Cruise passengers stage hunger strike after Antarctic stops cancelled due to engine failure

Passengers on an Antarctic cruise have staged a hunger strike after the ship’s engine failed, forcing the expedition to be cut short. 

SH Diana, operated by cruise company Swan Hellenic, left Cape Town on 13 November for a 21-day voyage to the southern region. 

However, one of the ship’s electric motors experienced an “unexpected malfunction”, putting an end to the €10,000 trip. 

The vessel is due to arrive at its next departure port in Ushuaia, Argentina, on Saturday to undergo repairs. 

Passengers stage hunger strike over insufficient compensation

Around 170 passengers are currently onboard the SH Diana, the company’s largest ice-class expedition liner, which is inching towards Ushuaia at a speed of just six knots or 11km per hour. 

The cruise itinerary was scheduled to include stops at iconic Antarctic spots like Elephant Island, Heroina Island, Paulet Island, Brown Bluff, D’Urville Monument, Yankee Harbour and Deception Island. 

However, engine failure forced the Antarctica port calls to be cut short and the ship to make its way to its next departure port instead. 

Passengers had paid up to €10,000 for the voyage and are angry that Swan Hellenic has not offered to compensate them in full for the cruise.

"They made the right call not to go to Antarctica for safety reasons, but it is being handled very badly by Swan Hellenic,” one passenger told UK newspaper the Times. 

"To go to Antarctica is a trip of a lifetime and this specific sailing made it achievable for many on board to do so as it’s a repositioning sailing that had attractive deals.

"Many of the passengers are very angry and it was getting nasty yesterday. The company needs to make a better offer to quell the continuing rising anger."

A small group of Russian passengers have reportedly staged a hunger strike in protest.

Cruise company has offered refunds ‘significantly higher than the legal requirement’

Swan Hellenic has offered a 50 per cent refund or a 65 per cent future cruise credit to be used within two years.

The company has also promised daily excursions when the ship makes port in Ushuaia, where passengers will be waiting until 3 December for their return flights. 

Swan Hellenic’s chief executive Andrea Zito said in a statement that the refund offered is “significantly higher than the legal requirement of approximately 30 per cent”.

He acknowledged, however, that the “3.5 days lost on the Antarctic Peninsula leg of the sailing understandably was considered by most guests to be a highlight of the 21-day cruise”.

“As expected, not all of the guests were immediately satisfied with this compensation and have tried to build up pressure through discussions on board and by making demands on the captain and senior staff in order to obtain an even higher compensation for themselves,” he added. 

“A select few chose to stage a hunger strike in their protest which is rather counterproductive. We are working towards a swift end to this action.”

SH Diana has been branded as an eco-friendly ship which claims to be “completely self-sufficient” for up to 40 days. 

It uses zero-emission battery technology allowing it to operate silently when docked in ports, marine reserves and other protected natural areas.