‘All we want is to feel safe and get home’: Passenger on board doomed cruise ship struck by fatal rat-borne virus makes emotional plea as Cape Verde REFUSES bid to offload sick travellers

As Cape Verde officials continue to refuse to disembark sick passengers, a passenger on a doomed cruise ship hit by a deadly rat-borne virus has issued an emotional plea.

Three people, including a Dutch married couple, have died so far following a suspected hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius ship sailing from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde.

There are three other suspected cases, including a 69-year-old British man who was taken to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he is treated in intensive care.

Speaking from his bed on the ship, US travel blogger Jake Rosmarin tearfully appealed for support to his 44,000 followers on Instagram: ‘I’m on the MV Hondius right now and what’s going on right now is very real for all of us here.

‘We’re not just a story, we’re not just headlines, we’re people. There are people with families, with lives, waiting for us at home.’

Overwhelmed with emotion and fear, the Boston content creator continued: ‘There’s a lot of uncertainty, and that’s the hardest part.

‘All we want right now is to feel safe, have clarity and go home. So if you’re seeing news about this, remember that there are real people behind this and it’s not something that’s happening far away.

‘This is happening to us right now.’ He ended his video request by asking for ‘kindness and understanding’.

The ship has been stranded off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, for at least 24 hours, according to various online ship tracking sites.

Chefs’ demonstration on MV Hondius before the hantavirus outbreak

In its first statement about the crisis, Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed that MV Hondius, which had 19 British passengers and 4 British crew members on board, was facing a ‘serious medical condition’.

The 353ft polar cruise ship, which left Argentina about three weeks ago before stopping several times while crossing the Atlantic, was carrying about 149 people of 23 different nationalities.

Because the ship sails under the Dutch flag, the Netherlands is coordinating consular assistance for passengers, including those of other nationalities.

“Dutch authorities have agreed to lead a joint effort to organize the repatriation of two symptomatic persons on board the MV Hondius from Cape Verde to the Netherlands,” the operator said.

A spokesman for the Dutch foreign ministry said: ‘If this can happen, the foreign ministry will coordinate this.’

But Cape Verde authorities are reluctant to allow the move, and local channel A Nacao reports: The head of the Cape Verde Public Health Institute said the ship should ‘continue its course’ and that passengers would not disembark in Cape Verde to protect the local population.

The ship has been stuck in the port of Praia, Cape Verde’s capital, for at least 24 hours, according to various online ship tracking sites, and the situation shows no signs of being resolved anytime soon.

In a statement from cruise line Oceanwide Expeditions on Sunday night, it was stated that ‘no permission’ had been given from Cape Verde authorities to allow those in need of medical care to disembark the ship.

Travelers, meanwhile, face an agonizing wait to find out if they have contracted the virus, and it can take up to eight weeks for symptoms to appear.

The first person to die on the ship on April 11 was a 70-year-old Dutch man whose cause of death was unknown. On April 24, the passenger landed at St Helena with his 69-year-old wife during repatriation.

On April 27, Oceanwide Expeditions was notified that his wife also fell ill during the return trip and later died.

That day, a 69-year-old UK citizen on board became seriously ill and was medically evacuated to South Africa; He is in critical but stable condition here. A type of hantavirus was detected in the patient.

On May 2, another passenger of German nationality lost his life. There are currently two crew members on board, one with mild respiratory symptoms and the other with acute respiratory symptoms. harsh.

Both crew members, who are British and Dutch nationals, need urgent medical attention.

“Disembarkation of passengers, medical evacuation and medical screening requires permission from and coordination with local health authorities,” a recent update from the ship said.

‘Local health officials visited the ship and assessed the situation. Medical transport of the two sick people on the ship has not yet taken place.’

Gourmet meals served on MV Hondius in the images shared by the ship’s chef

The ship is depicted from a rainbow colored boat

The crew is seen eating before the ship’s departure

‘Oceanwide Expeditions works closely with local and international authorities, including WHO, RIVM, relevant embassies and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs,’ the statement said.

