Hantavirus-Stricken Cruise Ship to Dock in Rotterdam as Remaining Crew Enter Quarantine

A cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak is set to complete its troubled voyage in Rotterdam on Monday, with the remaining crew members expected to begin weeks of quarantine after three passengers died during the journey.

The MV Hondius, operated by Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions, is scheduled to arrive at the Dutch port between 10 a.m. and midday local time. Officials said 27 people remain on board, including 25 crew members and two medical staff overseeing health monitoring procedures.

The vessel attracted international attention after several passengers contracted hantavirus, a rare disease spread mainly through contact with infected rodents. Health authorities have confirmed six cases linked to the outbreak, along with one probable infection. Another possible case in Canada remains under investigation.

The World Health Organization has attempted to calm fears of a wider global health crisis, stressing that the outbreak does not resemble the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“There is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said earlier this month. Still, he warned that additional cases could emerge because the virus can take weeks before symptoms appear.

The outbreak has already led to multiple hospitalizations across Europe. A 65-year-old French woman became ill during a repatriation flight from the Canary Islands and was later admitted to a Paris hospital in critical condition after testing positive for the virus.

Two additional patients, one Dutch and one British, were evacuated from the ship and hospitalized in the Netherlands. Dutch authorities said both patients are now in stable condition, with the British passenger expected to continue recovery in self-isolation at home.

More than 120 passengers and crew members were evacuated from the vessel after it reached the Canary Islands on May 10. Many returned to their home countries, while others remained in quarantine facilities in the Netherlands.

Oceanwide Expeditions said all individuals still on board remain symptom-free and are being closely monitored by the medical team.

The remaining passengers and crew come from several countries, including the Philippines, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Russia and Poland. Some will isolate in designated port facilities, while others will quarantine at home.

The ship is also carrying the body of a German passenger who died during the voyage.

After docking, the MV Hondius will undergo extensive cleaning and disinfection procedures before any future operations are considered.

The voyage began on April 1 in Ushuaia, Argentina, and included remote islands in the South Atlantic before heading north. The outbreak created diplomatic tensions after Cape Verde refused permission for the ship to dock, forcing authorities to coordinate evacuations through Spain’s Canary Islands.

Health officials identified the outbreak as the Andes strain of hantavirus, the only known variant capable of limited human-to-human transmission. The virus is endemic in parts of Argentina, where the cruise first departed.