26 February 2024 , 12:31
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A cruise ship carrying thousands of passengers and crew was denied permission to dock at a luxury location owing to fears of a cholera outbreak onboard – that proved to be a false alarm.
The Norwegian Dawn was due to dock at Port Louis, Mauritius, but was turned away as at least 15 people on the ship are currently in isolation. It was reported they fell ill with symptoms of the illness, which causes diarrhoea and vomiting and can be especially dangerous for young children, during a trip to South Africa.
A passenger onboard claimed the captain told those aboard the Norwegian cruise there was a possible outbreak of the Victorian disease onboard, reported BN DeStem. Mauritius Port Authority confirmed: "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 has since been confirmed by the results of regulatory testing that the illness in question was not cholera. A Norwegian Cruise Line spokesman said: "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 Feb. 27, 2024 local time. We are committed to prioritising 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.
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"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. We have further provided all guests with free Wifi and phone service, so even those who purchased air on their own could rearrange their return flights.
"We will also be reimbursing guests for reasonably incurred expenses as a result of their flight changes. Complimentary hotel accommodations were also secured for those guests who have a return flight scheduled for Feb. 28, 2024. Additionally, to compensate for this unexpected two-day delay, guests were provided with a future cruise credit."
Cholera is contracted from a bacterium generally transmitted through contaminated food or water. The illness causes diarrhoea and vomiting and can be especially dangerous for young children. Although cholera can kill within hours, it can be treated with simple oral rehydration and antibiotics, but many people around the world do not have access or cannot afford such medicines.
In its latest update earlier this month, the (WHO) warned there were tens of thousands of cases made in 17 different countries in areas across the world. It read: “The persistence of cholera is evident as 2024 begins, with 40 900 cases and 775 deaths reported in January alone from 17 countries across four regions.
“[These were] the African Region, the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the Region of the Americas, and the South-East Asia Region. Zambia and Zimbabwe have experienced the highest surges, underscoring the ongoing challenge of controlling cholera and the importance of sustained public health efforts. In 2023, cases were reported in 30 countries across five WHO regions, including nine countries which recorded more than 10 000 cases.
Earlier this month more than 139 passengers and crew were struck down with diarrhoea and vomiting after an outbreak on a three-week Queen Victoria cruise . The Cunard Cruise Line ship departed Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on January 22, but days later 123 passengers and 16 crew members reported gastrointestinal symptoms, according to the . There are 1,824 passengers and 967 crew members on the ship. In response to the outbreak, the cruise line and crew have isolated ill passengers and crew and increased cleaning and disinfection procedures "according to the ship’s outbreak prevention and response plan," the CDC said.