Trucks packed with presents that might not make it under the tree on time were part of the crush of commercial traffic sitting idle at the Marine Atlantic Ferry Terminal Thursday.

High winds caused a large backlog of holiday travelers on both sides of the Newfoundland Ferry after crossings were cancelled earlier in the day.

Kathy Hrisook and her daughter were among those trying to cross to Newfoundland and say their ferry cancellation has been especially difficult to bear due to the death of a loved one.

"Hopefully it will run (Friday), but I’ve missed my mom's memorial service today and I (could) miss her funeral tomorrow,” says Hrisook.

The pair left their home in Regina on Tuesday after Hrisook’s mother passed away the day before. They flew as far as Halifax then drove to the ferry terminal when flights to Newfoundland were unavailable.

"Emotionally, it has been very difficult.”

Since then, the two say they’ve been stranded in a North Sydney hotel, frantically searching for flights online.

Ferry disruptions in the Cabot Strait aren't unusual during the winter months, but cancellations so short of the holidays are making for particularly bad timing for travellers.

"Commercial traffic, of course, trying to get the last-minute goods to the stores. Food into the grocery stores, mail and from a passenger perspective, those who are travelling for the Christmas season are trying to get home,” says Darrell Mercer of Marine Atlantic.

Marine Atlantic says it will attempt a couple of crossings Friday, but there’s a strong possibility that Saturday and Sunday’s crossings will be cancelled due to nasty weather in the forecast.

Kathy Hrisook and her daughter say they’re praying for a Christmas miracle after such a devastating week.

"If somebody was going to be kind enough to give up their two seats... yeah, I’d probably kiss their feet. But I don't think it's going to happen,” says Hrisook. “Everybody wants to get home for Christmas."

Her mother’s funeral is set for 2 p.m. Friday in Corner Brook and Hrisook says the closet airport they can fly into would be Deer Lake, about an hour drive away.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ryan MacDonald.