Hantavirus Cruise Tracker Independent, source-linked monitoring

MV Hondius status

MV Hondius current status: Tenerife arrival May 2026

The MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, is the vessel at the center of the current hantavirus outbreak. This page tracks its planned Tenerife arrival, reported case figures, and the latest curated status notes.

Tenerife arrival

Port
Granadilla, Tenerife anchorage
Planned arrival
Ship status
Active outbreak

Operational window May 9 (local midday): anchor off Granadilla for the Spanish-led medical and repatriation plan — no normal berthing; transfers by launch to shore cordons/airport rotations per May 7–9 government briefings.

Latest outbreak snapshot

As of May 9, 2026, the tracker records 6 confirmed cases, 2 suspected cases, and 3 deaths.

WHO (May 8, via Reuters and other wire reporting): six laboratory-confirmed cases linked to the cruise, with the publicly reported outbreak total still framed around eight cases under active investigation (two remaining suspected vs. the May 7 split of five confirmed / three suspected). Three deaths. By May 9 the vessel was in the Granadilla, Tenerife operational window for at-sea medical assessment and controlled repatriation without public contact ashore (Spanish briefing; ABC News live updates May 8).

Route and current track

Itinerary

OSM · grayscale
UshuaiaPraiaGranadilla, Tenerife anchorage
Approximate itinerary based on reported ports of call. This is not live AIS tracking or navigational data.
  1. 01
    Ushuaia · Argentina
    Arrival TBD · Dep Apr 1, 2026
    Departure port. Ship had been based here since November 16, 2025 conducting Antarctic voyages. Investigators are looking at potential ANDV exposure before boarding — the deceased Dutch couple had also travelled through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay before embarking.
  2. 02
    South Georgia · British Overseas Territory
    Arrival TBD
  3. 03
    South Sandwich Islands · British Overseas Territory
    Arrival TBD
  4. 04
    Tristan da Cunha · British Overseas Territory
    Arrival TBD
  5. 05
    Saint Helena · British Overseas Territory
    Arr Apr 24, 2026
    Body of the first deceased Dutch passenger was disembarked here on April 24. His wife flew onward to South Africa.
  6. 06
    Ascension Island · British Overseas Territory
    Arrival TBD · Dep Apr 27, 2026
    British male passenger medically evacuated to South Africa from here on April 27.
  7. 07
    Praia (anchored offshore) · Cape Verde
    Arr May 3, 2026 · Dep May 6, 2026
    Cape Verde declined to permit docking. On May 6, three patients were transferred by ambulance to Praia airport and airlifted to the Netherlands aboard two specialised medical aircraft.
  8. 08
    Granadilla, Tenerife anchorage · Spain — Canary Islands
    Arr May 9, 2026
    Operational window May 9 (local midday): anchor off Granadilla for the Spanish-led medical and repatriation plan — no normal berthing; transfers by launch to shore cordons/airport rotations per May 7–9 government briefings.

Case counts

Confirmed cases
6
+ 1 vs. previous
Suspected
2
-1 vs. previous
Under observation
147
+ 6 vs. previous
Recovered
0
Deaths
3

WHO (May 8, via Reuters and other wire reporting): six laboratory-confirmed cases linked to the cruise, with the publicly reported outbreak total still framed around eight cases under active investigation (two remaining suspected vs. the May 7 split of five confirmed / three suspected). Three deaths. By May 9 the vessel was in the Granadilla, Tenerife operational window for at-sea medical assessment and controlled repatriation without public contact ashore (Spanish briefing; ABC News live updates May 8).

What happens on arrival?

Current source-linked notes say Spain agreed to receive the ship at Granadilla, a lower traffic port near Tenerife South Airport. Symptomatic and Spanish-national passengers were expected to quarantine at a military hospital in Madrid, while foreign passengers would be repatriated through EU civil protection mechanisms.

Because official handling can change quickly, this page links to the broader timeline, official advisories, and latest source feed below.

Full timeline Cruise route and ship details Official advisories Latest sources

Recent timeline

  1. Advisory

    Granadilla anchorage window — controlled disembarkation (May 9 local)

    Spanish authorities and WHO leadership finalised an anchored operation off Granadilla rather than a normal cruise berth: medical teams board or meet launches, passengers and crew are triaged on board, then moved in closed loops toward airport rotations or Madrid military hospital care for Spanish nationals. Foreign governments and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism supply repatriation flights; the vessel is later sanitised before any return to service.

  2. Advisory

    Spain says MV Hondius will not dock in Tenerife

    Spanish health authorities and the Canary Islands government say the vessel is expected to anchor off Granadilla rather than berth at the port. Passengers are to be evaluated on board, then transferred or repatriated through a controlled operation without contact with the local public. El País reports an expected arrival in Tenerife waters on Sunday.

  3. Advisory

    Madrid and Canary Islands clash over the ship's arrival

    Spain's central government, which had agreed to receive the vessel, is publicly opposed by the Canary Islands regional government over the choice of port and the perceived public-health risk to Tenerife. Madrid confirms the plan to dock at Granadilla — a low-traffic secondary port near Tenerife South Airport — and to channel symptomatic and Spanish-national passengers to a military hospital in Madrid for quarantine. Foreign passengers will be repatriated through the EU civil-protection mechanism.

  4. Case update

    WHO updates total to 8 cases — 5 confirmed, 3 suspected, 3 deaths

    WHO's latest situational update raises confirmed laboratory-tested cases to five and revises suspected to three, for a total of eight cases linked to the cluster. The death toll remains at three. Remaining people on board are reported asymptomatic. The Andes virus (ANDV) attribution is reiterated, with limited person-to-person transmission noted as the operating assumption.

  5. Case update

    Andes virus (ANDV) confirmed; Swiss case identified

    Reference laboratory confirms at least one case as Andes virus (ANDV) — a New World hantavirus that, unlike most strains, has a documented capacity for limited person-to-person transmission, especially among close contacts. A Swiss male passenger tests positive after returning home and is treated in a Zurich hospital. The British patient in South African ICU is reported to be improving.

  6. Official response

    Three medical evacuees airlifted from Cape Verde to the Netherlands

    Two specialised medical aircraft, deployed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with WHO and RIVM, evacuate three patients: a 56-year-old British national (former police officer Martin Anstee), a 41-year-old Dutch crew member, and a 65-year-old German national. An ambulance moves them from the ship's anchorage to Praia airport. Two are reported in serious condition, one stable.