One of the passengers aboard the cruise ship at the center of a cluster of hantavirus cases, says other passengers aboard the MV Hondius ship are remaining calm and keeping their spirits up.
In a statement provided to ABC News, passenger Kasem Ibn Hattuta said several doctors are now on board, which he said is reassuring to passengers, who are wearing masks and keeping their distance inside the ship.
“The vibe on the ship might’ve been calm with a bit of concern because we were worried about the sick ones, but now it doesn’t feel different than any of the other sea days we had before,” he said in the statement. “Everyone is keeping high spirit[s], people are smiling and taking the situation calmly.”
The MV Hondius cruise ship departs the port in Praia, Cape Verde, May 6, 2026.
Misper Apawu/AP
The statement went on to say: “We had several doctors join us on the ship before departing Cape Verde, which was also reassuring as we now have specialists on board, no one currently has any hanta related symptoms and we hope it continues this way.”
He said passengers are free to share whatever they like online but some passengers have chosen not to post anything publicly because they want to maintain their privacy.
