Passengers fuming after cruise to Florida, Bahamas reroutes to Boston

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.

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.

“The guy helping us with our luggage said, ‘You’re going to Canada,'” passenger Girish Keswani told the Boston Globe. “We all laughed it off.”

Instead of Florida and the Bahamas, the ship will remain docked in Boston through Tuesday before heading to Portland, Maine and Saint John, Newfoundland before returning to New York.

MSC Cruises informed passengers of the change in an email sent out the night before the seven-day cruise commenced.

“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 message read.

While trying to avoid powerful winds and heavy rain in the Bahamas, the Meraviglia docked in Boston as the city was held under a “damaging winds” alert Sunday.

For some, the change of plans was especially bitter.

One passenger, Connie C., from Pennsylvania, told the Globe she travels to Boston regularly for work — on her company’s dime.

“I did not want to pay $5,000 [for my family] to come to Boston,” she said. “This was supposed to be our Christmas vacation.”

MSC Cruises allowed customers to rebook the night before the cruise took off. They also told customers they could cancel their cruise “free of charge and receive a refund in the form of a Future Cruise Credit.”

A similar cruise slated to leave on Dec. 23 with the same itinerary costs at least $739 per person.