Norwegian Cruise Line ship to dock after testing showed no traces of cholera onboard
Pending health test results prevented about 2,000 passengers from leaving the vessel on Sunday
Cruise industry seeing summer boom with pandemic restrictions lifted
Cruise ships are seeing more people come on board this summer. 31.5 million people are expected to cruise this year. That would be more than the last full year before the pandemic.
A Norwegian Cruise Line ship received permission Monday to dock at the main port of Mauritius after officials denied it entry over the weekend "to avoid any health risks."
Concerns about the possibility of a cholera outbreak onboard the Norwegian Dawn prompted the Mauritius Ports Authority to keep the ship out of Port Louis, where it arrived on Saturday evening, a day earlier than expected.
However, the director general of health services at the Ministry of Health and Wellness said Monday sample testing showed the disease was not present, according to Reuters.
The website Marine Traffic listed the Norwegian Dawn as moored in Port Louis as of early Monday afternoon. Mauritius, an island nation, is located east of Madagascar.
The Norwegian Dawn cruise ship arriving in the French Mediterranean port of Marseille. (Gerard Bottino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via / Getty Images)
"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," a Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson told FOX Business. "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."
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCLH | NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE HOLDINGS LTD. | 19.04 | -0.31 | -1.60% |
NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE INTRODUCING TONS OF SOLO ROOMS FOR TRAVELERS
The Mauritius Ports Authority said Sunday that about 15 of the cruise liner’s nearly 2,200 total guests had samples taken by health officials in connection with the "health risk." Those individuals were also subject to quarantine onboard.
The Norwegian Dawn cruise ship leaves New York City. (RJ Capak/WireImage / Getty Images)
Pending test results prevented about 2,000 passengers from leaving the vessel on Sunday, according to port officials.
The company is assisting passengers with flight arrangements at no additional cost, and, in some cases, providing complimentary hotel accommodations. It is also giving a future cruise credit to passengers affected by the two-day delay.
The ship, built in 2002, was slated to welcome 2,279 new guests, according to the Mauritius Ports Authority.
Those guests will now board Tuesday afternoon. They received a "complimentary two-day hotel stay" in Mauritius, per-diems, a prorated refund and a future cruise credit, according to Norwegian.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings
Guests disembarking the ship will be screened by sanity officers, Reuters reported.
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