Having a vacation to look forward to is one of life’s greatest pleasures — especially if it’s one that involves palm trees, sand and some warm weather.
Unfortunately for one couple, they found out at the last minute that their Virgin Voyages cruise was being rerouted from warm Bermuda to chilly Canada, of all places.
In a viral Instagram video with over 100,000 views, India Jade McCue and her partner, Ian McCue, explained how they received an email only a few days before their cruise was set to sail on April 6.
“Monday morning we board a cruise ship,” India Jade started off the video, saying while the duo sat in their car. The couple explained how they’re going with Ian’s family, who left for New York “already so we sent our suitcases with them.”
Virgin Voyages rerouted the cruise only a few days before it was set to sail.
“We just got an email from Virgin Voyages saying… ‘Due to forecasted weather, it’s become necessary to adjust our itinerary to keep things smooth, safe and comfortable. Instead of Bermuda, we’ll be heading to northern Canada and St. John, New Brunswick… we know this isn’t what you originally planned and we really appreciate your flexibility…” the cruise line continued.
The couple jokingly screamed as they further read the email that was trying hard to make cold Canada sound enticing, but who wants to pack their parkas when they just wanted some much-needed fun in the sun?
“At first, we were shocked and thought it was a joke. Then we were hit with sort of a version of the stages of grief — denial, anger, and then slowly, acceptance. We always try to choose joy in any circumstance, so we tried to make the most of it and be grateful for the family time and the experience for what it was, even if it was way colder,” India told The Post.
Commenters on the video were just as shocked, many asking if the email was real. While others validate the couple’s feelings, writing, “As a Canadian, this is a VALID crash out.”
The company heard loud and clear how upset people were and issued an apology on their Instagram stories. Virgin Voyages / Instagram“I’m from Canada and it’s still pretty cold here. Virgin should be paying YOU!!!” chimed in someone else.
This video gained so much traction that, a few days later, Virgin Voyages issued an apology to its many disappointed passengers on its since-expired Instagram Stories. “Welp, that ‘Bermuda → Canada’ email really wasn’t it. We’ve seen your messages, and we get it. That one’s on us.”
“…This wasn’t the trip you were planning for—and we should have spoken to that reality,” the post continued. “We understand why you’re disappointed.”
As a result, India told The Post that the cruise line only offered a $100 onboard credit for passengers.
“Some sailors were told they could reschedule their cruise but with such short notice of the port change (less than 72 hours before departure!), many like ourselves were already in too deep with flights, hotels, house sitters, pet sitters, work schedule arrangements and other factors that didn’t make sense to change in the hopes that they could try again another time,” she explained.
“Overall we loved the food and dining options on the cruise, the well-designed spaces and of course, the kind crew members and the family time was a lot of fun,” she added. “However, due to the nature of the destination change, the colder weather and other factors we weren’t able to get the fullest experience on the ship or on the shore of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.”
