NJ Sues RCCL After Diversion

Reports indicate that New Jersey's attorney general sued Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. for diverting a Bermuda-bound cruise to Canada last summer and refusing to issue refunds. The cruise line said a looming storm prompted the change, and was adhering to policies. The state's lawsuit accuses the cruise line of violating the state Consumer Fraud Act. It seeks restitution for the people aboard the ship plus civil penalties. The ship was scheduled to leave on July 24, 2005, for a five-day cruise to Bermuda. Instead, passengers found out as they boarded that they would be going to St. John, New Brunswick, and Halifax, Nova Scotia, according to the state. According to officials, National Hurricane Center was forecasting on July 23 that Tropical Storm Franklin would become a hurricane that would probably cross the ship's path. Source: AP