Deadly Hantavirus Cruise Ship Finally Reaches Rotterdam as Crew Brace for Weeks of Quarantine

The MV Hondius, the cruise ship that triggered global alarm after a deadly outbreak of hantavirus, is set to end its troubled voyage in Rotterdam on Monday, where its remaining skeleton crew will immediately enter strict quarantine.

Officials say the Dutch‑flagged vessel is expected to dock between 10am and midday, carrying just 27 people 25 crew members and two medical staff all of whom will disembark under tight health controls.

The ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, became the focus of international concern after three passengers died from the rare virus, which has no vaccine or specific treatment.

The World Health Organization has urged calm, stressing that hantavirus transmission is extremely uncommon and that the situation bears no resemblance to the early days of Covid. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there was “no sign” of a wider outbreak, though he warned that the virus’s long incubation period means additional cases could still emerge.

So far, six infections have been confirmed, with one more considered probable. Another passenger in Canada has provisionally tested positive but remains symptom‑free.

More than 120 passengers and crew were evacuated earlier this month after the ship reached the Canary Islands. A 65‑year‑old French woman became critically ill during her repatriation flight, while a Dutch and a British passenger were urgently flown to the Netherlands for treatment.

Both are now stable, and the Briton has been cleared to return home for self‑isolation. Others evacuated to the Netherlands have tested negative, with some still in quarantine and others already home.

Everyone still on board is asymptomatic, according to the operator, and is being monitored around the clock by the two medics.

The WHO continues to classify the outbreak as low risk, noting that containment measures and disembarkation should sharply reduce the chance of onward transmission.

Those leaving the ship in Rotterdam include 17 Filipinos, four Dutch nationals, four Ukrainians, one Russian and one Polish crew member. Some will quarantine at port facilities, while others will isolate at home. The body of a German woman who died during the voyage also remains on board.

Once docked, the Hondius will undergo extensive cleaning and disinfection a process expected to begin immediately.

The ship’s journey, which began on April 1 in Ushuaia, Argentina, became a diplomatic challenge as countries debated who would accept the vessel.

Cape Verde refused to take it, forcing the ship to remain offshore while three passengers were evacuated by air. Spain later allowed the vessel to anchor off the Canary Islands for evacuations, despite fierce opposition from the regional government.

The infected passengers contracted the Andes strain of hantavirus the only variant known to spread between humans which is endemic in Argentina, where the voyage began.