More than 2,000 passengers aboard a cruise ship, the Norwegian Dawn that docked in Kenya in January have been denied entry in Mauritius over a mysterious stomach illness.
The passengers have been quarantined within the ship after a number of them reported a strange stomach illness, with local authorities in Mauritius barring them from disembarking.
According to reports from the Mauritius port, the passengers will be quarantined until test results from a sample of 15 passengers are released.
“During Norwegian Dawn’s South Africa Feb 13 voyage, a small number of guests experienced mild symptoms of a stomach-related illness.
“Upon the ship’s return to Port Louis, Mauritius, the vessel’s management team met with local authorities to confirm precautions and actions were being taken to ensure the wellbeing of all on board,” elaborated a statement from a Norwegian spokesperson.
The ship which docked at Port Louis in Mauritius a day earlier than scheduled is reported to have skipped its trip to Reunion Island.
Further details of the cruise state that the ship was on a 12-day itinerary from Cape Town, South Africa to Port Louis when passengers started reporting the illness.
According to local authorities in Mauritius, the passengers have been quarantined as a precautionary measure, to avoid the potential spread of the disease.
The Norwegian Dawn docked in Kenya on January 14 this year with more than 1,100 crew members and 2,300 passengers onboard. It was also the first ship to dock at the Port of Mombasa in 2024.
Passengers were paying up to Ksh429,000 for the experience aside from their spending at the Kenyan coast.
After the ship docked, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) officials termed the cruiser liner’s docking ship as a boost to the Kenyan tourism sector.
Additionally, another cruise ship MV World Odyssey nicknamed the “Semester at Sea” docked in Kenya on February 9 for an academic tour, with students reportedly paying Ksh6 million per semester.
The ship however was forced to change course after leaving Mombasa, to dock in Mozambique after an anticipated cyclone developed in Mauritius, which was its next port of call.
