A vessel operated by Norwegian Cruise Line has been halted at Mauritius -- with passengers temporarily unable to disembark or board -- after several people became ill.

A "small number" of guests on the Norwegian Dawn's South Africa voyage had mild symptoms of a stomach-related illness, a spokesperson for the cruise line said in a statement. Upon the ship's return to Port Louis, Mauritius, local authorities met with the ship's management team to assess the situation.

Due to additional testing needed, "the government of Mauritius has delayed disembarkation for the current cruise and embarkation for the next cruise by two days to 27 February," the cruise line said.

Roughly 100 people aboard the ship complained of diarrhoea and recovered, a spokesperson for Mauritius health ministry said earlier. Another 15 had more complicated symptoms and had to be quarantined. The vessel wasn't allowed to dock at Port Louis, requiring local officials to travel to the ship via a small boat.

The Norwegian Dawn -- carrying 2,184 passengers and 1,026 crew members -- skipped a stop at the neighbouring Reunion Island in the southern Indian Ocean, according to a statement from the Mauritius Ports Authority. It reached Port Louis on Saturday evening local time.

About 2,000 passengers were meant to end their cruise at the port, with another 2,279 people prepared to board on Sunday....