Translated material
Russians went on hunger strike on a cruise ship that didn't reach Antarctica
The Russians on board the expedition ship SH Diana of the Swan Hellenic cruise company have gone on a hunger strike. Passengers are unhappy that the company refused to fully reimburse them for a canceled trip to Antarctica, which did not take place due to engine failure. The Times writes about this.
170 passengers went on board the ship for a 20-day cruise. The flight started on November 13 in Cape Town, the liner was supposed to reach Antarctica and complete the voyage in Ushuaia in southern Argentina. The cost of such a trip is from seven to ten thousand pounds sterling, or from 970 thousand to 1.4 million rubles.
A planned trip to Antarctica eventually had to be canceled due to a malfunction in one of the electric motors. The company, in turn, “expressed deep regret” for the change of plans and offered a refund of 50% of the ticket price or a 65% discount if booking another cruise within two years. They were also promised free tours of Ushuaia once the ship reached port. It is reported that the ship is now moving at a speed of 11 kilometers per hour.
According to the company's chief executive Andrea Zito, the offer made to passengers "significantly exceeds the legal requirement - by about 30% percent."
“Many of the very disappointed passengers accepted our offer and some have already rebooked,” she told The Times.
The cancellation of a trip to Antarctica and the offer of incomplete reimbursement for travel expenses has angered many passengers. “For most of us, this is our first visit to Antarctica, and for many, it is potentially our last opportunity. Among us are people with disabilities, elderly people, and they fought to get to this place, but the trip was interrupted. For many of us, visiting Antarctica was on the bucket list that we want to fulfill for the rest of our lives,” says a letter from passengers addressed to the company, which was reviewed by the publication.
An anonymous source for the publication on the ship added that now “many passengers are very angry.” He believes the company should have made them "a better offer to curb the growing anger."
We live on 160 thousand rubles a month. This is the money of my husband, an engineer, and I am a freelance artist. Trying to start a business from scratch and worried about retirement Society 8 min read
Meanwhile, several Russians went on a hunger strike in protest. Passenger Natalya from Volgograd told the Baza telegram channel that she gave her last money for the opportunity to see Antarctica.
“I saved money for eight years. This cruise cost me 1.2 million rubles - all my savings,” she said.
Two passengers from Yekaterinburg said that they went on a hunger strike on November 25. According to them, Natalya joined them a few hours later and now she “has a really bad headache.” Despite this, the woman claims that she intends to fast “until victory.”
Passengers also shared that the situation on board is currently “heated up”, and in the meantime the ship is rocking heavily. The ship's crew assured that there was no threat to safety, but passengers "have no confidence in this."
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