Hunger strike on luxury cruise: Antarctic trip suddenly canceled

Ushuaia (Argentina) - It was supposed to be the cruise of a lifetime: But for the 170 passengers on board the SH Diana, the Antarctic voyage ended in a fiasco. After an engine failure, the ship chugs leisurely towards Argentina. The mood on board changed.

The original plan was to go to Antarctica. But nothing came of it. (archive picture)
The original plan was to go to Antarctica. But nothing came of it. (archive picture)  © PR/Swan Hellenic

The British newspaper The Times reports that the luxury cruise ship SH Diana had to cancel its trip to Antarctica due to damage to the electric motor.

Devastating for the 170 passengers on board: they will not even see penguins and the eternal ice from afar.

Instead, the SH Diana chugs along at a leisurely 6 knots (11 km/h) across the rough South Atlantic towards Argentina, heavy swells and icy winds included.

It was to be a unique experience. (archive picture)
ContentImage.Description   © PR/Swan Hellenic
The passengers want their money back. Some have gone on hunger strike.
ContentImage.Description   © Telegram/Natalia Litvinova
Natalia from Volgograd had been so looking forward to the Antarctic adventure.
ContentImage.Description   © Telegram/Natalia Litvinova
The pool is frozen over. An icy wind sweeps across the sun deck. Only a few dare to go outside.
ContentImage.Description   © Telegram/Shot

SH Diana: Passengers go on hunger strike

Many passengers feel ripped off.

This is because cruise operator Swan Hellenic only wants to refund 50 percent of the ticket price, insisting that it is a positioning cruise and that the damage only occurred on the 14th day of the trip. The passengers were aware of the general terms and conditions, it said. Alternatively, they could opt for a 65 percent discount on the next luxury cruise with Swan Hellenic.

In the meantime, a group of Russians have gone on hunger strike.

"We see no other way, we can't get through. The company's offer is a lousy handout," rages passenger Natalia from Volgorad to the Russian newspaper MK. She hopes for justice. She had saved for years for the "dream of a lifetime". She spent the equivalent of 6500 euros on the trip (inside cabin), plus 2500 euros on flight tickets.

The SH Diana set off from Cape Town on November 14 for a 20-day voyage to Tierra del Fuego, from where she will set off on trips to Antarctica over the next few months. Stops planned included the remote archipelago of South Georgia and Antarctica.

The ship, which only entered service a year ago, is due to arrive in the Argentinean port of Ushuaia on Tierra del Fuego on Sunday, where engineers are to take care of the problem - in time for December 3, when the SH Diana sets off on its next Antarctic cruise.