in Nova Scotia, CanadaCredit: Getty

The Hicks family from Philadelphia said they needed to bite their tongue before they let the diversion ruin the trip.

“Due to the fact that we spent a nice penny on this trip, I told everybody to take out their frustrations before they get on the cruise ship, because once we get on the ship, I don’t want to hear about that,” Dwayne Hicks, a first-time visitor to Nova Scotia, said. “I think we are halfway to the North Pole, where Santa Claus is from.”

The vessel was scheduled to depart Halifax at 6 p.m. on Wednesday night, according to CTV News. The ship spend three days at sea before returning to New Jersey on Sunday.

— sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

PEOPLE has reached out to Royal Caribbean for comment.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Breaking”