Two Royal Caribbean cruises have been diverted from their planned tropical destination to cold Canada due to bad weather so far this month — and there is surprisingly little recourse for unhappy customers, industry experts told The Post.
Last weekend, vacationers expecting a five-night getaway to Bermuda aboard the Independence of the Seas cruise liner were suddenly offered a whole new plan: They were instead sailing to Saint John, New Brunswick, according to a last-minute email sent to passengers and obtained by the Royal Caribbean Blog.
The 3,858-passenger ship was diverted due to bad weather off the East Coast – just hours before it was scheduled to embark in Cape Liberty, New Jersey, on Saturday, the outlet reported.
“Be sure to pack light sweaters and clothing for cooler temperatures, the current forecast is in the mid 50s during the day in port,” Royal Caribbean wrote to passengers who, until then, expected to enjoy Bermuda’s mild climate.
The company’s latest itinerary overhaul comes after more than 5,000 passengers expecting a week of fun in the sun in the Bahamas found themselves bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia, after bad weather forced their cruise to change course on October 18.
Actress Mikayla Iverson and other passengers on that trip expressed frustration at not being adequately informed about the change, costing them the opportunity to trade in their swimsuits for winter boots.
“Just found out after landing in Newark that our family cruise to the Bahamas leaves in literally 12 hours, we are now going to Nova Scotia?!? And that we won’t be allowed off the ship all week. @royalcaribbean we don’t have the clothes for that,” Iverson wrote in an Instagram video that has racked up 1.5 million views.
According to industry experts, apart from expressing outrage, there is little that disgruntled passengers can do in such situations.
“Cruise lines basically have broad authority to change itineraries due to several factors, but primarily due to weather … or other circumstances that put the ship in a safety issue or something like that,” veteran cruise journalist David Yeskel told the Post.
“So there is a cruise line contract that every guest signs – but no one reads, because it is very long – when they buy their ticket, whereby they agree to this and other clauses,” he explained, adding that the clause was “the standard across the industry”.
In “extreme examples” where this clause comes into play, such as Royal Caribbean’s recent reroutings, affected customers often have no choice but to accept the company’s offers in exchange for the inconvenience, Yeskel said.
During both voyages, the cruise liner offered onboard credits ranging from $100 to $600 per person depending on the guests’ cabin category, according to the Royal Caribbean blog. Passengers aboard the rerouted Bahamas voyage also received a 50% discount on a future cruise with the line.
“We truly appreciate your understanding and flexibility regarding this unexpected change,” the company’s letter read, according to the outlet.
“I think it was just under the circumstances,” Yeskel said of those offers.
Longtime maritime lawyer Frank Spagnoletti, meanwhile, blasted Royal Caribbean for its “discourteous disregard for its passengers” – whom he said the company treats “like maritime property” instead of paying guests.
Despite the language in any cruise ship contract, Spagnoletti encouraged disappointed customers to band together and consult an attorney about their rights.
“Even if (cruise lines) put that kind of language in (contracts), when they try to enforce it that way — without really giving you a choice — you can challenge it,” he said.
“You know, there are 4,000 people on this ship. So if you put a thousand or 500 people together, then it becomes economically viable to try to correct the problem by introducing the law,” the Houston-based lawyer continued.
The Post has contacted Royal Caribbean for comment.
Several other Royal Caribbean cruises departing from the New York metro area were delayed and had their itineraries changed during a powerful nor’easter that ravaged the East Coast last month.
Gn bussni
