Lakeya Alen says that an email from MSC Cruises alerted her that the company had "significantly altered the itinerary" and that instead of the Bahamas, she and her children would be trekking up to Canada.
A tropical cruise turned into a polar express with little notice when passengers who bought tickets for a cruise to the Bahamas learned they would instead be heading to Canada the day before departure.
One of those passengers is Lakeya Allen, who tells Inside Edition that she paid $4,000 so she and her three children could enjoy an escape to warmer climates ahead of the holidays.
The family got some very surprising news, however, the night before they were set to board the vessel in New York City, according to Allen.
She says that an email from MSC Cruises alerted her that the company had "significantly altered the itinerary" and that instead of the Bahamas, she and her children would be trekking up to Canada. Guests were not offered a refund but were told they could exchange their tickets for a future cruise.
Allen says that it was too late for her to change plans and so she made the best of the situation and started documenting her rerouted trip to the tundra in a video diary she is posting online.
Videos show some guests enjoying the outdoor pool on the cruise ship's deck despite the near-freezing temperatures and sipping hot cocoa to keep warm.
She took some time to speak with Inside Edition while exploring one of the cities where the ship had docked this week — Portland, Maine.
"We were going to be soaking up the sun! I brought all of my swimwear, and my bikinis and my matching shoes and everything," says Allen. "We don't have any hats and gloves, so we are out here really, really cold."
Many travelers may be shocked to learn that cruise ship companies have every right to do this, says travel expert Pauline Frohmmer.
"The dirty little secret about cruises is you are never guaranteed to go where the brochure says you're going to go," Frohmmer tells Inside Edition. "They have to put safety first and they felt it was unsafe to go towards the Bahamas so they changed it. That can happen on any cruise."
Allen is still making the best of the situation and will hopefully find some hats and gloves soon as she and the family get closer and closer to the North Pole on their holiday excursion.
