The Norwegian Cruise Line ship Norwegian Dawn, on a 12-day cruise from Cape Town to Port Louis, was stranded off the coast of Mauritius after some passengers on a South African voyage were quarantined after experiencing a stomach illness aboard the ship.
Local authorities decided to prevent any other passengers from disembarking until test results come back. Norwegian Cruise Line said “a small number” of guests aboard the ship began experiencing mild symptoms of a stomach-related illness earlier this week.
Norwegian Dawn was scheduled to arrive in Port Louis on 25 February, but after the ship missed the Reunion Island call, she arrived earlier at Port Louis, but authorities said the ship could not dock.
The Mauritius Ministry of Health took samples from about 15 passengers because of the ongoing health risk and isolated them aboard the ship. Until testing was complete, Mauritius would not let anyone leave or board the ship for the next cruise.
Officials tested 15 individuals out of the 2,184 passengers on board, along with 1,026 crew members. About 2,000 passengers were scheduled to disembark on 25 February, but had to remain aboard the ship. 2,279 new passengers were scheduled to board the ship in Port Louis.
Photo by Paul Newland/shipspotting.com