Thousands booked tropical Bahamas cruise and ended up in freezing Canada instead

A cruise scheduled to sail to the sunny Bahamas this week took a northward turn for the worse when it got rerouted to chilly Canada instead.

More than 5,000 passengers boarded Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas in New Jersey on Oct. 18, expecting a seven-day cruise to Florida and the Bahamas. But forecasts of stormy weather off the East Coast prompted the cruise line to change the itinerary, sending the ship north to Halifax, Nova Scotia, according to reports.

The ship stopped in Halifax for about 24 hours, giving passengers time to explore ashore, shop and take harbor rides. It departed Wednesday evening and is scheduled to return to New Jersey on Sunday after three days at sea.

OUTRAGED CRUISE PASSENGERS SOUND OFF ABOUT 'IMMENSE DISAPPOINTMENT' AFTER ABRUPT CANCELLATION

The line announced the changed itinerary the evening before the ship sailed, according to reports, leaving passengers with little time to adjust.

Royal Caribbean replaced the Oasis of the Seas’ planned Florida and Bahamas stops with a call in Halifax after forecasts of stormy weather off the East Coast. (iStock)

"My husband said to me, 'This is a joke, right?'" New Jersey resident Marie Durning told CTV News. "I have my winter hat and earmuffs, but I forgot my scarf," she said, adding that she was left scrambling to repack.

Daytime temperatures hovered in the upper 40s to low 50s this week in Halifax, with overnight lows in the 30s, according to weather reports.

ANGRY CRUISE PASSENGERS SAY FRUSTRATING ISSUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISCLOSED BEFORE BOOKING

For some, the surprise destination was a chance to make the most of an unfamiliar city.

"I’m grateful and I’m going to make the best of it," Jim Matthews, who lives near Paterson, New Jersey, told the outlet. "And I have found out that Halifax is a beautiful city."

Passengers (not pictured) had only hours’ notice before their Bahamas-bound cruise was redirected to Nova Scotia. (iStock)

But not everyone was onboard.

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"I am already from Canada, and I wanted to go to the Bahamas," Nicholas Meli, who drove seven hours with his family from Toronto to New Jersey to board, told CTV News.

Online, commenters in Reddit’s r/canada thread expressed sympathy for the passengers but also shared their fondness for Halifax.

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One commenter called it their favorite Canadian city to visit, but said they would be "bummed" to end up there while expecting a Bahamas beach vacation.

Halifax was the cruise’s only port stop, giving passengers about 24 hours ashore before three days at sea. (iStock)

Another summed up the change more bluntly, writing, "Halifax is gorgeous, but it is not the Bahamas."

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PEOPLE reported that passengers received a 50% travel voucher and refunds for shore excursions.

Weather and other circumstances can prompt Royal Caribbean to alter or substitute ports, according to its website, and it is not necessarily required to refund fares or provide compensation.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Royal Caribbean for comment.

Deirdre Bardolf is a lifestyle writer with Fox News Digital.