MV Hondius is back in Arctic waters. The ship completed full disinfection. Cruises resume after a safe biosecurity response without rodents on board.
Timestamp shown in UTC unless otherwise indicated.
Clean ship
The MV Hondius is back in service. The vessel that experienced a hantavirus outbreak has undergone full disinfection. Dutch authorities gave the green light.
'From a public health perspective, there are no more obstacles,' the GGD Rotterdam-Rijnmond stated after the final inspection on May 29.
How the disinfection worked
Specialists from EWS Group treated all eight decks of the ship. The process took four days. They worked in full hazmat suits.
Two methods were used. Soft surfaces — high-temperature steam. Hard surfaces — hydrogen peroxide and professional disinfectants.
A separate inspection confirmed: no rodents on board. Rodents are the main carriers of hantavirus.
'What made this operation unique was the level of coordination required to develop and execute a controlled biosecurity response within a very short timeframe,' said Marcel van den Brink, Chief Commercial Officer of EWS Group.
First voyage
On June 13, the MV Hondius departs for Longyearbyen, the capital of Svalbard. This is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean.
The route is an Arctic cruise. Passengers will see glaciers, whales, and polar bears. But most importantly — strict safety measures will be in place on board.
Crew in quarantine
25 crew members — foreign nationals — remain in quarantine. They are isolated in specially equipped cabins in the port of Rotterdam.
Most of them were on board during the outbreak. No one leaves quarantine without medical permission.
Outbreak timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| April 1 | MV Hondius departs Ushuaia, Argentina |
| April 6 | First passenger falls ill |
| April 11 | First death on board |
| April 26 | Second death in Johannesburg |
| May 2 | Third death; WHO notified |
| May 10 | Ship arrives in Tenerife; evacuation |
| May 18 | MV Hondius in Rotterdam; disinfection starts |
| May 29 | Final inspection; ship declared clean |
| June 13 | First post-outbreak voyage — Arctic |
Outbreak numbers
A total of 13 hantavirus cases have been reported. 12 confirmed, 1 probable. Three people have died.
A Dutch couple from Friesland was infected on land — while traveling through South America. A German passenger died on board.
Most passengers have been repatriated to their home countries. They have been told to quarantine for six weeks.
What's next
Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed: all voyages from June 13 proceed as scheduled. 'No further disruption is expected,' the operator stated.
But the bitterness remains. A hantavirus outbreak on an expedition ship is unprecedented. The question is what lessons cruise companies and international health authorities will learn.