'It Was Either This Or Lay By Pool': Tourists Rush To Take A Peek At Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Ship

Last Updated:May 11, 2026, 17:34 IST

Hantavirus on Dutch ship MV Hondius kills three, sparks evacuation of about 150 in Tenerife as tourists watch the international rescue operation from 'rat virus boat'.

As global leaders and health organisations work hard to evacuate passengers from the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius after a deadly hantavirus outbreak, the ship has become an attraction for tourists and locals of Spain’s Canary Islands who have gathered at the dock to take photos of the “rat virus boat".

Occupants of the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius started flying home from Sunday in carefully coordinated stages after the outbreak triggered global concern. Three passengers — a Dutch couple and a German woman — have died, while several others have fallen ill with the rare rodent-borne virus.

Spanish authorities said the evacuation involves nearly 150 passengers and crew, with multiple flights arranged for citizens of different nationalities.

Meanwhile, The Guardian reported that groups of tourists and locals have gathered on a dusty hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in the south of Tenerife to see the famous ship, which has been christened the “rat virus boat" by the internet. While some take a peek of the cruise ship via binoculars, many take photos of the vessel. which is docked a few hundred metres away, anchored near the Granadillo commercial port.

The Guardian quoted Emma Armitage, who is on holiday with in Tenerife for Amy Byres’s 22nd birthday, saying: “We’ve got some time to kill before our flight later." Byres added: “It was either this or lay by the pool all day."

“We saw this (report of the hantavirus outbreak) at the start of our trip – we arrived on Monday – and we’ve been following it all week on TikTok," Byres said. “We were looking at TikTok trying to find out where it was and then we saw the name of the port and came here. It’s just really interesting, isn’t it?"

According to The Guardian, the novelty has attracted dozens of others who came to the island to enjoy sun, sand and cerveza (beer) – and stayed for the international rescue operation.

Meanwhile, more than 100 passengers and crew members aboard the Caribbean Princess cruise ship have fallen ill during a 13-night Southern Caribbean voyage. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 102 of the ship’s 3,116 passengers and 13 crew members reported symptoms including vomiting and diarrhoea — hallmark signs of norovirus infection.

News world 'It Was Either This Or Lay By Pool': Tourists Rush To Take A Peek At Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Ship

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