Hantavirus-hit cruise ship arrives at Rotterdam port as final destination
Authorities prepared quarantine and disinfection for 27 people still aboard, after the outbreak reached 11 cases and three passengers died.
- On Monday, May 18, 2026, the cruise ship MV Hondius docked in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with 25 crew members and two medical staff on board after a deadly hantavirus outbreak that claimed three lives.
- The hantavirus outbreak aboard the Hondius is the first known case on a cruise ship, with officials identifying the Andes virus strain endemic in Argentina as the cause, capable of human-to-human transmission.
- Port authorities prepared quarantine arrangements for the 27 remaining individuals in temporary containers with satellite internet and catering. The vessel will undergo three-day decontamination based on Dutch public health guidelines, according to harbor master René de Vries.
- The World Health Organization maintained its assessment of the outbreak as "low risk," with WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stating "there is no sign we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak."
- Oceanwide Expeditions expects the vessel to resume operations as early as next month following inspection by public health officials, though some Rotterdam residents expressed concern about quarantine compliance, recalling past pandemic experiences.
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Following the hantavirus outbreak, the cruise ship Hondius is expected to sail with passengers again in just under a month, owner Oceanwide Expeditions. A voyage from Spitsbergen is scheduled for June 13. Two previous trips the ship was supposed to make have been canceled to make time for a major cleaning operation. The cruise line has hired the specialized company EWS Group for this.
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It seems that whirlwind experience of the last few weeks that engulfed the MV Hondius surrounding the hantavirus outbreak onboard is over as it arrived in Rotterdam on Monday to be 'properly cleaned.' MV Hondius Docks in Rotterdam The Hondius arrived in Rotterdam on Monday morning after leaving the Canary Islands on the 11th of May. 'Rotterdam port harbour master René de Vries said 25 mobile homes kitted out with catering and satellite communica…
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