Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Johanne Prosper
Published on 2024-02-26 13:00:48
– 2,184 passengers and 1,026 crew members confined on board to eliminate any health risks
The cruise ship Norwegian Dawn has had a stroke of bad luck. While it was supposed to dock in Mauritius yesterday morning, it arrived in Port Louis early, on Saturday at 6 pm, but now finds itself in a delicate situation with several suspected cases of cholera on board the ship, which is currently anchored off the coast of Port Louis. Port authorities have not allowed the ship to dock at the pier “to avoid any health risks.” According to information gathered by Le-Mauricien, about twenty people on board are believed to be ill. The prefecture of La Reunion has also prohibited its docking on the sister island.
The luxury cruise ship was on a 12-day cruise from Cape Town, South Africa. It had stopped at Nosy Be before heading to La Reunion. The 2,184 passengers, from various nationalities (mostly Scandinavians and Norwegians) and the 1,026 crew members are now confined on board until further notice.
Several people on board are suspected to have contracted cholera, showing specific symptoms, including about a hundred suffering from diarrhea. Blood tests were scheduled for this Sunday to detect any infectious diseases. Health authorities are especially vigilant in this case, as dengue is already prevalent in the country.
The Mauritius Ports Authority refers to a “health risk” without providing further details. The Ministry of Health has taken samples from about fifteen passengers on board. “They were placed in isolation on the cruise ship due to their health condition,” it was highlighted. Port authorities have not allowed the ship to dock.
The test results will not be known until tomorrow. In the meantime, passengers and crew members aboard the Norwegian Dawn are on high alert, unsure of what the future holds in the coming days. In Mauritius, as is customary when a cruise ship docks, several receptive agencies are called upon to welcome passengers in the Mauritian tradition, take care of them, and take them on excursions around the country.
Around 2,000 passengers were supposed to end their cruise by disembarking in Mauritius yesterday. Furthermore, 2,279 new passengers had also traveled to Mauritius to board the ship specifically on Sunday for the rest of the cruise. The MPA emphasizes that passengers who were supposed to board the Norwegian Dawn from Mauritius on Sunday were unable to do so “due to potential health risks.”
Instead of boarding yesterday, they are invited by Norwegian Cruise Line to board on Tuesday. In the meantime, two nights of hotel accommodation and meals are provided. The cruise line has promptly responded to reassure its passengers and those affected by the situation, particularly financially: “…As a genuine acknowledgement of the inconvenience caused, we have arranged a USD 200 non-refundable onboard credit per stateroom…”
A Mauritian receptive, familiar with the cruise market, was shocked to hear the news as they were supposed to take care of 200 passengers for transfers and excursions. A handful of local receptives were affected by the arrival of the Norwegian Dawn and were each supposed to handle a group of passengers. “We are extremely saddened by this situation and stand in solidarity with the passengers on board, who must be going through a particularly difficult time, as well as those who were unable to board as planned,” explained the receptive, who was working with this cruise for the first time, which visits the Indian Ocean annually.
In a situation like that of the Norwegian Dawn, it means losses for the affected local receptives as they will have to reimburse the pre-paid packages for transfers and excursions in Mauritius. However, it is a boon for hotels, as they suddenly have to accommodate several hundred new clients for 48 hours.
While cruises are synonymous with dream vacations, they can sometimes take a turn for the worse. Earlier this month, a case of confinement on a cruise ship involved 140 passengers on the Queen Victoria heading to Florida with 1,824 passengers and 967 crew members on board. An outbreak of gastroenteritis of unknown origin occurred on board, leading to the quarantine of 140 passengers and crew members.
Read the original article(French) on Le Mauricien
