After Hantavirus deaths, what the data tells us about cruise ship outbreaks in Australia

• Following the shock case of a Hantavirus outbreak on an Oceanwide Expeditions cruise ship, some may fear cruise ships carry higher risks of exposure to such outbreaks.
• However, the local data about cruising in Australia shows it doesn’t carry a high risk of contracting a disease.
• Here’s what you need to know.

Thanks to the COVID pandemic, cruise ships have a reputation for being a place where diseases are known to spread. The famous Ruby Princess case, in particular, gave cruising in Australia a bad name.

But a closer look at the evidence shows that cruising is generally a very safe holiday.

Currently, as the world continues learning about the terrifying Hantavirus outbreak on MV Hondius, some may be concerned about the idea of cruising. However, if you have a cruise booked or are thinking about it, it’s important to remember that this is a one-off case, and the Australian cruising landscape looks very different.

While it should be noted that are some gaps in the publicly available data in Australia, New South Wales, a state which by far sees the most cruise ships in Australia, keeps a very close eye on cruise ship outbreaks and diseases.

Looking at the data over recent seasons, it gives a clear indication that the vast majority of cruises offer no significant risk at all of contracting a disease, and even on those that do, it’s not overly likely that the disease will affect you.

For example, if we analyse the 316 cruise voyages in NSW over the 2024/25 season, on none of these voyages were more than five per cent of passengers infected with an acute respiratory infection out break. Of those 316 voyages, only two voyages, which accounts for less than than one per cent of total voyages, saw acute gastroenteritis cases go above three per cent, with these two voyages hitting six per cent and eleven per cent respectively.

Over this period of time, about 1.2 million passengers and crew enjoyed cruises in or out of New South Wales. Only about 8000 of these passengers and crew would have be on ships that had outbreaks of more than 5% of passengers, which is less than 1%, and of this figure.

While outbreaks are, and should be, carefully monitored and managed with patient health as an absolute priority, the reality shows that on reliable cruise ship companies, such as those which sail in Australia, there is only an extremely small risk of contracting something from an outbreak. It’s very unlikely that your ship will experience a serious outbreak, and then even less unlikely that you contract the disease yourself.

More than 90 per cent of cruise ship outbreaks are Norovirus, and it’s estimated that about one in 5500 cruise ship passengers get infected with this. But it is usually contained, and there are always extra things you can do to stay safe from Norovirus.

It is true that if a serious outbreak does happen on a cruise ship, there is an increased risk due to the confined and crowded nature of some cruise ships, however, there are also some positives of cruising. For example, as noted in the report above, cruise ships work closely with health authorities, so if there are outbreaks, these need to be reported and managed with procedures that might not exist in hotels, airplanes, theme parks or other places to holiday.

Furthermore, it’s worth noting that cruise ships all around the world had extremely tight conditions to meet to be able to return to sailing after Covid, and this led to major cruise lines dramatically improving their hygiene and safety procedures. In general, over recent decades, incidences of Norovirus, for example, have significantly decreased on cruise ships.

While it’s always good to be cautious and research the reputation of your cruise line, and manage your personal hygiene while onboard, the risk of experiencing a serious outbreak on a cruise ship is not high. In 2024 around 34 million people took a cruise, it’s an extremely popular holiday and it wouldn’t be if it was dangerous. Of course anything can happen, but simply sail with reputable companies and take basic personal precautions and most of the risk is already gone.

The basics to minimise risk and stay healthy on a cruise

• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, try and do this for at least twenty seconds. Hand washing is more effective than sanitisers.
• Make sure other members of your travel party are doing this as well, particularly before and after eating.
• Check vaccination requirements for any destinations you might or shore excursions that you’ll go on.
• Make sure you are insured and visit the cruise ship doctor if you’re unwell.
• If you notice someone coughing or sneezing near food or in a large crowd, alert a crew member and they can remove the person.
• Pack any medications you think you might need, as they likely cost more onboard or could potentially not be available.
• If you’re a bit older, it’s a great idea to go for a check-up at the GP before your cruise.