A Carnival Cruises cruise ship was thrown into chaos before it even left port, with furious passengers demanding their money back after being told their dream vacation had to be changed at the last minute.
Video footage shows passengers chanting, “Give us our money!” after learning their Caribbean cruise had been changed to a trip to the Bahamas due to engine problems.
The Carnival Vista voyage, costing nearly $800, was scheduled to depart Aug. 10 for an eight-night cruise of the southern Caribbean from Port Canaveral, Florida.
Passengers scheduled to stop in Aruba, Curacao and Turks and Caicos were instead told they would be visiting Nassau, Princess Cays, Freeport and Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas.
The announcement came while some guests were still boarding, the New York Post reportedThis led to heated discussions, with passengers demanding their money back and begging to be let off the ship.
A Carnival Cruises cruise was thrown into chaos before the ship had even left port as furious passengers demanded their money back after being told their dream vacation had been changed at the last minute
Passengers eagerly awaiting stops in Aruba, Curacao and Turks and Caicos were told they would instead visit Nassau, Princess Cays, Freeport and Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas
“We apologize for this unexpected disruption to your vacation plans and are disappointed that we will not be able to operate the cruise you had planned,” Carnival said in a statement. Within editionnoting that engineers were working to resolve a problem affecting the ship’s cruising speed.
In video footage circulating on social media, frustrated passengers can be heard shouting at the ship’s staff as authorities deliver the news.
Ashley Ball, who was on the cruise with her mother and sister, told Inside Edition: ‘They knew about the problem before we got on board.
“They didn’t tell us until we were already on the ship and had gone through customs, lines, security and all that stuff.”
Carnival offered passengers a shipboard voucher and future cruise credit if they accepted the modified itinerary, and if they decided to disembark, they would receive a full refund.
The announcement was made while some guests were still boarding, causing chaos as passengers demanded refunds and begged to be let off the plane.
Earlier this week, it was announced that a woman who was raped after being forced into a closet on a Caribbean cruise was awarded an additional $2 million. Carnival appealed a $10 million verdict that went to her.
The Washington DC woman is now facing more than $12 million for her ordeal with a Carnival employee.
Her attacker, Fredy Anggara, has never been arrested for the attack, which took place on December 2, 2018.