Norwegian Cruise Line ship docks in Mauritius after illness scare

Feb. 26 (UPI) -- A Norwegian Cruise Line ship has docked in Mauritius, a small island off the coast of Africa, after an illness isolation order was lifted Monday.

More than a dozen passengers reported falling ill on the Norwegian Dawn, and authorities feared it was cholera.

Mauritian authorities had initially blocked the ship "to avoid any health risks."

The director of Mauritius Ministry of Health, Dr. Bhooshun Ori told the BBC the passengers affected had gastroenteritis, not cholera, and have now "fully recovered."

"The health and safety of passengers as well as that of the country as a whole are of the utmost importance to the authorities," the Mauritius Ports Authority said.

The voyage, which included 2,184 passengers and 1,026 crew, included 12-day itinerary from Cape Town, South Africa, to Port Louis that started Feb. 13.

The ship arrived in Mauritius on Saturday evening, a day early, because it skipped a planned stop at Réunion Island.