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MV Hondius

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Photograph of MV Hondius
MV Hondius at Spitsbergen in June 2025
History
NameHondius
NamesakeJodocus Hondius
OwnerOceanwide Expeditions
Port of registryVlissingen, Netherlands
Ordered8 November 2016
BuilderBrodosplit (Split, Croatia)
Cost~€100 million[1]
Yard number484[2]
Laid down11 December 2017
Launched10 June 2018
Completed22 May 2019
Maiden voyage3 June 2019
In service2019–present
Identification
StatusIn service
General characteristics
TypeExpedition cruise ship
Tonnage
Displacement5,633 t (5,544 long tons)
Length107.6 m (353 ft 0 in)
Beam17.6 m (57 ft 9 in)
Draught5.36 m (17 ft 7 in)
Ice classPolar Class 6
Installed power2 × ABC 12DZC (2 × 2,130 kW)
PropulsionSingle shaft; controllable pitch propeller
Speed15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Capacity170 passengers in 80 cabins
Crew
  • 57 crew
  • 13 guides
  • 1 doctor

MV Hondius is a Dutch expedition cruise ship owned by Oceanwide Expeditions. Built by Brodosplit in Split, Croatia, the vessel entered service in 2019 and operates primarily in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. According to the owner, the Hondius is the world's first-registered Polar Class 6 ice-strengthened cruise ship.[3]

The ship received worldwide news coverage in May 2026 following reports of eleven hantavirus infections among passengers and crew aboard, and several more cases were suspected.[4]

Description

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Bow
Port side
Stern

Hondius is 107.6 metres (353 ft 0 in) long overall and 94.275 metres (309 ft 3.6 in) between perpendiculars, has a beam of 17.6 metres (57 ft 9 in), and draws 5.36 metres (17 ft 7 in) of water with a displacement of 5,633 tonnes (5,544 long tons).[5] Her gross tonnage is 6,603; net tonnage 2,057; and deadweight tonnage 1,154 tonnes. Her hull and propulsion system are strengthened for navigation in ice-covered waters according to Polar Class 6, which is intended for summer and autumn operation in medium first-year ice, which may include old ice inclusions.[2][6]

Unlike bigger and more luxurious cruise ships,[7][8] Hondius is built to support expedition-style voyages and activity-based shore excursions in polar regions.[9][10] The ship can accommodate up to 170 passengers in 80 outside passenger cabins across eight categories from four-berth staterooms to grand suites with private balcony. The public spaces include a dining room, a lecture room, and an observation lounge, as well as two gangways and an indoor platform to embark Zodiac inflatable boats.[11] The ship has a crew of 57 with an additional 13 guides and a doctor.[12]

The ship's propulsion system consists of two 2,130-kilowatt (2,860 hp) 12-cylinder Anglo Belgian Corporation (ABC) 12DZC four-stroke medium-speed diesel engines geared to a single controllable pitch propeller. This gives Hondius a service speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). Onboard electricity can be generated either with a shaft generator driven by power take-off from the ship's main propulsion or two 750-kilowatt (1,010 hp) auxiliary diesel generators.[5][13] For maneuvering in ports as well as maintaining station without dropping an anchor to seafloor during shore excursions, Hondius has two transverse thrusters: one in the bow and another in the stern.[14]

History

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2016–2019: Order, construction, delivery

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In late 2016, Oceanwide Expeditions ordered an ice-strengthened expedition vessel from Brodosplit in Split, Croatia.[10][14][15] The ship, named Hondius after the Flemish cartographer Jodocus Hondius,[9][16] would be the first newly built ship for the company that had previously operated chartered or converted second-hand tonnage.[8][17]

First steel was cut on 22 August 2017,[18] followed by keel laying on 11 December 2017[19] and launching on 10 June 2018.[20] The completed vessel was delivered on 22 May 2019 and on the same day Oceanwide Expeditions signed a new contract with the shipyard for the construction of a sister ship, Janssonius.[1]

2019–2026: Expedition cruises

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In June 2019, Hondius was off on her first excursion to Spitsbergen.[21]

In December 2019, Hondius participated in the search for the Chilean Air Force C-130 airplane '990' following its disappearance.[22][23][24] It was the closest ship in the area, being 11 nautical miles (13 mi; 20 km) away from where the airplane disappeared from the radar.[23]

In March 2026, Oceanwide Expeditions signed a Letter of Intent for the construction and delivery of two new Hondius-class vessels. These eco-sail vessels are an iteration of the Hondius design, featuring additional sustainability-focused features including a hybrid sail propulsion system. The first is planned for launch in 2029, with the second planned in 2030.[25]

Video footage of Hondius during the hantavirus outbreak.

