Dutch health authorities and the operator of the cruise ship Hondius, Oceanwide Expeditions, have confirmed that the vessel will resume operations on June 13 following a hantavirus outbreak in late April to early May, after completing a deep cleaning and disinfection process. The ship is scheduled to commence its Arctic expedition season as planned.

The Municipal Health Service of Rotterdam stated in a May 30 release: "From a public health perspective, there are no longer any obstacles to the Hondius entering operation."

GGD experts stated they have confirmed the Hondius has been effectively cleaned and that disinfection work has been fully completed. During a previous inspection, the GGD had recommended the vessel undertake additional cleaning measures.

According to Oceanwide Expeditions, the disinfection process required intensive coordination among multiple parties, with the actual work carried out by 13 biosecurity experts dispatched by EWS. The team conducted a comprehensive inspection of the vessel and systematically treated all eight decks over several days. All hard surfaces were deep-disinfected using certified disinfectants and hydrogen peroxide, while all soft surfaces underwent high-temperature steam cleaning.

The company reiterated the view held by the World Health Organization and other bodies that the virus was brought on board by passengers who had already been infected while travelling in South America. In support of this assessment, the company noted that qualified third-party professionals confirmed that no rodents were found on board.

All crew members who remained on board had disembarked by May 23. The company stated that the crew are currently undergoing quarantine and crew rotation is underway.

Passengers from the cruise ship also remain in quarantine across multiple countries globally. They are currently approximately halfway through their quarantine period, with only one additional case reported so far, in Spain. The WHO has so far recorded 13 confirmed cases linked to this outbreak, including three fatalities.

The Hondius is currently docked in Rotterdam, where it is undergoing resupply and various preparatory work ahead of its return to service. The vessel is scheduled to depart from Rotterdam on June 6, bound for the Svalbard archipelago region, before formally resuming operations on June 13, commencing its Arctic voyages from Longyearbyen.