Off Mauritius

2000 cruise passengers stranded off Mauritius

The "Norwegian Dawn" (archive photo), built in 2002, offers space for up to 2340 guests and 1032 crew members.(Bild: Kirk Fisher - stock.adobe.com)

The all-clear has been given following the suspected cholera outbreak among passengers on the cruise ship "Norwegian Dawn" off the East African island of Mauritius. The samples taken from around 15 people on board on Sunday showed no signs of cholera, according to the island nation's Ministry of Health on Monday afternoon.

Following a meeting between the authorities on Monday afternoon, it had previously been announced that the ship would be allowed to dock and the first passengers would be allowed to disembark at 6 a.m. local time on Tuesday morning.

This followed an involuntary delay to the cruise from South Africa via Madagascar and La Réunion to Mauritius.

Temporary refusal to dock
Following a series of gastrointestinal illnesses on board the "Norwegian Dawn", the authorities in Mauritius refused to allow the ship to dock in the port of the capital Port Louis on Sunday. Previously, the French island of La Réunion had already turned the ship away. Southern Africa is currently experiencing one of the worst cholera outbreaks in years.

Cholera

Cholera is caused by a bacterium that forms a toxin in the intestine. It is mainly spread through contaminated drinking water and contaminated food. Many infections are asymptomatic, but in severe cases the severe loss of fluids and salt can lead to circulatory collapse, muscle cramps, shock and death within hours.

Passengers criticize communication
Passengers on the cruise ship had previously reacted differently to the situation. "It's all normal and we're having fun," a Mauritian guest told dpa, but criticized the lack of communication on board and on the part of the tour operator.

A couple from the island of La Réunion, who had boarded in Cape Town, also criticized the communication. "As soon as we left Cape Town, they had to know that there was a problem. The buffet had disappeared. We were served with gloves. There were rumors about gastroenteritis," the husband told dpa. "We wanted to disembark in La Réunion on Saturday. In the morning we were told that the ship was going to Mauritius instead. We were a little worried. After all, we thought we would get off in Mauritius and fly back to La Réunion. Then we suddenly found out that the health authorities were coming on board. Only very late did they mention the suspected cholera outbreak."

Built in 2002, the "Norwegian Dawn" (archive photo) offers space for up to 2340 guests and 1032 crew members.(Bild: Kirk Fisher - stock.adobe.com)

According to the shipping company, the "Norwegian Dawn", built in 2002 at the German Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Lower Saxony, has space for up to 2340 guests and 1032 crew members on board. It set off from South Africa on February 13 on its journey via Madagascar to La Réunion and Mauritius. The cruise ship was then due to return to South Africa with the new passengers.

One of the worst cholera outbreaks in years
Southern Africa has been experiencing one of the worst cholera outbreaks in years for months. By mid-January, around 200,000 cases of the disease and more than 3,000 deaths had been reported in the 13 countries affected. Mauritius was on high alert as cases had occurred in the Comoros.