Passengers Onboard Luxury Cruise Ship Stage Hunger Strike After Engine Failure

Guests onboard a Luxury Cruise Ship owned by Swan Hellenic, which was heading to Antarctica, went on a hunger strike after issues with the ship’s engine cut their journey short.

The ship SH Diana was on a 21-day cruise trip that began in Cape Town, South Africa, on November 13. It was initially on its way to Ushuaia when one of its propulsion electric motors malfunctioned.

Many passengers said the issue surfaced on the 14th day of the trip, cutting short the highlight of the journey, a much-awaited visit to the Antarctic.

The vessel will now berth in Ushuaia where it will be repaired so it can undertake its next cruise trip.

The ship was constructed in a Finnish Shipyard and was named after the Roman Goddess of light, moon, hunting and wilderness.

It can accommodate 192 guests and 127 crew members and offers five-star facilities, a sauna, an open deck jacuzzi and world-class dining. Guests paid somewhere around £7,000 and £10,000 for the trip which is cheaper than other cruises offering a similar service.

Passengers were welcomed with champagne and binoculars when they arrived onboard but the excitement faded after the engine failure. A small group of passengers from Russia went on a hunger strike, as the trip would be cut short.

An unnamed source mentioned that many guests were angry and got nasty.

Swan CEO Andrea Zito said that guests were given a 50% cash refund and also a 65% credit on future Swan Cruises, which many have accepted.

Zito added that the unease among passengers has now ‘largely subsided.’ He also said that the company regrets that it had to alter the itinerary due to technical problems with the propeller drive and understands the disappointment of its guests who were excited to visit the Antarctic.

However, the company has also provided a generous compensation package, beyond what is legally needed, per Zito.

Swan was earlier owned by P&O before it was acquired by Carnival Corporation in 2003. It was relaunched in 2020 and decided to build on its British heritage.

References: Fortune, Telegraph