THOUSANDS of passengers were trapped onboard a cruise ship over fears of a suspected cholera outbreak.
The Norwegian Dawn was floating off Mauritius on Monday after authorities barred it from docking at its ports amid fears of a "health risk."
The decision came after the port authority took samples from about 15 passengers who were in isolation on board as they suffered from vomiting and diarrhoea symptoms.
At least 2,000 passengers and 1,000 crew are onboard the Norwegian Cruise Line Holding ship.
The Norwegian Dawn had been scheduled to dock in Port Louis on Sunday, but since it had not gone to Reunion Island, it arrived in Port Louis a day earlier, the Mauritius Ports Authority said in a statement.
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It read: "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.
Another 2,000 passengers who were meant to board the ship were forced to queue at the port to be put up in hotels.
Passenger Anita White told The Sun: "We are now in port in Mauritius awaiting to go to immigration, it’s been very stressful and we have missed out on precious time that we cannot get back."
Are you onboard the Norwegian Dawn? Email aliki.kraterou@thesun.co.uk and AD: "You can imagine that the atmosphere among the passengers is not pleasant.
"Flights are being missed, people have lost money on hotels booked in Mauritius.
"Guests are angry, rebellious, sad. These are luxury problems, of course. But what I find difficult is that so much is unclear.
"Can we go home? When? How? Where do we get tickets?"
A spokesperson for the U.S.-headquartered Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement that during the ship's trip 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 make sure precautions were in place and all on board were okay, the spokesperson said.
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The ship was finally allowed to dock in Mauritius this afternoon after officials deemed there was no evidence of a cholera outbreak.
The director of Mauritius Ministry of Health Dr Bhooshun Ori confirmed the passengers have gastroenteritis and are now "fully recovered."
The ship has 2,184 passengers and 1,026 crew members.
Of these, about 2,000 passengers would have disembarked in Port Louis after completing their cruise while another 2,279 new passengers had been expected to board the ship, the port authority said.
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 Feb. 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 Feb. 27, 2024 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.
"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.
"For guests originally booked on the Feb. 25, 2024 voyage, their embarkation is now scheduled to commence Feb. 27, 2024 in the afternoon local time.
"Given the delayed departure, we arranged a complimentary two-day hotel stay in Mauritius for all embarking guests, which includes nearly 1,200 hotel rooms for over 2,000 guests.
"They also received a daily per diem per guest to cover the cost of meals and other ancillary expenses, and we have arranged complimentary transfers to the port on Feb. 27, 2024.
"Additionally, due to the shortened cruise voyage, they will also be receiving a prorated refund based on the reduced sailing length, as well as an onboard credit and future cruise credit.
"Over the last several days, we have been keeping guests informed with regular updates through multiple communication channels, including text message and email.
"Furthermore, we quickly mobilized additional staff on the ground over the last few days, flying in our dedicated NCL Care Team from our offices in Miami and England, to provide more support and to ensure a smooth disembarkation and embarkation process on Feb. 27, 2024.
"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."
Those who were disembarking or joining the cruise will now do so on Feb. 27, the Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson said.
