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The Hondius has now been cleared to return to its full operations following the completion of a deep cleaning and disinfection process in Rotterdam, according to Oceanwide Expeditions.
Dutch health authority GGD Rotterdam-Rijnmond inspected the vessel on May 29 and issued an official clearance on May 30.
"Based on this targeted inspection, it has been definitively established that the vessel has been effectively cleaned and that the disinfection has been completed in accordance with the prescribed guidelines," GGD Rotterdam-Rijnmond said in a statement. "From a public health perspective, there are no objections to returning the vessel to service."
The disinfection was carried out by a team of 13 biosecurity experts from EWS Group over several days, treating all eight decks of the vessel.
The process also included the removal of all residual organic matter, disinfection of every hard surface with registered disinfection products and hydrogen peroxide, and high-temperature steam cleaning of all soft surfaces.
The vessel was declared rodent-free by qualified third-party professionals.
All specialists wore full personal protective equipment and followed the strictest protocols to establish clean and contaminated zones throughout the operation.
"The close cooperation between our teams and the operational expertise provided by EWS Group played an important role in the successful completion of this complex disinfection operation and the vessel's preparation for return to service," said Rémi Bouysset, chief executive officer of Oceanwide Expeditions.
Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed that medical and epidemiological information shows the hantavirus was introduced before embarkation and did not originate from the vessel or its onboard operational standards.
All crew members from the prior voyage have disembarked and are now in quarantine and a full crew transition has taken place.
The Hondius will soon depart Rotterdam for Longyearbyen, Svalbard, on June 6 just ahead of her first Arctic season voyage on June 13.
Fuente: cruise industry news
