Furious passengers have launched a hunger strike after their dream voyage on a luxury Antarctic cruise ship was canceled due to engine problems.
The protests began after the Swan Hellenic ship SH Diana was forced to abandon the Antarctic portion of a 20-night cruise due to a propeller bearing failure.
Three Russian passengers camped outside the ship’s dining room holding placards in protest demanding a full refund for the shortened trip, which costs between £7,000 and £10,000 each.
As of Friday, only one female passenger was still on hunger strike.
Swan Hellenic SH Diana
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SH Diana departed Cape Town on November 13 in what was billed as a “boutique five-star” experience to one of the world’s most remote destinations.
The ship was scheduled to visit iconic sites such as Elephant Island, Heroina Island and Deception Island during its Antarctic voyage. However, a problem arose when one of the ship’s electric propulsion motors failed.
Captain Svein Stroms made the decision to turn the ship around because it was no longer safe to navigate the dangerous conditions in the Southern Ocean.
The ship completed a two-week voyage that included visits to Tristan da Cunha and South Georgia, before the Antarctic portion was cancelled.
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Galache Strait separating the Palmer Islands
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In a letter to Swan Hellenic, passengers expressed their disappointment at missing out on a “bucket list” dream for many.
“Some of our guests are elderly and disabled, and they have already struggled to get here, and now their trip will be cut short,” the letter said.
“Many of the passengers are very angry and the situation got even worse yesterday,” one passenger told the Times.
Several Chinese passengers also took part in the protest, holding cardboard placards demanding “100% refund of travel expenses and cash refund.”
One passenger acknowledged the safety concerns, but criticized the company’s response, saying: “They made the right decision not to go to Antarctica for safety reasons, but Swan Hellenic’s response has been very poor.”
Swan Hellenic is offering passengers either a 50% cash refund or a 65% credit towards future cruises within two years.
CEO Andrea Zito defended the remuneration package as “very generous” and above the statutory $30.
