Masks, movies and solo deck walks: life aboard a hantavirus-hit cruise ship

By Hira Humayun, CNN

(CNN) — Barely a month ago, they were embarking on a voyage of adventure to some of the world’s most remote islands. Encounters with whales, dolphins and penguins awaited; landscapes of icy expanses, towering cliffs and rolling green hills beckoned.

Now they are isolating in their cabins, trapped aboard a ship anchored in the Atlantic, taking what measures they can to shield themselves from an outbreak of a deadly virus.

For the nearly 150 passengers aboard the MV Hondius, the coming days are full of uncertainty.

Following an outbreak of the hantavirus – which causes fatigue, fever, and can even lead to organ failure and death – three passengers have died. Another three who are thought to have been infected are to be evacuated in the coming hours.

Everyone else must wait, at least for now. Spain has agreed to receive the ship in the Canary Islands in three to four days. Until then, the boat will remain anchored off the coast of Praia, Cape Verde, while those aboard do their best not to fall ill.

In the meantime, many of them have been trying to make the best of the uncertainty, some of them offering a glimpse into their lives through social media posts.

Kasem Hato, a travel vlogger, has posted videos from the ship’s deck that look out toward a distant land mass.

“What you can see in front of us over there is the country of Cape Verde, but we are not allowed to disembark there,” he says in Arabic as he points to the coastline of the west African country – which was supposed to be the ship’s final stop.

Passengers have been told to isolate and strict hygiene measures are in place. Yet, despite the circumstances, the tour operator Oceanwide Expeditions says passengers remain composed.

“Most of the people on the ship are taking the matter very calmly,” says Hato, in one of the videos he has posted from the deck overlooking the water and from inside his cabin.

He also brushes off any fears of the outbreak escalating.

“This virus is not new to the world. If it were going to become an epidemic, it would have happened a long time ago,” he says.

While human-to-human transmission is suspected to have taken place on the ship, Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) acting director of epidemic and pandemic management, believes this is likely to have occurred only between very close contacts, such as married couples and people providing medical care. The risk to the general public is very low, she says.

Two of passengers who died were a married couple. Among those who are ill and expected to be evacuated soon is a person “associated” with the third dead person, according to authorities, and another is a doctor.

While passengers are taking the situation seriously, they are not panicking, Hato told CNN.

“We all feel very sorry for those who passed away as we shared with them a beautiful journey and send their families our condolences,” he said.

Another passenger who spoke to CNN, Jake Rosmarin, said that apart from those who had fallen ill, “everyone else onboard is doing well and remains in good spirits.” He stressed the efforts the crew have made to keep passengers safe, informed and comfortable.

Wildlife photographer Alejandra Rendon also commended the crew for “managing such an unlikely and unfortunate situation.”

The crew are spending the time taking care of passengers and disinfecting the vessel, according to the tour operator and the WHO.

Passengers are also doing their part.

Hato told CNN the ship’s captain and management are keeping passengers updated on new information as it comes in.

“We are trying to follow the recommendations we have received, such as reducing direct contact with other passengers and sanitizing our hands as much as possible,” Hato said.

“Our days are going almost normally,” he added, saying that morale on the ship remained high. “We are trying to keep ourselves busy by reading, watching movies, drinking hot beverages, and so on.”

Rosmarin said additional medical provisions and supplies were brought on board and that passengers were taking precautions like wearing masks and practicing social distancing.

Passengers can have their meals delivered to their cabins and can take solo walks on the decks for fresh air but can’t convene in common areas, he added.

He too has been posting images of the view of Cape Verde from the ship and looking forward to the day the ship finally disembarks.

“I’m feeling well, getting some fresh air and continuing to be well fed and taken care of by the crew onboard,” Rosmarin posted on Instagram alongside a selfie of him on the deck.

“Just trying to focus on the positive, think about the good things, and keep a smile on my face.”

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CNN’s Eyad Kourdi, Issy Ronald, Duarte Mendonca and Ally Barnard contributed to this report.