While reports of hantavirus and norovirus outbreaks aboard cruise ships have made headlines in recent weeks, reigniting concerns of another global health scare, but industry authorities and travel experts say the incidents are unlikely to dent cruise demand.
The industry is on track for a record number of cruisers globally in 2026. CLIA’s annual forecast released in April expects some 38.3 million people would cruise this year, 4% more from a record 37.2 million passengers in 2025.
Rob Kwortnik, an associate professor at Cornell University's Nolan School of Hotel Administration has described the cruise consumer to be “somewhat Teflon when it comes to stories like this,” said the cruise industry watcher to the Associated Press.
"The average traveller understands that this is an isolated health situation and not something unique to cruise travel itself," added Scott Eddy, a hospitality influencer who also spoke to AP.
It’s business as usual for Oceanwide Expeditions, operator of the hantavirus-hit MV Hondius vessel. Photo Credit: Oceanwide Expeditions
This is not Covid
Health experts stressed that hantavirus is fundamentally different from Covid-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated unequivocally that this is not another Covid-19 pandemic.
The Andes hantavirus, involved in this outbreak, is found mainly in South America and is the only hantavirus that is known to spread between people, said the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
It added that “hantavirus can be very dangerous for the person who gets sick, but does not pose the same broad outbreak risk as SARS, or Covid‑19,” since human-to-human transmission is rare.
Also, ECDC also said that additional cases after passengers have left the ship is “not expected” since the Andes hantavirus needs a long incubation period of about two to four weeks.
In Singapore, two residents who were onboard the MV Hondius during the hantavirus outbreak were monitored and since tested negative. Still, authorities have noted no evidence of community transmission in Singapore, and the overall risk to the public remains low.
What’s next for Hondius?
Oceanwide Expeditions, operator of the hantavirus-hit MV Hondius said that it doesn’t expect changes to its operations, including the upcoming sailing from Keflavik, Iceland, on 29 May.
A 19 May statement noted that the affected vessel – which reached Rotterdam on 18 May with 27 onboard after cases of illness surfaced in early May – will undergo “a complete cleaning and sanitisation process” before returning for its Arctic season planned for 13 June.
The statement added that “indications strongly suggest that the virus was introduced prior to embarkation and did not originate from the vessel itself”.