Want costs back

Luxury cruise ship passengers on hunger strike

The luxury cruise ship "SH Diana" in the Antarctic(Bild: Swan Hellenic/Rodolphe Villevieille)

Passengers on a luxury cruise ship on a journey through Antarctica have gone on hunger strike. The captain had previously decided to change the planned route and shorten the passage along the Antarctic Peninsula. The compensation offered is not enough for the guests.

They are demanding reimbursement of the entire travel costs of up to 10,000 pounds (equivalent to 12,000 euros). The company, on the other hand, has offered a refund of 50 percent or alternatively a 65 percent discount on a future cruise. This is well above the statutory entitlement of around 30 percent, it was emphasized.

Engine malfunction
What happened? During the three-week cruise from the South African city of Cape Town to Ushuaia in southern Argentina, one of the "SH Diana's" two propulsion electric motors malfunctioned. The captain therefore decided to change the planned route and shorten a three-and-a-half-day passage.

Here you can see photos of the hunger strike.

This did not sit well with some passengers, who complained that they had missed the "trip of a lifetime". A Russian group went on hunger strike and demanded on handwritten signs that the entire travel costs be refunded. Some of them are trying to put pressure on crew members, according to the provider Swan Hellenic.

Here you can see a photo on board.

A total of around 170 passengers are on board. Some of them have already accepted the compensation, it is said. The initial unease has largely subsided. The hunger strike was counterproductive, said Swan Hellenic.

The ship is due to arrive in Ushuia tomorrow, Saturday. There, technicians will go on board to repair the "SH Diana" in time for the next voyage.