4 May 2026, 23:30 CET
Oceanwide Expeditions continues to deal with a serious medical situation on board m/v Hondius, which remains at anchor off the coast of Cape Verde.
Two crew members on board continue to present acute respiratory symptoms, one mild and one severe. Both require urgent medical care. These crew members are of British and Dutch nationality. At this time, no other persons with symptoms have been identified.
Oceanwide Expeditions can confirm, via the WHO, that a variant of hantavirus has been identified as being present in the female Dutch national who passed away on 27 April 2026 after disembarkation in Saint Helena. This brings the total number of confirmed hantavirus cases to two.
The atmosphere on board m/v Hondius remains calm, with passengers generally composed. Oceanwide Expeditions is working to provide clarity and reassurance to guests and expedite their disembarkation and medical screening. Oceanwide Expeditions team members are working diligently to support all individuals on board and uphold stringent health and safety procedures as part of Oceanwide Expeditions' SHIELD response plan. This is currently at level 3, the highest response level, and includes isolation measures, hygiene protocols and medical monitoring.
Dutch authorities are actively preparing a medical evacuation of the two symptomatic individuals along with the individual associated with the guest that passed away on 2 May. This will involve two specialized aircraft equipped with the necessary medical equipment and staffed by trained medical crews. This is not confirmed and is subject to change. An accurate timeline of this complex operation is currently unknown and will be shared in a future press update.
The vessel remains off the coast of Cape Verde. There are 149 people on board, representing 23 different nationalities. The disembarkation of passengers, medical evacuation and medical screening require permission from, and coordination with, the local health authorities. Local health authorities have visited the vessel and assessed the situation. The medical transfer of the two ill persons on board has not yet taken place. Close cooperation continues with local and international authorities, including the WHO, the RIVM, relevant embassies and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
We can confirm that guests will not be disembarking in Cape Verde, except for the three individuals who are planned to be medically evacuated. At this stage, a definitive disembarkation point for the remaining guests on board m/v Hondius has not been finalized. Sailing on to Las Palmas or Tenerife is being considered, where further medical screening and handling could take place, organized and supervised by the WHO and Dutch health services. This is yet to be confirmed. When concrete information regarding the disembarkation and medical screening procedures for all remaining guests on board m/v Hondius is available, it will be shared in a future press update.
An updated timeline of the medical situation on board m/v Hondius is as follows:
- On 11 April, a passenger died on board. The cause of death could not be determined on board. On 24 April, this passenger was disembarked on St Helena, with his wife accompanying the repatriation.
- On 27 April, Oceanwide Expeditions was informed that the wife had become unwell during the return journey and had later died. Both passengers were Dutch nationals. On 4 May 2026, a variant of hantavirus was identified as being present in this individual.
- On 27 April, another passenger became seriously ill and was medically evacuated to South Africa. This person is currently being treated in the intensive care unit in Johannesburg and is in a critical but stable condition. This passenger is of British nationality. A variant of hantavirus has been identified in this patient.
- On 2 May, another passenger on board died. The cause has not yet been established. This passenger was of German nationality.
Oceanwide Expeditions remains in close contact with those directly involved and their families, and is providing support where possible.
We understand the considerable interest and concern and will share new information as soon as it has been verified.
All media inquiries should be directed to:
Mrs. Kiki Hirschfeldt: [email protected]
or
Mr. Piet-Hein Coebergh: [email protected]
Linked below is our earlier statement on the timeline of the medical situation on 4 May 2026, 13:30 PM CET:
