What happened on hantavirus-hit cruise ship? Vlogger recalls horror voyage

When Turkish travel vlogger Ruhi Cenet boarded the MV Hondius in Argentina on April 1, he expected a dream expedition across the South Atlantic, not a deadly hantavirus outbreak that would leave three passengers dead, others infected and the ship under quarantine.

The 35-year-old YouTuber was among the nearly 150 passengers aboard the Hondius. He had joined the 36-day voyage from Ushuaia to document Tristan da Cunha, one of the world’s most remote island chains. The luxury expedition initially appeared peaceful, with 59 crew members attending to 88 passengers, many of them elderly birdwatchers.

But within days, the voyage descended into what Cenet now describes as a public health nightmare.

A hantavirus outbreak – a rare but potentially fatal disease, typically spreads through rodents, though some strains can spread person-to-person – swept through the ship last month. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), five confirmed hantavirus cases, three suspected infections and three deaths have so far been linked to the vessel.

The WHO has warned that more cases could still emerge because the virus can incubate for up to six weeks.

WHEN DID THE OUTBREAK BEGAN?

The first signs of trouble emerged on April 12 when the ship’s captain unexpectedly addressed passengers. “This is my sad duty to inform you that one of our passengers suddenly passed away last night,” the captain said in a video recorded by Cenet.

Passengers were reassured that the death was due to “natural causes” and was “not infectious.” “The ship is safe,” the captain announced.

Cenet said most passengers believed the explanation, especially because the ship had encountered rough seas. “I honestly thought it was because of rough ocean conditions,” he later said in an Instagram video.

But according to Cenet, life onboard continued almost entirely as normal after the death. Passengers continued eating together at buffet tables, socialising freely and even travelling ashore without masks or quarantine measures.

“Knowing that we didn’t get isolated and we didn’t take any caution for a solid 12 days is a very sad situation. We again kept eating all together... and we didn’t wear any masks,” he said.

As unease grew, Cenet said he and his cameraman voluntarily began isolating themselves from the crowd.

“I already kind of isolated myself from the crowd. I started having my meals in my own cabin,” he said.

VLOGGER LEAVES VIRUS-INFECTED SHIP, SLAMS MANAGEMENT

The reality of the hantavirus outbreak only became clear much later, Cenet said.

Cenet disembarked from the ship at Saint Helena on April 24. A day later, he boarded a flight to South Africa alongside the wife of the first passenger who had died onboard. She later died too. Another passenger subsequently died as well.

“It became clear there was hantavirus onboard,” Cenet said.

He criticised the cruise operator for failing to act quickly despite mounting warning signs.

“I wish the vessel management had taken this problem more seriously,” he said, adding that potentially infected passengers should have been isolated and blood tests conducted before and during the voyage.

According to Cenet, the ship continued sailing for another 11 days even after he left, before stricter quarantine measures were enforced.

The vlogger also questioned the ship’s medical preparedness, saying a single doctor onboard was insufficient for such emergencies. The ship’s only doctor is now reportedly battling for his life after contracting the virus.

“I think these kinds of ships should have some sort of a lab or necessary equipment in case of outbreaks,” he said.

Cenet also expressed regret over the ship stopping at Tristan da Cunha after the first death, fearing passengers may have unknowingly exposed residents of the isolated island community. “I wish we did not land there after the first casualty,” he said.

“This is one of my regrets, because the island is the most remote one, and they don’t have enough medical centres, enough doctors,” he added.

The MV Hondius later entered quarantine off Cape Verde before heading toward Spain’s Canary Islands. Passengers still onboard have now been isolated in their cabins and instructed to wear masks as health authorities continue monitoring the outbreak.

- Ends

(with inputs from AFP)