BOSTON — Thousands of cruise passengers looking forward to sandy beaches and warm tropical temps were reportedly shocked when the ship didn't sail down to Florida and the Bahamas but instead docked much further north in Boston.
The reason? The powerful Gulf storm that thrashed Florida with gusty winds and heavy rain over the weekend, flooding some Tampa Bay area neighborhoods, is apparently to blame.
According to the cruise's itinerary, MSC Cruises ship the Meraviglia was originally set to sail on Dec. 16 from New York to the Bahamas, making stops in Florida and the cruise company's private island during the 7-night journey.
Instead, seemingly at the last minute, MSC Cruises reportedly told passengers the night before that "adverse weather conditions" would "significantly" alter the Meraviglia's itinerary.
Instead of Florida, the Bahamas and a private island, passengers would make stops in Massachusetts, Maine and Canada.
“We have significantly altered the itinerary of your cruise due to adverse weather conditions expected across Florida and the Bahamas during the week ahead. Heavy rain is expected across most of the destinations that we planned to visit, as well as wind gusts surpassing 40 knots which would render our maneuvers to enter destination ports unsafe,” a statement reportedly from MSC Cruises sent to booked guests said.
“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 the pleasant cruise experience that you expect,” MSC added.
“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. While this situation is due to circumstances beyond our control, we appreciate your understanding.”
Earlier this week, the Boston Globe spoke with passengers stranded in Boston who shared their dismay and frustration at the surprise change.
“The guy helping us with our luggage said, ‘You’re going to Canada’ and we all laughed it off,” passenger Girish Keswani reportedly told the Globe. “We thought it was a joke.”
CBS Boston said on Monday the city saw record-setting rainfall and wind gusts of 70 mph. That same day, the Meraviglia was docked still docked in Boston.
