MV HONDIUS OF OCEANWIDE EXPEDITIONS
SARASIJ MAJUMDER
The luxury cruise, Oceanwide Expeditions, started with 114 guests and 61 crew members from 22 countries, boarding the vessel, but 32 guests disembarked at St Helena on 24 April.
The ship began its journey on 1 April in Ushuaia, Argentina, and the Oceanwide Expeditions vessel MV Hondius arrived and docked in Tenerife, Spain’s Canary Islands, on Sunday, May 10, 2026, following a ‘HANTAVIRUS’ outbreak on board. The ship docked at the port of Granadilla to facilitate the evacuation of passengers for immediate medical transfer and repatriation.
3 Persons already died, and 4 are infected—as per report.
It is learned that passengers must have been infected before during their extended trip to Peru, and Argentina, before boarding the Ship.
Key Details regarding the Docking:
Location: The vessel docked at the Port of Granadilla in Tenerife.
Situation: The ship was on a voyage to the Canary Islands for medical assistance after cases of hantavirus were identified.
Evacuation Process: Passengers began disembarking on May 10, 2026, with stringent safety protocols in place to avoid contact with the local population, and they were transferred directly to waiting aircraft.
Health Protocols: The WHO and local health authorities supervised the operation to manage the risks associated with the HANTAVIRUS.
The passengers and remaining crew members are currently being dispersed according to their nationality and health status.
Passenger Repatriation & Quarantine: The 147 passengers, representing 23 countries, are being flown to specialized facilities for observation.
American Passengers: Flown to the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
Spanish Passengers: Transferred to the Gómez Ulla Military Hospital in Madrid for a 45-day quarantine.
Canadian Passengers: Repatriated to British Columbia for 42 days of self-isolation. British Passengers: Taken to a UK isolation facility for a 72-hour assessment before potentially completing quarantine at home.
Other European Nationals: Many, including French and Dutch passengers, are being transported to their respective home countries under strict medical supervision for monitoring.
Following the docking in Tenerife, the MV Hondius will sail to its home port in Rotterdam, Netherlands, to undergo deep cleaning and disinfection.
Vessel Movement & Final Destination: The ship is expected to depart the Canary Islands by May 11, 2026, once all guests have disembarked.
Transit Time: The voyage to Rotterdam is expected to take approximately five days.
Onboard Crew: Roughly 30 essential crew members (deck and engine operatives) will remain on board to navigate the vessel to the Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The group will be expected to “self-isolate” for 42 days, according to the CDC.
There are two Indian nationals on board the MV Hondius. According to the Indian Embassy in Spain and reports from The Hindu and NDTV, both are crew members rather than passengers.
Status and Location of the Indian Nationals:
Health Condition: As of May 11, 2026, the Indian Embassy has confirmed that both individuals are “healthy and asymptomatic,” meaning they have shown no symptoms of the HANTAVIRUS.
Current Location: They were safely evacuated from the ship and transported to the Netherlands.
Protocol: They are currently undergoing a strictly monitored precautionary quarantine in the Netherlands, following international health safety protocols.
The Indian Ambassador to Spain, Mr. Jayant N. Khobragade, remains in regular contact with both the Spanish authorities and the two Indian crew members to ensure their continued well-being.
Based on my discussion with a ‘Virologist’—I came to know than a person is infected only upon direct contact through Rodents. Person to person transmission is rare, but possible. However—once infected, the consequence could be ‘FATAL’, if not treated immediately.
Disclaimer: All the information are collected from public domains, and shared for information only.
