Norwegian Cruise Ship Stuck with 2,000 Passengers Due to Illness

A Norwegian Cruise Line ship, the Norwegian Dawn, carrying over 2,000 passengers, has been stuck off the coast of Mauritius due to concerns over a mystery illness affecting some passengers. The ship was on a South African voyage and was scheduled to arrive in Port Louis on Feb. 25, but authorities in Mauritius decided to quarantine the vessel after some passengers displayed symptoms of a stomach-related illness.

The cruise line stated that “a small number” of guests began experiencing mild symptoms earlier in the week. The Mauritian Ministry of Health conducted tests on about 15 passengers who showed signs of illness and isolated them aboard the ship. Until the test results are available, local authorities have prohibited anyone from disembarking or boarding the ship for the next cruise, which is scheduled to depart on Tuesday.

The Mauritius Ports Authority confirmed that the ship arrived at Port Louis ahead of schedule after skipping its scheduled stop at Reunion Island. However, officials refused to allow the ship to dock due to health concerns. The cruise line has been working to provide accommodations for the passengers, including hotel stays, until they can board the ship.

Health officials are expecting to receive the test results within 48 hours. It remains unclear how many passengers or crew members are affected by the illness, as officials have only confirmed testing on 15 individuals. The ship, which also has 1,026 crew members on board, was set to disembark 2,000 passengers on Sunday, who are now stranded aboard. Additionally, 2,279 new passengers were scheduled to board in Port Louis on Sunday but have been unable to do so.

Norwegian Cruise Line is cooperating with local authorities and health officials to address the situation and ensure the well-being of all passengers and crew.