‘At the same time, preparations are being made for possible medical return and next steps. The option of sailing to Las Palmas or Tenerife is being considered as a landing gate where further medical screening and intervention can be performed.

‘Strict precautionary measures are in place on the ship, including isolation measures, hygiene protocols and medical monitoring. All passengers have been informed and support is being provided.’

According to the UK Government’s hantavirus advice, symptoms usually appear between two and four weeks but can range from two days to eight weeks after exposure; This means other passengers may develop the disease in the coming days or weeks.

About 40 percent of cases result in death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Hantaviruses, a family of viruses, are spread by rodents through contact with their urine, feces, and saliva.

They are known to cause a variety of diseases in humans, ranging from mild flu-like illnesses to serious respiratory diseases or hemorrhagic diseases.

Early symptoms may include fatigue, fever, muscle aches and intense headaches.

They do not usually spread from person to person and are typically transmitted only through body fluids and close contact.

The risk of contracting the disease can be reduced by minimizing contact with rodents.

Hantavirus was in the news last year when it was confirmed that actor Gene Hackman’s wife had died from the rodent-borne disease. Hackman died of heart disease shortly afterwards.

WHO said laboratory testing and epidemiological investigations are currently being carried out, with medical care and support provided to passengers and crew.

Footage from the MV Hondius shows gourmet meals and a dedicated crew before the deadly outbreak threw the voyage into chaos.

The ship’s chef, Khabir Moraes, shared photos of luxurious meals and passengers having fun on Facebook before the outbreak began.

Passengers seen having fun on ship before deadly outbreak

The South African Ministry of Health said that the Dutch male passenger complained of fever, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhea, and that his wife fell ill at the airport and died in St. Helena while she was taken to the hospital in South Africa’s Kempton Park region.

In a letter distributed to customers of cruise line Oceanwide Expeditions on Sunday and seen by the Daily Mail, they were informed that passengers were ‘pending approval’ to leave the ship.

The letter said: ‘As you know, we are responding to several cases of an unidentified virus.

‘We are sorry to share that one of our guests, who showed severe symptoms, passed away overnight.

‘We are currently anchored off the coast of Cape Verde and awaiting approval from the Cape Verde authorities to disembark, with priority given to those requiring urgent medical care.

‘At this stage we do not have permission to disembark from the Cape Verde authorities.’

The letter advised everyone on board to continue ‘following best practice, wearing a face mask, maintaining distance and minimizing contact with other guests where possible’.

He added: ‘Please be assured that we are applying pressure through all available channels, including at the diplomatic level, to provide urgent care to those displaying severe symptoms and to ensure that all guests on board can be appropriately supported within an adequate health screening process.’

But one passenger told the Daily Mail: ‘We haven’t heard anything from Oceanwide. We still have friends on board.’

A letter distributed to customers of cruise line Oceanwide Expeditions, seen by the Daily Mail, said passengers were ‘pending approval’ to leave the ship

A Turkish passenger on the ship said in a statement on social media that his ‘Irish friend’ was receiving treatment in South Africa, but luckily his condition was ‘improving’.

He wrote: ‘Normally human-to-human transmission is not common. But we are in a very complex situation. Please keep us in your thoughts.

‘We will complete this ocean crossing. Since we are not allowed to go ashore in Cape Verde, we will most likely go to the Canary Islands. We hope to do well there.’

The hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius marks the fourth cruise ship outbreak this year.

This follows the record set in 2025, when 23 reported illnesses reached a 10-year high.

Speaking to the BBC, epidemiologist Michael Baker said that passengers with suspected hantavirus may have been infected before boarding the ship due to its long incubation period.

He said those with symptoms should be ‘rapidly evacuated’ and taken to intensive care units to increase their chances of survival.

The ship can accommodate approximately 170 passengers and has approximately 70 crew members.

The Foreign Office told the Daily Mail: ‘We are closely monitoring reports of a possible hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship Hondius and are ready to support British nationals if necessary.

‘We are in contact with the cruise line and local authorities.’

Oceanwide Expeditions has been contacted for comment.