Passengers Get Extra Day At Sea On Cruise To Baltimore

BALTIMORE (AP) -- For the passengers on a cruise ship heading back to snowy Baltimore, one more day at sea doesn't sound like such a bad idea.

The Maryland Department of Transportation said Friday that a blizzard means the port won't be ready for the Royal Caribbean International's Grandeur of the Seas until Monday. The ship was to return Sunday from an eight-day trip to the Bahamas, said Cynthia Martinez, a Royal Caribbean spokeswoman. But plans changed after a forecast that the storm could dump more than 2 feet of snow.

Meg Ryan, 51, of Hamilton, New Jersey, said she learned about 1 p.m. Friday of the postponement from the cruise line's website.

"Based on weather forecasts, flight cancellations, states of emergency and information from the Port of Baltimore about the terminals closing, many guests suspected that we might be delayed," she said in an email.

"I was not totally surprised and, frankly, happy to be delayed," Ryan added. "First, it is an extra day of vacation, but more importantly, safety comes first and travel Sunday would be difficult, if not impossible."

Ryan is an assistant manager of a luggage store in New Jersey. She is also a Master Cruise Counsellor, a certification from the trade organization Cruise Lines International Association, with a company called eCruisenet that provides consulting services to passengers planning trips. Ryan said she was traveling with a group of eCruisenet clients.

Ryan said she expected the cruise line will have activities to entertain passengers, and the shops and casino will be open, "ready to separate guests from their money."

On the downside, Ryan said passengers were trying to rebook transportation from Baltimore to home. Also, the Grandeur of the Seas is to begin another cruise Sunday to the western Caribbean, so a fresh set of passengers will grapple with a delay. Ryan said the cruise line was helping passengers returning to Baltimore with free calls and Internet access; she took a photo of a line of people waiting to make calls.

Still, an on-board indoor solarium and pool presented an idyllic contrast to what awaited Ryan at home.

"I will return to Hamilton (near Trenton), N.J., to 2 feet of snow, and probably an irate cat, who I am sure will not be happy that I am delayed."

(Copyright 2016 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)