Luxury cruise canceled: passengers on hunger strike

A technical glitch has turned a luxury cruise to Antarctica into a disaster. An engine failure forced the ship SH Diana, owned by the British shipping company Swan Hellenic, to completely cancel its Antarctic trip, for which passengers had paid between 7,000 and 10,000 pounds (around 8,000 to 11,000 francs). Now some of the 170 travelers have gone on hunger strike and are demanding a full refund, as The Telegraph reports.

The trip began on November 13th in Cape Town, South Africa and was supposed to take us via Elephant Island and Deception Island. But shortly after departure, an electric motor failed, making the planned route impossible. Instead, the ship headed for a port in Ushuaia, Argentina, at just six knots (11 km/h), where it is scheduled to arrive on Saturday for repairs.

Swan Hellenic offered passengers a 50 percent refund or 65 percent travel credit for future trips. Free excursions in Ushuaia were also promised. But many travelers find the offer inadequate. «For most of us, this trip to Antarctica is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Some are already of advanced age or have health problems,” it says in a letter to the company.

Some passengers, including a group of Russians, organized a hunger strike and unfurled signs with demands such as “100 percent refund.” “The situation is getting worse,” said one affected passenger. Others described the compensation offers as “insulting”.

Andrea Zito, CEO of Swan Hellenic, defended the approach: “We regret the necessary changes to the travel plan. Our offer exceeds the legal requirements. Some guests have already accepted it and booked new trips.” He criticized the hunger strike as “counterproductive” and emphasized that the initial unrest had largely subsided.

The SH Diana is scheduled to continue its journey on December 3rd after the repairs. For many, however, there remains the disappointment of not having experienced their dream trip as planned. One passenger said: “Safety reasons take precedence, but Swan Hellenic should have handled the situation better.”

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