More than 5,000 passengers boarded Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas in New Jersey on October 18, expecting a seven-day cruise to Florida and the Bahamas.

Instead, forecasts of stormy weather off the East Coast prompted the line to replace the planned port stops with a call in Halifax, Nova Scotia, according to Fox News, which reports the line announced the change the evening before sailing — leaving passengers little time to adjust.

New Jersey resident Marie Durning told CTV News, "My husband said to me, 'This is a joke, right?'" adding that she packed her winter hat and earmuffs but forgot her scarf. Daytime temperatures in Halifax hovered in the upper 40s to low 50s, with overnight lows in the 30s, according to Fox News.

The detour upended expectations in both directions.

Passengers who booked a beach vacation found themselves in a chilly Canadian port — Fox News notes Nicholas Meli drove seven hours with his family from Toronto to New Jersey to board, only to tell CTV News, "I am already from Canada, and I wanted to go to the Bahamas."

Meanwhile, Halifax locals found their city suddenly hosting thousands of impromptu visitors.

CTV News' Paul Hollingsworth spoke with the diverted cruisers as they took in the East Coast vibes, and a Reddit thread on r/canada showed commenters expressing sympathy while praising the city — one called it their favorite Canadian city to visit, while another summed up, "Halifax is gorgeous, but it is not the Bahamas."

The 24-hour stop in Halifax gave passengers time to explore ashore, shop and take harbor rides before the ship departed Wednesday evening for three days at sea, as Fox News reports.

Many embraced the surprise destination: Jim Matthews, who lives near Paterson, New Jersey, told CTV News, "I'm grateful and I'm going to make the best of it," adding, "I have found out that Halifax is a beautiful city."

Halifax was the cruise's only port stop, according to Fox News, making the unplanned visit the centerpiece of the week for travelers who had packed for tropical weather.

According to Fox News, citing a People report, passengers received a 50% travel voucher and refunds for shore excursions — but the outlet notes that Royal Caribbean's website says weather and other circumstances can prompt the line to alter or substitute ports, and the line is not necessarily required to refund fares or provide compensation.

The ship was scheduled to return to New Jersey on Sunday after three days at sea, closing out a week very different from the one the passengers booked. Fox News Digital reached out to Royal Caribbean for comment on the itinerary change.