Police found the children hiding together in a bathroom at Nathalie Belizaire’s South Florida home on Sept. 26, according to court documents cited by ABC News. The children included a 2-month-old baby and a 2-year-old toddler.

Authorities went to the home after Lether Bazile, the father of the youngest child, called 911. Court records say he discovered his infant daughter and her three siblings inside the house without adult supervision.

Bazile told investigators that on Sept. 24 he saw a WhatsApp post from Belizaire that appeared to show a Carnival cruise ticket purchase. Authorities later determined that she had booked a three-day cruise to the Bahamas departing Sept. 25.

In their last conversation before the trip, Belizaire allegedly told Bazile that she planned to leave the children with their great-grandmother. The great-grandmother later told police that Belizaire had said she was going out of town and would bring the children to her, but never arrived, according to the arrest affidavit.

Belizaire was arrested by police at PortMiami on Sept. 28 after returning from the cruise, Local10 reported. She now faces four counts of child neglect.

At a bond hearing the next day, Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer reacted with disbelief while reviewing the police report.

"You cannot make this up!" Glazer said. "Who leaves the kids, four little kids, alone to go on a cruise?" she added.

Belizaire’s public defender told the judge that she denied the allegations. Glazer responded that police had arrested her as she disembarked from the cruise ship.

The judge set bond at US$10,000 and ordered Belizaire to have no direct or indirect contact with the children. She was also barred from possessing firearms, weapons or ammunition, according to CBS News.

Belizaire posted bond and was released on the evening of Sept. 29. The Florida Department of Children and Families is investigating the case.