Cruise ship
Passengers can disembark after suspected cholera
Around 2,000 passengers and 1,000 crew members were stranded on a cruise ship because of suspected cholera (archive image). photo
© Mark Garfinkel/The Boston Herald/AP/dpa
Some people couldn’t get off board quickly enough, others just had a cozy evening on a cruise ship after the cholera all-clear was given. There is criticism of crisis management.
Since Sunday, a good 2,000 passengers and 1,000 crew members had been stuck on board the cruise ship “Norwegian Dawn” two miles off the port of Port Louis because of suspected cholera outbreaks. After a series of gastrointestinal illnesses on board, the authorities in Mauritius refused to allow the ship to dock in the port of the capital Port Louis on Sunday. The French island of La Réunion had previously rejected the ship. It was only on Monday afternoon that the all-clear was given: the suspicion of cholera had not been confirmed among the approximately 15 people affected.
There was also criticism of the crisis management. “That could have gone better,” said a German passenger on Tuesday night. “We were informed too late and inadequately.” It only became clear that something was wrong when the ship did not dock in La Réunion as planned. He also doesn’t know what will happen next, said the man who originally wanted to fly to Frankfurt on Sunday.