Cruise ship ‘is hit with CHOLERA outbreak’: Thousands of passengers stuck in quarantine ‘misery’ on illness-hit Norwegian Dawn liner ‘floating aimlessly’ off Africa after vessel was barred from docking on Mauritius

A cruise ship has been banned from docking in Mauritius after a possible cholera outbreak on board, with passengers fearing they could face days in quarantine.

The Norwegian Dawn, which has around 2,200 passengers and 1,000 crew on board, has been “floating aimlessly” in the open sea, a guest said, after Mauritius authorities decided to block it “to avoid any health risks.”

At least 15 people, 14 passengers and one crew member, are isolated with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.

A mother of two on the ship said passengers were told there could be cholera on board and could face up to ten days of quarantine if confirmed.

“You can imagine that the atmosphere among the passengers is not pleasant,” said Dutch tourist Esther Verdaas.

‘Flights are missed, people lose money on hotels booked in Mauritius. The guests are angry, rebellious, sad. These are luxury problems, of course. But what I find difficult is that many things are not clear. Can we go home? When? As? Where do we get the tickets?

Verdaas explained to the Dutch regional newspaper BN DeStem that “the misery began” when they were supposed to dock in Reunion on Saturday, but the authorities denied them.

“That meant a long extra day floating aimlessly in the open sea,” said the tourist, who is traveling with her husband and two daughters.

“The decision not to allow cruise ships access to the pier was taken to avoid health risks,” the Mauritius Port Authority said.

“The health and safety of passengers, as well as that of the country as a whole, is of utmost importance to the authorities,” he added, without giving details about the nature of the health risk.

A spokesperson for U.S.-based Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement that during the ship’s voyage to South Africa on Feb. 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 ensure precautions were taken and everyone on board was safe, the spokesperson said.

The port authority said the results of its tests would be known within 48 hours.

The ship has 2,184 passengers and 1,026 crew. Of those, about 2,000 passengers would have disembarked in Port Louis after completing their cruise, while another 2,279 new passengers were expected to board the ship, the port authority said.

“Passengers who were due to board the ‘Norwegian Dawn’ and begin their cruise from Mauritius today will not be able to do so due to potential health risks,” he said.

Those disembarking or joining the cruise will now do so on February 27, the Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson said.