A travel blogger aboard the M/V Hondius has issued an update as a hantavirus outbreak affects passengers and crew on a remote polar expedition. He praised the ship’s response, outlined onboard precautions, and urged for clarity as health authorities continue to investigate.
Jake Rosmarin, a travel blogger from Boston, is among those trapped on the Dutch expedition vessel that sailed from Argentina toward Antarctica and several isolated South Atlantic islands when illnesses began to surface. The situation escalated quickly and drew international attention after multiple passengers fell ill and some died. In a tearful clip earlier, he said, “All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity and to get home.”
On Tuesday Rosmarin issued an updated statement describing the mood and condition aboard the ship. “Other than the two ill passengers that have already been referenced in the media, everyone else onboard is doing well and remains in good spirits,” Rosmarin said. “We are hopeful that this situation will be resolved soon.”
He singled out the crew for their response and care during the crisis, praising Oceanwide Expeditions’ “best efforts” to keep passengers “safe, informed and as comfortable as possible during this time.” Rosmarin emphasized that medical personnel onboard have been attentive and that additional supplies were brought in to support the sick and monitor close contacts. That praise came alongside visible frustration among some passengers at being held offshore while investigations proceed.
Rosmarin also stressed that the M/V Hondius is an expedition vessel rather than a traditional cruise ship, and that it operates under rigid procedures for travel to fragile ecosystems. “These ships operate with strict protocols and a strong emphasis on cleanliness, especially given the remote and environmentally sensitive regions they visit, which require high levels of biosecurity,” he said. “The vessel is maintained to a very high standard, and suggestions that it is unclean are not accurate.”
Onboard precautions have been implemented to limit potential spread while the ship remains at sea. “Passengers also have the option to have meals delivered directly to their cabins,” he said. “Access to the outer decks is permitted for fresh air, while gathering in indoor common areas such as the lounge is currently restricted.”
Rosmarin added that medical care has not been neglected. “We continue to be well cared for, and additional medical provisions and supplies have been brought onboard.” Passengers reported remaining cooperative with crew instructions and checks, even as tension and uncertainty persisted among those anxious to return home.
The voyage left Argentina on April 1 and the first reported illness and death occurred on April 11. The ship called at Saint Helena on April 22 with the first victim still onboard, a timeline that has complicated response options and evacuation logistics in isolated waters. The remote nature of the itinerary has made swift medical evacuation and local hospital transfers more difficult.
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses typically carried by rodents and known to cause severe respiratory or kidney disease in people who become infected. Transmission most commonly occurs through contact with rodent urine, droppings or saliva, and cases are usually linked to exposure in cabins or storage spaces where rodents may be present. Human-to-human spread is considered rare but has been observed under specific circumstances.
World Health Organization investigators say there have been a total of seven cases reported — two confirmed and five suspected — and three deaths among passengers. Two crew members are also ill and one passenger was evacuated to intensive care in South Africa. WHO said it is still investigating the outbreak while the ship remains off the coast of Cape Verde and noted that human transmission is not thought to pose a high risk to the general public.
“We do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that’s happening among the really close contacts, the husband and wife, people who have shared cabins,” Maria Van Kerkhove, the director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention at the WHO, told reporters in Geneva. Authorities continue contact tracing and testing as they try to determine chains of exposure and potential links between cases.
The cruise company was asked for comment about the ongoing situation and the measures being taken to protect passengers and crew. Passengers remain on board as officials and medical teams work through quarantine protocols and prepare options for safe disembarkation when conditions allow.
