As Winter Storm Hernando continues to bring heavy snow and strong winds to the Northeast, thousands of travelers have been left stranded as flights are canceled and cruise itineraries disrupted.
MSC Meraviglia was supposed to depart on a weeklong voyage to The Bahamas from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on Sunday, February 22. However, multiple passengers reported that their scheduled departure was delayed due to the powerful blizzard.
"On the MSC Meraviglia in Brooklyn port. Can’t leave til tomorrow," Ginny Marino-Prince shared in a public Facebook group on Feb. 22.
While initially, the ship's departure was a bit up in the air, cruisers confirmed that the vessel finally set sail around 3:00 p.m. EST on Monday. Cruise Mapper shows that MSC Meraviglia has officially departed New York and is sailing south to The Bahamas.
MSC Meraviglia's original itinerary had the cruise ship calling at Port Canaveral, Florida, on Tuesday, Feb. 24, followed by the cruise line's private island on Wednesday and Nassau on Friday.
However, the schedule was adjusted to work with the unexpected delay. Now, those aboard MSC's Feb. 22 voyage will miss the last stop of Nassau since the vessel must make up for one less day at sea.
Although passengers must have a worthwhile vacation experience, it's more important to keep passengers and crew safe and avoid unfavorable weather conditions.
According to The Weather Channel, Winter Storm Hernando is the city's heaviest snowstorm since 2021, surpassing the 17.4-inch storm that struck from January 31 to February 3, 2021, with over 15 inches of snow already reported in Central Park. Some parts of New England have seen snowfall totals top 30 inches, including Warwick, Rhode Island.
Over 600,000 homes and businesses have been left without power across the region, and authorities have urged all non-essential vehicles to stay off the roads.
In fact, New York City enforced a travel ban from 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22, until 12:00 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 23. NYC schools were also closed for a traditional snow day on Monday for the first time since 2019.
Odyssey of the Seas was also stuck in port overnight
Like the thousands of passengers stuck on MSC Meraviglia in Brooklyn, those aboard Odyssey of the Seas woke up to snow-covered decks and gray skies, rather than the ocean's horizon. Overnight, the Quantum Class cruise ship was blanketed in a fluffy layer of snow, transforming the outdoor decks into a winter wonderland.
Odyssey of the Seas was supposed to call at Port Canaveral, Florida, on the 24th, Perfect Day at CocoCay on the 25th, and Nassau on the 26th.
Unfortunately, as of 4:30 p.m. EST, Odyssey of the Seas remained stuck in New Jersey, with itinerary adjustments imminent to account for losing one whole day at sea.
Read more: Photos show Royal Caribbean cruise ship blanketed by snow in major blizzard
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
In addition to writing for Cruise.Blog, Elizabeth has bylines in Business Insider, Royal Caribbean Blog, and Cruiseshipfood.com.
