Rat virus cruise passenger reveals fatal error made by captain as video shows first signs of deadly disease taking hold

By WILL POTTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 16:47, 7 May 2026 | Updated: 16:53, 7 May 2026 A passenger on board a cruise infested with a fatal hantavirus outbreak said they were 'not well informed' by the ship's captain of the risks they faced after the first person died on the voyage.  Ruhi Cenet was among almost 150 passengers aboard the Hondius luxury vessel when the virus struck last month. So far, eight people have been infected with the deadly virus, which has already claimed the lives of three people on board and forced more than 100 remaining passengers to quarantine. A 70-year-old Dutch man was the first person to die on April 11 after experiencing days of severe illness. In a video captured by Cenet, the ship's captain Jan Dobrogowski can be seen reassuring passengers the death was due to 'natural causes' and posed no threat to others. 'Tragic as it is, it was due to natural causes, we believe,' Dobrogowski said. 'And also whatever health issues he was struggling with, I’m told by the doctor, were not infectious, so the ship is safe when it comes to that.  'The ship is safe. This gentleman, unfortunately, succumbed to natural causes. And like I say, we do what we can in order to continue in a safe and dignified way.'  Cenet slammed the captain for failing to realize the gravity of the situation as it emerged a number of tourists disembarked from the ship following the death, sparking an urgent effort to contain possible spread across the globe.  Ruhi Cenet, a passenger on board a cruise infested with a hantavirus outbreak, said customers were 'not well informed' by the ship's captain of the risks they faced after the first person died on the voyage Cenet filmed Captain Jan Dobrogowski announcing to the ship that a man passed away on April 11 from what was believed to be 'natural causes.' Officials now believe the man died from Hantavirus The MV Hondius cruise ship anchored in Praia, Cape Verde, on Monday 'It turns out we were not well informed,' he told NBC News.  Cenet said he boarded the ship at the Argentinian port city of Ushuaia on April 1 and was planning on recording a vlog about a remote archipelago in the South Atlantic on the voyage.  He recalled the cruise starting as a luxury vacation, but told NBC News that it soon turned ominous.  He said the captain had not previously participated in briefings, so when the captain told passengers a person had died: 'I felt something odd.' 'It’s very scary because it was nothing that we were ready for,' Cenet said.  Cenet added that life on the cruise continued as normal for several days as passengers believed the captain's assurances that the death was natural and not from an infectious virus.  'Knowing that we didn’t get isolated and we didn’t take any caution for a solid 12 days, for my part, is a very sad situation,' he said. 'I wish everyone was more mindful.'  Cenet said he took a blood test when he returned home to his native Turkey and has not had any symptoms, which he put down to isolating himself on the ship.  Captain Jan Dobrogowski (pictured) told passengers after the Dutch man died that 'whatever health issues he was struggling with, I’m told by the doctor, were not infectious, so the ship is safe when it comes to that' The Argentine government's leading hypothesis is that a Dutch couple who died had contracted hantavirus during a bird-watching outing at a garbage dump in Ushuaia, Argentina. Above, a rubbish site in the city (file photo) 'I already kind of isolated myself from the crowd,' he said. 'I started having my meals in my own cabin.' The hantavirus outbreak has sparked panic among health officials over the potential for the deadly virus to spread after it emerged that several passengers were allowed off the ship without being informed of the risks. The Dutch man's body also remained on the vessel at sea for two weeks until it was removed on the island of St Helena on April 24.  Two days later, his 69-year-old wife also fell ill and died after she disembarked at St Helena on her way home.  The third fatality was a German woman who passed away on May 2, with at least eight total infections reported and several patients in critical condition in hospitals in South Africa and Switzerland.  The World Health Organization (WHO) is attempting to locate at least 69 people who may have come into contact with the 69-year-old Dutch woman, who boarded two flights before she died of the virus in South Africa on April 26. Your browser does not support iframes. A potential Dutch patient leaves the aircraft after three medical evacuees from the cruise ship MV Hondius arrived at Schiphol-East airport in Schiphol, Netherlands, May 6 A Frenchman is believed to have had contact with the former passenger on the Airlink flight from St Helena to Johannesburg on April 25, and is being monitored by health authorities. The woman then boarded a second flight to Amsterdam, but was prevented from flying after the crew grew concerned at how ill she appeared. Now, a Dutch flight attendant with 'mild symptoms' has been hospitalised due to possible hantavirus, following contact with the passenger who pased away a day later. Officials say they believe the Dutch couple contracted the deadly virus during a bird-watching outing to a garbage dump in Ushuaia, Argentina.  Six Americans are being monitored across three states since disembarking with other passengers since traveling to a number of nations following the outbreak.  In response to Cenet's video, the ship's operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said it was 'aware' of the announcement. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. 'We want to provide clarity on this video,' the company said in a statement.  At the time the captain spoke to passengers, it said: 'the cause of death of this individual was unknown.' 'No other symptomatic individuals were present on board. At the time of the announcement, no evidence of a virus or contagion was present on the vessel. The case was believed to be isolated following medical review.' The company added that 'proper procedure was followed in informing all guests and crew aboard m/v Hondius.  'Health and safety and maritime standards regarding the proper management and reporting of a death while at sea were followed.'  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. 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