AMSTERDAM, May 6 (Reuters) – It was billed as an Atlantic odyssey to some of the most remote islands in the world. Instead, the cruise on the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius was left stranded off Cape Verde with passengers in their cabins, medics in protective suits tending to the sick and the ship’s operator seeking a safe port.
The outbreak has left three dead and eight confirmed or suspected cases linked to the Dutch-flagged expedition ship.
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Passengers, some of whom have been aboard since March 20, have reported moods swinging between fear and boredom: empty lounges, quiet decks, hot drinks, face masks, medical checks, and the uncertainty of not knowing when and how their journey will end.
On Wednesday, specialist teams evacuated three people as the vessel prepared to extend its voyage to Spain’s Canary Islands with the consent of local authorities.
After four days stationed off the West African archipelago, the ship set sail late Wednesday toward the Canary island of Tenerife, where around 150 remaining passengers and crew may finally disembark under medical supervision. It is not clear whether they will be quarantined on arrival.
CONFINED TO QUARTERS
Cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions has told passengers to follow “isolation measures, hygiene protocols and medical monitoring.”
Martin Kriz, a Swedish doctor who has served aboard the Hondius, said that means taking meals in cramped 4-person cabins.
“It’s quite a small space,” he told Reuters.
But passengers say conditions were not bad. Passenger Kasem Hato said the mood was calm.
“People are taking the situation seriously but without any panic, trying to keep social distancing and wearing masks to be safe,” he told Reuters.
“Our days have been close to normal, just waiting for authorities to find a solution, but morale on the ship is high and we’re keeping ourselves busy with reading, watching movies, having hot drinks, and that kind of things.
