A cruise ship has been given permission to dock in Mauritius after tests showed passengers did not have cholera.
Over 3,000 people were stuck off the coast of East Africa after some on board came down with a stomach bug.
With cholera circulating in southern Africa, authorities requested samples from the sick passengers as a precaution to prevent spread of the disease, which can be fatal.
Meanwhile, thousands of other tourists – including a Metro staff member – were waiting on shore in Mauritius having been delayed boarding for a new sailing.
US news editor Jessica Kwong told Metro she had been due to depart for a cruiseon the ship at 8pm yesterday but received a text message in the morning that it would not be mooring in the port as planned.
Put up in a free hotel room like all affected guests, she was only able to see the ship floating out at sea in the distance while rumours and reports swirled about sickness on board the boat.
But now the test results have shown the passengers had gastroenteritis rather than cholera, so the ship does not need to remain in quarantine.
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Passengers for the new sailing will be able to board tomorrow.
In a letter to guests seen by Metro.co.uk, Norwegian Cruise Line said now the ship has been cleared passengers will board 8pm local time tomorrow.
They will arrive at Pointe Des Galets, Reunion, at 7am the following day, the revised itinerary states.
‘As a result of losing two days of the voyage, while regrettably we are unable to call on Madagascar, we have maintained the integrity of the remaining highly valued ports of call such as Richard’s Bay, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town, South Africa,’ the letter says.
‘Even with this modification to the itinerary, our onboard team will do all they can to make this a truly memorable experience.’
Dutch tourist Esther Verdaas told BN DeStem that she and her family were on the trip for a sixtieth birthday celebration, but it turned into a miserable experience and ‘aimless floating on the open sea’ while they waited for the results.
The captain had told passengers over the tannoy that there was an outbreak of cholera in South Africa and Zimbabwe and that it was possible someone on board also had the gastrointestinal illness, Ms Verdaas said.
They were instructed to be more strict with hygiene, and she said she had also seen more cleaning on board including ‘spraying and vacuuming everywhere’.
Since January last year, at least 188,000 people have been infected with cholera across Southern Africa, with more than 3,000 people dying of the illness which causes vomiting and diarrhea, according to the UN.
At least one British tourist has been caught up in ‘chaos on shore’ in Mauritius, telling MailOnline that he was due to board the ship at the weekend but has had to cancel his trip and may have to buy expensive flights back to the UK.
The man, 59, said his partner ‘is now refusing to get on the ship regardless of what happens’ as they are both ‘scared to get on a contaminated ship’.
Metro editor waiting in Mauritius
US news editor Jessica Kwong, who will board the ship tomorrow in Port Louis, said while awaiting confirmation of the results: ‘The Norwegian Dawn was supposed to depart Mauritius on Sunday at 8pm local time, but at 8am, passengers received a text message stating, “Due to a decision made by the local Mauritian officials, N. Dawn will not be able to arrive in port today and you will be unable to board your cruise.”
‘It said we would tentatively be boarding on Tuesday and that Norwegian Cruise Line would be providing all guests with complimentary hotel rooms.
‘No one likes vacation plans to change and I quickly wondered what the reason was and hoped some of the ports I’d been looking forward to like Madagascar would not be skipped.
‘Soon after, local reports emerged of a stomach-related illness on board – and were overshadowed by talk of a possible cholera outbreak, which of course was concerning.
‘While awaiting more information, we appreciated the accommodations and an extra two days to explore and enjoy Mauritius – which offers so much more than can be seen by arriving just a day before embarkation!
‘On the ride back to our hotel from a tour in the south region of Mauritius late afternoon Sunday, our guide pointed out the Norwegian Dawn floating in the Indian Ocean a distance out from the port. We hoped for the best and to receive good news soon.
‘Shortly before 8am on Monday, we received another text message from Norwegian stating that the cruise line was continuing “to work closely with local authorities to finalize all clearances required” to have us on board on Tuesday.
‘We were informed that embarkation would not start until after 4pm and that NCL would work with all the hotels for late checkouts.
‘Norwegian stated to the press that additional testing was being required by local authorities before allowing the ship to dock, so I made peace with it being a waiting game for the test results and decided to just enjoy being stuck in paradise for the time being!’
Authorities in Mauritius said the decision was ‘taken in order to avoid any health risks’.
Samples have been taken for testing from those on board, with the results expected to be known tomorrow.
The ship, which has 2,184 passengers and 1,026 crew members, had been due to finish its trip in Port Louis, Mauritius, and take on a new intake.
It arrived in Mauritius a day early after missing a scheduled stop at Reunion Island, but has not been allowed into the port.
Ms Verdaas said passengers on board were on edge and worried by the uncertainty of when they could get home and whether they would lose money on hotels they had paid for and could no longer visit.
She even claimed that portion sizes at meals had decreased in a form of rationing in case the ship could not restock for a while.
The cruise line responded
In an updated statement this evening, a spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line said: ‘Upon Norwegian Dawn’s arrival to Port Louis Mauritius on Feb. 25, 2024, there were a small number of guests experiencing mild symptoms of a stomach-related illness.
‘Despite previous reports and speculations, there were no confirmed cases nor any evidence of cholera on board the vessel. Although only six guests were being monitored due to mild symptoms of a stomach-related illness, the government of Mauritius required testing in an overabundance of caution, thereby delaying the ship’s original disembarkation scheduled for February 25, 2024.
‘Following the results of the regulatory testing by the government of Mauritius and their confirmation that no trace of cholera was found during their testing, Norwegian Dawn has been cleared for entry into Port Louis, Mauritius, and disembarkation of all guests will commence early morning February 27 local time.
‘We are committed to prioritizing the guest experience at every step of the cruise journey, even in unexpected and difficult situations such as this. Both our shoreside and shipboard teams have maintained ongoing communication with guests currently on board, providing updates as available throughout this fluid situation.
‘Given the delayed disembarkation, our NCL Air Team has rearranged travel arrangements, at no additional cost, for all guests who originally booked their air through us, with over 400 flights rescheduled within 24 hours.
They added: ‘As always, the health and safety of our guests, crew and the destinations we visit is our top priority. We operate at the highest public health and sanitation standards and abide by all local health regulations.’
The ship had previously docked in South Africa, and after this, some passengers developed mild stomach illness symptoms, the operator of Norwegian Cruise Line said.
The Mauritius Ports Authority said in a statement: ‘The decision not to allow the cruise ship access to the quay was taken in order to avoid any health risks.
‘The health and safety of passengers as well as that of the country as a whole are of the utmost to the authorities.
It did not give any details about the nature of the health risk.
David Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line, said: ‘We appreciate our guests’ patience during this time, as we navigate this fluid situation.
‘We greatly value our onboard leadership team and crew, as well as our global shoreside team for going above and beyond to ensure the comfort of our guests during this unanticipated event.
‘We believe in doing the right thing and doing everything available to deliver the best vacation experience possible for our guests.’
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