Another Royal Caribbean Ship Bound for Warm Vacation Destination Reportedly Reroutes to Canada amid Severe Weather
The ‘Independence of the Seas’ was initially scheduled to sail to Bermuda, but rerouted to Saint John, New Brunswick instead, according to reports
Credit: Getty
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Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas replaced its Bermuda itinerary with an overnight stop in Saint John, New Brunswick, according to reports
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Passengers were advised to pack light sweaters as daytime temperatures were expected to reach the mid-50s
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It marks the second Royal Caribbean ship rerouted from warm destinations to Canada in less than two weeks
Another Royal Caribbean cruise ship destined for a sunny vacation destination was rerouted to Canada amid severe weather on the East Coast.
Ahead of the 'Independence of the Seas' five-night, round-trip sailing to Bermuda departing Cape Liberty Cruise Port in New Jersey on Oct. 24, passengers reportedly received an email detailing an itinerary change.
"Along with our meteorology team, we've been closely monitoring inclement weather developing off the East Coast," the email, obtained by Royal Caribbean Blog , said. "The weather's impact makes it hard to provide you with a safe and comfortable journey to Bermuda. So, after exploring all of our options, we've decided to sail to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, for an overnight stay instead."
Ports of Saint John in New Brunswick, Canada Credit: Getty
In the email, the company allegedly suggested: "make sure you pack some light sweaters and clothing for cooler temps, the current forecast is in the mid-50s during the day in port."
As of Oct. 26, the 3,858-passenger vessel is docked at Port Saint John, according to CruiseMapper . The ship will remain in Canada until Tuesday afternoon, per the email. Independence of the Seas is scheduled to return to New Jersey on Thursday, Oct. 29. PEOPLE has reached out to Royal Caribbean for comment.
This is the second time in less than two weeks that a Royal Caribbean ship destined to sail south rerouted north to Canada .
The Oct. 18 sailing aboard the Oasis of the Seas departing New Jersey was initially scheduled to stop in Florida and the Bahamas during its seven-day sailing. However, passengers were reportedly only given hours' notice that the ship would actually be heading towards Halifax, Nova Scotia.
"My husband said to me, this is a joke, right?" New Jersey resident Marie Durning told CTV News , adding that she was left scrambling to repack her bags for the chilly itinerary. "I have my winter hat and earmuffs, but I forgot my scarf."
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."
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Others 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."
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