Three people to be evacuated from stricken cruise ship to the Netherlands amid hantavirus outbreak
Three people have died following the outbreak on the cruise ship.
Three people will be evacuated to the Netherlands from a cruise ship gripped by a deadly rat-borne virus, it has been confirmed.
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The medical evacuation of two individuals currently requiring urgent medical care will happen using two specialised aircraft that are en route to Cape Verde, according to the latest update from the operator of the vessel on Tuesday evening.
From there, the patients are to be medically evacuated to the Netherlands, where the ship is registered.
The ship’s operator, Oceanside Expeditions, confirmed that a Dutch husband and wife, and a German, who were on board the ship, have died. Two cases of hantavirus have been confirmed, the company said.
One person associated with a guest who died will also be evacuated.
Once the three people are on their way to the Netherlands, the ship will begin repositioning.
"Our plan is to proceed to the Canary Islands, either Gran Canaria or Tenerife, which will take three days of sailing. Discussions are ongoing with relevant authorities. This will be shared when concrete plans are available," the update stated.
More than 20 Brits are trapped on the MV Hondius off the coast of Cape Verde. They have been there since Sunday, after the deaths of the three passengers.
The UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, said on X that the Government was "putting plans in place" to help the Brits stuck on the ship.
In a post on X, Sir Keir said: “My thoughts are with those affected by the hantavirus outbreak onboard the MV Hondius.
“We are working closely with international partners to support British nationals on board and we’re putting plans in place for their safe onward travel.
“The risk to the wider public remains very low – protecting the British people is our number one priority.”
My thoughts are with those affected by the hantavirus outbreak onboard the MV Hondius.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) May 5, 2026
We are working closely with international partners to support British nationals on board and we’re putting plans in place for their safe onward travel.
The risk to the wider public remains…
About 150 people are stuck on the Hondius, which was carrying mostly British, American and Spanish passengers on a luxury cruise that set off from the southern tip of Argentina in late March.
The cruise visited the Antarctic Peninsula , South Georgia and Tristan da Cunha – some of the most remote islands on the planet.
The World Health Organisation has said that passengers aboard the Hondius have been told to remain inside their cabins whenever possible because the incubation period can last several weeks, meaning some people may not yet be showing symptoms.
Medical workers in white hazmat suits boarded the cruise ship today.
The company said in a statement on Monday that two staff members - one British and one Dutch - were continuing to show “acute respiratory symptoms”, one mild and one severe.
Ann Lane from Donnybrook, south Dublin, said: "Now the ship’s doctor and a member of the expedition staff are sick on board.
"The doctor had been treating everybody day and night, really dedicated to what he was doing – [he has been] fabulous.
"He’s a younger man, British. He has been sick quite a few days, maybe since last Thursday."
Holding back tears, US travel blogger Jake Rosmarin, a passenger on the cruise, said: "We're not just a story, we're not just headlines, we're people. People with families, with lives, with people waiting for us at home."
"There's a lot of uncertainty, and that's the hardest part," he said between shaky breaths.
He added that he was grateful to the crew, who had been handling the situation "to the best of their ability".
"All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity and to get home," he added.
The influencer boasts 31.1K followers on TikTok, where he posts travel videos.
Rosmarin has been posting about the cruise for the last two weeks.
He started with a "happy embarkation day" video detailing the 35-day cruise around the "most remote islands in the world".
The ship boasts a swanky bar, dining area, library, and lecture hall with spacious cabins carrying 170 passengers. The travel vlogger also showed shared drinking fountains and coffee stations onboard the ship.
Just two days ago, Rosmarin posted smiling videos on Tristan da Cunha, a remote volcanic island in the Atlantic.
The ship’s journey began on April 1, and a passenger died on board on April 11, Oceanwide Expeditions said.
The cause of death could not be determined on board. On April 24, this passenger was disembarked on St Helena, with his wife accompanying the repatriation.
The wife became unwell during the return journey and died. Authorities later confirmed she tested positive for a variant of hantavirus.
On May 2, a German passenger on board died. The cause has not yet been established, the tour operator confirmed.
The company added that guests will not be disembarking in Cape Verde, except for three individuals who will be medically evacuated.
“Dutch authorities are actively preparing a medical evacuation of the two symptomatic individuals along with the individual associated with the guest that passed away,” a company statement said.
“This will involve two specialised aircraft equipped with the necessary medical equipment and staffed by trained medical crews.
“This is not confirmed and is subject to change.”
Hantavirus infections, which are usually spread by infected rodents’ urine or faeces, can lead to severe respiratory illness and can sometimes be fatal.
A UK Government spokesperson said: “This is a deeply worrying time for all those on board the MV Hondius and the families of those affected by the hantavirus outbreak.
“FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) Consular teams have been stood up across the UK, South Africa, Spain and Portugal to support British nationals and we are working around the clock with our international partners, including the cruise ship operator.
“FCDO teams are also in contact with the family of a British man who was a passenger on the ship and is now in hospital in South Africa.”
The risk to the wider public remains low, according to Hans Henri P Kluge, the WHO regional director for Europe. He added that there is “no need for panic or travel restrictions”.
While it is rare, hantavirus infections can spread between people, according to the WHO.
There is no specific treatment or cure, but patients have a better chance of survival if they receive medical attention early.