It wasn't a scheduled stop, but officials felt they had no choice.

It was quite the scene in the Saguenay because of hurricane Sandy.

A cruise ship carrying 5-thousand people has unexpectedly docked in the region to avoid the storm.

Saguenay mayor Jean Tremblay is reported saying two other cruise ships made similar stops in his region in 2011.

He reportedly went on to say that he's happy with the visit, but that the co-ordination prior to such an unscheduled arrival is quite the challenge, referring to volunteers and buses to handle the passengers.

Said a local resident, it's pretty good advertising for us on the international stage.

The Emerald Princess, part of the Princess Cruise Lines, left Quebec City Friday night and was heading for Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The ship is expected to make stops in Nova Scotia and and Newfoundland.

Picture credit: Radio Canada