Your cruise to Bermuda just got a scenic Saint John detour
Good morning from the Fundy shore — the tide's turning, and so is New Brunswick. Let's get into it.
Now, I'll tell you what, there are travel nightmares, and then there's thinking you're off to Bermuda and waking up to the familiar sight of the Irving smokestacks. That's exactly what happened to a bunch of cruise passengers this week. Their ship, the *Norwegian Joy*, was supposed to be heading south, but due to some rough weather out in the Atlantic, they made a sharp turn north instead and ended up tying up right here in Saint John Harbour. I can only imagine the faces when they looked out their portholes and saw the old City Market, not pink sand beaches.
This is peak Saint John, right? We're a port city through and through, and while we're always happy to host, it's a bit of a laugh when we're the backup plan for Bermuda. You've got to feel for folks who packed for sunshine and got our charming, if slightly cooler, Bay of Fundy breezes. But credit where it's due, those passengers seemed to be making the best of it. They got to wander up King Street, maybe grab a coffee at a spot uptown, and see the Reversing Falls for themselves. It’s not Bermuda, but it’s definitely an experience.
### What This Means for Saint John
* **Unexpected Boost:** It's a sudden, unplanned influx of tourists, which means a little bump for our local shops and restaurants, especially those in the uptown core. * **Cruise Ship Readiness:** Shows how quickly our port can pivot. We're always ready for a ship, even one that's a few thousand nautical miles off its original course. * **A Good Story:** It’s the kind of yarn you’ll hear people telling for years down at the wharf, right? "Remember when that Bermuda cruise ended up here?"
It just goes to show, you can plan all you want, but sometimes the Fundy Bay has other ideas. And for those passengers, I hope they still managed to find some joy, even if it was just in a bowl of seafood chowder by the harbour.
Caleb Duguay-Firth, MiTL Sports Desk, Saint John.
The crew on the Morning Wire show are probably still chuckling about this one — catch their take live at mornings.live.