MV Hondius: the ice-breaking expedition cruise hit with hantavirus cases

Polar explorer vessel stuck off coast of Cape Verde usually carries passengers to remote and nature-rich areas

• What is hantavirus, the infection thought to have killed three on cruise ship?

With a fortified hull that can break through ice, the MV Hondius – the scene of a suspected hantavirus outbreak – is not the average cruise ship. The 107-metre polar explorer vessel is small, nimble and made for touring the natural wonders of Arctic and Antarctic waters.

In place of the amusement arcades, ballrooms and deck-top waterparks that may be found on larger vessels, such as those where thousands became marooned during the Covid pandemic, the Hondius has an open observation lounge and lecture room in which biologists, geologists and glaciologists give lectures.