Cruising and the coronavirus has taken an ugly turn with the news that 2,000 Australians and New Zealanders on Sun Princess received a hostile reception at Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean despite there being no cases of the virus on board.
According to the New Zealand Herald, protesters screamed abuse and hurled rocks at shuttle buses carrying passengers in Pointe des Gallets port on Sunday.
It is understood the ship had been denied to entry to Madagascar after visiting Thailand before sailing into trouble in Reunion Island where French police reportedly used tear gas to quell the protests. One demonstrator was said to have been arrested.
With local authorities unable to guarantee the safety of the ship, Princess cancelled its overnight stop and headed for Mauritius where it it is understood the ship was barred from entry.
Another Princess ship, Diamond Princess, hit the headlines at the beginning of February when it was quarantined in Yokohama, Japan, due to a coronavirus outbreak which eventually affected more than 700 passengers.