Press update | m/v Hondius: 18 May 2026, 19:30 hrs CET | News

18 May 2026, 19:30 hrs CET

Oceanwide Expeditions announces that m/v Hondius has safely arrived and docked in the port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

The vessel arrived at 11:00 hrs this morning. No symptomatic individuals are present on board or among the disembarked crew. 20 crew members and 2 RIVM medical staff have disembarked and are now housed in a specialized quarantine facility. 5 crew members remain on board. These individuals will disembark the vessel at a later stage in coordination with strict cleaning and quarantine protocols.

Oceanwide Expeditions has selected EWS Group to perform an extended cleaning and disinfection of the vessel. EWS Group has extensive experience in ship disinfection, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. The cleaning process is estimated to take 3 to 4 days, subject to the findings of today's inspection. EWS Group has confirmed that, following the completed cleaning and disinfection, the vessel is safe again for operations. In close consultation with RIVM, the exact details of the cleaning plan are being finalized. We will provide further updates on the process, steps, progress, and outcomes as they become available.

Oceanwide Expeditions today informed passengers of the cancellation of voyages HDS02-26 (29 May - 5 June) and HDS03-26 (5 June - 13 June) to allow for this in-depth cleaning process to be completed. This decision was taken on 18 May. All affected guests and partners have been informed directly, including rebooking options and additional details.

All voyages from 13 June onwards will proceed as scheduled. No further disruption is expected. Guests scheduled on HDS04-26 (13 - 20 June) have been informed that their voyage will proceed as planned. Following the completion of cleaning, inspections and scheduled audits, m/v Hondius will resume full operations on 13 June, departing from Longyearbyen, Svalbard. A broader market communication will follow later this week.

Nationalities Disembarked in Rotterdam 18 May

Filipino – 17

Ukrainian – 3

Dutch - 2

Nationalities Remaining Onboard m/v Hondius

Polish – 1

Russian – 1

Ukrainian – 1

Dutch – 2

Press pictures can be downloaded here.

All media inquiries should be directed to: Mrs. Kiki Hirschfeldt: [email protected]

For all other matters, we refer to our previous press updates.