Travelers stranded on cruise ship in the Atlantic due to severe weather
By Megan Mellado
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PORT CANVERAL, Florida (WESH) — Rebecca Roth is on board the MSC Seashore with her son and her sister.
She said it’s her very first cruise and it has been a rocky one.
She said the trip began Sunday, Sept. 22. Roth and her family were supposed to get off the ship Thursday morning, but due to the weather, the cruise line extended the trip an extra day.
Roth says right now, she’s somewhere in the Atlantic and adds that the additional day was given to them for free given the circumstances.
She said the cruise line also opened up the Wi-Fi so passengers could notify loved ones of their situation.
She had to make calls to extend pet care. Her sister had to make a call letting her workplace know she won’t be making it.
“It’s a big deal, like, we wanted to go home by now. We actually stayed in our room pretty much all day today just because the ocean has been so rough, and it’s been making the ship rock, so it’s a little queasy. So, we haven’t been doing much,” Roth said.
Officials with Port Canaveral said they’re hoping to re-open first thing Friday morning.
That would happen after the U.S. Coast Guard has a chance to inspect the water and the docks to make sure both are safe.
Port officials said that the ship that Roth and her family are on is expected to be the first one back since it’s been out the longest.
A statement provided to us by a spokesperson with the cruise line says:
MSC Seashore will return from its current sailing on Friday, September 27, one day later than previously planned, due to Port Canaveral’s closure on Thursday, September 26 related to Hurricane Helene.
MSC Seashore’s three-night cruise which was originally scheduled to depart on Thursday, September 26, has been updated to a two-night sailing departing on Friday, September 27, visiting Ocean Cay on Saturday, September 28, and returning to Port Canaveral as planned on Sunday, September 29.
We have notified impacted guests. Our top priority is the safety of our guests and crew, along with minimizing the weather’s impact on our guests’ vacation plans.
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