Cruise Ship Docked in Rotterdam Following Hantavirus Outbreak

Updated on: May 18, 2026 / 6:36 AM EDT / CBS/AP

The cruise ship MV Hondius docked at the Dutch port of Rotterdam after being affected by a hantavirus outbreak. The port authorities are ensuring the ship’s disinfection, ending a challenging journey that has drawn international health attention.

The MV Hondius arrived on Monday morning with 25 crew members and two medical staff after all passengers disembarked at earlier ports. Oceanwide Expeditions, the operator of the ship, stated that none onboard are currently showing symptoms. Crew members were observed wearing masks as the ship was guided through the port by a tugboat and a Dutch police vessel.

Close to the docking area, authorities set up 25 white containers equipped with satellite internet and catering services. These will be used for quarantining crew members who cannot return home immediately, according to the port’s harbor master, René de Vries. De Vries emphasized the importance of sheltering the ship and pointed out that Rotterdam often hosts vessels in distress, though this situation is unique in its global scope.

Rotterdam’s health authorities, with collaboration from the Erasmus Medical Center and the city’s public health officials, will conduct the disinfection. “We can manage this,” De Vries assured.

The cruise ship MV Hondius docks on May 18, 2026, at the Port of Rotterdam to be disinfected following the recent hantavirus outbreak onboard. Omar Havana / Getty Images

During the outbreak, three passengers — including a Dutch couple exposed to the virus in South America — lost their lives. The MV Hondius had been sailing from the Canary Islands for six days, where remaining passengers were safely disembarked by personnel in protective gear. The outbreak involved at least 11 cases, with nine confirmed.

The Public Health Agency of Canada reported that one Canadian among those isolated tested positive for hantavirus, sharing this information with the World Health Organization (WHO). The Dutch Ministry of Health confirmed that several crew members unable to travel home are quarantined in the Netherlands, alongside other individuals who were taken there over the past two weeks.

A significant number of passengers, including 18 Americans, are monitored in specialized U.S. healthcare facilities equipped to handle infectious diseases. The WHO clarified that the hantavirus outbreak is distinct from COVID-19 and remains extremely rare.

This outbreak marks the first occurrence on a cruise ship. With a several-week incubation period, potential future cases are possible, warned WHO Director-General Tedros. Dutch public health officials will inspect the ship post-disinfection to authorize further voyages.

The ship’s owning company sees no interruption in its operations, planning an Arctic cruise departure from Keflavik, Iceland, on May 29.

France’s Pasteur Institute announced the genome sequencing of the Andes virus found in a French passenger. Results showed the virus matches known variants from South America, without evidence of increased transmissibility or severity.