Possible Mutiny on the Carnival 'Miracle'?

(MoneyWatch)  Could passengers stage a mutiny and take over a cruise ship? It could if the cruisers had anticipated a balmy week in the Caribbean. But because of Tropical Storm/Hurricane Hanna, they were rerouted to exotic . . . Newport, R.I.?

According to USA Today, Carnival's Miracle left New York last Friday and was supposed to sail eight nights with stops in San Juan, St. Thomas and Grand Turk Island. But when faced with Hanna, Carnival announced the ship would go no further than Freeport and Nassau in the Bahamas. As the storm made its way to the Bahamas, Carnival changed plans again, dropping the Nassau trip and turning the back to spend the night in Rhode Island. The cruise ship will return to New York Saturday.

Various reports have at least one passenger posting a diatribe called, "Mutiny on the Miracle 8/29/08" to a cruise Web site saying, "People starting chanting REFUND REFUND!!!" and giving no gratuities to show their displeasure at being diverted to Port Canaveral, Freeport and Rhode Island. I can see their point: According to Carnival's Miracle Web site, accommodations started at $999. Carnival's two-day "Cruise to Nowhere" starts at $309.