Thousands are stuck on a ‘troubled’ cruise ship anchored off the African island paradise amid fears of a horror cholera outbreak
THOUSANDS of passengers were stuck on board a cruise ship over fears of a suspected cholera outbreak.
The Norwegian Dawn drifted off the coast of Mauritius on Monday after authorities banned it from docking at its ports over fears of a “health risk.”
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The decision came after the port authority took samples from about 15 passengers who were isolated on board due to symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.
There are at least 2,000 passengers and 1,000 crew members on board Norwegian cruise line Holding ship.
The Norwegian Dawn was due to dock in Port Louis on Sunday, but because it did not go to Reunion Island, it arrived in Port Louis a day early, the Mauritius Port Authority said in a statement.
It said: “The decision not to allow the cruise ship access to the quay was taken to prevent this from happening health risks.
“The health and safety of passengers and that of the country as a whole are of the utmost importance to the authorities.
Another 2,000 passengers scheduled to board the ship had to queue at the port to be accommodated in hotels.
Passenger Anita White told The Sun: “We are now at the port of Mauritius awaiting immigration. It has been very stressful and we have missed valuable time that we cannot get back.”
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Another frustrated mother on the ship said passengers had been informed there could be a cholera outbreak on board and if confirmed, they could be quarantined for up to 10 days.
The Dutch Esther Verdaas explained ADVERTISEMENT: “You can imagine that the atmosphere among the passengers is not pleasant.
‘Flights are missed, people are lost money on hotels booked in Mauritius.
“Guests are angry, rebellious, sad. These are luxury problems of course. But what I find difficult is that so much is unclear.
“Can we go home? When? How? Where can we get tickets?”
A spokesperson for the US headquarters Norwegian cruise line said in a statement that during the ship’s voyage to South Africa on February 13, some passengers had experienced mild symptoms of a stomach-related illness.
Once in Port Louis, the ship’s management worked with Mauritian authorities to ensure precautions were in place and everyone on board was OK, the spokesperson said.
The ship was finally allowed to dock in Mauritius this afternoon after officials ruled there was no evidence of a cholera outbreak.
Mauritius Ministry of Health Director Dr Bhooshun Ori confirmed that the passengers suffered from gastroenteritis and have now “fully recovered”.
The ship has 2,184 passengers and 1,026 crew members.
Of these, about 2,000 passengers were said to have disembarked in Port Louis after completing their cruise, while another 2,279 new passengers were expected to board the ship, the port authority said.
“Passengers who were due to board the ‘Norwegian Dawn’ and start their cruise from Mauritius today will not be able to do so due to potential health risks,” the report said.
Those who disembarked or joined the cruise will now do so on February 27 Norwegian cruise line said spokesperson.
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