[imagesource: SH Diana]

I scream, you scream, we all scream privilege.

But no one is screaming louder right now than a group of cruise passengers, who staged a hunger strike after their Antarctica itinerary was cut short and they were given a decent refund.

In a plot twist that no one saw coming, the SH Diana cruise ship suffered an “unexpected malfunction” with a propulsion electric motor, according to Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito. As a result, the vessel limped its way to Ushuaia, Argentina, sacrificing three-and-a-half days of Antarctic Peninsula exploration.

The hiccup came a casual two weeks into the 21-day voyage, during which many passengers shelled out a cool $8,900 (around R160,000) to $12,600 (R228,000) for their polar adventure that departed from Cape Town on November 13, The Times reported.

 

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But no worries — Swan Hellenic graciously offered a 50% refund or a tempting 65% future cruise credit. Guests were also encouraged to enjoy some excursions and ship facilities while killing time for their flights.

But the guests were not keen to wait around with half a refund and a story about a luxury liner gone rogue, so they had a little protest.

“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,” Zito told USA TODAY in a statement dated Nov. 29.

“The initial unease has largely subsided. A select few chose to stage a hunger strike in their protest which is … rather counterproductive.”

Three Russian passengers even staged a cosy little protest outside an onboard dining room, Mark Stratton reported in The Telegraph. “Swaddled in blankets, they bore placards calling for a 100 per cent refund of the voyage,” Stratton wrote — because nothing screams “revolt” like a well-cushioned sit-in.

Zito didn’t disclose how long this chilly demonstration lasted, but the strike has since fizzled out. Meanwhile, technicians are hard at work, presumably figuring out how to keep the ship moving next time without inspiring blanket-wrapped rebellions.

That’s the thing with travelling to extreme locations, expedition itineraries can change at the last minute depending on conditions in a given destination, particularly in a place like Antarctica, where the weather is often unpredictable.

“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 continued.

“We feel we have offered a very generous compensation package, beyond what is legally required. Swan Hellenic always (strives) to go above and beyond our guest expectations and look forward to welcoming all our guests back onboard future expeditions.”

Shame, I guess it can be unbelievable to those at the top that shit does happen.

[source:usatoday]