The cruise is no longer fun at all, and her stomach is rumbling. Departing from Cape Town (South Africa) on November 13, the SH Diana of the British company Swan Hellenic was to allow its 170 passengers to discover the breathtaking landscapes of Antarctica. But a problem with one of the liner’s electric motors forced the captain to abandon the stopovers that were planned in South Georgia and to simply cancel the exploration of Antarctica.
A cold shower for the passengers, who were nevertheless understanding. “They made the right decision by not going to Antarctica for safety reasons, but Swan Hellenic is handling it all really badly,” a passenger, wishing to remain anonymous, told the Times. The company specializing in luxury cruises offered tourists a 50% refund or a 65% discount on a cruise to be taken within two years. She also promised free excursions to Ushuaia, once the boat arrived safely.
This offer has plunged some travelers into anger: “Many passengers are very angry and it’s getting worse every day. The company needs to make a better proposal to calm the growing revolt,” said this source. Russian travelers went so far as to go on hunger strike to show their outrage, demanding a full refund. Photos taken on board show tourists sleeping next to signs stating their demands.
“For many of us, visiting Antarctica is a life project to complete before we die or are no longer able to do so,” one passenger wrote in a letter to the company. The disgusted tourists are not at the end of their troubles: due to its engine problem, the boat is currently heading towards Ushuaia, at an extremely slow pace of 6 knots, that is to say 11 km/h. He should arrive at his destination on Saturday.
“A large number of obviously very disappointed passengers accepted our offer and some have already rebooked,” explained Andrea Zito, general manager of the company. “The initial uneasiness has largely dissipated. A few rare people have chosen to go on a hunger strike as a protest, which is rather counterproductive,” added the leader. He apologized, while considering that he had offered passengers “a very generous compensation package”.
