A group of Russian passengers staged a hunger strike onboard a luxury Antarctic cruise ship after a mechanical failure meant their trip was cut short before they reached the world's southernmost continent.
While the company offered the ship's 170 passengers a choice of compensation options, some were disgruntled by the decision not to provide a full refund and began refusing food in an effort to pressure the cruise line's executives.
Three Russian guests took part in the strike, displaying signs demanding that they be reimbursed entirely for the cost of the trip, which stands at between £7,000-£10,000, according to The Times.
The Swan Hellenic's SH Diana set off from Cape Town, South Africa, on November 13, and was headed to Antarctica via the remote island of South Georgia, when it suffered an "unexpected malfunction" during day 14 of the 3-week cruise, the company said.
Passenger Mark Stratton, who was on board the ship, said on X, formerly Twitter, that he'd been told there had been a propeller bearing failure, not an engine failure, as had been reported originally. He also dismissed rumors that Chinese guests had been involved in the hunger strike.
He said: "I'm on Diana, and a few points to note: 3 Russians on hunger strike, not Chinese. Most not expressing rising anger. Many have accepted the offer. We'd already sailed 2 weeks via Tristan & S.Georgia."
"The 3.5 planned days in the Antarctic Peninsula had to be curtailed for safety reasons," Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito told Newsweek in a statement.
For many onboard, their visit to the region was expected to be the highlight of the 21-day cruise.
"Whole point of trip was to step foot on the seventh continent!" one passenger wrote in a post on X.
The almost-4-day itinerary in Antarctica featured visits to Elephant Island, Heroina Island, Paulet Island, Brown Bluff, D'Urville Monument, Yankee Harbour and Deception Island.
The company boasts a reputation for offering luxury cruises to "unusual destinations, giving guests the chance to explore places most travelers had never even heard of."
After canceling what was left of the voyage, Swan Hellenic offered guests a 50 percent cash refund on the price of the cruise, noting that this was significantly higher than the legal requirement of approximately 30 percent. Guests were also given the option of a 65 percent "future cruise credit" to be used on any of the company's cruises within a two-year window.
"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 to obtain an even higher compensation for themselves," Zito said.
"The initial unease has largely subsided. A select few chose to stage a hunger strike in their protest which is rather counterproductive."
Currently one passenger remains on a hunger strike.
The Finnish-made ship will now dock in Ushuaia, Argentina, on November 30, where a team of engineers and technicians will work to repair the vessel before it is next scheduled to set sail on December 3.
Guests will be able to use the ship's facilities for the remaining days until their return flight departs and will be offered daily excursions during this time.
"Swan Hellenic would like to reiterate that we deeply regret that we had to change the itinerary due to the technical problems with the propeller drive and we understand the disappointment of our guests who were looking forward to a taste of Antarctic experience," Zito said.
"Swan Hellenic always strive to go a above and beyond our guest expectations and look forward to welcoming all our guests back onboard future expeditions."
According to the Travel Weekly website, SH Diana was "designed to meet the latest environmental regulations and being 'completely self-sufficient' for up to 40 days or 8,000 nautical miles."
"The ship, which also carries 141 crew, uses zero-emission battery technology, making it possible to operate silently in port, marine reserves and other sensitive natural areas," it added.
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