‘You only have so much space’: the limits of reducing infection risk on cruise ships

It is hardly a surprise that outbreaks can occur and experts say many of the factors involved are not easy to change

It was a voyage that promised such stuff as dreams are made of, yet within weeks the Atlantic expedition of the MV Hondius had become a nightmare, with three passengers dead from hantavirus and more showing symptoms.

Meanwhile, an outbreak of norovirus is under investigation on another cruise ship, while flu, E coli and varicella – the virus that causes chickenpox – have also caused problems in such settings. Perhaps most memorably, in 2020 the Diamond Princess became a breeding ground for Covid, with passengers and crew quarantined for two weeks off the coast of Japan and more than 700 of the 3,711 people onboard eventually testing positive.