Cruise Crew Hosts BBQ Bash Amid Hantavirus Deaths: Passengers Left in Shock
A tourist trapped on a hantavirus-riddled cruise ship has revealed that crew members threw a barbecue party while chaos unfolded around them.
Onboard the ill-fated MV Hondius, a passenger reported that workers “organized a massive barbecue as if nothing had occurred,” despite the grim reality of the situation. The luxury vessel is currently making its way to the Canary Islands, with an expected docking this weekend. A French passenger expressed growing concerns as guests roam freely, although masks are mandatory.
Speaking to BFM TV, she stated, “People are not panicking, but you can feel that it is starting to weigh on you, especially since we don’t know where we are going.” She continued, “We all eat together at the restaurant. There’s social distancing, but it’s only been in place for three days; we eat seated in a staggered pattern. There was a big barbecue on the boat, as if nothing had happened. After that, we do what we want on the boat.”
The hantavirus carries a chilling fatality rate, and British passengers may face a 45-day self-isolation upon their return, according to health officials. Three guests aboard the MV Hondius have died from the suspected outbreak of this rat-borne virus. One British man is currently in intensive care in South Africa after testing positive, while another Brit, 56-year-old retired police officer Martin Anstee, remains stable in a Dutch hospital.
So far, eight cases have been officially reported. Health authorities are racing to trace dozens of individuals who disembarked at St Helena in the South Atlantic. Among those who left the troubled vessel were seven holidaymakers after a Dutch man passed away; his wife later tested positive for hantavirus and subsequently died.
The ship is expected to dock in Tenerife this weekend. In a statement from Oceanwide Expeditions, it was confirmed that the ship departed Cape Verde at 7:15 PM on Wednesday and is en route to Granadilla in Tenerife.
The statement read: “This is expected to take 3-4 days. No symptomatic individuals are present on board. Oceanwide Expeditions remains in close and continual discussion with relevant authorities regarding our exact point of arrival, quarantine and screening procedures for all guests, and a precise timeline.”
The ship’s owners confirmed that 114 guests embarked in Ushuaia, Argentina on April 1, with 30 disembarking on Saint Helena on April 24. They noted, “This number includes the body of the guest who passed away on board m/v Hondius on 11 April 2026.”
The first confirmed case of hantavirus was not reported until May 4, 2026. Oceanwide Expeditions has contacted all disembarked guests and is working to gather details of all passengers and crew who boarded or disembarked at various stops since March 20.
In a startling development, it was revealed that a man who wasn’t aboard the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship but shared a flight with an infected passenger is now under close surveillance after showing symptoms of the disease.
The unidentified French passenger is being monitored as a close contact case after allegedly exhibiting signs of the rat-transmitted illness. He had boarded the same aircraft as an infected Dutch passenger who left the MV Hondius after experiencing stomach issues, unaware of her infection at the time.
