Authorities allow Norwegian cruise ship passengers to leave after cholera scare

On Tuesday morning, an update from the cruise line said, “Despite previous reports and speculations, there were no confirmed cases nor any evidence of cholera on board the vessel.  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.”

Cruise ship passengers aboard Norwegian Dawn will finally disembark in Mauritius following a delay due to fears of a cholera outbreak. Norwegian Cruise Line said a few guests had mild symptoms of a stomach-related illness, but cholera has not been detected.

No Trace of Cholera Found on Ship

Mauritius health officials have confirmed no cholera among affected guests or crew and have approved the disembarkation of cruise ship guests. They can come ashore in the early morning of February 27 local time. The ship arrived at Port Louis—Mauritius on February 25.

According to UN health data, at least 188,000 people have been infected with cholera across several countries in southern Africa since the beginning of 2023. Around 3,000 people died.

Due to the delay, NCL Care Team staff were flown in from Miami and England to assist. The NCL Air Team has rearranged over 400 flights for guests who booked air travel through the cruise line.

All others were granted free Wi-Fi and phone calls to help reschedule their travel. NCL is also reimbursing for reasonably incurred expenses, it says. Guests were also given a future cruise credit.

Guests Being Reimbursed

Additionally, NCL booked 1,200 hotel rooms for over 2,000 guests booked on the next delayed cruise out of Port Louis. They will also receive a pro-rata refund for the shortened cruise voyage. 

One current passenger says the situation has been “fairly calm” on the ship. “The passengers on this ship have appeared to take this in their stride,” Mary Francovilla Dees, 69, told the BBC.

This article was updated to reflect current information.