2026: Hantavirus outbreak

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Main article: MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak

In April 2026, an outbreak of hantavirus on board Hondius killed three people and left another seriously ill.[26] Thereafter, the ship was placed under isolation. It was anchored off the coast of the Cape Verde Islands in early May 2026, with passengers unable to disembark.[27] Hondius arrived at Tenerife, Canary Islands, on 10 May. Her passengers were flown home.[28] Hondius arrived at Rotterdam on 18 May. The 27 people on board were quarantined and the ship was disinfected.[29]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Brodosplit Delivers New Polar Cruise Ship to Oceanwide Expeditions". Offshore Energy. 27 May 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  2. ^ a b "Hondius (9818709)". LR ships in class. Lloyd's Register. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  3. ^ "m/v Hondius". Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  4. ^ Harvey, Lex (8 May 2026). "This American doctor thought he was going on vacation. He ended up treating hantavirus patients on the infected ship". CNN. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  5. ^ a b "Hondius (9818709)". Sea-Web. S&P Global. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  6. ^ Unified Requirements for Polar Class ships Archived 20 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine. International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), April 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  7. ^ Pettersson, Maria (9 May 2026). "HS:n toimittaja risteili kaksi vuotta sitten aluksella, jolla nyt leviää hantavirus – tällaiset olivat olot laivalla" [HS reporter cruised two years ago on a ship that is now spreading hantavirus – these were the conditions on board]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  8. ^ a b Mayes, William (3 August 2019). "Arctic Cruise Aboard the Brand-New Expedition Ship Hondius". QuirkyCruise. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  9. ^ a b Garschagen, Oscar (7 May 2026). "Dan maar een nachtje op het SS Rotterdam" [Then a night on the SS Rotterdam it is.] (column). Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant (in Dutch). Toen de m/v Hondius in juni 2019 Vlissingen uitvoer naar Spitsbergen, dacht ik: wat een prachtig schip. En: hiermee wil ik nog een keer naar de Noordpool. Maar inmiddels kijk ik toch naar een ander schip. En niet alleen door dat akelige hantavirus waardoor het Vlissingse Oceanwide Expeditions ongewild het wereldnieuws indobberde. Iedereen kan nu ook zien dat de Hondius, vernoemd naar de Vlaams-Nederlandse cartografenfamilie uit de Gouden Eeuw, geen varend flatgebouw is met casino's, zwembaden, cocktailparty's en buffetten voor veelvraten. De Walcherse rederij biedt dan ook geen 'cruises' aan, maar 'expedities': naar de poolgebieden om te kajakken tussen de ijsschotsen, te kamperen tussen de keizerspinguïns, te scubaduiken onder het ijs of om ijsberen te fotograferen.
  10. ^ a b "Oceanwide Orders Polar Cruise Ship at Brodosplit". Offshore Energy. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  11. ^ ""m/v Hondius deck plan"" (PDF). Oceanwide Expeditions. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  12. ^ "m/v Hondius". Oceanwide Expeditions. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  13. ^ "Tough propulsion gearbox for polar vessel". The Motorship. 20 June 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  14. ^ a b Moore, Rebecca (25 November 2016). "Oceanwide Expeditions to build advanced polar cruise ship". Riviera Maritime Media. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  15. ^ Rozendaal, Ernst Jan (20 April 2017). "Groeiend poolreizenbedrijf bouwt nieuw vlaggenschip" [Growing polar travel company builds new flagship]. Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant (in Dutch). p. 38. Retrieved 7 May 2026 – via Krantenbank Zeeland.
  16. ^ "The Man Behind the Ship: Hondius the Cartographer". Oceanwide Expeditions. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  17. ^ Kubny, Heiner (3 June 2020). "Keel laying of Oceanwide's "Janssonius"". Polar Journal. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  18. ^ "Steel cutting started for polar expedition vessel Hondius". Shippax. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  19. ^ "Croatian shipyard lays keel for polar expedition vessel Hondius". Baird Maritime. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  20. ^ "Polar Explorer Hondius Launched". The Maritime Executive. 10 June 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  21. ^ Van de Vleuten, Ondine (3 June 2019). "Topschip vaart langs boulevard" [Top ship sails past boulevard]. Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant (in Dutch). p. 20. Retrieved 7 May 2026 – via Krantenbank Zeeland.
  22. ^ Reyes, Verónica (11 December 2019). "Pasaba por ahí: Hondius, el crucero holandés lleno de turistas que se sumó a búsqueda del avión FACH" [Dutch cruise ship full of tourists that joined the search for the Chilean Air Force plane]. Bio Bio Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  23. ^ a b Van de Kasteele, Timo (13 December 2019). "Vlissings schip Hondius zoekt naar verdwenen vliegtuig" [Vlissingen ship Hondius searches for missing plane]. Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant (in Dutch). p. 2. Retrieved 7 May 2026 – via Krantenbank Zeeland.
  24. ^ Graafland, Kees (12 December 2019). "Menselijke resten gevonden op plek waar Chileens vliegtuig in zee verdween" [Human remains found at site where Chilean plane disappeared into the sea]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Lokale media melden dat ook het Nederlandse cruiseschip Hondius uit Vlissingen zijn koers verlegde. Het schip was op weg naar Argentinië, maar werd door de Chileense autoriteiten op de hoogte gebracht van het ongeval en gevraagd om te helpen zoeken. Dat deden de bemanning en passagiers ook enkele uren.
  25. ^ "Antarctica, eco-sail expedition vessels will have a hybrid sail propulsion system". 1 April 2026. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  26. ^ Imray, Gerald (5 May 2026). "How a deadly hantavirus outbreak unfolded on a cruise ship for weeks before it was identified". AP News. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  27. ^ Aikman, Ian; Mannand, Toby; Mackintosh, Thomas (3 May 2026). "Second hantavirus case confirmed after deaths on the cruise". BBC News. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  28. ^ Rainsford, Sarah; Phillips, Aleks. "Countries airlift nationals evacuated from virus-hit cruise ship". BBC News Online. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  29. ^ "Hantavirus ship Hondius to dock in Rotterdam". Dutch News. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
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