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A cruise ship has been banned from docking in Mauritius after a possible cholera outbreak on board, with passengers fearing they will have to remain in quarantine for days.
Norwegian Dawn, which carries about 2,200 passengers and 1,000 crew, is drifting “aimlessly” on the open sea, a guest said, after Mauritian authorities decided to block it “to avoid health risks.”
At least 15 people – 14 passengers and one crew member – are said to be in isolation with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.
A mother of two on the ship said passengers were told there might be cholera on board, and that they could be quarantined for up to 10 days if this is confirmed.
“You can imagine that the atmosphere among the passengers is not pleasant,” says Dutch holidaymaker Esther Verdaas.
“Flights are being missed, people have lost money on hotels booked in Mauritius. Guests are angry, rebellious, sad. These are of course luxury problems. But what I find difficult is that so much is unclear. Can we go home? When? How? Where do we get tickets?’
Norwegian Dawn, carrying around 2,200 passengers and 1,000 crew, drifts off the coast after Mauritian authorities decided to block it ‘to avoid health risks’ (file image)
Mrs Verdaas explains to the regional Dutch newspaper BN DeStem that ‘the trouble started’ when they were supposed to dock in Réunion on Saturday, but were turned away by the authorities.
“That meant an extra long day of aimless floating on the open sea,” says the tourist, who is traveling with her husband and their two daughters.
“The decision not to allow the cruise ship access to the quay was taken to avoid health risks,” the Mauritius Ports Authority said.
“The health and safety of passengers and that of the country as a whole are of the utmost importance to the authorities,” it added, without giving any details on the nature of the health risk.
A spokesperson for US-based 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 planned route of the Norwegian Dawn. It was due to a trip from South Africa to Mauritius
The port authority said the test results would be known within 48 hours.
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 Feb. 27, the Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson said.